Pros & Cons of Using the Same Color Tile Throughout a House

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The same color of tile can draw attention to fixtures, but may lack needed variety.

Tile choices can be difficult for homeowners to make. If homeowners choose ceramic or vinyl tile, then nearly any color is available, from entryway to kitchen to bathroom. If they choose a natural stone tile like granite, there are many different gradients to choose from as well. Some may be tempted to simply choose the same type of tile throughout the house, including the bathroom walls and kitchen backsplash. This is a bold move, but it can work with the right style and design choices.

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Contemporary Look

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Using the same color of tile tends to benefit a contemporary look where the homeowner aims to create a sleek, minimalistic design. When tiles are the same color, they tend to flow together and create a unified space. In a small area like a tiny bathroom this can be overwhelming, but in larger areas it can work very well.

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Useful Backdrop

Tile can also serve as a useful backdrop to other components of the house. When all the tile is the same color, there is nothing to distract the eye, and people naturally focus on other aspects of the design. This makes a uniform color an easy way to draw attention to bathroom fixtures, kitchen appliances or cabinets, and entryway doors or art instead of the tile itself.

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Brings Out Size Differences

Just because homeowners use the same color of tile throughout the house does not mean they need to use the same size of tiles. A very interesting effect can be created by switching the size of the tile along with the application. For instance, homeowners may choose large tiles for the floor, but small tiles for the walls. Using the same color accents the difference in size and makes it even more of an artistic addition.

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Missing Richness

If homeowners choose to use only the same color of tile throughout their houses, they must also be willing to give up all the other designs that different colors of tile make possible. It is easy to become tired of the same color, especially when it is repeated with many different tiles of similar size. Using different colors of tiles, especially on borders, allows the eye to relax and makes styles more interesting.

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Missing Delineation

Using the same color for a particular room may work well, but when homeowner use the same color of tile everywhere in their house, a difficulty emerges: the rooms start to feel the same. The entryway feels like the kitchen, and the kitchen feels like the bathroom. There is no delineation of color or style to separate the different areas of the home, which can feel awkward to some visitors.

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More Difficult Matching

If all the tile is only one color, then homeowners will struggle more trying to match this tile color with all their other design choices, including towels, cabinets, and wall paint colors. With multiple colors homeowners have a wider range of shades they can work with, but one color limits the choices homeowners can make for all other components of their home.

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