26 Floor Tile Ideas That Are Pretty and Practical

While we all love a hardwood floor, there are times when choosing to install tile flooring makes sense for practical reasons. But installing tile flooring is also a design opportunity that can add texture and dimension to the kitchen, bathroom, laundry room, mudroom, foyer, pantry, or any other room in the house.

Traditional tile flooring can serve as a quiet backdrop that allows other elements to shine, creating a timeless look. Colorful or patterned tiles can help to define zones in an open plan room or create a transition between spaces. Dramatic tile flooring can set the tone or change the whole mood of a room, creating a focal point or a final flourish that elevates the rest of your design.

Check out these floor tile ideas in a range of styles for inspiration on how to use tiling flooring in every room of the house.

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Spice Up the Pantry

Design by Mindy Gayer Design Co.

Mindy Gayer Design Co. added patterned tile to this pantry that contrasts with the hardwood floors of the kitchen and creates an identity for the utilitarian space.

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Add Color

Design by Erin Williamson Design

Reddish pink penny tiles that are a twist on the classic white add color to this otherwise neutral bathroom from Erin Williamson Design.

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Dress Up the Sunroom

Design by Becca Interiors

This sunroom from Becca Interiors has white walls, floor-to-ceiling windows, and gray-and-white patterned floor tile that is as pretty as it is practical.

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Add Drama

Design by Kara Mann

This glamorous modern Chicago bathroom from interior designer Kara Mann is clad in dramatic black-and-white large-scale stone tiles that are carried up onto the sink vanity and walls to create a seamless, high-end look.

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Create a Transition

Design by Cathie Hong Interiors / Photo by Margaret Austin Photo

This San Jose, California kitchen from Cathie Hong Interiors has rustic dark hardwood floors that transition into modern graphic patterned floor tiles by the back door in an organic way that feels fresh.

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Make a Timeless Choice

Design by Calimia Home / Photo by Jeanne Canto

Square marble floor tiles are a timeless choice that add subtle texture to this neutral-toned, light-flooded Florida foyer and staircase from Calimia Home.

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Triangulate It

Design by Whittney Parkinson Design

This spacious laundry room from Whittney Parkinson Design has a light and dark gray-and-white tile floor with a triangular pattern that creates a sense of movement and dynamism in the light and airy cool-toned space, complementing pastel blue painted built-ins and silver-toned fixtures.

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Choose an Oversized Pattern

Design by Becca Interiors

This mudroom from Becca Interiors has floor-to-ceiling built-in storage closets painted in a subtle shade of pale pistachio green that is contrasted with bold graphic black-and-white floor tiles in an oversized pattern.

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Commit to Concrete

Design by Leanne Ford Interiors / Photo by Reid Rolls

Large scale polished concrete effect tiles match the industrial bones and finishes of this loft conversion in Pittsburgh from Leanne Ford Interiors. The tiles run throughout the entire space from the open plan kitchen, dining, and living room to the bedroom and bathroom for a cohesive look.

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Use Simple Geometry

Design by Cathie Hong Interiors / Photo by Margaret Austin Photo

Cathie Hong Interiors added matte black hexagonal floor tiles to this light-flooded San Jose, California laundry room that contrast with warm wood accents and whimsical cat-themed black-and-white wallpaper, creating a polished, modern look.

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Keep It Classic

Design by deVOL Kitchens

This English Victorian villa kitchen from deVOL Kitchens has classic black-and-white marble checkerboard floor tiles with a tumbled edge that gives them the look of reclaimed stone, a timeless choice that will never go out of style.

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Pair With Bold Paint

Design by Space Factory / Photo by HervÃ© Goluza

In this crisp and modern Paris kitchen from Space Factory, black-and-white Moroccan-style floor tile in a star pattern stands up to the cabinetry and central island painted in bold International Klein Blue.

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Add a Natural Motif

Design by Tyler Karu / Photo by Erin Little

In this historic Maine home renovation from interior designer Tyler Karu, patterned floor tiles with a four-leaf clover pattern in shades of white, black, and blue complement the historic bathroom with its retro-style clawfoot tub.

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Beautify the Patio

Design by Cathie Hong Interiors / Photo by Christy Q. Photography

Geometric floor tile on the outdoor patio just outside the main living space of this California home from Cathie Hong Interiors makes the outdoor space feel more like an outdoor living room while creating a transition between the house and the backyard.

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Keep It Subtle

Design by Desiree Burns Interiors

Soft gray-and-white tile with a subtle star pattern works well with shades of taupey gray and gold finishes in this bathroom from Desiree Burns Interiors.

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Make It Graphic

Design by JK Interior Living

Graphic patterned tile floor adds a modern touch to the traditional feel of this laundry room from JK Interior Living, with its original windows, marble countertops, and dark cabinetry.

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Paint Them On

Design by Leanne Ford Interiors / Photo by Erin Kelly

If you want the look of floor tiles without the trouble and expense of installing them, consider a trompe l'oeil painted floor tile effect. In this remodeled Victorian home in Pittsburgh from Leanne Ford Interiors, the existing hardwood floors were painted in a faux diamond-patterned tile floor pattern that is pared with shiny vertical handcrafted clay Zellige tiles on the wall.

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Mix With Hardwood

Design by Neva Interior Design / Photo by Agathe Tissier

Abstract geometric floor tile helps to define this small L-shaped kitchen tucked into the corner of a small open plan living, dining, and kitchen area in a one-bedroom apartment in Paris designed by Neva Interior Design. The colorful, graphic patch of tile visually separates the area from the rest of the space and helps to cut the long linear shape of the room.

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Add Movement

Design by Cathie Hong Interiors / Photo by Margaret Austin Photo

Patterned floor tile adds movement and dynamism to this otherwise minimalist bathroom from Cathie Hong Interiors and complements industrial farmhouse touches like black metal wall sconces and plumbing fixtures.

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Mimic Hardwood

Ursula Carmona of Home Made By Carmona

In this long and narrow laundry room, blogger Ursula Carmona of Home Made By Carmona chose rustic wood-effect floor tiles with white grout laid in a herringbone pattern that matches the flooring in the adjacent kitchen. Black appliances and gold-toned hardware on the floor-to-ceiling built-in storage adds a little bling.

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Keep It Down to Earth

Design by deVOL Kitchens

This all-white English kitchen from deVOL Kitchens has earthy, traditional terracotta floor tiles to create a classic high-contrast look that is familiar and timeless.

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Play with Plaid

Design by Kate Marker Interiors

Black-and-white checkerboard plaid tile floors complement taupe shiplap walls and ceiling-height Shaker-style cabinetry in this modern farmhouse style laundry room from Kate Marker Interiors. A black stone countertop and black metal fixtures and accents tie it all together.

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Keep It Light

Design by Cathie Hong Interiors / Photo by Margaret Austin Photo

This light-flooded bathroom from Cathie Hong Interiors has a pale beige-toned hexagonal tile floor that echos the color of the wall tiles while adding a subtle pattern and maintaining the minimalist look of the room.

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Go Retro

Design by Erin Williamson Design

Pale gray penny tiles on the floor give this neutral-toned, retro-inspired bathroom from Erin Williamson Design a timeless appeal, complementing chrome accents on the retro-style fixtures and playing well with simple white subway tiles lining the tub and shower.

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Lay Some Bricks

We Are True Home

The thin brick tile floor in this kitchen renovation from We Are True Home is inspired by classic European flooring. The brick tiling and adds a note of color and texture thanks to the herringbone pattern and variation of white and terracotta tones.

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Add Whimsy

A Beautiful Mess

While there is nothing more classic than a penny tile floor, you can also use penny tiles to spell out a message or create a personalized motif that will bring a smile to your face, like the giant heart on the floor of this bathroom from A Beautiful Mess.