Front Doorstep Tile Ideas – 10 ways to boost your home’s kerb appeal
Having an attractively tiled front doorstep can completely transform the look of your home. Although it’s easy to overlook this part of your house, a well-maintained entryway creates a lasting impression.
With a vast range of weatherproof tiles to choose from, it’s easy to enhance the entrance to your home. Whether you have a small or sweeping doorstep and several steps or a single one, there are many ways to upstyle a doorstep.
Recommended Tile: Lambeth Victorian Floor
What tiles are suitable for a doorstep?
Doorstep tiles need to be tough. Exposed to everything the weather can throw at them and heavy footfall, you’ll need to ensure that the tiles you choose are weatherproof and can resist extremes in temperature.
Also bear in mind that front doorstep tiles will get muddy, wet and grimy, especially if your house is next to a busy road, so if you choose coloured or patterned tiles, they’ll need to be easy to clean. These are the most suitable tiles to use for a front doorstep:
● Natural stone tiles are durable, attractive and won’t show dirt as much as smoother porcelain tiles. Stone is one of the more expensive outdoor tile options but it’s also one of the most beautiful.
● Porcelain tiles are durable, frost-resistant and have very low porosity. Available in a mind-blowing range of textures and colours, you’ll be hard-pushed to differentiate between real stone and a quality stone-effect porcelain tile.
● Natural terracotta tiles are amongst the oldest clay tiles around. Although terracotta is porous, some tiles are frost resistant and they can be glazed or sealed, making them suitable for use outdoors.
● Terrazzo tiles are a great option if you want something a little different. Made from cement or porcelain and incorporating chippings of stone, these tiles are super durable.
● Paving tiles are designed for outdoor use. Often made from concrete or porcelain, you can choose from a wide range of colours, sizes and textures.
Front doorstep tile ideas
Just because a doorstep is repeatedly trampled on with muddy feet (and paws), doesn’t mean that it can’t be a standout feature of your home. Check our pick of the most stylish doorsteps on the block and be inspired to update yours:
Personalised mosaic tiles
Add a creative and personal touch to a front doorstep with mosaic tiles. You can use square mosaics or break tiles and create your design that way. Stick to porcelain tiles for durability. Mosaic designs can take a while to lay, so it’s best to work in small, manageable sections. The finished result will be well worth the effort.
Striking lily pad tiles
The oh-so instagrammable lily pad tiles are a popular choice in kitchens and bathrooms, but they also look incredible when used to tile a doorstep. Used here in a beautiful modern home, these quirky tiles are perfect for adding character to older properties too.
Recommended Tile: Ava Décor Gris
Classic penny tiles
What better way to put your stamp on your home than with a personalised penny tile mosaic doorstep? Ideal for use in unique designs, these miniature but mighty tiles have been around since the early 1900s. Classic penny tiles are usually hexagonal, but you can get round mosaic penny tiles too.
Recommended mosaic: Waxman Shapes Hexagon White-Black
Warm terracotta tiles
Add warmth to a front doorstep with attractive terracotta tiles. The rich reddish-brown colour of these tiles comes from the high iron content within the clay. Unlike many other materials, terracotta tiles are porous, but you can opt for a glazed version or seal the tiles so that they’re suitable for use outdoors.
Recommended tile: Handmade Terracotta 300mm x 300mm
Eye-catching patterned tiles
If you opt for a porcelain tiled doorstep, you’ll have the most choice in terms of pattern, colour and texture. Patterned tiles are perfect for adding interest and will create a stunning focal point wherever you choose to use them.
Don’t be put off by pale colours, smooth porcelain tiles are extremely easy to clean and you can always opt for a stylish doormat to pick up the worst of the dirt, although it seems a shame to cover over those beautiful tiles!
Recommended Tile: Damask Decor 6
Vibrant Victorian tiles
If you want your doorstep to make a real statement, you can’t go wrong with timeless and elegant Victorian tiles. Although many homes retain their original Victorian tiled doorsteps and porches, you can inject some colour with more modern, brightly-coloured Victorian-style tiles. Blue, green, pink and yellow are just some of the more vibrant colours that you can include in your design.
Rustic slate tiles
If you favour a more rustic-looking doorstep, then natural stone tiles are hard to beat. Smarten up a small, kerbside doorstep with understated slate tiles. Slate is extremely hardwearing, can easily withstand extremes in temperature and being dark in colour, is a super practical choice for a doorstep.
Feature star tiles
Create a striking doorstep with feature star tiles. Guaranteed to brighten up the entrance to your home, these porcelain tiles are as durable as they are beautiful.
They’re easy to keep clean too, give them a regular wipe-over with a soapy mop and they’ll look good for years to come. Star tiles come in a few choices of colour and if you love the pattern, but the idea of a mostly white doorstep fills you with dread, you can opt for white stars on a black background for a darker look.
Recommended Tile: Regal Negro
Grand Victorian chequerboard tiles
Create a magnificent entrance to your home with black and white Victorian tiles. A familiar sight along the streets of London and Brighton, black and white is the most classic combination of these iconic tiles.
Victorian tiles are extremely hardwearing and, as well as the classic chequerboard layout, there are many other splendid patterns to choose from. You can opt for grand borders and add different colours to the mix depending on your preference.
Recommended Tile: Cambridge Victorian Floor
Moroccan-style tiles
Add a quirky touch to a small doorstep with bold Moroccan-style tiles. Perfect for adding a splash of colour and personality to what can be a plain old space, these tiles are guaranteed to make you and your visitors smile and add a welcome touch of character to the street.
Recommended Tile: Provenza Deco
Front doorstep tile tips
● With so many doorstep tiles on the market, take time picking the perfect tiles for your home. Ordering samples is a good idea as you can see how they’ll look in situ.
● It’s a good idea to use darker-coloured grout, white won’t stay that way for long!
● If you want to add some colour to your doorstep tiles but aren’t sure where to start, consider picking out a feature colour from your home or go for a contrasting colour. Alternatively, you can paint the front door to match your doorstep tiles.
● Tiling a doorstep or the front steps is a manageable DIY job. There are plenty of useful online guides, just make sure you have all the tools before you begin!
For more inspiration, have a look at our Porch Tile Ideas article.
If you’re thinking about upstyling your doorstep, Atlas Ceramics has an extensive selection of tiles to choose from. Browse our selection yourself or call one of our experts for advice.