This Controversial ‘80s Trend Is Making a Comeback in Kitchens and Baths
Kitchen countertop choice can be very polarizing. Neutral marbles may pass many people’s “looks” test, but lighter natural stones can stain very easily. Granite is more durable, but can look oh-so early 2000s — which isn’t a bad thing necessarily, but it’s not exactly timeless. Engineered quartz can be kind of plain, and don’t even get me started on old-school laminate, which I personally inherited and have in my home; it just doesn’t always read as quality.
Another polarizing material that historically has made potential homebuyers, renovators, and designers alike want to run for the hills? Ceramic tile. And yet, I’ve been noticing tiled counters popping up in Pinterest searches and designer portfolios more and more.
Once reviled for their “dated,” straight-out-of-the-1980s look and impracticality — just imagine all the dirt and grime stuck in those grout lines! — tiled countertops are making their way off the “out” list and just might be back on the horizon for 2025. And you know what? I’m not mad at it.
I realize tiled countertops are a Choice with a capital “C,” because yes, you probably will have to wipe them down more frequently than the average counters (and with perhaps considerably more elbow grease). But I’ve owned a sealed marble dining table for a little over a year now, and while I love how it looks, I’m constantly fretting over the littlest stains that appear on it seemingly out of nowhere — and what I can actually use on it to clean said stains (spoiler alert: It’s basically just cornstarch and peroxide, so you have to hit stains fast, leave that mixture overnight to harden, and hope for the best). Marble is just not the type of surface you can go hard on — even when it comes to cleaning.
This leads me to think there’s something to be said for ceramic tile, which you can pretty much go to town on with cleaning and just plain living your life. Red wine spill? Who cares? Even the grout can probably be scrubbed back to its original state. Chopping or cutting? No, ceramic tile’s not butcher block. But you’re probably not going to be worried about your hand somehow slipping when slicing carrots on a cutting board — and damaging your counter’s finish.
I’ll be the first to admit that I’ve seen ceramic tile countertops and thought to myself how dated they look. When I was house hunting two years ago, they might have even been a non-negotiable for me. But in certain contexts — Spanish-style homes, even turn-of-the century spaces, etc. — they’re actually often period-appropriate (despite the kind of cheesy revival they had in the 1980s and early ’90s that give them their bad rap). With the whole movement to restore rather than completely remodel older homes, I can see ceramic tile gaining in popularity, heightened maybe by the fact that tile is fairly inexpensive as a countertop material.
This doesn’t mean any ol’ tile will look great as a countertop material. Many of the best-looking designer applications that I’ve been seeing favor very simple, subway-style (or subway-derivative) tiles. You definitely don’t want any more notches, grooves, or textures to worry about grime getting stuck in.
Grout also tends to really mirror the color of the tile itself, which makes the amount of tiles you’re using for your counters less visually overwhelming than what it would look like with high contrast grout. That’s the case, at least, with the more period-style applications and the ultra-modern ones, too. Mid-century and Spanish-style applications typically have white grout to provide a pop against the colorful tiles that are a hallmark of those respective aesthetics.
Stylistically, in a modern setting, a tiled countertop can also read as very graphic and high-impact in a way that many stones can’t. It also allows you to achieve the matching backsplash and countertop trend for far less money than marble or any other natural stone, if that’s something you’re after (and typically seen in kitchens).
When designers make this choice in more modern settings, they tend to do it in bathrooms over kitchens. After all, there’s a little bit less of a mess to consider in a bathroom (toothpaste, toiletries, and makeup spills will likely be the biggest issues). So this option becomes even more viable from a practicality standpoint.
While I’m not running out to replace any of my laminate counters with tile just yet, I love having another option to consider when I finally do renovate. When executed in a setting that makes sense and with an expert design touch, I’m really not mad at this look at all. And if you inherited tiled countertops, and they’re in line with the age and look of your home, here’s a plea to consider keeping them … and working around them when you renovate. Dare I say they might look fresh and modern with the right styling (and it’ll save you a ton of money, too)?
Further Reading
We Tested (and Rated!) All the Sofas at Ashley — Here Are the Best to Suit Your Style and Space
See How a Stager Used Paint to Transform a 1950s Living Room
We Asked 8 Pro Travelers What They Never Pack in Their Carry-On, and Here’s What They Said
