Choosing color for your home is a challenging, and sometimes anxiety-inducing task, especially when the choice involves a long term commitment to a permanent surface like tile. Our clients often ask us to help them find just the right glaze color for their kitchen tile backsplash, and we have developed some strategies to help you make a color decision you know you'll be happy with. I'm going to focus just on the kitchen backsplash in this post - next week we'll take a look at the special colour considerations for bathroom tile.
Let's look at some of the most common questions homeowners have about
kitchen tile color choices:
When should I decide on my kitchen tile glaze colour?
In any kitchen build or renovation project, there are a multitude of surfaces to consider. A good general rule is to choose your most permanent surfaces first, then base your other color/surface choices on those primary surfaces. In a kitchen, you'll generally want to consider floors and cabinetry first, then countertops and tile, and finally walls and fabrics.
There are always exceptions of course - we had a client who based her whole kitchen on a fabric swatch she adored, and another who chose all of his surfaces based on the shades in our
Kyoto Collection Plum Blossom Tile (that was flattering!)
It is most likely that you will be choosing your millwork and flooring, and then beginning to think about your counters and backsplashes.
How can I make sure my tiles match the rest of the kitchen?
We encourage our clients not to think in terms of matching, but rather to take a more sophisticated approach to color, and think in terms of
harmonizing or
complementing. The colours of a handmade ceramic glaze are complex and varied, with lots of potential for creating beautiful color harmonies with other surfaces. But where do you start?
Bear with me while I take you back to my first year of art studies, and introduce you to the color wheel. Colors can relate happily to each other in two different ways, as
complementary (opposite on the wheel) or as
analogous (side by side on the wheel). Either relationship produces a harmonious effect, and either relationship can be used as a jumping off point for bringing tile color into your kitchen.
I can hear you saying "Yikes! Are you saying I should combine red cabinets with green tiles? Or orange with yellow?"
Yes! Remember each primary and secondary hue on the wheel represents a whole family of colors, including the most gentle and subtle. So, red cabinets with green tiles? Absolutely. Here is a beautiful example:
As you can see, the cherry cabinetry works beautifully with the lichen green tile (red and green complements!) The variation in the wood grain and in the underglazed ceramic surface bring another level of harmony to this stunning combination.

Now, here is an example of analogous colour. The yellow, orange, brown, and buff colours in the woodwork, stone and tiles (from our
Firenze Collection) harmonize without having to "match." This example also shows the versatility of earth tones or neutrals, which reside at the center of the color wheel and go with everything! That means you don't have to sweat matching an exact colour in your granite or stone countertops - just relax and trust the harmonies of these beautiful natural surfaces.
How can I be sure I've chosen the right color?
Now that you know when and how to choose your kitchen tile color, you just need to decide. Here are my tips for being sure you have the right glaze color for
you.
- Order samples, and look at them in your new space, at every time of day, and under all the kinds of light they will be seen in.
- Take your time! Look at the samples in your kitchen, and look again.
- Trust your own instincts. It's nice to hear your friends opinions, but remember they won't be living in your kitchen!
- Go with what makes your heart sing. The kitchen is the heart of the home. Chances are, you will be spending many hours here, for years to come. Choose something that is going to bring you joy.
Do you have any insights or experiences you'd like to share about choosing color for your home? Leave a comment, we'd love to hear your story.
Need to buy a sample to check glaze color?
Visit our new on-line tile shop.
Next week we'll look at tile color in the bathroom.