Colorful tiles
Make your floor the center of attention with a unique tile like this red floral. Bold floors make a design statement, especially when paired with white walls, neutral cabinetry, and a simple backsplash.
Classic Hardwood
Solid wood floors like walnut, oak, and maple bring warmth and natural beauty to your home. Plus, hardwood floors are a great choice for the entire home, so you don't have to worry about unnatural changes.
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Checkerboard Pattern
Follow designer Caren Rideau's lead and embrace this elegant choice that's been popular for decades. Checkerboard flooring comes in many different styles, but the most classic combination is the black and white look. When you recreate this look using marble, vinyl, or ceramic tile, the options are endless.
Dark Stone
Use black slate tiles to inject drama and mood into your sunny kitchen, just like Anna Popov of Interiors by Popov does here. No two pieces of stone are alike, so the material brings texture and character to your space. Plus, stone is strong and durable.
White Marble
Polished white marble floors exude class and luxury, and when paired with all white cabinetry and a white tile backsplash, the veined marble tile looks crisp and clean.
Hand painted floor
If you're up for a DIY project, try painting a design onto your flooring. Experiment with colors, patterns, and shapes, or stick to a classic checkerboard design. “Hand-painted flooring gives a fresh, bespoke farmhouse feel to contemporary decor,” says interior designer Julia Chasman.
Herringbone Wood
Not only does a herringbone pattern add warmth and coziness to a space, it can also make a room appear larger by directing the eye in a specific direction. “Herringbone is one of my favorite designs that dates back to the ancient Roman Empire,” says Ashley Stark of Ashley Stark Home. “The design has recently made a comeback, with designers and architects using it in everything from tiles to textiles.”
Patterned tiles
Add charm and character to your kitchen with black and white cement tiles, which is exactly what design team Studio McGee did with this geometric look, which pairs especially well with forest green cabinetry and a vibrant white backsplash.
Trendy Terrazzo
Here, designer Michel Boudreau lets terrazzo tiles tell a story. A popular alternative to plain concrete floors, the speckled decorative material is colorful, textured and playful. It's made by combining marble, granite and quartz chips with cement.
Natural Stone
A blend of four different types of limestone, Exquisite Surfaces' tumbled stone evokes the beauty of nature; the variations in texture and color recreate the charm of Europe's cobblestone streets. To complete the space, designer Caren Rideau paired the dramatic flooring with modern green cabinetry and gold hardware.
Smooth concrete
Concrete floors are a great choice for kitchens as they are durable and easy to clean, and their sleek style is perfect for industrial, rustic, and farmhouse style kitchens, but also complements minimalist designs.
Light Oak Hardwood
Not only is white oak durable, it's also light, bright, and airy in appearance. Its versatile grain matches most decor styles, from modern and minimal to farmhouse and bohemian. Here, light-colored hardwood floors designed by Sarah Bernard add warmth to a cool kitchen.
Mosaic tile
Get creative with intricate tile designs. You can go neutral (like black and white) or bring in some color – it's up to you. Here, blogger Kacey Duprie of Damsel in Dior chooses a hexagonal pattern to make this space feel more personal.
Wood Grain Tile
If you love the look of hardwood floors, wood-look tiles (usually made from porcelain or ceramic) offer a nearly identical look. The realistic grain and color are designed to give the impression of real wood. Can you see the difference in this cozy kitchen by Bre Bertolini?
Mix and Match
Rather than sticking to one flooring material, Kristen Elizabeth Design experiments with a woven pattern by mixing large square tiles with hardwood planks. This is just one example of a mixed-media floor, which refers to a look made with a variety of materials.
Terracotta tiles
Terra-cotta floors have been used for thousands of years because of their strength and beauty. “Go for something that's durable, like this French terra-cotta floor,” says Karen Rideau, who pairs a rustic style with light green cabinets and warm wood accents.
Dark Stained Hardwood
Create contrast with dark hardwood floors, which are great for spacious kitchens (as darker hues can make the space feel smaller). Here, Mendelson Group pairs pale blue cabinets and light walls with dark wood floors.
Geometric Design
Add a pop of color to your kitchen with ceramic tiles, like this sage green and white geometric pattern by Linda Hayslett of LH.Designs. Play with your favorite shapes: squares, rectangles, triangles, hexagons, diamonds, or a combination of all of these.
Original grain pattern
Endgrain floors are made from wood that's cut into square, hexagonal, or brick-shaped tiles. Though this style isn't as popular as it once was, wooden tiles add an antique feel to any space. Take inspiration from BHDM Design to make the most of your original endgrain floor if you're lucky enough to have it.
Gray Marble
Keeping with the cool color palette, blue cabinets are paired with polished gray marble tiles, whose veining and natural texture bring character to an otherwise minimalist space.
Alyssa Gautieri (she/her) is Good Housekeepingwhere she covers all things home and interior design. Prior to joining GH in 2022, she wrote for publications such as: Elle Decor, Chairish, Bob Vila, Unique Homes Magazine and Lodging MagazineWe also create product copy for home brands such as BrylaneHome and VIGO Industries.
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