Characteristics
Ceramic tiles are quite strong and durable material. Due to its beautiful appearance, it suits any room design. Tiled floors look different in different color options.
The white tone gives it a certain sophistication, but not every person agrees with this design option for the floor.
Many consider white to be impractical, while others are afraid to make a choice.
Features of using white tiles
- The use of purely snow-white tiles is not a strict requirement when creating a white interior. There are a huge number of shades that can be played beautifully. If you want to get a cool design, to support the theme of the sea, then use blue shades of white. If you want to make the room warm and cozy, then give preference to a milky or cream shade. Accents of rich colors in accessories and tile borders will help to dilute the interior and make it brighter.
- Use textures, textures, patterns. If you do not want black tiles to be used together with white tiles, or cement tiles to act as a dilution to the white surface, focus on the design of the material. That is, choose a white tile that has original patterns, an unusual texture, a glossy layer, and so on.
- To add variety, it is recommended to play with the size of the finishing material. For example, make several rows of standard-sized white tiles, and then complete a couple of rows with mosaic tiles. This will bring your know-how, some sophistication and uniqueness to your interior, made in full white.
- Light dilution with bright colors is welcome. For example, it could be small black tiles, or material in more cheerful colors, such as red, green, blue, orange. Small strips made from one row of horizontal or vertical mosaic tiles will make it possible to seriously diversify the interior. It would be especially smart to make these minimal inclusions in the same color as the furniture and accessories used.
- If your walls are white, then you shouldn’t make the floor the same color. This will truly turn a plumbing area into a hospital room. It is advisable to make the floor in a neutral or some bright, rich color. It all depends on your own wishes, preferences, as well as the plumbing fixtures and bathroom furniture used.
- To play with contrasts, white tiles applied to the walls should be diluted with very bright and large accents in the form of washbasins, bidets, showers, bathtubs, which will be made in bright or dark colors.
- If you want to keep the elegant white fixtures, and red toilets are not particularly attractive to you, then the best solution is accessories. It is with their help that you can bring a huge variety to the interior. For example, apply bright stickers to the toilet, purchase elegant, cheerful curtains for the bathroom, buy a chrome heated towel rail, a set of original multi-colored towels, and so on.
Advantages of white tiles
Visual effect. The snow-white floor covering visually makes it wider and more spacious. If you want to give the interior lightness and harmony against the background of dark furniture, it is recommended to use white tiles in the interior. The gloomy images of objects seem to dissolve in weightlessness, which will give the room a certain lightness.
Style. Today, designers find it in demand to use white materials to create stylish designs. Moreover, the variety of color combinations allows you to embody the most interesting ideas.
Common uses. White tiles suit any stylistic design from classic to high-tech.
This flooring will fit perfectly into Provence and shabby chic, in which wood floors are the main element.
Practicality. It is difficult to see dust on a white floor, while dark-colored tiles reveal every speck. Naturally, whiteness will not hide other dirt.
However, any dirt from such surfaces can be quickly removed with a sponge soaked in detergent.
Note!
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White tiles: light or dark grout?
The use of dark grout is dictated primarily by practicality considerations. Dark joints will not turn yellow or gray over time, unlike white ones. They will not require thorough cleaning and updating for a long time. It will be much easier to care for coated surfaces.
If aesthetics come first, then when choosing the color of the seams you need to take into account several nuances. Contrasting seams always emphasize the geometry and method of laying the tiles. If you want to emphasize the original format/size/shape of the tile, grout the seams with a contrasting compound.
If rectangular tiles are laid vertically, contrasting grout will emphasize this. As a result, the walls will appear taller and the room itself will appear narrower. If this effect is undesirable, fill the joints with a white compound that is as close as possible to the color of the tile. Then the laying pattern will not be so obvious.
Compare the effect
With white joints, the tile format and laying pattern are not noticeable
And vice versa - if you want to highlight the rows of tiles, decorate the seams with a dark grout mixture.
Consider also the general atmosphere. Finishing with white tiles with dark grout looks quite rough and harsh. This quality is quite appropriate in interiors with an urban character. This combination of tiles and grout is typical for the Scandinavian style.
Scandinavian cuisine
Industrial style
Industrial bathroom
If you want the interior to be more elegant and neat, make the seams white.
Choosing tiles for the bathroom is a simple, but at the same time very important task. After all, not only the visual appearance and beauty of the room depends on this, but also the safety of being in it, because the bathroom usually has high humidity, and a poor choice of tiles can make the floor very slippery. It is also important to choose what style the room will be decorated in. Tiles are perhaps the most suitable option for a bathroom, but you should choose wisely given today's variety and choice.
Disadvantages of light coating
Like any product, light-colored floor tiles have disadvantages, namely:
- white tone evokes a feeling of cold and sterility;
- plain light tiles require careful handling.
However, all the above advantages cover the existing disadvantages of this coating. This means that it is still worth choosing a snow-white coating.
White floor in the hallway
The first thing that catches your eye when entering the apartment is the appearance of the flooring.
Light-colored tiles on the floor surface will indicate the cleanliness of the housewife. Dirt found in corners or near the front door should be washed thoroughly.
Thanks to the light color, the space in the hallway will look much freer. This is a good plus, because corridors often have a small area.
The use of black products is bold and practical
If you are decisive and make your bathroom black, you can not only enjoy the result, but also make your work easier. After all, in this color any dirt, dust and other contaminants become invisible. This can be seen in the interior photos. And this should also be taken into account when choosing.
Beauty, as we know, lies in simplicity. Simple things are also good because they don’t get boring, don’t lose their relevance and are easy to combine. All of the above is true for white tiles. A simple white finish is classic, solid and very versatile. White tiles will never go out of style. If the interior gets boring, you can always revive and diversify it with colored or neutral decor. The white background color will not conflict with it.
In connection with white tiles, the question of grout color often arises. Should it be pure white or can it be colored? Is it permissible to use dark compounds?
Let's start with the fact that the seams are usually made either in the color of the tiles, or in maximum contrast. This applies to any tile, not just white.
Tone-on-tone seams
Contrast seams
Highly contrasting means not being slightly different, but clearly standing out. It is not customary to grout the seams of white tiles with pale gray, cream, or beige compounds. Why? It's simple: if the contrast is minimal, the seams will appear dirty, making the surface look rather untidy.
So, the most common are three grout options for white tiles: - tone on tone with tiles; - gray; - black.
The use of bright colored grout is also possible. But this is a rather bold decision, and not for everyone. The colored seams are too conspicuous. They make any styling errors and manifestations of asymmetry noticeable.
Of course, the choice of colored grout must be dictated by something. Tile seams on the wall can repeat the color of porcelain stoneware floor tiles, paint, furniture elements, etc.
It is worth admitting that sometimes it looks quite interesting due to some playfulness and frivolity.
However, we started the article by talking about how simple (that is, natural, modest and unpretentious) things do not get boring for a long time. White tiles with colored joints are not one of these. When making repairs for many years, try to give preference to more traditional and universal solutions.
Using white tiles in the living room
This place is considered the most important in the apartment. White tiles will give the living room a special style, a bright effect and a feeling of light celebration.
Modern design involves the use of plain white tiles complete with upholstered leather furniture.
The chrome and glass details look beautiful against the white background. The presence of accessories, picturesque paintings and living flower plants will add originality.
In the classic style, the marbled tile covering looks attractive. At the same time, rich voluminous curtains and luxurious chandeliers are suitable here. Compositions made of patterned tiles located on the floor will arouse interest.
Black and white tiles in the interior
Black and white colors will forever remain in the arsenal of designers. They were used for finishing rooms in a classical style, and are also used for the latest stylistic trends, which is explained by their respectability and high cost. On the other hand, they create an excellent background for highlighting bright design elements. This design is more common in the kitchen, bathroom and toilet.
Bathroom design
Successful predominance of a dark shade
In the bathroom, tiling does not end on the floor, but extends to the walls. A bathroom in contrasting colors looks elegant.
Here are some recommendations for decorating your bathroom in a fashionable and stylish way:
- A small bathroom should have white glossy tiles and a small amount of black so as not to cause a visual narrowing of the space.
- Equality of contrasting tones is preferable for large bathrooms.
- The bathroom should have a lot of lighting, so in addition to ceiling lamps, wall lamps are used. The geometric shapes of the lamps are simple. The chrome elements and golden hue combine perfectly.
- Displays of contrasting tones are present in plumbing fixtures. The tones of the sinks, bathtub and shower match the white tiles.
Kitchen
The interior of a light kitchen with dark countertops and a checkerboard floor
Lately, fewer and fewer homeowners are decorating their floors in black and white, much less using tiles of such tones for the walls. They think it's excessive and brings darkness.
A similar effect will occur if the material is used incorrectly. If you wish, you can make the interior sophisticated and not annoying by allocating half the space to one color.
In the center of the kitchen, place a decorative panel with a black pattern, which is mounted into a floor made of white tiles. Black tiles of smaller width are laid along the contour of the floor, creating the outline of the room. At the same time, it must be integral, not remain under the headset and other elements, and have an equal distance from the walls and furniture.
Toilet
The smallest room in the apartment, which requires careful selection of materials and design methods. White tiles with small splashes of smaller black tiles will do. To increase space, styling methods that contribute to this are used.
Design options
Many design solutions using ceramic tiles allow you to choose the coating at your discretion. It can be glossy or matte tiles. Mother-of-pearl coating with silver specks is also in demand.
The presence of a massive image or small colorful elements along its entire perimeter can give the floor an original appearance.
Brave people like the chessboard technique. The alternating light and dark squares give the room an originality.
Suitable combination
Please note that the use of plain white in apartment design requires a careful approach. After all, excessive use of white can give a feeling of discomfort.
A room with this design will emanate coldness. You can solve the problem by adding a little warmth to your home interior.
Colors such as black, blue, beige and red go well with white glossy tiles. These are not all the options for color combinations used in finishing.
Each person has the right to use his own imagination, and white color is ideal for this.
Features of the color scheme
The bathroom design in black and white is selected depending on the dimensions of the room. A more spacious room allows you to decorate the space in the “noir” - black walls, floor and ceiling, plumbing, cold metal faucets and shower. You can dilute a gloomy picture with a beautiful bright spot - light towels, a curtain.
In a small room such a design is unacceptable. It is recommended to give preference to white tiles and sanitary ware, slightly diluting it with dark inclusions - horizontal or vertical stripes or decorative borders. Feel free to use black to adjust the space - verticals will raise the ceiling, horizontals will expand a narrow room.
Reviews
Many housewives give positive reviews about white floor tiles. They believe that daily wet cleaning is worth it. After all, the snow-white appearance in the kitchen or bathroom looks amazing.
Some women even like to clean such a room. There is only one caveat. Over time, grouted seams become dirty and more difficult to clean. But this does not stop people from buying light-colored porcelain tiles.
Options for laying black and white floors
Floor tiles can be ceramic, porcelain stoneware, PVC, etc. None of this really matters. The main thing is how to use a combination of white and black tiles. There are a lot of options here. It is worth briefly dwelling on each.
- Chess order. The technique is classic and suitable for any interior. Particularly suitable in the interior with classic solid wood furniture.
Checkerboard pattern with irregular dark-colored tiles
- Diagonal checkerboard pattern. It is used when it is necessary to visually move the walls apart. This technique is used in bathrooms and bathrooms.
- "Herringbone." The tiles should be in the shape of rectangular tiles. They are laid in two options: combined chevrons or one color.
Herringbone laying
- "Network". A type of "Christmas tree". Matte gray tiles are used, with which the best results are achieved.
Wicker structure of the cover using gray inserts
- Strip. Used when the room is narrow and a visual shift of the side walls is necessary. Focusing on stripes allows you to think that the room is wider, while the installation is simple.
- White floor with black inserts. Belongs to the category of dominance of white color, which allows you to make the room lighter. Place small black inserts between the octagonal white tiles. Or use a square shape, but in this case they are tilted towards the walls.
- "Accent". It does not imply alternation of colors, but an accentuated division into zones. For example: in the kitchen, the dining table area should be tiled with black tiles.
- Drawing. You won’t be able to make a complex drawing, but you can easily lay out simple abstract figures.
Combination black and white floor tiles are laid in different ways, which are used depending on the type of room.
