When it comes to kitchen design, there is one area that’s often under-appreciated: the floor. Sure, an original, beautiful wood floor should never be replaced, but for many of us, the tiles or laminate covering our current kitchens leave much to be desired. Whether you’re planning a kitchen renovation soon or simply just hear to browse, we must introduce you to one of our favorite home design Instagram accounts: I Have This Thing With Floors. Exactly what the name implies, it’s a feed of the most gorgeous floors, ceramic tile or otherwise, that you’ve probably ever seen.
Most of the kitchen flooring options out there are featured in light that doesn’t do the design any favor, or treat the kitchen floor as an afterthought. I like to peruse this account for inspiration, especially for colorful stone tile designs and vinyl flooring. The kitchen flooring ideas you can find here are some of the most beautiful and inspirational around. Without further ado, here are 20 kitchen flooring ideas from places around the world.
1. Bring the beach home to you.
The wave pattern of this kitchen floor tile reminds us of a cozy beach cottage kitchen that would pair nicely with terracotta accents and kitchen storage jars.
2. Keep it classically bright.
The gold and faded turquoise look of these diamonds bring new meaning to the phrase “tile flooring”. For their bursts of color, the natural stone finish seems to come through in a worn, rustic look.
3. Position your pattern.
The best kitchen flooring brings a bit of polished personality to beautiful kitchens, and the use of both patterns and solid colors makes this floor incredibly gorgeous.
4. The effects of subtle patterns.
If you’re ready for a real space change, consider mixing it up with a full pattern kitchen tile look. Area rugs can be used in the color palette of the tile (or contrasting, if you’re feeling bold) to always keep these floor tile designs fresh.
5. Think geometric.
This hexagon tile adds interest because it’s in a different shape that traditional square tile and because each tile piece is painted with three colors. The effect is minimal, but meaningful. This would look amazing in a small kitchen, or even as a kitchen backsplash.
6. A neutral color palette meets a funky design.
This eye-catching design that would be found in a modern kitchen works because the tiles abide by the same color palette. The gray and blue tones look stunning in natural light, and the detail of using three different style tiles could work in a traditional kitchen or even galley kitchens.
7. Go bold and big.
On the contrary, by going with a full ceramic tile floor, you can easily get creative with the design on top. So much more interesting that laminate flooring, the tile patterns you can create mean you’re putting a special touch on your kitchen for years to come.
8. Consider the border.
If going for a full color across your floor is too daunting, consider picking up tile that uses white space with a decorative border. Still more interesting that laminate hardwood flooring, this minimalist look would pair well in a kitchen that has real wood cabinets or distressed versions.
9. Zig zag your way to a color palette.
If color is what you want, consider this zigzag pattern. You could easily use neutral colors in tans and greys, or you could build it around the colors of accessories already in your kitchen. We’re still dreaming about the new lavender Le Creuset sets, honestly.
10. Maximalists unite!
Another option to keep you from pure wood look tile is to grab patterned tile and build a floor yourself. If you are going for wood tile, consider adding a few pops of color and print into the design with a few expertly-placed tiles. I’ve seen this look in a kitchen full of stainless steel appliances before and it was a breath of fresh air against the stern metal.
11. The faux brick look.
If you want to keep some natural elements in your design, consider using patterned porcelain tile in earthy or neutral colors. The orange of this appears brick-like on first glance, making it right at home in the hearth of the home.
12. Neutral is always a good choice.
If the overwhelming pops of color are too much for your kitchen, there’s nothing wrong with playing around with geometric patterns in neutral colors, like slate tile. These tiles are placed in an interesting pattern, but surely you could create your own at home.
13. Mod still rules the kitchen.
Perfect for wall tiles or kitchen flooring alike, geometric mid-century modern patterns are still popular among today’s influential design crowd, notably led by Chip and Joanna Gaines. Found in a ceramic floor tile or even in a laminate, subtle patterns are good middle-ground.
14. Simple doesn’t mean understated.
This unique blue tile would make anyone moving through the high-traffic areas of your home stop in awe. The simple blue pattern is so much more interesting than concrete flooring, while the white background still keeps this floor subdued.
15. Mismatched in the same shades.
Pulling off a mismatched tile floor isn’t too difficult as long as you stick to the color palette rule: choose shades in the same type of color shade (pastel, opaque, or bold, for example). A cohesive look will start to form once you find the right tiles to place together.
16. Tiny tile is still in.
Call us vintage or call us crazy, but there’s something so striking about the color palette use in this miniature tile floor.
17. Contrasting shades are effortless.
For a flooring look that looks like it took way more time to install, consider using pops of contrasting colors to make the floor unique. This pink palette is accentuated by tiles of army green that bring an earthiness to the design.
18. Build your own pattern.
If you’re feeling adventurous, you could even build your own pattern using smaller geometric hexagons in different shades. It’s best to map out for your plan of attack before starting this kind of DIY so you can create a cohesive look for your own home.
19. Classic tile patterns get a facelift.
Look closely at this floor and you’ll notice that the color palette is cohesive, but the design of larger squares is, too. This keeps the traditional kitchen floor concept front and center with diamond tiles, but brings new life with a fresh pop of color.
20. Add a message.
Resale value aside, consider building in your own message. We’ve seen designs on the account feature the name of the city, the word Coffee, and even various forms of hello. It might not be someone’s style, but it’s the kind of custom feature that makes everyone remember your home.
To check out more photos for inspiration, head on over to I Have This Thing With Floor’s Instagram account. Because they post daily, there’s always a new floor (and 1,453 to scroll through).
