Find Design Balance with Colonial Tile Flooring

Image: Geo 2 Bisou Sunset Glass Tile Kitchen Flooring from Arizona Tile

Some designs look best when certain stylistic elements are preserved. Trends can be fun to be part of, but sometimes choosing traditional over contemporary allows for a more cohesive appearance, like within a colonial-style home. This doesn’t mean modern features cannot be added—in fact, they should—especially when thinking about materials.  

Most things evolve over time, and tile is no exception. As technology advances manufacturers are developing new, better products in design, detail, and finish. Porcelain and ceramic tile are each an excellent example of a modern material that can exude a traditional look, specifically their aesthetic attributes that can perfectly complete your colonial design.

Colonial Style Tile

Colonial style is a classic, timeless design that can enhance your home remodel or liven up a new build. In North America, the style began in the late 1600s with the colonization and settlement of European powers. The colonial style, as we know it, began when the English, French, and Spanish brought their design concepts and materials, then paired them with materials available in America. The Colonial touches they brought aren’t limited to quintessential features like multiple-story buildings. A symmetrical footprint, a centered door with an even disbursement and placement of windows on either side or a non-ornamental exterior are all examples of this influence which can be adapted into any setting.

The traditional colonial style relies on symmetrical design, natural materials, and neutral colors featuring brown and warmer hues. The style is related to rustic aesthetics that provide a natural sense of warmth and comfort with a classic touch.

Image: S-Black/Canvas White Matte 1″ Hex Mesh Porcelain Bathroom Floor Tile

Colonial Tile Throughout the Home

The kitchen really is the heart of the home. This is a place where we spend a lot of time preparing and cooking meals, eating with family, and sometimes gathering with friends. Bathrooms also earn a lot of focus in a home as we often design them to be a little sanctuary. Having these spaces designed eloquently will make the day-to-day more pleasurable, simply through aesthetics. If you’re aiming for a colonial design, we have some great products to evoke that traditional look.

Image: Concerto Black Matte & Concerto White Matte Checkerboard Bathroom Floor Tile from Arizona Tile

Many people design a room so light can easily flow through and radiate off various surfaces. Modern kitchens often have light-drenching windows, so there’s more freedom in using darker-colored materials if you choose, unlike in a bathroom, where natural light is often minimal. The tile finish should be factored in along with the color choice because the glossier a finish, the more reflective the material becomes, even in a darker tone.

Concerto is a glazed porcelain tile available in both matte and glossy finishes. Both are excellent choices for wall applications, and the matte finish is even a durable option for floors! Its neutral palette adds a touch of colonial charm to any space. S-Series is another option available in glossy or matte, in eight soft colors, and seven sizes. With the variation of sizes, you can easily incorporate a pattern into your design. Wherever you choose to use either of these options, they will pair with other colonial-themed materials throughout the space—especially as flooring. Be it a backsplash or feature wall in your kitchen or bathroom space, these porcelain tiles will emphasize the design. That look, paired with wood flooring, is likely to grace your space as it’s a popular design combination in the colonial design style. While natural wood flooring is beautiful, it requires more maintenance over time and is susceptible to scratching and water damage. However, porcelain tile that looks like wood removes this type of concern while presenting almost the exact same aesthetic.  

We have several porcelain floor options for your “wood” colonial tile floor, and two of our favorites are:

• Essence emulates wood planks in 8”x48” and four colors. The soft grain patterns create a stunning rustic appearance throughout the entire home. The way the “wood-look” knots appear on the surface, the colors used to emphasize the tile design, and the detail in appearance make this a great colonial tile floor option.
• More Wood has some similarities to Essence but a different overall grain structure. One significant difference, however, is that the More Wood series is available with an R11 Anti-Slip Finish to help prevent slips and falls when areas become wet. So that iconic wood-look can carry through from inside to your front porch or back patio.

Image: Castle Brick Brown Porcelain Kitchen Floor Tile & Castle Brick White Porcelain

To develop a truly rustic, classic look, Castle Brick porcelain tile, and wood-emulating porcelain tile make a beautiful design. Like other porcelain tile, Castle Brick can be used as flooring or on a vertical surface, but either way, pair it with wood grain porcelain for a historic colonial look.

Image: Reverie 11 Porcelain Patterned Bathroom Floor Tile from Arizona Tile

Patterned tile is another way to elicit a beautiful aesthetic with a vintage appearance. Add a pop of color or pattern around a fireplace, on a bathroom floor, or on a kitchen backsplash/focal wall with patterned tile. Imagine you’ve chosen wood-look porcelain for your flooring, and instead of placing an area rug—a common feature in colonial style—you opt to install patterned porcelain tile in that spot, skipping the rug altogether. This approach provides the same definition and appeal but minus the fuss of a rug.

Reverie and Cementine Retro both fit a rustic aesthetic of the colonial style, but in an elegant fashion. Reverie offers patterns reminiscent of years past with its vintage design. In 16 colors/patterns, there are a plethora of options to pair this tile with, or it can easily be your sole colonial floor tile. Cementine Retro has a different color palette designed to look like the fun fabrics of the 60s, 70s, and 80s.

Image: Geo 2 Bisou Midnight Glass Tile Kitchen Flooring from Arizona Tile

The Geo 2 series offers a softer approach to patterned tile and provides a contemporary spin on colonial-inspired patterns. While the color palette may seem a bit more modern, the simplicity of how these tile options are incorporated allows for beautiful pairing and design. The Geo 2 series is a rectified glass tile, meaning it’s made from recycled glass that has been ground to a fine powder, and colored with inert natural minerals and enamel, making it immune to fading and discoloration.

Image: Cementine Retro 1 Patterned Laundry Room Porcelain Tile Floor from Arizona Tile

What’s Your Style?

Colonial tile is a cherished style rich in Americana. Our product lines continue to grow as products advance and develop, and we hope you incorporate some of these tile products into your colonial-style design!

For more inspiration, here are some beneficial links: Modern Bathroom Tile and Slab Ideas, Give Your Bathroom Character with Patterned Tile, Unique Bathroom Floor Tile Ideas, Explore Kitchen Tile Patterns, and Matching Kitchen Surfaces to Cabinets.

Try our Just Imagine Tile and Slab Visualizer so you can gain a better visual sense of your favorite products. To see our products in person, stop by an Arizona Tile Showroom or slab yard(open link on new tab). If you have questions, please reach out to us!