Today I’m showing you around the kitchen, looking at the new flooring and discussing five things to consider before choosing floor tiles.

When I was in the primary stages of coming up with kitchen ideas, the tile aspect was a really important factor. We wanted something easy to maintain and contemporary but also classic enough to ensure we never tired of it. As our home isn’t old, although has been built to look it, I really had to weigh up what would work both aesthetically and practically. The original ones laid were quite petite and I felt did nothing to accentuate the size of the kitchen. They were swallowed up – plus I really didn’t like the colour as it dominated too much. It just wasn’t me.

After much deliberation and searching and samples I chose the one … *fanfare*… Urban Grey by Stone Tile Company. They are ceramic and created using HD inkjet printing technology creating a cement look.

Price.

This is maybe going to be your first thing to weigh up. What is your budget ? Although it’s great looking for inspiration all over the internet, it’s worth being completely realistic about what you have to spend. The chances are you will find something if you look hard enough. I’ve been lucky enough to collaborate with Stone Tile Company on this refurb but I definitely would’ve purchased the Urban grey tiles anyway – £13 per square metre which is a very, very reasonable price and exactly what I wanted. Couldn’t believe it to be honest when I spotted them.

Colour and Style.

Grey sits with other hues so well and because I had been looking, as I say,  for a cement style these were absolutely spot on. Because I knew I would be painting the units a teal colour and adding gold accents, I made up a mood board and felt it would be the most cohesive blend along with the oak pieces. When you’re thinking of laying a new floor, it is generally a long term thing and you need to be sure it’ll go with current and possible future cosmetic changes.

If pattern is an option you might consider then look at your potential colour scheme and bear in mind that the floor will be the lovely feature.

Going with the age and style of our home along with the palette intended; Urban Grey was ideal especially with the new french doors that throw extra light on to them and make the grain stand out even more. I wanted a nice and bright kitchen.

Size.

This will depend on the size and shape of the room in question – and what kind of format you want the tiles to be laid. If you have a large space then you can more than get away with bigger tiles and I find that it brings everything in to proportion and this applies to a more compact room – smaller tiles tend to suit a smaller room.

Durability, Suitability and Texture.

Things to think about here are who is using the room and what is it’s purpose ? For a kitchen it’ll involve all sorts of activity. Cooking, socialising, pets wandering around on it etc so you might go for a non slip textured surface that’s hardwearing, which is good for a hallway too or modern living room. Ceramic is a very popular choice. Slate or limestone are also hard wearing and have a riven top. Quartz has a shiny look that sparkles beautifully in a bathroom or equally a sleek kitchen. It has a honed more shiny finish . A natural stone mosaic is an idea if you’re wanting a seamless join between the in and outdoors. For instance from the garden through to a kitchen or conservatory. Porcelain is similar to Ceramic but slightly less porous. Both great for many rooms in the home. Slate is brushed on it’s surface and therefore nice on your feet.

If you want under floor heating always check the suitability of the tiling beforehand.

Fitting.

Of course, it also depends on who is putting the floor down and on this point – does it need levelling before forging ahead with the tile laying ? If you are wanting to do it yourself you might want to choose something that you know you will be fine working with  – or if like us you are using a tiler then make sure they work out the exact amounts plus around 10 % extra for any breakage and spare. Talking of which I have to give a big thank you to our tiler Harry Constantine who is absolutely brilliant. A total perfectionist and I really recommend him if you are in the East. Lovely guy too.

So, what do you think of our new flooring ? I hope you like it too. If you’d like to know more about Stone Tile Company do pop on over. They have a vast range of Mosaic, Indoor and Outdoor floor and wall tiles in varying colours and designs. A lot to check out.

You will also see more pics of the kitchen over on my instagram if you fancy having a look.

This is a collaboration with Stone Tile Company. All opinions as ever are my own.