5 Ways to Transition From a Tile to Wood Floor

If you’re looking for a way to add interest and texture to your floors, why not try a combination tile and wood floor? Combination or “mixed media” flooring is a popular design choice that’s perfect for adding personality and charm to any room. Tile and hardwood are an ideal pairing for adding that unique, decorative touch to a space in your home. Read on for five top ideas for an attractive floor transition from tile to wood combining these very different materials in a beautiful way.

1. Transition—Adding a unique transition between a tile and wood floor is a good way to bring two rooms together. Stylish and popular, transitions can be done in a variety of designs and materials. Choose a material that complements the colors of both your wood floor and tile floor to create an effective transition at the threshold. Whether you opt for a decorative glass mosaic or a simple ceramic strip, a transition ties adjacent spaces together beautifully. You can also design a unique mosaic transition that features pieces of wood and tile arranged in a checkerboard pattern to create a customized “fading” effect.

2. Border—Frame an area of wood flooring with a striking tile border. This is a great way to add a touch of contrasting color and texture to solid wood floors. A decorative patterned border can bring visual interest to a smaller kitchen or bathroom. A tile border on the floor is a great tile to wood floor transition to tie together the room by coordinating with a backsplash or countertop material.

3. Pattern—Add elegance and interest to your foyer, living room, or kitchen with a distinctive patterned floor in wood and tile. One of the most trendy combination floors is the basketweave style, which features long planks of wood around diagonally placed square tiles. Travertine, slate, and ceramic or porcelain are popular choices for pairing with hardwood in this floor design.

4. Medallion—For an elegant and decorative design, a tile medallion is a great way to add flair to hardwood floors. This technique involves installing a round or oval tile mosaic into a hardwood floor, typically in the center of the room. Created with a variety of tile materials including marble, ceramic, glass, limestone, slate, or a combination of stone types, the design and pattern options for a medallion are virtually endless. From sunbursts to filigrees and floral designs, medallions can be simple or regal, and everything in between.

5. Juxtaposition—If you’re hesitant to attempt a combination wood and tile floor, you can opt for a more subtle combination look in any room. For example, try adding some warmth to your bathroom by pairing tile walls with a dark hardwood vanity. In the kitchen, choose tile for the floor and backsplash, combined with butcherblock countertops and other wood accents such as exposed beams. In a living area, a stone fireplace hearth creates a gorgeous natural look against hardwood floors and a wooden mantle.

Whether you’re looking for a way to transition different flooring styles between two rooms or add a touch of luxury and flair to a plain hardwood floor, a tile and wood floor combination may be the perfect choice for your home. Get an idea of what you’d like your floor transition from tile to wood project to look like with the Just Imagine Visualizer from Arizona Tile.