Retail Space Tile Design Ideas

Image: More Wood Miele 8 x 48 Wood-Look Lobby Porcelain Floor Tile from Arizona Tile

Chances are you have heard, “First impressions are everything.” This is true and particularly important when the first impression you’re trying to give is to a potential customer. When considering a retail store design, you must ensure that your establishment greets customers with a positive sense of aesthetics, cleanliness, and overall positive feelings. The worst scenario would be for them to turn and walk out because they’re put off by the visual aspects of the space. Regardless of the ambiance you aim for, you can achieve it with quality products and proper planning.

In lobbies and retail spaces, store layout design, flooring, and wall options are important to consider in the initial design and what we are going to look at here. Porcelain, agglomerate marble and quartz are great products to consider, so read on to learn more!

Lobby Tile Design

A lobby is a large space that welcomes you into a public building. Whether it is a central area with different rooms or corridors extending from it, like in an office building, a hotel lobby where you can sit and enjoy the space, or the lobby of a doctor’s office to sit while waiting, it is a space that should be welcoming, comfortable, and accessible. The color palette should be of a warm nature; the wall décor should be versatile and tie in the colors; furniture should be durable, yet comfortable, and of a well-considered size per the space; and, this is important: easily accessible for everyone. The Americans with Disabilities Act, ADA, created standards for commercial spaces so that people with disabilities have the same opportunities to access public buildings. A smart designer will become familiar with these standards early in the design process.

Image: Canyon Black & Ivory 24 x 24 Porcelain Lobby Floor Tile from Arizona Tile

Lobby Tile & Stone

With much to keep in mind, let’s look at some products. Cleanliness is going to be a big factor. With lots of people cycling through the space, maintaining a tidy area is essential; therefore, it is important to choose a product that is easy to clean, resistant to staining and water degradation (and mold), hypoallergenic (think the opposite of carpets), and durable. Porcelain checks all of these boxes. Porcelain comes in many styles, shapes, sizes, and colors so you can curate the perfect aesthetic for your lobby flooring and walls.

Image: Reflexion Mercury Large-Format Lobby Porcelain Floor Tile from Arizona Tile

Reflexion is a beautiful porcelain tile that has a shimmering look of metal. With a mood of concrete and infinite transformations of light and reflections, this selection offers an urban feel and modern look to any setting. In its large-format sizes of 12×24 and 24×48, this tile presents a seamless look.  Large-format tile covers more surface area with each piece, thus creating fewer grout lines. Reducing these lines adds sleekness, makes cleaning easier with fewer nooks and crannies, and can help to lower labor costs at installation (compared to smaller tile with more intricacies). Reflexion can be used on walls and floors and is easy to clean with a wet cloth and a simple wipe-down after a quick sweep.

The new Glam series is an Italian-made glazed porcelain tile offered in seven stunning colors and two finishes, glossy and matte. Its classic subway tile shape offers numerous pattern installation options. It’s perfect for adding soft texture and sophistication to your next design.

Canyon is another exquisite porcelain product. With various tones, Canyon mimics the look of slate and is a truthful representation of it with shade variations and structural effects. Similar to Reflexion in size, application options, and maintenance, Canyon features an added touch: R11 Anti-Slip Finish. With its textured surface, this finish can reduce the risk of slips and falls. In a commercial setting, Canyon has much to offer—on walls, especially as flooring.

Also featuring R11 Anti-Slip Finish but with an entirely different look is the More Wood series. More Wood appears as natural wood, adds warmth to any space, and comes in long plank sizes (8×32 and 8×48). With different aesthetics from the two products above, the More Wood series always welcomes clients/patients/guests/etc. with a soothing organic feel, but without the maintenance of real wood.

Retail Space Design

While there are many similarities in this section to what we mentioned above, let’s approach it from a different angle. In a lobby, there typically isn’t active engagement, so you may just look around the room and find a place to sit and wait. In a retail store, you’re browsing and focusing on items. Décor and design are still an important element of any retail space, however, so you don’t want to overlook that when you’re getting ready to stock your shelves. Porcelain tile is definitely a good option to add a little more fun in this smaller, probably more quaint space. It might add that extra strong visual impact (and maintenance will still be a breeze!).

Retail Space Tile & Stone

Agglomerate Marble makes statements: in an office, a lobby, but definitely in a retail store. Regium tile is a polished agglomerate marble comprised of an off-white resin background, and embedded with black, gold, and grey marble chunks. What this gives you is a tile that wants to be seen! Your store may feature the best products, but you want your detailed layout, flooring, and walls to stand out vs. customers “not even noticing them.” Agglomerate marble has a way of making a delightful appearance in many settings and is a popular choice for those seeking a timeless style with a retro flair.

Image: Regium Agglomerate Marble Tile Retail Space Flooring & Montreal Quartz Display Countertop from Arizona Tile

To accessorize Regium, Montreal quartz is a beautiful complement. Quartz is durable, so adding slabs to your retail store design will make great focal areas and displays. Because of its durability, quartz can withstand heavy traffic areas where it will be brushed against and regularly touched. Montreal is a white quartz with thin gold veining, making it appear as a natural stone. In such a setting, durability is key, and aesthetically pleasing features are essential!

Inspiration!

Inspiration can come from anywhere. Fortunately, we can provide you with the inspiration you need, and one way is through our photo galleries. Here are a few blogs on commercial design that may be exactly what you need to see: Commercial Spaces, Commercial Flooring, and Commercial Cladding.

After you look through each of these, come visit an Arizona Tile store or slab yard to see your favorite products in person! Have you used our Just Imagine – Tile and Slab Visualizer? It offers a helpful view of our products in certain spaces, so check it out! If you have questions, please reach out!