Large Kitchen Tile Ideas – 12 Ways to Tile a Super-sized Space

The kitchen is the beating heart of every home and, if you’re lucky enough to own a spacious one, chances are you’ll spend a large proportion of your time there. Not just for cooking, large kitchens provide space for entertaining, working and relaxing. A place for families and friends to come together, kitchens have evolved from small separate rooms to large, efficient, multifunctional spaces.

Kitchens are one of the most important rooms in our home and extending or remodelling an existing kitchen and changing the flooring are two of the best ways to add value.

Whether you’re in the middle of a remodel or starting from scratch, choosing the right tiles for your kitchen is crucial. Not sure where to start? Here’s our guide to the best tiles for a large kitchen.

If you want to add value to your home, the kitchen is the place to do it. Putting in a new kitchen or new floor to refresh and illuminate is an ideal way.

Image credit: @elledecor

Recommended Tile: Gala Blanco 

What tiles should I choose for a large kitchen?

Choosing tiles for a large space can be daunting. If you’ve got a lot of floor on show, you’ll need to choose your tiles carefully. Not only will you want to choose a tile style that you love, but you’ll need to think about finding tiles that are practical, stylish and versatile.

Large spaces often call for large tiles, especially on the floor. Large-format tiles have fewer grout lines than smaller ones, creating a seamless, less busy look.  Small tiles can also look incredible on a large kitchen floor. Look for rectangular, square or octagonal tiles and opt for classic herringbone, octagon and dot or chequerboard layouts.

If your kitchen is open plan, it’s a good idea to choose neutral, timeless style tiles that work well across multiple zones. Natural stone, stone-effect porcelain, plain, polished porcelain and wood-effect floor tiles are all popular choices. You can use rugs to break up large areas of flooring and to add texture and interest to different areas of the kitchen.

When it comes to choosing wall tiles, you can be more adventurous.  While it’s true that most large kitchens favour a neutral colour scheme, there’s no reason not to introduce colour and pattern and the splashback is the perfect area to do so.

Large kitchen tile ideas

Choosing the right tiles for a spacious kitchen can be intimidating so we’ve rounded up our selection of the best large kitchen tile ideas to inspire you:

Flagstone floor tiles

If you want to create a kitchen that exudes a cosy, welcoming feel, flagstones are an excellent option. There is an impressive range of practical stone-effect flagstone porcelain tiles to choose from and with their realistic textures and pattern variation, they look as good as natural stone tiles.

Flagstone tiles are ideal for both contemporary and traditional kitchens and their neutral appearance means they’ll work well in multifunctional spaces with different types of furniture.

There is a huge range of practical stone-effect slab style porcelain tiles to now choose from which are realistic in appearance and look as good as natural stone.

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Recommended Tile: Dunstone Beige 

Wood effect floor tiles

With its rich tones and timeless qualities, wood flooring is a popular choice for large kitchens and open-plan living spaces.

Real wood flooring is warm underfoot and undeniably beautiful, but it’s not the most practical choice for a kitchen area. Wood-effect porcelain tiles are a brilliant alternative, you can combine porcelain tiles with underfloor heating to ward off the cold and it’s much easier to clean and maintain than real wood flooring.

Wood-effect tile flooring is extremely versatile and can be used throughout your whole home for a coherent look.

Wood effect tiles are realistic, beautiful and very easy to maintain, compared to real wood. A very popular choice with a huge range of colours and textures to chose from

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Recommended Tile: Woodlands Natural 

Stone floor tiles

If you have a large, traditional kitchen, stone floor tiles are one of the most aesthetically pleasing solutions for kitchen floors and walls. Every stone tile is unique and, depending on the stone you choose, complete with a spattering of ancient fossils and sparkling crystals.

Stone tiles aren’t the cheapest tile option but they will add value to your home so can be a savvy spend. Stone is a little more high maintenance than porcelain and it needs to be protected from acidic and highly pigmented substances, but it’s a small price to pay for a breath-taking finish.

Stone floors are very alluring, especially in large kitchens. They offer an authentic finish and are suitable for walls and floors, sure to make an impact.

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Recommended Tile: Casablanca

Supersize floor tiles

If you’ve got a lot of floor space to cover, using gigantic floor tiles is one of the best ways to do so. It will make the space seem even larger and it works brilliantly in contemporary style open plan spaces.

In open spaces with plenty of natural light, dark floor tiles are a classy option, they’re also extremely practical in a busy living area.

In large kitchens with lots of natural light, dark floor tiles offer a chic finish, they also work wonderfully in areas with high amounts of traffic

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Recommended Tile: Amerka Nero

Polished floor tiles

For the ultimate luxe look, opt for large, polished floor tiles in your kitchen area. You can choose polished porcelain or buffed-up stones like limestone and marble to create a high-end finish in your kitchen.

Large polished floors offer an opulent finish in your kitchen area to stunning and luxurious effect.

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Recommended Tile: Port Laurent

Herringbone floor tiles

If you love the look of wood flooring but want something with a little more interest than straight planks, a classic herringbone floor is an excellent option.

Offering visual interest and plenty of texture, you can create this look with wood-effect porcelain tiles.  This ancient flooring pattern works well in large spaces and is so versatile, it can be used in all rooms of the home.

Pro tip: For a high-end finish, add a border of straight planks around the edge of the floor.

Add interest and a modern twist to your kitchen floor with wood effect tiles laid in this splendid herringbone style.

Image credit: @johnlewisofhungerford

Recommended Tile: Wildwood

Terracotta tiles

Large kitchens are practical and a pleasure to spend time in but it can be a struggle to make them feel cosy. Tiles can make a huge difference to the overall look and feel of a room and are one of the key design elements in interior design.

Terracotta tiles are durable, attractive and practical and they’re a great way to bring warmth and character into a large space. Terracotta tiles don’t come in large format designs but their smaller size makes them perfect for creating interesting patterns.

Terracotta tiles can be used to make a large kitchen feel cosy and warm due to its inviting depth and colour.

Image credit: @devolkitchens

Recommended Tile: Handmade Terracotta

Marble splashback

No matter what style your kitchen is, there’s always a place for marble. One of the most versatile tile styles, you can opt for real marble or realistic marble-effect porcelain.

Marble works beautifully next to all colours of kitchen cabinets and with all other tile types. Use large-format marble tiles to create a striking feature splashback.

Porcelain effect marble always adds another dimension to a kitchen, stunning in a large area and also effective as a feature wall or splashback. Simply exquisite.

Image credit: @devolkitchens

Recommended Tile: San Babila 

Colour-coordinated splashback tiles

Take your kitchen to the next level by carefully coordinating your tiled splashback and cabinet colours. Large kitchen areas provide the perfect canvas for creating your dream kitchen, whether that’s keeping it neutral or introducing your favourite colours.

Tiling the area behind the sink or oven not only looks fantastic, but it provides a practical, wipeable surface as well as a protective layer for the walls. It’s a perfect place to experiment with different tile colours, textures and patterns and can help to add character to a large space.

Tiles are so versatile and available in such a huge range of colours, textures and patterns, used in different areas of the kitchen they add character to larger spaces.

Image credit: @mainehomedesign

Recommended Tile: Emilia Sky 

Classic metro tiles

Metro tiles are everywhere and for good reason, they’re versatile, budget-friendly and look sensational wherever they are placed. Metro tiles are a failsafe option for a large kitchen, their classic design means they won’t date and they fit in with all styles of décor.

You can use metro tiles in various ways; to create a subtle, neutral backdrop, to make a bold statement and to add interest and texture to different areas of your kitchen.

Metro tiles are available in all shades and can be laid in many different patterns including the classic brick bond, vertical and horizontal stacks and basketweave and herringbone designs.

Metro tiles are so adaptable they complement any colour scheme in your kitchen and are reasonably priced, available in a multitude of colours, they remain classic and timeless.

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Recommended Tile: Rio Blanco

Patterned splashback

Use patterned tiles to break up large areas and draw the eye to specific parts of the kitchen. The splashback behind an oven is a blank canvas, so unleash your creative streak and have fun with bold tiles in striking prints.

Patterned tiles create delightful areas in your large kitchen, whether it’s a feature wall, splashback or a boarder, let your creative juices flow and add a touch of inspiration.

Image credit: @loverenovate

Recommended Tile: Regal Negro Star Tile 

Textured wall tiles

Large kitchen spaces are often decorated in neutral shades. It’s a safe option for a big area and you can introduce colour and interest with accessories, furniture and plants. Tiles are an expensive part of a large kitchen so it makes sense to stick to time-honoured classics, neutral colours, natural materials and tile styles that won’t date.

Going neutral doesn’t have to be boring.  Liven up kitchen walls by choosing tiles with interesting textures. You can choose tiles with subtle imperfections, look for roughly textured zellige tiles, opt for tumbled stone tiles or pick tiles with pretty relief designs. Contrasts work well in large spaces so if you’ve got glossy kitchen cabinets, opt for matt wall tiles and vice versa.

Use textured tiles in a neutral kitchen, simple yet highly effective, keeping your large kitchen subtle but adding interest to your walls.

Image credit: @buildingutah

Recommended Tile: Habana White

Large Kitchen Tile Advice

Choosing tiles for a large kitchen can be a challenge, here’s what we recommend when selecting tiles for a spacious area:

• Go large – Large tiles are the perfect partner for large spaces, especially open-plan areas. You can always use smaller tiles for the walls or switch between different types of tiles. Check out our article on tile transition ideas for more inspiration.
• Grab samples – We can’t emphasise how important it is to view the tiles you like in a showroom and bring samples home to try before you buy. Buying tiles for a large kitchen is a big investment and it pays to do your research before you splurge.
• Consider colour – Neutral colour schemes are the most popular option for large open areas as they tie in with everything and help to maximise the feeling of space. You can add pops of colour by choosing bright or patterned tiles for a splashback or kitchen island.
• Add character – Add interest to a neutral colour scheme by choosing tiles with interesting textures, you can opt for natural stone or wood effects or look for porcelain tiles with uneven textures.

Atlas Ceramics has an impressive range of large format, stone and porcelain tiles to help you enhance your large kitchen. Browse our selection or call one of our experts for advice.