Hello, you have not given the specific area in your kitchen where you want to put tiles? Small tiles look good behind the gas stove and also the sink. If you want to clad your walls with big tiles are okay. Try and use epoxy grout for fixing the tiles. It is better than cement grout. You should always display the image of your kitchen.

thanx cornerstone design studio and rkamatd for your response. sorry about not giving enough information. had to wrap it in a hurry due to some reason. i m posting floor plan and 3D images of the plan. my kitchen size is 13x19 ft. the counter top is black and cabinets will be in white. i am willing to put a big black tile with white veins, on the wall at right side of island (not exactly an island, as at one end it is attached to the referred wall) . i m planing to put a 4'x4' tile there. for rest of area i am planning to put white tiles with grey or black veins or any other patterns i can get here. the island size is 3'x7'.

I'm not a professional tile setter.... but I have done A LOT of tile work on our last home and a siblings home. I've tiled tub surrounds, showers, floors etc. The larger the tile is, the harder it is to install. Be ready to break out your checkbook because they will probably charge an absolute premium for gigantic tiles like this for labor. Plus there could be a lot of wasted tiles. I'd always ruin a few here and there when cutting them and if you make a slight mistake when cutting gigantic tiles.... well there goes a 4'x4' tile. They will have to hand cut each tile... most run of the mill tile saws can only handle say a 18" or 24" tile at best. I have no idea how you'd even cut a tile that large without specialized equipment. I've only seen that large of tiles in commercial installations personally.

Karuna,

Using a single 4'×4' tile should not be an issue. Cost will be slightly more but not substantially ( in India.)

However, the measurements mention the width to be 55 inches. If that is correct you may need an additional tile. Please recheck as you are thinking it to be 7x3 ft.

We would alternatively advise you to continue your countertop granite on the adjacent wall. It will help you match the slab width. Length could be planned appropriately.


Thanks,
Nitin
Cornerstone Designs, Bangalore.

Karuna,

There are few suggestions we have for this Kitchen layout.

In case you would want to have a quick word, please reach out to us on the contact number mentioned in our profile .

Thanks,
Nitin
Cornerstone Designs, Bangalore.

thank you very much Nitin for your valuable advice. considering them ... will post the pictures when any progress is done.

thank you Tamara for taking out your time ... yes .. these are all the things i m fearing. i m renovating my home. been through all this when it was being constructed (15 years ago). a little mistake in measuring and it all goes wrong. anyways, the tile i'll use here, will not need cutting if i get right piece of my choice. i am also considering Nitin's advice and going to look if i can find the similar piece of granite i have used for counter top.

Hi Karuna,

Here are a few pros and cons of using large tiles on walls -

Pros -

1] They have lesser joints to fill and hence give the space a larger look and feel.

2] They look like stone cladding if installed properly.

Cons -

1] They are costly as far as their rate/square foot and labour cost is concerned.

2] They require epoxy grout / adhesive instead of the regular cement grout which usually adds to the cost.

3] Since they are huge in size, they are not suitable for small areas due to the hassle of cutting the tiles manually to fir the size.

4] There is a high possibility of warp age in the tiles due to their size and because of this either their joints wont match or the surface may look undulated. Hence, it is recommended that large tiles be used for floors instead of walls.

We would suggest to go in for the smaller sized tiles like 2'x2' or less for a more aesthetic look. Just apply tiles between the kitchen cabinets and avoid doing so near the peninsula. It would make the kitchen look lighter and brighter and not like a bathroom. Also for the back splash you may go for any of the following tile options -

1] Mosaic

2] Ceramic tiles/ Vitrified tiles

3] Natural stone such as granite

All the best!

Regards,

RnD Atelier

Nagpur