2026 Style Guide: What's Trending?
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Top Tile Styles This Year: Looks Our Customers Love
Tile trends are evolving fast, but the most popular looks this year all have one thing in common: they blend elevated design with everyday practicality. If you’re planning a new project, these styles are a great place to start.
1. Marble-Look Tile: Timeless, But Easier
Marble-look porcelain continues to be one of the top choices for both bathrooms and main living spaces. Homeowners love the luxurious, high-end feel without the maintenance headaches of real stone.
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Soft, neutral veining in whites, creams, and light grays feels timeless and works with a wide range of cabinet and countertop finishes.
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Larger formats and rectified edges help create a more continuous, slab-like look, especially when paired with a tight, color-matched grout.
Whether you’re planning a spa-style primary bath or an elegant entryway, marble-look tile remains a go-to style that won’t date quickly.
Shop Marble Look Tile Styles →
2. Checkerboard and Classic Patterns
Classic patterns are back in a big way, especially checkerboard layouts. This look brings a tailored, heritage feel that still works in modern homes.
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Black-and-white or soft two-tone checkerboards are popular for entryways, kitchens, and powder rooms.
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Square formats like 12x12s create a traditional stone-inspired layout, while smaller or slightly elongated tiles can make the pattern feel more contemporary.
The appeal of checkerboard is that it adds personality and structure to a room without overwhelming it, and you can control how bold it feels by adjusting contrast and scale.
Shop Checkerboard Tile Styles →
3. Subway Tile, Updated
Subway tile will probably never go out of style, but this year’s versions feel more intentional and elevated.
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Longer sizes (like 2x8 or 2x10) and slimmer profiles create a fresher look than classic 3x6.
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Neutral tones beyond bright white—soft taupes, warm creams, and gentle grays—are popular for backsplashes and shower walls.
Homeowners are also experimenting more with layout, using stacked, vertical, or herringbone patterns to give a familiar shape a new twist.
4. Textured and Handmade-Look Walls
There’s a strong move toward tiles that feel artisanal and tactile instead of perfectly flat and uniform.
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Subtle surface variation, gentle undulation, and slightly irregular edges mimic handmade tiles while staying practical and affordable.
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Glossy glazes that catch the light and create movement are especially popular in smaller areas like backsplashes and niches.
These textures add warmth and depth, making even a simple white or neutral wall tile feel more layered and custom.
5. Warm Neutrals and Earth Tones
After years of cool grays dominating the market, warmer palettes are having a big moment.
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Beige, greige, tan, and soft sand tones are being used for both floors and walls to create cozy, welcoming spaces.
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Terracotta-inspired hues and muted browns are appearing as accents or in smaller feature areas for a grounded, natural feel.
Warm neutrals pair beautifully with wood cabinetry, brass or champagne hardware, and softer white paints, making them easy to design around.
6. Large-Format Tiles for a Seamless Look
Large-format tiles are increasingly popular in both residential and light commercial projects because they minimize grout lines and make spaces feel bigger.
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Oversized squares and rectangles on floors create a clean, expansive look.
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Large wall panels in showers reduce grout joints and simplify cleaning while delivering a more spa-like feel.
When paired with a tight grout joint and a matching color, large-format tiles can almost mimic the look of continuous stone or concrete.
7. Matte Finishes and Low Sheen Surfaces
While high-gloss tiles still have a place, many customers are gravitating toward matte and low-sheen finishes, especially on floors.
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Matte finishes soften reflections, hide dust and minor imperfections better, and feel more relaxed and modern.
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On floors, they often improve slip resistance and make everyday maintenance feel more forgiving.
Combining a matte floor with a slightly glossier wall tile can give a room depth without feeling busy.
8. Coordinated Palettes, Not Matchy-Matchy
One of the biggest “looks” isn’t a single tile style, but how tiles are combined. This year, the trend is toward coordinated—but not identical—palettes.
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Using one dominant tone across floors and walls with slight variation in texture or format keeps things cohesive while adding interest.
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Pairing a quiet, neutral base tile with a more expressive accent in a smaller area lets you introduce pattern or color without overwhelming the space.
The goal is a layered, intentional look that feels curated rather than strictly matched.
How to Choose the Right Look for Your Project
When you’re browsing tile styles, start with how you want the room to feel:
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Calm and sophisticated → Marble-look tile, warm neutrals, and large formats.
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Character and charm → Checkerboard patterns, classic shapes, and subway layouts.
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Handcrafted and cozy → Textured, handmade-look wall tiles and soft, earthy tones.
Then consider your practical needs: floor vs. wall, how much traffic the space gets, and how much maintenance you’re comfortable with. From there, you can narrow down the styles that fit both your aesthetic and your lifestyle.
Explore This Year’s Popular Tile Looks
Ready to start planning your project? Browse our curated collections to find marble-look surfaces, checkerboard layouts, subway tiles, textured wall options, and more—each chosen to balance design, quality, and everyday practicality.
