Floor tiles for the hallway (photo): choose a design, color and layout option

The floors in the hallway are almost the most «loaded» surfaces in the apartment. They are constantly getting wet, dirty, exposed to salts and household chemicals. In addition, friction from soles and point loads from heels acts on the surface.

Content

• What should be the tile – performance
• Choosing the right design and color
• Choosing a tile layout for the floor

It is not surprising that ceramic tiles are most often chosen for the floor in the hallway – a wear-resistant, moisture-resistant and durable floor covering. You shouldn’t be afraid of its design impersonality.

Beautiful collection of floor tiles

Modern designers have created many different collections, which contain literally anything – from interesting abstractions to floral motifs, from imitations of stone to luxurious patterns of natural wood. But not all collections are so practical – and therefore it is worth focusing on the marking of the material and its technical characteristics..

What should be the tile – performance

There are 4 criteria by which the technical characteristics of the material should be assessed:

1. Wear resistance. This indicator evaluates the stability of a material under external influences, its immunity to water, dirt, sand. The level of wear resistance should be high enough – this will allow the material to remain attractive for a long time. The indicator can be assessed by the corresponding labeling – according to the European PEI standard, there are five categories, 1-5, from low to high.

Calm colors with patterned pano in the center

Important. The fifth category is designed for industrial loads and its use in a residential environment is impractical. But choose a material for the hallway of at least the third class in terms of wear resistance – it will last more than 10 years with full preservation of its attractive appearance.

1. Stability when exposed to chemicals, household chemicals. The floor in the hallway is really very dirty, and complex stains and dirt can only be washed off with caustic household chemicals. And the floor must be able to withstand such aggressive cleaning without damage. In this segment, there is also a certain gradation, and the degree of chemical resistance is indicated by letter categories..
2. The layout of the tiles resembles light rugs in the corridor

   So, class AA porcelain stoneware is able to withstand even the direct effect of acids, but you should not overpay for such durability if the tiles are laid in an apartment. The best choice is material marked A or B, but group O is considered to be of poor quality.

3. Friction coefficient. Determines whether the floor will be slippery during use. Tiles with a glossy surface are not the best choice for an area of ​​such active use as a hallway. In addition, the glossy coating wears off rather quickly, and in these places the coating loses its attractiveness. The best choice is a matte embossed surface, which is both practical and non-slip. As for the marking, in this case you need to pay attention to the anti-slip indicator – material of categories R10 or 11 is suitable for the hallway.

Smooth tiles are easier to clean and rough tiles do not slip

1. Moisture absorption coefficient. It is believed that ceramic tiles should not absorb water at all. But in practice, rarely anyone succeeds in obtaining an ideal material, and therefore moisture absorption is allowed at the level of 3%. To ensure such indicators, various technological manipulations are carried out, including high-temperature firing..

Important. The high quality of the coating is evidenced by a smooth red chip. If you find a beige rough surface on a chip, then in front of you is a low quality product.

Beautiful floor tiles in a cozy hallway

And one moment. The design, the color, and even the texture of the material should be not only aesthetic, but also practical. The more areas with a pronounced relief on the surface, the more contaminated the coating will be, because dirt will remain in the textured patterns.

Rough tiles can be cleaned with a brush, abrasives or aggressive detergents, but this is not always possible. Therefore, if you want your floor to always remain fresh and stylish, immediately choose practical colors – preferably dark, but not glossy..

Combining floor tiles with mosaics

Keep in mind that light-colored seams will also darken over time – the coating itself will not wear out by this time, but because of the seams it will look unpresentable. As for the polished and glazed collections, they, of course, look luxurious and status, but they are considered too slippery, which means they will not be suitable for the floor in the hall.

Choosing the right design and color

Naturally, floor tiles should match the overall design of the room. When it comes to color, there are 3 basic concepts you can follow:

1. The material is chosen to blend in with other flooring in the home – for example, beige tiles for brown laminate in the living room, chocolate and brown, and so on..
2. We make contrasting combinations – the solution will be classic when black tiles and white laminate are located in adjacent areas.
3. We use bright accents – the floor in the hallway can be fantastically dynamic, it can attract maximum attention, especially if it is located against the background of neutral walls.

Better if the flooring is not monochromatic

The hallway floor tile design allows you to experiment and create unusual combinations. So, in order to expand the space, they choose light tiles of a large format, and tiles of dark shades bring intimacy and compactness to this zone. Coatings in warm shades look more comfortable, but they visually reduce the space. But the coatings of cold tones will make the room more spacious and fresh..

Council. It is advisable to avoid pure black tones – scratches and dirt stand out on them.

Geometric pattern on the floor

White material for the floor in the hallway will also not work – this is too impractical. Optimally – it is worth giving preference to light shades that will look spectacular under artificial lighting, because there is no natural light in the hallway. As for the picture, there are no restrictions – choose the design that suits your ideas about beauty and style. But make sure that the pattern matches the material of the walls, and also fits the configuration of the room..

Tile pattern draws flowers in circles

Tile sizes also play a role. Large-format modules are optimal for the hallway, because the fewer gaps are formed on the surface, the easier it is to maintain the coating. In addition, the joints may not be moisture resistant enough. And one more thing – the larger the tile dimensions, the easier and faster the work is carried out..

Choosing a tile layout for the floor

There are several standard layouts of tile flooring:

1. Row styling. Easy to implement and practical design in which one module follows another. This method of styling is most often chosen by inexperienced home craftsmen, because it is quite easy to implement. But this is exactly what the floors look like in state institutions – it cannot be said that this is the best choice for living space..

Photo: simple tile layout in the hallway

1. Diagonal styling.

Photo: Diagonal layout of one-color tiles

1. Offset (brick). Rectangular modules are ideal for this installation method. It is better if they are also of different colors. In this case, even rows are also formed, but each tile is stacked with an offset relative to the previous one..

Brick Layout Two Color Tiles

Half-tile offset tile layout

1. Chess. In this case, a square tile of different shades (contrasting or similar tones) is selected, after which different modules are placed on the floor through one, imitating the surface of a checkerboard.

Chess pattern is good for the hallway

1. Parquet. In this case, it is assumed that elements will be used that very closely mimic wood. Contemporary ceramics reflect texture, patterns and natural color with maximum realism, so this floor looks amazing. You can choose large-format imitations, or you can choose small tiles, with the same dimensions as traditional wooden parquet modules.

Parquet layout of ceramic tiles with a wood grain pattern

1. Modular. This is the most beautiful, but also the most difficult way to implement. In this case, the installation is carried out from the center of the room, where a certain decorative module or panel is laid out. After that, the rest of the ceramic elements are located around it. This method of installation is also called mosaic – it is ideal for large hallways, where you can appreciate the beauty of design solutions.

One of the modular layout options

1. Layout with inserts.

An example of a white tile layout with dark inserts

And the last thing – choose decorative inserts, friezes and the floor tiles themselves from the same price category. Ideally, it should be one collection – then the floor in the hallway of your home will look spectacular, harmonious and elegant..