Gone are the days when grout was merely functional to hold tiles in place. Within recent trend evolutions grout should be a serious consideration when initiating new renovations or DIY projects. As an essential design element that finishes the look of a tile installation, choosing the right grout finish is crucial to the overall aesthetic of a space. Neutral grout colours are often the most common choice, typically falling within the realm of white, off-white, taupe and grey, but this latest trend has grout taking on a new look. Whether that be in a subtle or bold way is up to the homeowner. Developments in colour technology and application are changing consumers perspective on tile.
If adding colour to a shower stall or backsplash seems too overwhelming a decision - consider coloured grout! Even with white tiles, this trend allows for a splash of colour and personality. Which is especially ideal for small tiled spaces such as bathrooms and kitchens. Inspire yourself with some of these interesting ideas.
For individuals with greater colour confidence and desire to make a statement, we suggest pairing toned or even pattern tiles with coloured grout. Play with contrast for a bold dynamic look, or create uniformity with a grout colour to match the tile. Anything and everything is possible when adding colour to the mix.
The Dos & Don'ts Of Colour Schemes
Fear not! You do not need to be an interior designer or artist to be able to pick out a beautiful colour scheme, however, you will need to understand how colour relationships work. Any colour palette or scheme created with careful consideration to colour relations will be more successful than chosen at random. It may feel like you are throwing darts at a board at first, but with time and practice of the steps below your colour confidence will grow!
Monochromatic Colour Scheme: By selecting ONE colour and using the lighter and darker variations of that hue. Depending on application this often yields a uniform colour relation, as each variation of the same hue is still related to the original. When it comes to tile, consumers have typically seen this applied as a white on off-white combination, but the possibilities need not stop there! Why not take the same uniform and intentional feel into a colourful direction? In the example to the right, we have dark navy tile with a tinted navy grout.
Quick Tip: Looking for a retro feel? Maybe you are a lover of pink and Barbie? Well, if so, you likely are nostalgic for the 1940s pink monochromatic bathrooms. If this is the case, we suggest including at least one other colour into the palette to ensure the application feels less dated.
Complimentary Colour Scheme:Â By selecting TWO colours opposite from each other on the colour wheel anyone can achieve a high contrast look. Because of the nature of these colours being on opposite sides, one can create a balance between warm and cool colour experience.
Not sure which colours are complimentary to each other? There are several great colour wheel tools available for free online. We suggest picking up a wheel of your own if able, they can often be found at your local hobby shop. If interested in something a little more informative, we at Colour Insights offer a Colour Foundations training module which includes best practices when using a colour wheel. Details on this module and others can be found at our Workshops tab of colourinsights.com
Quick Tip:Â Play with the value of one or both of the hues! In this example we have a saturate blue paired with a clean and sandy orange, this is still considered complimentary and would be even in the reverse. For example, a saturated orange paired with a pastel blue.Â
Analogous Colour Scheme: By selecting THREE colours adjacent (next) to each other on the color wheel, creating an overall harmonious feel. An example of this would be blue-green, green, and yellow-green, which are all colours that appear next to one another on a colour wheel. Although, when it comes to tile it is not always natural to incorporate a third or even fourth colour. Depending on your resources and application of materials, we suggest utilizing this colour scheme in the following circumstances;
Pattern Tiles, specifically ones that match the rules of the colour scheme.
Mosaic or Checkered Style Titles, in which one or more tile colours are incorporated.
There are several other methods when it comes to combining colour. The ones demonstrated here should be looked as a starting point or basic foundation to achieve the desired look and feel. We at Colour Insights always seek to make our goal to foster and encourage colour confidence in others. Hopefully, this blog has you considering new ways to add colour into your space and provide a place to confidently start.Â
Interested in more trends like this but for wood and design? We at Colour Insights have you covered! Our Wood Design Trend webinar recording is available in both English and Spanish.Â