Should I Choose Slate for my Kitchen Floor?
If you’re looking for a versatile material for your cookspace floor, slate works with both rustic and modern styles
Amanda Pollard
16 August 2018
Senior Editor at Houzz UK and Ireland. Journalist and editor specialising in interiors and architecture.
Senior Editor at Houzz UK and Ireland. Journalist and editor specialising in interiors... More
Whether you’re going for a textured, cosy look with riven tiles, or a smart honed finish to complement modern units, slate floor tiles are a great option for a kitchen. Some slates are tougher than others, so research the best options for a high-traffic area.
More in this series: Should I Choose Parquet for my Kitchen Floor? l Should I Choose Polished Concrete for my Kitchen Floor? l Should I Choose Limestone for my Kitchen Floor? l Should I Choose Patterned Tiles for my Kitchen Floor?
More in this series: Should I Choose Parquet for my Kitchen Floor? l Should I Choose Polished Concrete for my Kitchen Floor? l Should I Choose Limestone for my Kitchen Floor? l Should I Choose Patterned Tiles for my Kitchen Floor?
Smarten up wood
The wood cabinets in this kitchen give a natural feel to the space, but to keep the room looking smart, the designers have chosen a slate floor.
The dark grey tiles and honey-coloured cabinets complement each other to create the perfect balance between warm and cool.
The wood cabinets in this kitchen give a natural feel to the space, but to keep the room looking smart, the designers have chosen a slate floor.
The dark grey tiles and honey-coloured cabinets complement each other to create the perfect balance between warm and cool.
Vary the textures
Slate tiles can be uniform in texture and colour, or they can be more varied, like the ones here. The different sizes, shades and textures of these tiles have formed an interesting patchwork on the kitchen floor.
The white units ensure the space feels uncluttered and help to showcase the tactile patterns and tones on the floor.
Slate tiles can be uniform in texture and colour, or they can be more varied, like the ones here. The different sizes, shades and textures of these tiles have formed an interesting patchwork on the kitchen floor.
The white units ensure the space feels uncluttered and help to showcase the tactile patterns and tones on the floor.
Create a cosy mood
This farmhouse kitchen has been given a snug feel with a mix of cream and blue-grey surfaces. The bottom half of the room is a lot darker than the top, which creates a nest-like effect – and the dark slate floor is the perfect base for the cosy farmhouse table.
Planning to install a new kitchen floor? Find flooring fitters in your area
This farmhouse kitchen has been given a snug feel with a mix of cream and blue-grey surfaces. The bottom half of the room is a lot darker than the top, which creates a nest-like effect – and the dark slate floor is the perfect base for the cosy farmhouse table.
Planning to install a new kitchen floor? Find flooring fitters in your area
Ramp up the rustic
Slate is the ideal material if you’re going for a rustic look. To really achieve the feel of a country cottage, choose slabs with a rough edge. Here, the large tiles look robust and the uneven edge suggests they’re aged and well-worn.
Slate is the ideal material if you’re going for a rustic look. To really achieve the feel of a country cottage, choose slabs with a rough edge. Here, the large tiles look robust and the uneven edge suggests they’re aged and well-worn.
Play with contrasts
Highlight the dark colour of slate by teaming it with pale units. These deep grey tiles are the ideal surface against which the light grey cabinets can stand out.
The freestanding style of the cabinetry lifts the units off the floor slightly to maintain an airy feel in the space.
Highlight the dark colour of slate by teaming it with pale units. These deep grey tiles are the ideal surface against which the light grey cabinets can stand out.
The freestanding style of the cabinetry lifts the units off the floor slightly to maintain an airy feel in the space.
Double the drama
The designers of this kitchen have incorporated two tones of grey for a look that’s both chic and dramatic. The quality feel of the slate floor ties in with the marble and brass finishes to give this space a high-end, luxurious feel.
The designers of this kitchen have incorporated two tones of grey for a look that’s both chic and dramatic. The quality feel of the slate floor ties in with the marble and brass finishes to give this space a high-end, luxurious feel.
Make it modern
Slate doesn’t just look stunning in a rustic setting, it can be as beautiful in a modern kitchen, too. These sleek, contemporary units are teamed with mid-grey slate floor tiles, which add a natural texture to the scheme.
If you’re laying a slate floor in a contemporary room, go for a honed finish, and choose straight edges to keep the grouting thin and streamlined.
Tell us…
Have any of these beautiful rooms inspired you to choose slate for your kitchen floor? Share your thoughts in the Comments section.
Slate doesn’t just look stunning in a rustic setting, it can be as beautiful in a modern kitchen, too. These sleek, contemporary units are teamed with mid-grey slate floor tiles, which add a natural texture to the scheme.
If you’re laying a slate floor in a contemporary room, go for a honed finish, and choose straight edges to keep the grouting thin and streamlined.
Tell us…
Have any of these beautiful rooms inspired you to choose slate for your kitchen floor? Share your thoughts in the Comments section.
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I do love this type of flooring. You show some stunning examples, Amanda.
I had the most gorgeous riven slate floor in another kitchen once upon a time. Yes, cleaning poses more of a problem than tiling with a smooth finish and it's not a surface that resists breakages but it certainly doesn't show the dirt.
I have a slate floor. I'm not sure why everyone says slate needs sealing. Slate is not porous, thats why its used as a damp proof course in houses. Our brazilian slate floor has never been sealed and it has never stained in 6 years of use so far. It is also really hard wearing the only marks are where my wife dropped an iron kettlebell on it (just chipped, didnt fracture) and i dropped a jar of honey, creating a couple of pit marks from the ridges on the bottom of the jar.
I would recommend slate for a kitchen floor without hesitation.
Another Houzz article which is all about looks and nothing about practicality! On the latter, my comments would be that slate is unforgiving on the feet and back, and the smooth version is slippery when wet - beware in kitchens.
I also think that in 2022 articles on interior design choices should at least consider environmental impact. This should be an integral part of the article, not siloed off into a separate, 'eco-focused' one. Come on, Houzz!