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I'm a real estate agent but definitely not a designer. My buyers are building a home and have decided on a wood-look tile for the first floor. I'd describe the tile as a light or blonde oak-looking tile with dark or black "grain" lines. Ideally, they want the tiles to be spaced with almost no grout lines but the builder won't do it that way so they are probably looking at 3/16" lines. They are sweating out the grout color. They want it to look as realistic as possible so should they do their best to match the "wood color", go with the lightest color on the tile, or should they go with a medium color or even the darkest color on the tile?
I know there's no right answer but I'm interested in informed opinions. The cabs will be an espresso color and the counters will be a light color if it helps. What do you think?
With the "look" they want, I'd match the grout to the wood color as close as possible. Any other shades will enhance the shape of the individual tiles giving it the "tiled floor" look.
Personally, I wouldn't use that particular type of tile. I feel it's too trendy/fadish. For a bathroom- OK, the whole house/1st floor- no way.
The best way to decide is to put the grout piece in between two pieces of flooring and put it under different lighting conditions - sun, fluorescent, incandescent.
Personally I don't like it either. Looks too much like cheap shelves.
Grout lines are the quickest way to tell that someone has wood look tile instead of wood. Since you can't eliminate the grout lines, the best way to disguise them are to match the main color of the wood look tile as closely as possible. They are still not going to fool anyone though. If they want it to really look like wood, they should choose wood instead.
Normally, I would say no to an entire floor of wood tile, but then I see "Florida".
So, OK to tile.
The wood look (which we have in our bathrooms in our 2011 house) is very trendy. It will look dated in 5-10 years. I would not choose it. We had no choice as it was what our builder chose and we bought the house "completed".
I would:
1. Try to find an interior designer who can give advice about what "look" go with. Personally, I think a clean, modern Italian look is better. But, I am definitely not a designer.
2. Visit a store that carries http://www.custombuildingproducts.co...r-choices.aspx grout and go with something a bit lighter than the tile and in the same color scheme.
3. Look at the last 10 issues of Kitchen & Bath Design News to get a sense of what is in or will be in. Kitchen & Bath Design News Archives | Kitchen & Bath Design News
My friend did almost the entire main floor of her house in Atlanta in the wood-look tile and loved the practicality for her dogs. It also looked fantastic. But it had the wider grout lines, which was what the title manufacturer recommended. When she built her house in Florida, she again went with the wood look tile planks, but the installer used a more narrow grout line. Seeing it, she realized how much better she liked the narrow grout. Rectified tile should allow for a more narrow grout line, but if her builder won't agree to it, then the least obtrusive color will probably work best.
Why do yall bother to mention that you don't care for wood look tile? That isn't the question. Obviously, the buyers of the home want that, so it really doesn't matter if you'd care for it.
To answer the OP's question, you'd want to match the wood as close as possible and you'd choose the dominant shade. In this case, a medium or darker grout would stand out despite the various shading of the plank. I'd also go with epoxy grout. there are many custom grouts that can match pretty well.
I don't think wood look tile would look dated at all ten years down the line. Wood can't be installed everywhere, yet its look is appreciated by many. Wood look tile allows application in traditionally wet areas and other areas inhospitable to actual wood. I've seen wood look tile installed on walls and it looks better to me than wood paneling (which can date a house).
We plan on installing wood look tile outdoors for our patio and wraparound front porch because we want the durability of tile but the aesthetic of wood.
Go one shade darker than the tile. When it dries it lightens a little and will match better. I've done most of my rental homes with it, as well as bedtooms in my home. Looks great. Easy to maintain.
I'd also go with epoxy grout. there are many custom grouts that can match pretty well.
The OP didn't ask what type of grout...
T for T!
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