Hot Home Trend: Go Big With Your Tile

By Melissa Dittmann Tracey, REALTOR® Magazine

Supersized tiles are making over more floors, and this may be welcome news to many homeowners. Large format tiles means less grout to clean. The large tile trend may be partially motivated out of function, not just aesthetics.

More homeowners are experimenting with larger tile sizes, whether with porcelain, ceramic, or vinyl flooring.

Tile squares may be about 12 inches or so in most standard kitchen floors. But now sizes up to 24 inches or more are catching on.

Besides the easier-to-clean aspects of this, the larger tile squares often can make a space look bigger. That’s because there are less grout lines breaking up a floor into boxy squares, which leads to the perceptions of elongated spaces. (Another tip from designers in elongating a space with your tile: Be sure to select a grout color that most closely matches the color of your tile. That will also help make your floors look more expansive.)

The larger tile formats are popping up in kitchen flooring and as in bathrooms surrounding the tub or shower. Designers say the larger formats offer a more modern, “clean lines” vibe to a room’s flooring.