Choosing tile color: the complete selection guide for 6 room types

By Cretienne Rademaker · Specialist Design & Concept at Tegelmonsters

Choosing a tile color for a project begins with four design variables: function of the space, daylight orientation, existing wall and ceiling colors, and grout color. This establishes the color range before the architect designates a collection.

The choice is not a matter of taste, but derived from the project context. For an interior designer, this provides a common language with the architect and the client.

Framework

How do you start choosing tile colors for projects?

The LRV indicates how much light a surface reflects. An LRV of 0 represents pure black absorption, and 100 represents pure white reflection. In practice, project architecture works with three bands: up to 30 for dark registers, 30 to 70 for midtones, and above 70 for light registers. By using this scale, the color choice becomes measurable for the architect, client, and contractor.

In addition to LRV, the Natural Color System can be used as a common language. The NCS describes a color via black-and-white balance and chromaticity and has approximately 1.950 standard colors. In a specification, you would then note, for example, NCS S 2502-Y for a light warm white. For projects in which multiple disciplines work on the design, an NCS code generates less noise than a free color description.

The four variables are interdependent. A strongly profiled architecture with ample daylight requires something different than an enclosed project space with artificial light. For a broader understanding of how size and color interact, a detailed explanation can be found in our knowledge base. large format tiles in projects, in which you see how calm in size and calm in color reinforce each other.

Space

Which space calls for which color register?

The space dictates the register, not the other way around. A hotel lobby with heavy foot traffic and varying lighting conditions requires a neutral mid-register that is legible in the morning and evening. A dining room with warm lighting can manage with a deeper color, because the artificial light brings the tile back to the desired atmosphere. An open office with daylighting works best with a light-to-mid register that transmits the daylight.

The functional class is a second control element. A room with a PEI of 4 or 5 – the PEI value indicates wear resistance on a scale of up to 5 – often calls for a tile with more character in the print, and that print is typically found in darker registers. For the matching of wear class, anti-slip value, and room type, it contains our selection guide for PEI and R-value per room the tables that serve as a reference in the specification phase.

Daylight

How do you match tile color to light and daylight orientation?

Daylight orientation is the first filter after the room function. North light has a higher color temperature of around 6500 Kelvin and appears cool; east light is warmer in the morning but cools down during the day; south light is on average warmer and brighter; and west light has a deep warm tint in the afternoon. A color choice without this filter looks different on the mood board than in the actual space.

Daylight penetration itself falls under NEN 2057, included in the Building Decree 2012For a living area, a minimum of 0,5 m² of equivalent daylight surface area applies to the first 5 m² of floor area, followed by 10 percent of the additional surface area. For an interior designer, this is not a creative limit but a given that guides color choices: less daylight requires a higher LRV to maintain the legibility of the space.

Artificial light is the second filter. Lighting with a color temperature of 2700 Kelvin produces a warm yellow tint that enhances earth tones and softens blue-grays. 4000 Kelvin is neutral and suitable for commercial zones. 6500 Kelvin works in technical rooms and showroom lighting for accurate color assessment. Therefore, for color specification, you should note which lighting is used in which zone, not just which tile.

Neutrals

Which neutral color families work in project architecture?

A neutral tiled floor or wall is a design choice with longevity. Architects choose them for projects where the tiles need to remain in place for more than ten years, such as public spaces, office pathways, and hotel floors. The five families below collectively cover the majority of these applications and are available in multiple collections within the range. For material selection in conjunction with underfloor heating, our blog links to... tiles and underfloor heating in projects the color according to the technical specification.

Statement

When do you choose a statement color or an accent area?

A statement color introduces tension into a design. For a hotel lobby, a deep terracotta or moss green on the wall behind the reception acts as a clear anchor. For a restaurant, a hand-drawn wall tile in soft ochre can provide a better effect than a homogeneous color block. The accent must relate to the base register: a light base tolerates a darker accent, while a dark base calls for a light accent.

The 30 percent rule of thumb applies to the visible wall and floor surface in the initial impression of a space. Above that limit, the emphasis shifts to the base and the narrative of the project changes. Architects also use this rule for the balance between floor and wall: a statement on the floor calls for calm on the wall, and vice versa.

For wall detailing with a statement color, a hand-painted or drawn wall tile works differently than a uniformly printed tile. The variation between tiles adds character, but requires coordination of calibers and color tone within a batch. On the page wall tiles The common options are listed with their finishes, including matte, gloss, and textured.

Joint and wall

How do you combine tile color with grout color and wall finish?

Grout color is a design variable, not a finish. Ton-sur-ton grout allows the tile surface to flow seamlessly and reinforces the base color, while contrasting grout accentuates the individuality of the tiles and the pattern. For commercial architecture, a pattern of light tiles with dark grout works well in stairwells, corridors, and subordinate zones because it creates visual rhythm. For representative zones, an interior designer usually opts for the muted variant.

The wall finish concludes the story. A tile with a matte finish rarely stands out on the wall as a glossy tile – the matte one appears flatter and is less reflective than the glossy variant. In a spa-style bathroom, a matte tile with a soft texture works well, while in a commercial bathroom, a gloss with rectification is suitable for a tighter grout joint. For size matching, see our guide on grout color per tiled wall or floor the combinations worked out.

Trends

Which color trends do architects see on Cersaie and Coverings?

The trade fairs Cersaie in Bologna and Coverings in the United States annually provide a cross-section of global tile production. In 2025, the common thread was a return to muted earth tones, with terracotta and ochre as prominent representatives, alongside the well-known greige and anthracite families. Matte-gloss combinations on a wall create rhythm without the architect having to alter a color choice.

A second trend at trade fairs is the hand-painted wall tile. Hand-drawn motifs with irregular color nuances give project spaces an artisanal accent that a digitally printed tile cannot match. For lobbies, restaurants, and boutique hotels, this is a valuable counterpoint to the homogeneity of large-format floors.

Trade fairs remain a reference, not a compass. In the projects handled through us, we see that a trend color reappears as an accent rather than as a foundation. Sustainable neutrals remain the anchor, and trends play out on smaller surfaces: a wall behind a bar, a niche in a bathroom, or a stairwell in a hotel. Our manufacturers from Spain and Portugal supply actual-size samples for such mood board compilations.

Sample package

How do you put together a sample pack for color selection?

On the page floor tiles You can filter for free by color, size, space, and finish. For a color project, set the filter to the chosen color register – for example, greige with an LRV between 55 and 65 – and the collections used in project architecture will be immediately visible. For each zone, you then select the application page that matches the design's focal point.

What project managers often tell us: the first filtering round takes place online, the physical assessment follows in our showroom in Utrecht. The showroom is by appointment only for professionals and offers actual-size samples alongside additional sample areas in NEN-compliant lighting for accurate color assessment. In this way, the selection from mood board to specifications aligns with a shared color language.

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