3 Kitchen Tile Colors Experts Say You Should Avoid If You Want Your Space to Be Timeless and Stylish

As Livingetc's resident kitchen expert, I spend a lot of time looking at kitchens — and if there's one thing I never grow bored of, it's beautiful kitchen tiles. However, not all tiles are created equal, and according to experts, there are a few choice colors that should be avoided at all costs.

You see, your kitchen tiles aren't just an aesthetic choice; they are a functional one too. So, although that creamy white tile may look beautiful in the showroom, chances are, it will cause you a major headache when installed in your home. And good tiles don't come cheap, either, so this isn't the type of mistake you want to be making when renovating your kitchen.

Luckily, our experts share the three kitchen colors we should avoid for our tiles, along with their favorite alternatives.

1. Bright Whites

While white kitchens were once the fail-safe go-to, over recent years, we've seen a huge shift away from the bright sterility of this style. And it's not just white kitchen cabinets and appliances that the experts are avoiding; the same goes for kitchen tiles, too.

While the crisp, clean finish of a white tile may be appealing at first, over time, that clean look can quickly become suffocating. As Lesley Taylor, founder of Baked Tiles, explains, "Colors that feel too stark or overly uniform can sometimes be the most difficult to live with in a kitchen." She goes on to note that "very bright whites" may look great under showroom lighting, but once they enter your kitchen, they can feel rather soulless and one-dimensional.

This lack of depth doesn't just come from the color, but the material, too. "Some colors struggle in a kitchen not because of the shade itself, but because of how flat the surface presenting that color is," comments Grazzie Wilson, head of creative at Ca' Pietra.

When you're working with a glazed ceramic tile or a similar finish, this can end up intensifying the harsh effects of a white tile, even more so under the harsh glare of artificial kitchen lighting. Grazzie explains, "Without variation in the surface, the color can appear almost static under kitchen lighting, which often makes the space feel cooler or more rigid than intended."

Beyond the visual, white tiles, especially when used as a backsplash, are particularly ill-suited to the inevitable messes that occur in the kitchen. "Kitchens are hardworking spaces where cooking, cleaning, and movement all happen at once," says Lesley, "so finishes that feel slightly softer in tone tend to perform better over time while still looking fresh."

2. Pale Neutrals

Now, this one may come as a shock, seeing as soft, warm neutral colors have been the designer's go-to for the past few years. But this is precisely why experts are now recommending looking elsewhere when choosing your kitchen tile color.

"Warm neutrals paved the way for a softer, more comforting approach to interiors, but we are now seeing that appetite mature into something deeper and more expressive," explains Grazzie.

In our move away from stark, cool tones, colors like griege, and other light, sandy neutrals have become far more popular. And while these colors do offer a softer look, they fail to provide the depth and warmth we're now prioritizing in our homes.

This is reflected in wider kitchen material trends, beyond tiles. Dark wood kitchens, with warm natural materials, have become far more desirable. But when these materials are paired with light, neutral tiles, they can create too harsh a contrast, flattening the richness of the wood. Opting for a deeper tile, instead, creates a more cohesive finish.

"Timber cabinetry, especially walnut and oak, feels richer against it; honed stone and composite worktops gain definition; aged or brushed metals appear warmer and more cohesive." Instead of creating contrast, warm, dark tiles act as a "grounding backdrop", naturally complementing the natural tones of your kitchen worktops and flooring.

Darker tiles are also harder-wearing and more durable than their lighter counterparts, making for a more low-maintenance kitchen. "Deeper brown tones are forgiving in high-traffic cooking areas, where splashes and daily wear are inevitable, and they soften the visual impact of open shelving, utensils, and appliances," says Grazzie.

"When used across a splashback or a full run of wall, the color creates a cocooning effect that still feels sophisticated, particularly when the surface has subtle movement or variation that stops the tone from appearing flat."

3. Bright, Saturated Colors

"Similarly, highly saturated colors can occasionally dominate a scheme if they are not carefully balanced with the rest of the room," shares Lesley.

While a thoughtfully designed, bright, colorful kitchen can certainly bring some more life and excitement to your home, they aren't always the easiest to live with, and they're likely to date more quickly than a more neutral kitchen color would.

Choosing a brightly colored tile may also present issues with how it pairs with your wider kitchen design. As Lesley explains, "In many kitchens today, cabinetry, worktops and flooring lean towards warmer, natural materials, so very bold or synthetic-looking tones can feel slightly at odds with that direction."

These colors are typically only found in synthetic materials, which can also work against this more natural, soft kitchen trend.

Now that you know the colors the experts recommend avoiding, you might also be interested to know the unlikely kitchen color combinations that experts agree work so well.

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