Mexican Style Kitchen Tile Ideas – 12 Ways to Create a Characterful Cocina
Also known as the United Mexican States, Mexico is a country of culture, awe-inspiring architecture and mouthwatering cuisine.
Agave, corn, sugarcane and avocado plantations are dotted across the more fertile parts of the country, with mountains, rainforests and deserts making up most of Mexico’s varied terrain.
With its beautiful beaches, ancient Aztec pyramids and temples, Mexico is one of the world’s top visitor destinations. Mexico is also one of the most biodiverse countries in the world, with over 200,000 different species inhabiting the various ecosystems.
Mexican architecture is varied but you’ll find the typical hacienda-style homes and ranches throughout the country. These homes are characterised by their red roofs, whitewashed walls, small windows and plenty of arches. There’s plenty of wood, wrought iron and a riot of colour inside. If you want to give your kitchen a Mexican-style makeover, keep reading to find out how it’s done.
Image credit: @milagros_london
Recommended Tile: Damask Series 12 Decor
How can I make my kitchen look Mexican?
A Mexican interior is a maximalist interior, bright colours and bold patterns are often combined to spectacular effect. You can go for a subtler look by sticking to one bold colour or by edging neutral-coloured tiles with beautifully patterned ones.
The influence of different cultures, combined with rustic furniture and bright colours makes Mexican interiors characterful, colourful and welcoming.
What tiles should I choose for a Mexican style kitchen?
Whether you want to flood your kitchen with Mexican-inspired patterns and colours or create a subtler, more rustic look, these are the tiles we recommend:
- Bold, patterned tiles with geometric or handpainted designs
- Irregularly surfaced zellige tiles
- Rustic terracotta tiles
- Stone or stone-effect porcelain tiles
- Brightly coloured porcelain tiles, especially fiery red, ocean blue, yellow, orange, green, pink and purple.
Mexican style kitchen tile ideas
Inject colour and character into your kitchen with tiles influenced by the Caribbean Coast and the varied landscape of Mexico:
Triangular tiles
Create a showstopping splashback with black and white geometric tiles. Sure to brighten up any kitchen, you can recreate this look by choosing triangular Victorian-style mosaic tiles. It may take a little time to lay the individual mosaics, but the final result will be well worth the effort.
Image credit: @helloteyssier
Recommended Tile: Elgin Matt White Decor
Patchwork tiles
Get a typically eclectic Mexican vibe with mismatched tiles in a random patchwork design. This can be a great way to tile your kitchen on a budget. As long as the tiles are the same size and shape, you can select tiles from different collections and also look for ex-sample or discontinued stock.
Patterned tiles
Patterned tiles adorn kitchens throughout Mexico, they’re one of the most characteristic tiles from this region and it’s easy to re-create the look and clad your splashbacks, worktops and walls in beautifully detailed tiles. Traditional Mexican talavera tiles are made from two different types of clay and handpainted in a range of rainbow-coloured designs.
Image credit: @jerry_loyal
Recommended Tile: Damask Series Decor 7
Terracotta floor tiles
Traditional terracotta tiles are often seen on kitchen floors. Cool in summer and warm in the cooler months, they’re an attractive, rustic-looking tile that suits all styles of interior and goes with all colours.
Terracotta tiles are durable, but they’re also extremely porous. Unless you buy ready-glazed terracotta tiles, you’ll need to seal them from time to time to keep the water and stains out and make the floor easy to clean.
Image credit: @deco_for_curious
Recommended Tile: Handmade Terracotta
Ocean blue tiles
Inspired by the surrounding oceans of the Caribbean, Pacific and Gulf of Mexico, blue is a popular colour in the Mexican colour palette. Associated with Tlaloc, the Aztec god of rain, blue is vibrant, cooling and guaranteed to uplift your kitchen.
Image credit: @andygin
Recommended Tile: Kesha Turchese
Tiled worktop
Tiling the kitchen worktop or counter is common throughout Mexico and Europe. Unless your worktops are made from stone, it’s actually a more durable surface than laminate or wood as it won’t scratch or stain and it’s super easy to clean.
If you want to add a dash of Mexican spice to your kitchen, consider tiling the countertops, you can tile over existing surfaces (make sure they’re clean and grease free) to bring your kitchen to life.
Image credit: @ginahyams
Recommended Tile: Damask Decor 4
Patterned Border tiles
If you love the idea of brightly coloured, patterned tiles in your kitchen but aren’t keen on a whole wall of them, a great way to incorporate bold designs is by using them to border plain tiles. You can also mix patterned tiles with plain tiles at random points to create a less formal design.
Other original and unexpected places to use patterned tiles in your kitchen include windowsills, tables and fireplaces.
Image credit: @adrianacopca
Tiled Mexican kitchen bar
Another creative way to use patterned tiles is to tile a kitchen bar or island. It’s a perfect way to add character and interest to your kitchen area and you can be as bold as you dare. You can include a different pattern within the tiled bar area, as seen in the below kitchen) and use thinner border tiles to edge it.
Image credit: @lola.decor
Recommended Tile: Ava Azul Decor
Green floor tiles
Green is associated with the Aztec god of vegetation and represents nature, fertility and growth. Green is the perfect choice if you want to freshen up your kitchen and there are a huge number of tiles in this calming shade.
Green tiles can range from the deepest forest green to brighter emeralds and zingy mint tones. For a beautiful take on the colourful Mexican style, why not tile your kitchen floor green?
Image credit: @roam.interiors
Recommended Tile: Elements Emerald
Rustic wood effect tiles
Wood, especially rustic furniture, is commonplace in Mexican-style interiors. If you’re tiling a Mexican-themed kitchen, take a look at the range of wood-effect tiles that you can use on the walls, floors and kitchen islands. From weathered, driftwood-style planks to darker oak-style tiles, there is a vast choice to help you get the look.
Image credit: @lola.decor
Recommended Tile: Weathered Multi
Zig zag tiles
Get inspiration from Aztec-style patterns and create a vibrant zig-zag tiled kitchen wall. You can achieve this look by choosing tiles with a diagonal pattern or by laying black and white (or any other colour combination) metro tiles in a herringbone pattern.
The zig-zag is one of the most eye-catching tile patterns and an excellent way to brighten up your kitchen.
Image credit: @exoticimportsnz
Recommended Tile: Rio Nero & Blanco
Light tiles
Although Mexican-style kitchen tiles are usually colourful, they don’t always have to be. You can get the look with subtler patterns and more subdued colours. Add a border of patterned tiles to the kitchen floor or wall or dot patterned tiles with plainer ones.
Image credit: @balamka.jewelry
Recommended Tile: Avenue Ice
Mexican style kitchen tile tips
If you’re styling your kitchen with a Mexican twist, think about the following when choosing your tiles:
Colour – Mexican interiors are typically riots of colour, pick tiles in rainbow shades of red, green, blue, pink, purple, yellow and orange.
Pattern – Mexican-style patterned tiles can be bold and geometric, taking inspiration from Aztec patterns or feature more delicate, handpainted designs. You can also create your own patterns by choosing tiles in two or more colours and laying them in attractive patterns.
Material – Look for tiles in wood effect or stone, terracotta and durable porcelain. Porcelain will give you the most choice in terms of colours, sizes, patterns and finishes and it’s the perfect choice for floors, walls, kitchen islands, tables, windowsills and worktops.
Atlas Ceramics has a wide range of patterned, porcelain, terracotta and stone tiles to help you get the Mexican look in your kitchen. Browse our selection yourself or call one of our experts for advice.