Tiles might not be the first thing that springs to mind when you picture a cosy living space, but designers are increasingly making the case for bringing them out of our kitchens and bathrooms and into our living spaces.
Living room tiles offer all the durability you’d expect – spill resistance, pet-friendly surfaces and brilliant compatibility with underfloor heating – but they now come with the warmth, texture and character you’d normally associate with other types of flooring. In other words, tile has had a ‘glow-up’. From refined matt finishes that soften the light to large-format styles that make a room feel more considered, this once-humble material is proving its decorative chops.
If you like the sound of tiles in a living room, take a look at what flooring experts have to say about choosing the right materials, picking the perfect finish and styling tiles in ways that elevate the whole space.
Why are designers using tiles in living rooms?
For years, tiles have been pigeonholed as purely practical, like the sort of thing you’d expect to see in bathroom tiling schemes or as a neat tiled upstand behind a kitchen worktop. But interior designers are increasingly challenging that idea, showing just how beautifully tiles can work in spaces where comfort, warmth and style matter just as much as durability.
Living rooms, in particular, are benefitting from this shift. Today’s porcelain and ceramic designs are a world away from the cold, utilitarian surfaces you might associate with bathroom floor tiles. They offer depth, texture and a huge range of finishes that make them every bit as inviting as hardwood floors or natural stone, with the bonus of being incredibly robust.
“Porcelain and ceramic tiles make a practical choice for a living room,” explains Louisa Swannell, head of marketing and design at Walls and Floors. “They’re hard-wearing enough to cope with busy family life, resistant to spills and pet claws, and work brilliantly with underfloor heating.”
So while tiles may have once been confined to kitchens and bathrooms, they’re now stepping confidently – and stylishly – into living rooms. And with so many textures and tones to choose from, it’s easy to see why.
Louisa is head of creative design at Walls and Floors. Founded in 1987, Walls and Floors is an award-winning tile specialist with an unbeatable range of tiles and wood panelling, available to purchase online.
How to select the right tiles for your living room
Choosing tiles for a living room is a case of striking the right balance between style, comfort and practicality. To make the right decision for your home, it helps to break the process into two core considerations: materials/finish and layout.
Materials and finishes
Getting the right look in your living room starts with two key decisions – the material of the tile and the finish.
Louisa Swannell is an advocate of the “natural-look”, noting that “wood-effect and stone-effect porcelain tiles are especially popular in living spaces because they capture the warmth and texture of natural materials without the maintenance of the real thing.”
Once you’ve settled on a material, finish becomes just as important. If you prefer something understated yet elevated, matt and satin surfaces are the designer favourites. As Abbas Youssefi, managing director of Porcelain Superstore, explains, “When it comes to finish, matt or satin surfaces rule the roost. Polished can sometimes lean a little too ‘hotel bathroom’, whereas a soft matt finish brings the gentle, understated look that works so well in contemporary interiors.”
Louisa agrees, adding that “a matt or soft-satin finish tends to suit living rooms best; it diffuses light rather than bouncing it back like a high-gloss tile, so the room feels softer and more relaxed. Matt finishes also hide everyday dust, footprints and paw prints far better, which makes them much easier to live with.”
But sheen is only part of the story. Colour and texture also play a major role in creating the right atmosphere. As Louisa explains, “Colour and texture are equally important as the tile material. Warm neutrals, gentle greiges and honeyed wood tones will instantly make a tiled living room feel cosier, while a subtle surface texture underfoot stops the floor feeling cold, especially if the space opens directly to a patio or garden.”
If you’re aiming for a more modern feel, scale matters too. Large-format tiles help create visual continuity. According to Isabel Fernandez, director at Quorn Stone, “large-format porcelain or natural stone tiles are often a wonderful choice for open-plan rooms, as the broader proportions help create a calm and cohesive backdrop.”
Abbas is co-founder and managing director at UK tile retailer Porcelain Superstore, helping build the family business into a leading online destination for quality porcelain and ceramic tiles.
Isabel is director at Quorn Stone, a second-generation stone and tile specialist, where she champions high-quality natural stone and porcelain products and has helped expand the family business across the UK
Layout Considerations
The pattern and direction you choose to lay your tiles can subtly – or dramatically – influence how spacious, balanced and cohesive your living room feels. Here’s what the experts recommend:
Keep it simple for a clean, modern look
“A straightforward layout such as a staggered or grid pattern often works beautifully, allowing the size and tone of the tile to shine,” says Isabel Fernandez. These classic arrangements suit modern living rooms particularly well, creating an uncluttered foundation that lets your furniture and décor take centre stage.
Introduce pattern for character and movement
If you’re working with a period property or a home with standout architectural features, Isabel suggests that “a classic pattern like herringbone can introduce a sense of craftsmanship and movement.”
She explains that herringbone and chevron layouts can help anchor focal points such as fireplaces, bay windows or reading nooks. But she emphasises that “the key is choosing a layout that supports the flow of the room and complements the overall style rather than competing with it.”
Use direction to reshape the room
Tile orientation has a surprising impact on how a space is perceived. According to Louisa Swannell, “running plank tiles along the longest wall or towards the main window can visually lengthen the room and draw the eye to the light.”
This trick works especially well in awkwardly shaped or small living rooms. She adds, “In narrow living rooms, laying tiles on the diagonal or across the width helps the space feel less like a corridor.”
Where to tile in a living room
If you’re sold on the idea of tiling a living room, designers already have a few go-to places they swear by, and they might just become your new favourite features, too:
Tile the living room floor
The most obvious place to start is tiling the floor, but don’t be fooled into thinking that means playing it safe. Tiling a living room floor can completely shift the feel of your home, especially if you use it to create effortless flow from one space to the next.
In open-plan spaces, running the same tile throughout helps the whole room breathe a little easier. And if your living room opens onto a garden or terrace that’s your cue to take the continuity a step further. Using a tile that works both indoors and out is one of the simplest ways to blur the boundaries between home and nature. Suddenly, your living room feels bigger, brighter and a whole lot more sophisticated.
Of course, not every space calls for minimalism. If your living room is craving a little personality, patterned tiles are a gorgeous way to introduce character without overwhelming the room. Soft geometrics, heritage motifs or something subtly decorative underfoot will do the trick. Patterned floor tiles provide an instant lift to spaces and play beautifully against pared-back walls or simple furniture.
Elder Light Oak Parquet Effect Tile
Create a statement tiled wall
A feature wall doesn’t have to rely on a pot of paint anymore. Tiled walls are becoming a favourite in living rooms for the texture, pattern and colour they bring – qualities that are hard to match with traditional finishes. Zellige-style tiles and elongated metros, for example, add beautiful dimension behind sofas, along media walls or framing a cosy corner.
Part of their appeal is the sense of permanence they bring. A tiled wall feels intentional and crafted, while also offering a level of durability that paint or plaster simply can’t compete with.
And whether you opt for a glossy glaze that catches the light or a matt, handcrafted texture with a softer, more artisanal feel, a tiled wall instantly nudges a living room into more design-led territory.
Carmella Burnt Red Tiles
Recreate the striking statement wall above with these affordable ceramic metro tiles. Finished with a glazed surface, they’re designed to catch natural light beautifully, highlighting the subtle variations in surface and tone.
Use tiles to highlight fireplaces and log burners
Fireplaces are already natural focal points in cosy living rooms, but the right tile can take them from “nice” to jaw-dropping. Whether you’re working with a log burner, a traditional hearth or a chimney breast that could use a little love, tiles can add a surprising amount of polish.
Tiling the wall behind a log burner is a fantastic styling opportunity. Heat-resistant tiles protect the surface, of course, but they also let you play with mood. A textured finish, a subtle pattern or a rich, deep tone can create a dramatic backdrop that grounds the whole space.
The hearth is another place where tiles shine. It’s a classic feature, but modern designs give you plenty of room to make it your own. You can keep things timeless with slate or limestone-effect tiles or lean into something more playful, such as encaustic-style patterns or glossy, jewel-toned glazes.
And if you really want to turn heads, consider tiling the fireplace or chimney breast itself. Bold geometrics, elongated herringbone layouts or deep, dramatic colours can completely transform these features.
What you need to know before using tiles in a living room
Before you commit to tiles in your living room, there are a few practical things worth considering.
Firstly, tiles can feel naturally cool underfoot, which is lovely in summer but a little less so on frosty mornings. So, if you want that cosy, warm-to-the-touch feeling, it’s worth looking into pairing your tiled floor with an underfloor heating system.
“Underfloor heating is the ideal partner for tiled living rooms because tiles conduct and retain heat extremely well,” explains Louisa Swannell. “This results in a floor that feels comfortably warm, even on cold days.”
Many homeowners also fail to consider that tiles don’t just change how a room looks – they change how it sounds, too. As Louisa notes, “Acoustically, a tiled floor will reflect more sound than carpet, especially in open-plan spaces with lots of glass.”
Thankfully, soft furnishings are your friend. Rugs, curtains, cushions and upholstered pieces all help soften echoes and make the room feel calmer, and they also add warmth and softness underfoot.
Louisa also suggests thinking creatively: “It may also be worth considering adding a feature wall of acoustic slatted panelling which will help absorb any echo whilst making the room feel calmer.” Options such as these Trepanel® Smoked Oak Wood Wall Panels , which come with acoustic backing, offer both soundproofing benefits and a warm, textural feature.
Before you start tiling, remember that many common living room design mistakes come down to poor prep. Tiling an uneven wall or tiling an uneven floor risks shifting, cracking and a finish that never looks quite right. Taking time to level surfaces first ensures a smoother, longer-lasting result.
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