How To Configure Kitchen Tiles So The Room Seems Much Larger

The right tiles for your kitchen floor can actually make the space seem bigger and brighter. Tasting Table spoke with Artem Kropovinsky, owner of Arsight Studio, to get his advice for using kitchen flooring to make a small room seem larger. Kropovinsky said, "Large-format tiles are a good solution because there are fewer grout lines, and the floor reads as one clean surface." Large format tiles, or LFTs, are any type of flooring tile that has one side that is 15 inches or longer. Considering using LFTs for an upgraded look with a big impact – they can give the illusion of space by making the flooring more seamless, drawing the eye outward.

When installing large format laminate or vinyl kitchen flooring, "Straight lay is often the safest choice for small kitchens, especially when the rest of the design has a lot of details. It keeps the floor from feeling busy," Kropovinsky said. Straight lay means that you install your tile flooring in parallel rows, using a grid pattern to align each tile with the walls and each other. This can make the room appear wider and taller. Kropovinsky went on to elaborate, "A diagonal layout can work well too. It makes the lines span across the room rather than straight wall-to-wall, which can soften the boxy feel of a small footprint."

The shape of your kitchen flooring tiles will also play a huge factor in how small or large your kitchen appears. Unlike small, square flooring tiles, Kropovinsky told Tasting Table that "Rectangular tiles can change how the room feels. When they run in the direction of the longer dimension, the space will feel longer and less tight."

Though it is possible to paint kitchen tiles, painting a kitchen floor can be risky — especially in high traffic areas. It's best to take the time to select the right tile pattern and color right from the start. When it comes to small kitchen spaces, Artem Kropovinsky said, "Low-contrast patterns are the easiest way to add interest and details without shrinking the space ... Patterns with high contrast can be beautiful, but they will draw attention to the floor. In a small kitchen, that can make the footprint feel more obvious." When choosing kitchen tile color, Kropovinsky suggested you opt for medium-light tones and low-contrast patterns. "Consider subtle stone looks, gentle veining, or a soft terrazzo to add depth without taking over," he said. 

Dark tiles are a popular kitchen flooring style that can make a small space feel cramped. Lighter colors and subtle patterns "usually help a small kitchen feel more open and airy, especially if there is not a lot of natural light." He also noted that the color of the grout is "crucial" — as the final touch to transform your kitchen, it affects how the eye perceives the dimensions of the room. "Small tiles with lots of grout lines can make the floor feel 'pixelated,' which often makes a compact kitchen look even smaller, especially with a dark grout," Kropovinsky advised. According to him, this is because "High contrast between tile and grout can turn the floor into a mix of lines where the eye reads every single piece." 

Luckily, there's a simple, inexpensive fix for your floor tile: grout color sealing, which is the process of painting grout lines to complement the tiles. "When grout is close to the tile color, the floor feels calmer and more continuous, which supports the bigger room effect," said Kropovinsky.