Do You Want Your Grout Color To Be Bold Or To Blend?

During design presentations with clients, I present tile selections along with a sample of the coordinating grout color. 9 times out of 10 our clients initial response is, “wow, I didn’t even think about the grout color!” Not only that, but they don’t realize how many different options there are!

There’s one major decision you need to make when choosing a grout color that makes the process a lot easier. Do you want the grout to blend into the tile or contrast the tile?

Project: Oaklyn Homestead

Photo: Kristina Kroot

Blending Grout Colors

When you blend a grout color with a solid colored tile you generally want to match it as closely as possible. The goal is to make the grout line look more subtle or virtually disappear. If you use a thin grout line, you can also make the tile look more monolithic.

We used a light grout with a white tile on our Oaklyn Homestead project. When choosing a grout color, you want to pay attention to how warm or cool the tone of the tile is so that you choose a matching warm or cool toned grout. If a highly textured tile is used, you likely want to use a matching grout color so that those two elements aren’t competing. 

Project: Salt Lake City to Philly

Photo: Kate Raines

Contrasting Grout Colors

A contrasting grout color is often used in order to make the shape of the tile more conspicuous. A common example is white subway tile with dark grout, which can be seen in the bathroom on our Salt Lake City to Philly renovation. One thing to be aware of is that you’ll see imperfections more easily during tile installation. That's why you always want to work with a good contractor. This particular installer was very meticulous, to be sure that all the grout lines were perfectly consistent. 

A dark charcoal grout will make your tile stand out, as seen with the combination on the right. The two tiles on the left have matching grouts to make the tiles blend together seamlessly.

Grout and tile selection should be thought of simultaneously, since you’ll eventually see them used together in a space. If you’re stumped by all of the options, consider a Boutique Consultation to get your project moving!