Tile School: How to Choose Your Floor Tile, By Room

When it comes to transforming the look and feel of your space, few design elements are as influential as floor tiles. A carefully chosen floor tile can enhance the aesthetics, add character, and elevate the overall ambiance of any space. Plus, with its long-lasting durability and low maintenance upkeep, tile on the floor is a win all around.

All of Fireclay’s tile (Ceramic, Brick, Glass, Mosaic, and Handpainted) is possible to use as flooring, but it depends on where you’re using it. To make the process easier, we’re walking you through our top tile floor tips for application by room–with a heavy dose of floor inspiration to boot.

For Your Bathroom Floor

Tile floors are an excellent way to transform your bathroom into a stylish oasis where you can unwind and rejuvenate, with peace of mind knowing that your chosen tiles are both beautiful and practical. Any of Fireclay’s products can be used in a bathroom setting (with a few considerations).

Since this is a damp environment, it's important to think about slippage. A smaller size of tile or a matte finish, like earthy green Sea Green Matte shown below, will serve you (and your feet) well if slipping is a concern. See all of our matte glazes here.

If your heart is set on a gloss finish, like the stunning Hexagon Aegean Sea walls and floor in the space below, don’t worry–you can still use it in your bathroom. You may just want to consider a bath mat for areas that will get the dampest.

Sheeted Mosaic Tile is an excellent choice for bathroom floors. Not only does it provide a timeless, sophisticated look, it also serves as a natural slip-resistant surface as the increased grout joints lend themselves to more grip for your feet. We adore this black and white mosaic checkerboard moment by Sarah Sherman Samuel.

Our Glazed Thin Brick is another gorgeous and functional option for bathroom tile–just look at the color block beauty below. Please note that although Brick is perfectly suitable as bathroom floor and wall tile, due to the porous tile material, we do not recommend our Brick in the shower pan.

Capture a modern look with our sleek Glass Tile. This easy-to-clean product is impervious to water, making it ideal for bathroom applications, and although we don’t recommend our larger Glass sizes for bathroom floors the sheeted mosaic options like the pinwheel installation below offer appropriate additional grip.

Love our signature artisanally crafted Handpainted Tile? This fan favorite provides beauty and traction underfoot. The wet room spa bathroom below features Handpainted Roundabout Tile from the Block Shop x Fireclay Collection in a soothing green colorway.

Speaking of spa bathrooms, keep in mind that, aside from Glass Tile, our tile is not suitable for steam showers.

Above all, your bathroom is your personal sanctuary–so make sure to choose floor tiles that align with your desired style and aesthetic. Whether you prefer a classic, modern, or eclectic look, we can help bring your vision to life (like Banyan Bridges’ patchwork rainbow bathroom floor below!) with our free design assistance.

For Your Shower Pan

When it’s time for a rejuvenating shower, the last thing you want to think about is slipping so choosing slip-resistant tile is especially important for your shower pan. We recommend using tile 4” or smaller (the more grout lines there are, the more grip your shower pan will have) and/or going with one of our slip-resistant glazes.

The stunning shower below uses a combination of matte and gloss glazes in a small 2” Mosaic Tile, creating a beautiful and timeless pattern that’s functional to boot.

Think outside of the box with our non-square Sheeted Tile options. The stacked elongated rectangle of our 1x6 size below adds a distinct midcentury feel to your shower with plenty of grippy grout lines. Choose a saturated color to make this size really pop.

Another fan favorite for shower pans is our sheeted Hexagon Tiles. Not only are they classic and perfectly practical, but it’s also easy to create standout tile patterns using different colors like Cottage + Sea did below.

For Your Kitchen Floor

The kitchen is the heart of the home, where culinary creativity and cherished memories come together. Choosing the right floor tile for this bustling space can seem daunting, but honestly, there are virtually no limitations in the kitchen when you’re using durable, high-quality tile.

For example, in high-traffic areas like the kitchen you may want to consider the breaking strength of tile. When comparing porcelain and ceramic tile, Fireclay’s original ceramic tile is actually stronger than your average porcelain with a breaking strength of 393 pounds per foot, making this a perfect choice for your kitchen floor.

If slippage is a concern for whatever reason, style meets practicality with our slip-resistant glazes. We love how David Quarles IV used our matte Sunflower glaze on large hexagon tiles across the floor paired with a high-gloss Palm Tree subway tile backsplash–it’s the best of both worlds!

Another thing to consider with your kitchen floor tiles is color coordination with your cabinets, countertop, and backsplash. A harmonious color scheme will create a cohesive and inviting ambiance, so color is a choice you’ll want to spend some time thinking about (and something our tile experts can assist you with, for free!).

The modern kitchen below chose deep blue Hexite floor tile, pulling from colors in their Handpainted Tile kitchen backsplash for an overall cohesive look.

The size of the kitchen and layout of the floor plan will influence your choice of floor tile, too. Larger tiles can create a more open and seamless look in larger kitchens, while smaller tiles work well in compact spaces by adding texture and detail. And if you’re heaving a hard time choosing, try mixing sizes like boutique hotel Noble + Proper.

Kitchens are prone to spills and messes, so you’ll likely want to consider floor tiles that are easy to clean. Smooth, glazed tiles repel dirt and spills, making them a practical choice for busy kitchens–like our beautiful Handpainted Tiles shown in the kitchen below.

The kitchen floor contributes significantly to the overall aesthetics of the space. Choose floor tiles that complement your kitchen’s style and design theme, like the stunning midcentury modern home below. Our Glazed Thin Brick sprawls across the floor from the kitchen through the living room in a harmonious and functional ode to MCM style.

For Your Entryway or Mudroom

Your entryway or mudroom sees a lot of traffic, and potentially tracked-in water, dirt, dust, mud, or snow depending on where you live so we generally recommend going with a small- to medium-sized tile for this area. Since this part of the house is bound to get dirty, a stain-resistant grout is a must so that you're not cleaning it all the time.

The entryway sets the tone for your home’s interiors, so consider how you want to make an entrance to your abode–for your guests, yes, but mostly for yourself since you’ll be the one greeted by the tile more than anyone else. We adore the sunny checkered look below with yellow and white Mini Star & Cross Tile. Talk about a warm welcome home!

As the first line of defense against dirt and debris entering your home, your entryway floor tiles need to be highly durable. As outlined above, our ceramic tile excels in this department as it can withstand heavy use and the smooth, non-porous surface doesn’t trap dirt making it easy to clean.

If you have a busy household or would simply prefer to stretch out the time between cleanings, you may want to choose a dark color. Darker-colored tiles can help hide dirt between cleanings, making them a practical as well as a beautiful choice.

Safety is a primary concern in entryways and mudrooms, where wet shoes can create slippery surfaces. Opt for floor tiles with a textured or matte finish to ease slipping concerns and reduce the risk of slips and falls, like the stunning Handpainted Tile floor below in a custom matte colorway.

For Your Commercial Space

For commercial flooring, all of our matte glazes feature a DCOF rating above .42, making them suitable for wet environments where slipping could otherwise occur. With a breaking strength of 393 pounds per foot, our Original Ceramic Tile is designed to withstand the rigor of commercial flooring applications.

The floor tiles in commercial spaces should reflect the brand’s identity and enhance the overall aesthetics of the environment. With virtually limitless customization options and volume pricing available, Fireclay’s Tile is set up to make your commercial project a success.

Brick is a wonderful choice for commercial floors, too. Where industrial strength meets sophistication, our Glazed Thin Brick adds warmth and texture to commercial spaces like the stunning luxury apartment below with 2 sizes and over 35 colors available.

If your project needs additional traction, we can add abrasive to your glaze for extra slip resistance. The image below showcases the texture that the abrasive adds on our slip-resistant matte glazes at a San Francisco wellness studio–the abrasive was chosen due to the Bay Area’s frequent rainfall.

With more and more of a focus on sustainability and responsible manufacturing, our tile is here to answer the call. 100% of our products are made in the USA with domestically-sourced materials, and as a Certified B Corp we make it our business to do good with carbon offsets, recycled materials, fair wages, employee ownership, and more.

Partnering with Fireclay has the added benefit of being good for the environment and our communities, with a portion of proceeds invested back into community and environmental initiatives and all products being eligible for LEED credits.

For Any Other Space!

While we’ve covered the most common areas where tile floors are used, that certainly isn’t a comprehensive list so don’t be afraid to branch out with your floor tile. From patios to closets, the inspiring installations below demonstrate that tile floors belong anywhere.

Jean Stoffer is the queen of modern classic design, so it’s no surprise that she went for a checkerboard floor in her North Porch–with a twist. The timeless grey checkered pattern is bordered by Handpainted Tile with a black accent, resulting in a unique and unforgettable look.

Foxcroft Estate's tiki bar basement just wouldn’t be the same without its Scalene Triangle floor in pink Desert Bloom and green Palm Tree. The pattern adds the perfect amount of retro character to this fun space.

In case you’re wondering if a tile floor belongs in the bedroom, the stunning cottage bedroom below answers with a resounding yet. Not only is this floor durable, but the colors and patterns on the artisanally Handpainted Tile also exude soothing energy into every corner of the space.

Instead of pavers, why not choose tile for your patio? Designer Claire Thomas used two slip-resistant colors in one memorable checkerboard pattern complete with a built-in bench back for this desert abode.

Tile in the closet provides an attractive foundation to mix and match clothes on until you find the perfect outfit. We love the choice of playful Ogee Drops in Studio DIY’s walk-in closet, and the white glaze brightens up the space to ensure you can see every last detail in the full-length mirror.

Brick gives off the look and feel of natural stone tile with a smoothing layer of glaze on top, making it an excellent choice for rustic spaces or anywhere you want to add a bit of texture–like the Joshua Tree House’s desert living area.

When Hilton Carter’s plants are happy, he’s happy–and they all couldn’t be happier in his sunroom with a confetti Hexite tile floor that provides colorful beauty and practical water resistance.