Shaker Kitchen Tile Ideas – 10 ways to get the minimal, timeless look

One of the most popular kitchen styles, shaker interiors are simple, practical and stylish.

Named after the religious movement, the Shaker principles of simplicity, unity and honesty were mirrored in their high-quality, distinctive furniture. Framed panel cupboards and symmetrical layouts are key features of the shaker look, it’s a versatile, timeless style that suits any style of home.

Shaker style is understated and minimal, you’re not going to find rainbow brights in shaker homes, but you will find beautiful craftsmanship, high-quality materials and a gorgeous earthy colour palette.

Classic neutral tones are ideally suited to the Shaker kitchen style and the tile options of colour, texture and style are endless.

Image credit: @plainenglishdesign

Recommended Tile: Fossil Stone Light Grey Porcelain 

What tiles go best with a shaker kitchen?

When it comes to choosing tiles to complement your shaker kitchen, you’ll need to think carefully about tile style and colour.

It’s not about choosing standout, statement tiles but choosing tiles that will sit in harmony with your kitchen cupboards and the other furniture in the room.

Some excellent choices include natural stone and wood-effect tiles, versatile metro tiles, simple square tiles and tiles with subtle patterns. Keep reading to discover our pick of the best tiles for your shaker-style kitchen.

Shaker kitchen tile ideas

Shaker kitchens exude quality and timeless style and you’ll want to choose tiles with the same qualities. From natural stone and wood-effect porcelain floor tiles to beautifully laid out wall tiles, keep scrolling for shaker-style tile inspiration:

Herringbone floor tiles

Although they’re all over Instagram, wooden herringbone floors aren’t a new concept, they’ve been around since Roman times and the herringbone design is one of the most classic patterns you can choose for a floor.

Real wood is undeniably gorgeous but, it’s much more practical to lay a floor that will stand up to splashes and spills and won’t warp or split. Porcelain wood-effect flooring has the aesthetic qualities of real wood and it’s perfect for use with underfloor heating too.

Marble tiles

Marble is often associated with high-end luxurious kitchens rather than simpler, shaker-style ones. However, marble is incredibly versatile and it’s a perfect choice for a timeless kitchen style.

Natural marble comes in a wide range of colours and it’s worth visiting a tile showroom or getting some samples as you might prefer marble with a more subtle veining pattern. You can also choose marble-effect porcelain which has been designed to perfectly mimic the look of real marble.

Marble is elegant and sophisticated yet simple and highly effective in your Shaker style kitchen design it’s always a winner.

Image credit: @devolkitchens

Recommended Tile: Elgin Matt White Marble 

Metro tiles

Metro tiles were made for shaker-style kitchens. They’re subtle and timeless and because of their shape, are suitable for laying in a range of different patterns which can help you add a little more style and personality to a simple shaker kitchen.

White, cream or ivory metro tiles are obvious choices, but depending on the colour of your kitchen cabinets you can choose various shades of blue, green, grey and even pink.

Metro tiles are ideal for a shaker -style look as they are effortless, enduring and classic. Highly versatile they can be used to create patterns and add pops of colour to create interest in any kitchen.

Image credit: @dove_cottage

Recommended Tile: Brick White 

Simple floor tiles

If an understated kitchen style is your goal, keep it simple with plain, porcelain floor tiles. They’re a great option if you’re on a budget, incredibly durable, easy to keep clean and they’ll age as well as your shaker kitchen cabinets.

A great tip for light-coloured floor tiles is to choose a darker grout colour or to seal lighter grout with an appropriate grout sealer. Especially handy if you have pets as white grout won’t stay that way for long!

Plain porcelain floor tiles are charming in a shaker -style kitchen, they deliver the clean, fresh, crisp look associated so well with the style. Made to last and very reasonable priced they are always a popular and beautiful choice.

Image credit: @the_byford_home

Recommended Tile: Bayeux White 

Stone floor tiles

Traditional stone floor tiles and shaker kitchen furniture are a wonderful combination.  Working well in all styles of homes, rustic stone floors create a beautiful contrast next to the crisp, clean lines of shaker cabinets.

You can opt for large-format stone tiles, or choose stone floor tiles in different sizes to create a more rustic, traditional-looking kitchen.

Stone floors are beautifully homely, they work perfectly as a contrast to the crisp, clean lines of shaker style cabinets by creating a rustic effect. You can opt for large-format stone tiles, or choose stone floor tiles in different sizes to create a more rustic, traditional-looking kitchen.

Image credit: @theshakerworkshop

Recommended Tile: Stoneway Porcelain

Square wall tiles

Square tiles aren’t seen as often as their popular metro counterparts, but they’re no less striking and they work incredibly well in minimal, shaker-style kitchens.

Square tiles can be surprisingly versatile, lay them straight, offset them in a brick bond pattern or fit them in a diamond lay for a completely different look.  If you’re doing up your kitchen on a budget, square porcelain tiles are one of the best options.

Square tiles produce a unique effect in your shaker-style kitchen as the aren’t used as often as metro tiles therefore they create a more distinctive result

Image credit: @millie_emilie

Recommended Tile: PJ Series Chalk

Coloured tiles

Shaker kitchens are simple, but that doesn’t mean that you have to forego colour. Look for tiles in subtle shades of your favourite colours, soft greens are especially effective and look perfect next to soft cream cabinets

Mellow shades of colour, like pastels and soft greens compliment shaker-style cream cabinets to a tee.

Image credit: @mrsjessdaines

Recommended Tile: Coral Brick Moss

Wood-look floor tiles

Wooden floors are a key feature of minimal, understated kitchens. They are subtle, neutral and practical and ideal for adding warmth and a little character to simple kitchen designs.

Wood-effect porcelain tiles are available in a wide range of styles and colours to suit your style. They’re more practical than real wood and you won’t need to worry if the dishwasher suddenly springs a leak, just mop it up and carry on!

Wooden floors are very popular in minimal, elegant kitchens. They are effortless yet highly effective in their result and ideal for adding cosiness and character to simple kitchen designs.

Image credit: @ashwell_renovation

Recommended Tile: Woodland light

White tiles, black grout

White and light-coloured wall tiles are one of the most popular choices for shaker kitchens. They go with all colours of kitchen cabinets and won’t look out of style in years to come.

You can dramatically change the look of a wall of light-coloured tiles by opting for dark grey or black grout instead of white. It’ll make the tiles stand out and it’s also incredibly practical in a kitchen, especially for the tiled area behind the oven.

White is always a winner when it comes to choices for shaker kitchens. Light shades are also popular since they compliment all colours of kitchen cabinets and white is always on trend.

Image credit: @creativeedge_furniture

Recommended Tile: San Vincenzo White 

Subtly patterned tiles

Shaker = simple, but you can absolutely inject a little colour or pattern into your kitchen design.  We adore these sweet hand-painted floral tiles, they’re perfect for inserting in amongst a field of plain tiles and you can use as many or as few as you like. The same applies to subtle geometric patterns and it’s a great way to shake up a simple kitchen style.

A subtle slice of colour or pattern in a otherwise simple, neutral kitchen is always welcome and adds a special personal touch

Image credit: @originalstyleuk

Recommended Tile: Canyon Mosaic 

Shaker kitchen tile tips

Keep it simple The shaker style is synonymous with simple styling and clean, lines. You won’t want to choose tiles that will detract from this so keep it simple with classic tile styles like metro tiles and go for simple floor designs.

Go for classic styles Wood-effect tiles, natural stone tiles and stone-effect porcelain tiles are all excellent options. Pair them with simple metro or square tiles for a chic, classic look.

 Add subtle colour The shaker colour palette is pretty neutral, kitchen cabinets are often grey, white or cream. Add interest with subtly coloured tiles that complement the colours of your kitchen cabinets and other furniture in the room.

Atlas Ceramics has an impressive range of wall and floor tiles for shaker kitchens. Browse our selection yourself or call one of our experts for advice.