KITCHENS STEP INSIDE


A Grand Opening


Leigh Price, Managing Director of Real Stone & Tile, discusses kitchen flooring in open-plan environments.


Open-plan kitchens have been a key feature for many homes over the past decade as the seamless look allows you to maximise space and flood the areas with natural light. This contemporary way of living has now spread across the entire ground floor, combining the kitchen, dining room and living space.


This year, it is all about ensuring your home boasts a fluid appearance and the best way to achieve this is to start with the floor.


Flooring is always a key consideration when it comes to the kitchen environment. As the heart of the home, the surface needs to withstand heavy use as well as any breaks or spillages.


For open-plan spaces it works particularly well when the floor is the same colour and material throughout, as the space can appear bigger which makes it ideal for smaller homes. The best types of tile for this are large-format ones as they fill spacious areas instantly and are usually much more cost-effective.


“Tis year, it is all about ensuring


your home boasts a fluid appearance and te best way to achieve tis is to start wit te floor.”


The main advantage is the longevity they have for the user and the low maintenance that comes with them. The best large format tiles around are those made from porcelain as opposed to stone, due to the remarkable levels of resistance they hold. Full bodied porcelain tiles are frost-resistant and incredibly tough, perfect for inside and outside of the home.


Laying the tiles just a few millimetres apart will create an uninterrupted look and minimise the maintenance of the grout, saving customers a lot of time and money when it comes to preserving the floor. Opting for a grout which is the same colour of the tile will also add to the overall appearance.


Stocked in various sizes, the large format tile gives your client endless options - our biggest tile is an impressive 1800x800mm and so is ideal for vast homes.


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As you can see, it provided a beautiful light, neutral base and works well against grey, white and natural wood.


On the other end of the scale, darker shades like blacks, greys and browns will add dimension to the room and it will still create that continuous look but in a more a dramatic way.


Laying tiles throughout the kitchen, dining room and lounge may seem a little daunting for some, especially if they’re worried about having cold feet! Installing underfloor heating is a brilliant solution and not as pricey or difficult to fit as it used to be - we definitely recommend this option to customers who have any doubts.


Whilst the open-plan living trend continues to go from strength to strength, it is important that retailers offer a variety of hardwearing tiles, in a plethora of sizes and colours, so that customers always have the very best options for these contemporary environments.


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When it comes to colour, customers tend to stay safe and many opt for mid-tones which won’t show dirt as easily and, should the kitchen ever be replaced, the floor will almost certainly complement it.


However, it is always worthwhile showing the customer lighter and darker options. For example, at Real Stone & Tile we recently provided floor and wall tiles for kitchens within a bespoke development of homes in Cheshire (shown below). The developer chose dark kitchen units and so, based on that, we specified large-format porcelain tiles – Marazzi Plaster Grey (60x60mm) to be precise – and these flowed throughout the entire ground floor.


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