3 Design Tips to Help You Pair Tile with Your Room’s Décor
Tile isn’t just a functional part of your space — it also greatly influences the design feel. Finding the perfect match can be challenging when you’re trying to pair tile with other choices (like that piece of furniture you’ve been eyeing for years). Fortunately, the most inspirational designs don’t just come from rooms where everything matches perfectly. By following a few design tips, you can mix, match, and combine tiles in any space to enhance your room’s overall look.
Create Layers of Color and Light
If you want a rich, bold room full of color and patterns, adding tile to the mix is a great way to achieve a luxurious look. Rather than trying to match colors among furniture, tile, and décor, consider creating layers of color and light in the space.
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For this glamorous bathroom, @halastudiodallas incorporated every tone from dark navy to bright white — with a stunning pop of Nola Pink Cement Tile in between. This design allows your eyes to really soak in each element so that nothing is lost. The tile adds a fun burst of color, and its smooth surface contrasts nicely with the natural foliage that fills the room. When creating these layers, remember that the entire picture matters, not any individual element itself.
Focus on the Room’s Character
Mixing and matching tile can be tricky. You don’t want to use pieces that are too similar and risk looking like you’ve made a mistake, but pairing completely different tiles requires a keen design sense. One of the best ways to decide if your tile choices work together is to focus more on the character of the space than the visual details. If the two (or three or four!) tiles you’ve chosen all exude the same character, then combining them in a design will produce magic.
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This fireplace tile combination from @reems_design is the perfect example of matching character and tone. A historic tile surrounding the fireplace called for an equally impressive and artisan-quality tile on the floor. Riad’s Black Zellige 4″x4″ handmade tiles enhance the original handiwork. While this designer chose a similar color, the tile’s matching character could support even wildly different palettes!
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For an equally impressive tile combination, we love the finished moody-glam feel from this bathroom by @melindaranchpetaluma. The glossy, handmade Forest Green 4″x4″ Zellige tile from Riad is completely different in texture, size, and color from the other tile in the space; the sultry, rich character of each tile is what pulls the room together for a mix-and-match design operation that’s a complete success.
Match Form and Flow
When pairing tile with furniture for the perfect interior design result, think about matching form and flow. If your furniture has curves and soft edges, choose a tile with round sides or circular patterns. Is your perfect tile pattern large and bold? Pick décor and furnishings that mirror those traits. By matching form and flow, your tile and other décor elements will create one cohesive design unit in the room.
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This rooftop bar from @adriennes_nyc and @spilledmilkcreative is an excellent example of syncing the form and flow in your space. The chairs, awning, and structural components all have thin, long lines. Pairing these elements with Riad’s Unglazed Natural 2″x6″ Zellige tile stacked vertically is the perfect way to carry the form and flow throughout. Being in the space feels effortless when everything is this cohesive.
The best part about these design tricks is that they leave plenty of room for creativity and adventure in your next project.
