Mood boards set the tone for a design project. Fabrics, accessories, paint colours and tile samples all come together to establish the visual feeling of a project before the renovation is started. But too often those boards don’t include grout suggestions.
Grout is the paste-like substance that fills the space between tiles. While grout selection may seem insignificant in the grand scheme of a design project—and is usually selected at the last minute with little thought to the effect this choice will have on the entire space—the right grout selection can make or break a room.
Consider whether you want the grout to blend in or stand out. The darker the colour the more it will stand out and pop the look of the tiles. Dark grout can make smaller tiles look busier. When working with mosaics it’s best to choose a lighter grout colour stemming from the tile. Blending tile with a similar toned grout creates a more unified look. I always suggest going with one shade darker than the tile. Lighter colours will show dirt more easily, but will also make the space seem larger. Dark grout is right on trend and makes tile stand out, but it will close in the space.
Paul Gratton from Fresh Reno recently completed a renovation project in his own kitchen. He avoided the costly mistake of choosing the wrong grout colour for the 1 × 3 inch-stacked tiles by buying $20 bags of colour choices and creating sample boards for each one.
“It was well worth it to test various grouts to find the right one,” says Paul. “Twenty dollars is a tiny fraction of the kitchen cost and saved us from making a colossal mistake. We eventually mixed two colours together to create the right shade.”
Current trends place high value on tile. There are intriguing patterns and colours for just about every room in the house. Be sure to finish a tile project off with a grout that coordinates with and enhances the overall look and feeling of the space.
Mary Taggart
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