how to select tile for your living room: 10 insider tips

how to select tile for the living room

keep these tips in your back pocket — for the living room and beyond.

consider your lifestyle

as you navigate your tile options, it’s helpful to start with a few key questions about your lifestyle, as these will ultimately help you narrow down your choices:

• how much foot traffic does your living room see?
• do you have kids or pets?
• what are you willing to commit to in terms of cleaning?
• what are you willing to commit to in terms of maintenance?
• how much patina do you want to embrace? all? some? none?

assess your overall space

the same goes for assessing your overall space. some helpful questions to ask as you search for the right tile are:

• how large is your living room?
• what is the lighting in your living room like?
• what aesthetic are you going for? natural? edgy? eclectic? luxe?
• what are you planning for the walls and decor?
• how does the living room connect with other rooms?
• what is the overall aesthetic of your home?

define your style preferences

the above questions will help you define your style preferences. if you love using natural materials in your home, for example, you might be drawn to a stone tile like travertine. if you want your home to feel like it belongs on the mediterranean coast, on the other hand, you might be into earthy terracotta. can’t resist a bold design? the world of cement is filled with beautiful patterned tiles.

consider the lighting conditions

one of the many reasons we encourage homeowners to sample tile is this: a room’s light will inevitably change over the course of a day due to natural light, weather, and whatever interior lighting is installed. and these different types of lighting will interact with your tile differently.

in order to fully understand how any particular tile will present in your home, get a sample of the tile and study it under all of these changing lighting conditions. you might be surprised to find that what was option a on your list gets bumped down to option c, and vice versa.

explore colors and patterns

even if you fancy yourself a minimalist or wabi-sabi devotee, don’t be afraid to branch out and explore your color and pattern options. take calacatta viola, marble’s moodier, purple-streaked sibling. or star-shaped terracotta in deep red. or cement in its many geometric forms.

a bold color or pattern might end up being just the thing to bring balance to your living room. or, you might find that the space needs a strong neutral tile to ground it. the beauty here is that what you choose for your living room is entirely up to you.

plan your layout strategically

many aspects of your living room’s design will influence the decisions you make around tile. think about the size of your living room, as well as where natural focal points are. in addition, consider how traffic flows through the room, and how the space connects with the rest of your home.

the answers to these questions will help you decide on the size and finish of your tile, along with what pattern you’ll lay the tile in (and in what direction).

understand tile texture and slip resistance

if the tile will be on your living room floor (as opposed to, say, a fireplace surround) remember that not all tiles offer the slip resistance needed for a floor. unglazed tiles such as terracotta, tumbled travertine, and cement tend to have a more textured surface, therefore offering adequate slip resistance. glazed and polished tiles are just the opposite.

that isn’t to say that glazed tiles such as porcelain tiles and polished stone tiles aren’t suitable for living room floors. tile size is also a factor here, as smaller tiles call for more grouting. (and more grouting means more traction.)

consider grout

speaking of: it’s remarkable how grouting can affect the overall look of a tile installation. this applies not only to the color of the grout but also to the spacing of the grout joint. a grout color that closely matches the color of your tile will have a more subdued effect, while a contrasting color tends to create a bolder look. a wider grout joint can also make quite the statement (often in a good way).

as you consider grout, look to the tile’s material guidelines — and your contractor — for recommendations. (most tiles come with a recommended grout size.) in addition, have your contractor create multiple mockup boards so you can make an informed decision about grout color and spacing.

factor in maintenance requirements

as we touched on earlier, it’s important to be realistic about what you’re willing to commit to in terms of maintenance. natural stone tile, for example, generally needs to be sealed regularly — anywhere from every six months to every few years — in order to maintain a protective barrier against stains and excess moisture. cement, unglazed terracotta, and terrazzo tile call for similar sealing guidelines. that said, these are also tiles you can have refinished down the road.

you may decide that you are willing to embrace the types of changes that sealing is meant to prevent. (deepening in color, for example.) if you’re a Patina Person™ who marvels at the sight of love-worn, centuries-old tile, you may put preventive maintenance lower on the list of your tile considerations.

seek professional advice

all of these things may feel like a lot to take in, but remember: there are experts who can help you make these informed decisions. in fact, we encourage partnering with an experienced professional wherever possible.

many of our clients work with an interior designer to realize the vision they have for their new space; others do not. whichever route you take, you should always partner with a skilled contractor who has the experience necessary to ensure your tile installation will look its best — and last for years to come. this is especially true if you’re working with artisanally crafted tile.

which is better - glossy or matte tiles for the living room?

if you’re tiling the living room floor, the first question to be asking here is: how slip resistant is the tile? a tile’s material guidelines should specify whether it’s suitable for flooring. (glazed ceramic tiles often are not, for example.)

generally, matte tiles offer increased slip resistance when compared to glossy tiles. but that doesn’t mean a glossy, polished, or honed tile won’t work on your floor. honed stone tile, after all, is one of the most popular choices for living spaces.

if maintenance is a primary concern, keep in mind that glossy and honed tiles tend to be easier to maintain, as their smooth surface wipes clean more readily.

should living room floor tiles be darker than walls?

our take: there are no “shoulds” or “should nots” when it comes to your living room’s aesthetic. (your house, your rules, remember?) we’ve seen creamy dolomite marble paired with moody walls, and brick pavers paired with stark white walls. better still: you could have a floor and walls that are different colors entirely, yet similar in “darkness.” (think: burnished red and forest green.)

and why not try both? color bundles (like those in our mythology cement collection) bring multiple shades together, creating looks that range from classic and neutral to bright and vibrant.

should I choose large or small tiles for my living room?

as long as you’re working with a slip resistant tile, the size of the tile is entirely up to you. but let’s say you do fall in love with a glossy tile, and you’re determined to line your living room floor with it. in this case, consider having the tile cut down to a smaller size, such as 2 inches by 2 inches. this will create more grouting and therefore the slip resistance you need for high traffic floors.

wondering how tile size might affect the overall look of the room? we’ve touched on the small tile faux pas before — many homeowners believe that a small space requires small tiles. but you might be surprised to learn that small tiles can actually make a room feel smaller. so if your living room is on the small side, don’t fall into the trap of thinking a small tile will make it feel larger.