Grey Tiles: An Introduction to Stone Flooring

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The colour grey is one that has come and gone throughout the years, yet remains a timeless shade used again and again. It is a colour often associated with calmness, practicality, and balance. Grey tiles are a perfect flooring choice, working beautifully as kitchen tiles, hallway tiles, bathroom tiles and even outdoor paving. Whether it’s a soft pale grey or a rich grey with variation from tile to tile, the beauty of grey stone flooring is that no two tiles are ever the same – adding depth and character to any space. For those renovating or building a new home, there are so many decisions to make, and so we thought an introduction to grey stone flooring and its many options would be helpful for this versatile colourway.

Grey Natural Stone Flooring...

A natural stone tile is anything quarried from the earth, such as limestone, marble, or sandstone. Formed over millions of years, it is extracted from a quarry and then manufactured into a tile. Stone tiles benefit from naturally being dense and hardwearing, as well as being exceptionally beautiful materials. As direct importers of stone floor tiles since 1995 and having an extensive and curated collection of quality grey tiles, we have plenty of recommendations and ideas when it comes to grey stone flooring.

Grey Tiles: Timeless Limestone

Grey limestone tiles offer a truly timeless floor tile working in a whole range of interior schemes and styles. The Farrow Grey tumbled limestone is a longstanding favourite, featuring beautiful tonal variations from dove grey through to soft anthracite. The oxidisation of iron offers warm copper hues, creating an ageless charm. This grey neutral toned natural stone lends itself to both modern and country projects alike, whilst the mineral and fossil detail evident, make it practical as grey kitchen flooring.

Grey Tiles: Marble Flooring

Marble is known for its luxurious look and feel, having been used for centuries to form statues, grace grand buildings and laid as flooring - it is no wonder people love grey marble tiles. With unique veining, patterning and details, a marble floor tile will elevate any space and is an elegant option for grey natural stone flooring. The Parisian collection of marble tiles offers four ways of white and grey marble tiles, whether you opt for the pastel grey tile Parisian Grey for a bathroom, or the Parisian Manoir cabochon marble used as hallway tiles. 

Grey Tiles: Farmhouse Flagstones

Channelling the farmhouse flagstone look, the Clermont Gris lightly tumbled is a lovely grey tumbled limestone tile that features subtle tonal variations throughout. The varying grey hues within this stone blend beautifully, with a slight warmth and a country charm. Grey stone flooring helps to achieve the effortless farmhouse kitchen feel with a lived-in appearance and rustic appeal. The lightly tumbled finish and natural fossil appearances in this grey tile gives a soft texture and detail to the floor.

Grey Tiles: Classic Neutrals

For those wanting a lighter tile but with grey undertones, classic neutrals are the best types of grey stone flooring to opt for. Typically limestone, paler grey tiles provide more subtle floor tiles and will add a light and airy feel to the room. The Versailles softly aged limestone tiles yield pale wash tones with delicate fossil details and markings. This textured stone strikes a perfect balance between modern and old which makes it a versatile choice for both country and contemporary properties. Another sophisticated and classic grey tile would be the Kensington tumbled limestone, understated in its nature, it is the ultimate neutral stone floor. Kensington displays off white to grey hues with elegant sweeping mottling, the occasional copper fleck and delicate veining, providing depth and warmth to each limestone tile.

Grey Outdoor Stone Flooring...

Grey tiles aren’t exclusively just for indoors but are also very popular and versatile floor coverings for outdoor patios and gardens. The characteristics of natural stone means many limestones and sandstones are frost resistant and suitable for exterior use and will season and age beautifully with time. 

Grey Tiles: Flagstone Patio Tiles

Wishing to emulate a true English country garden feel? Using large format grey flagstone paving tiles offer a timeless and classic look. Grey tumbled limestone or flagstone pavers have been used for years, thanks to their forgiving and dense characteristics, as well as offering a beautiful outdoor tile within the landscape. We suggest choosing a large format tile as this creates the illusion of a bigger space, as well as minimising the grout joints – bringing focus to the patio tiles themselves. Here the Worn Grey limestone pavers and Farrow Grey tumbled limestone pavers achieve this inspirational country garden design effortlessly. Choose a grout colour that is the same or slightly lighter than the tile to really set the whole patio floor off.

Grey Tiles: Poolside Paving

If you are fortunate enough to have a swimming pool, then grey outdoor tiles look wonderful against the rich aqua tones of a pool – and makes a very inviting landscape! Majority of stone and porcelain pavers suitable for outside are also suitable as pool surroundings, offering enough grip and practicality for poolside gardens. Enjoy Summer months with afternoons basking in the sun by the pool or evenings dining alfresco on a grey stone patio. The Clermont Gris aged tumbled limestone paving was chosen in this country garden for its unique fossil details, textured tumbled surface and soft grey tonal variation.

Grey Tiles: Cobble Stones

Grey stone flooring can come in different sizes, and one popular format for outdoor spaces is a cobble stone. Grey stone cobbles are the perfect way to line and finish pathways, as well as being suitable for driveways. These small but beautiful cobbles offer a hardwearing outdoor floor with an authentic rustic cobblestone look. Try the Clermont Gris aged tumbled cobbles or for driveways, the Carsington tumbled sandstone cobbles provide a very practical option with mid-grey tones and unique surface texture.

Alternatives to Grey Natural Stone Flooring

Whilst grey natural stone tiles have been used for hundreds of years, recent developments in state-of-the-art machinery in the porcelain industry has opened a whole new market for grey porcelain tiles made to look like real stone. There really is no shade of grey that the porcelain industry cannot replicate, with realistic prints and finishes available to create grey flooring tiles for every space. The two main types of grey porcelain tiles are stone effect tiles and wood effect tiles. Stone effect as the name suggests, is made to replicate the look of an authentic natural stone, where as wood effect is simply made to mimic the look of a real timber floor.

Grey Stone Effect Tiles...

Grey Tiles: Tumbled Effect Porcelain

When it comes to grey stone look flooring, ones with a tumbled effect edge really do have you believing they are a real stone! A tumbled effect porcelain is manufactured in two ways; a rectified straight edge with textured surface or an unrectified ‘wavy’ edge. Most tumbled porcelains are rectified as they are simpler to install. The grout can be applied as normal which would provide a linear grout joint and an exposed texture to the surface edges. Alternatively, the grout can be applied higher than usual and worked into the textured surface edge, creating the illusion of a tumbled tile. Grey tumbled look porcelain flooring provides the look of a country flagstone floor, but as a maintenance free porcelain alternative. The Hambleton Grey porcelain is a fail-safe true grey tumbled effect tile, whilst the Provence Grigio porcelain provides a more industrial rustic style with contrasting variation from tile to tile.

Grey Tiles: Contemporary Porcelain

For those wanting uniformity or a sleeker appearance, there are also many grey floor tiles that offer a consistent and contemporary look. In both large format and square, these grey porcelain tiles suit more minimalist or modern interiors, with straight edges and lower variation. The Purbeck Grey is a contemporary favourite in a large 1200x600 rectified tile, meaning narrow, clean grout joints can be achieved. This grey porcelain tile is realistic in mimicking grey stone flooring with flowing movement and detailed veining. If you’re looking for a square concrete effect tile with a modern feel, the Frome Grey porcelain tiles are a great choice for grey stone look flooring. In a 600x600 large format tile, this grey porcelain has flecking and detail adding depth and a contemporary appearance.

Grey Wood Effect Flooring...

Grey porcelain flooring doesn’t stop at stone effect, but also includes wood effect flooring options which replicate the look of real timber floors. The benefits of wood effect porcelain is that it is suitable for underfloor heating and does not warp or bow like real wood flooring. Wood tiles are also very hardwearing and will not fade over time. 

Grey Tiles: Coastal Wood Effect Planks

Grey wood effect flooring is extremely versatile and works in many different interior schemes. Whether you live near the seaside or wish to create a tranquil and inviting space, one style that works wonderfully is coastal wood effect planks. The Belsford collection of wood effect flooring is available in two shades, Pebbleshore and Rockpool Grey. Pebbleshore is a soft pale wash wood effect with white and warm grey tones, where as the Rockpool Grey offers a darker grey replicating the look of natural driftwood – both creating a light and airy coastal feel to bathrooms and kitchens alike. Another more consistent grey wood tile is the Tadwick Grey porcelain which is a mid-toned grey with realistic knot and grain detailing. 

Grey Tiles: Chevron and Herringbone Tiles

One popular and aesthetic look for grey flooring is to choose chevron and herringbone tiles. These formats work in all sized spaces and are particularly effective as grey wood effect herringbone floors. Herringbone and chevron patterns are on trend right now and are easily achieved by laying the tiles at an angle. Many ask the difference between herringbone and chevron tiles – the end of a herringbone tile is cut at the usual 90-degree angle, whereas chevron is at 45 degrees. Chevron flooring creates a ‘zig zag’ style pattern with the angled edges meeting, whereas herringbone flooring has straight edges with a staggered pattern effect mimicking the look of recognisable parquet wood flooring. A few favourites include the Eaton Birch and Eaton Ebony - both available in chevron and herringbone patterns, these pale grey and ash grey tiles tick all the boxes for a grey floor with impact and a classic appearance.

FAQ's on Grey Tiles

What are the different types of grey floor tiles?

As covered in this post, there are many different types of grey floor tiles on the market, most commonly grey limestone, grey marble and grey porcelain tiles are the most hardwearing and practical options for grey tiles. From rustic grey flagstones to contemporary grey porcelain tiles, our range offers a large selection of grey tiles.

Are grey tiles good for kitchens?

Absolutely. Grey tiles are very practical and forgiving as kitchen tiles due to their neutral shade. Grey natural stone and porcelain are hardwearing materials that can withstand heavy footfall such as in a kitchen. They also often carry variation from tile to tile which is great at disguising day to day dirt. Grey kitchen tiles are a timeless choice that won’t outdate and will last for years to come. 

Are grey tiles good for bathrooms?

Yes! Not only are grey tiles a good choice for kitchens but they are also exceptionally versatile and practical as grey bathroom floor tiles. Whether it’s a white marble effect tile with realistic dark grey veining or modern grey concrete effect square tiles, grey tiles can work in both traditional and contemporary bathrooms. Grey porcelain tiles are low maintenance which makes a perfect option for bathrooms and en suites.

What paint colours go with grey tiles?

Whilst we don’t claim to be interior designers, we have worked in the industry for nearly 30 years, and we love to speak with our customers about their project schemes with paint colours always coming up in conversation. For neutrals, we’d recommend Farrow & Ball ‘Drop Cloth’ and Little Greene ‘Slaked Lime Mid’. Richer colours such as Farrow & Ball ‘Hague Blue’ and Little Greene ‘Invisible Green’ are favourites for kitchen cabinets against grey tiles. Those wanting the warmth of earthy pinks against grey tiles will love shades such as Edward Bulmer Paint ‘Jonquil’ and Farrow & Ball ‘Setting Plaster’.

Are grey stone tiles suitable with underfloor heating?

Yes! Underfloor heating is perfectly suited with our natural stone and porcelain tiles following the correct installation. We strongly advise the use of anti-fracture matting, which is industry standard. This is a thin membrane that should be installed between the screed and your tiles. This membrane protects the tiles from lateral sheer movements, allowing the screed to fracture without damaging the tiles.