How to Choose The Right Tiles For Your Outdoor Kitchen

Over the last few years, outdoor kitchens have risen in popularity. With people wanting to bring the inside out, an outdoor kitchen is a perfect addition to any entertaining area.

However, when it comes to choosing the right materials, in particular tiles, there are some changes you’ll need to make when it comes to your outdoor kitchen vs indoor one.

Let’s take a look at what these are…

Choosing The Right Materials

Not only do you want your outdoor kitchen tiles to look good, but exterior floor tiles will also need to withstand both the weather and wear and tear from food spills, stains etc.

When it comes to outdoor kitchen tiles, you should be looking for a durable, hard and non-porous material such as porcelain or granite tiles that can withstand all of the above. Both these tiles provide a clean, finished look with little maintenance (a simple mop down will suffice).

In addition to floor tiles, you’ll also need to think about outdoor wall tiles. Similar to kitchen splashbacks, an outdoor kitchen needs a splashback with tiles that are easy to wipe down and clean, but also heat and weather resistant.

We’ve found the perfect tiles for the job are Slate Split Face Wall Tiles. These tiles provide a slick, chic finish and can be used for wall and fire surrounds, so no need to worry about heat or moisture damaging these. Just make sure you seal them, and you're good.

Personalising Your Outdoor Kitchen

Choosing a design that works well for your outdoor kitchen is key to creating that perfect finish. You need to consider the surrounding areas such as the colour of your fence, patio etc, and whether you’ve kept a traditional, period-style look or opted for a more modern and contemporary feel.

In addition to personalising your outdoor kitchen to its surroundings, it’s important to pick a tile design that works well with the design of your outdoor kitchen. For example, if you’ve opted for a Mediterranean-style outdoor kitchen with whites, red and yellow tones with stone or brick, then we’d recommend opting for a tile with ivory or cream like our Outdoor Porcelain tile in Lisbon cream. 

If the style of your outdoor kitchen is a more modern, sleek design with dark colours and smooth, reflective surfaces, then we’d recommend a darker colour palette such as black or Anthracite Tile to provide a contemporary, clean finish.

If you want to add a pop of colour to your outdoor kitchen, why not incorporate some patterned porcelain tiles to really make your outdoor kitchen stand out? 

The Perfect Fit

As well as looking good and being able to withstand whatever your outdoor kitchen throws at it, you’ll need to consider the size of the tiles when it comes to laying your outdoor kitchen tiles. Starting as small as 20x20cm for patterned tiles, right up to 60x120cm for some of the larger porcelain tiles, there’s plenty of options to choose from.

If your outdoor kitchen is already built, you may struggle to complete your full outdoor kitchen simply by using ready-cut tiles to a specific dimension. In some circumstances such as cutting around kitchen appliances or walls, you may have to cut your tiles accordingly to fit in the space. We’ve created a guide which can advise you on how to cut tiles and what tools you’ll need for the job.

Happy cooking!