Choose the Right Tile – It Makes All the Difference
Kitchen tile selection matters more than most homeowners realise. Here are our recommendations by material, size, and colour – so you can order with confidence.
Material Recommendations
For walls: polished glazed ceramic tiles. These are the optimal choice for kitchen walls. The smooth surface lets grease wipe off with ease, and their reflective quality brightens even small kitchens. White, beige, and light grey are timeless classics that work with any décor style.
For floors: through-body porcelain or anti-slip polished vitrified tiles. Both options offer high hardness, low water absorption, and good slip resistance – they're stable underfoot and resist water and oil. Choose a finish with subtle surface texture for better grip.
Not recommended: heavily textured rustic tiles, mosaics, or high-gloss polished tiles. The first two have too many grout lines that trap grease, while the latter becomes dangerously slippery when wet.
Size Recommendations
For walls: 400×800mm. This size offers the best cost-performance balance – good visual effect with reasonable labour costs. For smaller kitchens, this is the safest choice.
For floors: 300×300mm. The smaller format allows for proper slope design, ensuring water drains quickly without pooling. For a cleaner look, 600×600mm can work – but ensure adequate slope is designed in.
Not recommended: tiles larger than 600×1200mm in small kitchens. Cutting waste is high, proportions look off, and costs are unnecessary.
Colour Recommendations
Stick with light tones – white, beige, light grey, and oat-milk shades. Light colours make spaces feel larger and brighter, and they actually hide minor stains better than dark surfaces.
Three classic colour schemes that work:
White walls + light grey floors – modern minimalist, virtually foolproof
Cream walls + wood-look floors – warm Japanese-style, beautiful and easy to maintain
White subway tiles + black-and-white checkerboard floors – vintage Nordic, instant style upgrade
Not recommended: solid black, dark grey, or deep blue. Dust, water spots, and grease marks show up more visibly on dark surfaces – the exact opposite of what you want in a working kitchen.
Installation Tips
Grout gap size – leave 2mm for walls, and 2.5–3mm for floors. Avoid zero-gap installation – without room for thermal expansion, tiles will crack over time.
Grout choice – use epoxy-based grout, not white cement. Epoxy is waterproof, mildew-proof, and stays clean for a decade – white cement blackens and stains within months.
Corner finishing – use 45-degree miter joints (Haidang corner) . Avoid plastic corner trims – they look cheap and tend to fall off.
Buying Advice
Do the marker test – bring an oil-based permanent marker to the showroom. Draw a few lines on a sample tile, wait for it to dry, then wipe with a damp cloth. If it cleans off easily, stain resistance is excellent.
Ask for the water absorption test report – below 3% is acceptable, below 0.5% is premium quality.
Confirm slip resistance rating – floor tiles should meet R9 or above for safety.
