2026 Tile Style Guide: This Year's Top Trends in Canada

As we step into 2026, interior design is seeing a beautiful evolution in tile styles. Homeowners continue to embrace tiles not just as a practical finish, but as a key design feature that adds personality to their spaces. From reimagined classic patterns to nature-inspired textures, the latest tile trends offer something for just about every taste. Let’s explore some looks that designers and savvy homeowners alike are loving, and get inspired to create your dream space with tiles!

In this guide, we’ll cover creative twists on checkerboard floors, the cozy charm of cottagecore looks, delicate handmade-inspired wall tiles, and the rise of fluted textures. By the end, you’ll have plenty of ideas to incorporate these trends into your kitchens, bathrooms, entryways, and beyond.

Checkerboard and beyond

Checkerboard is back and being pushed into new directions. We’ve seen lots of recent examples of the timeless solid black and white mix. But we’re also seeing marbles and softer neutrals like grey and beige, which also give big visual payoffs while still being versatile enough to complement almost any colour palette. 

Checkmate is one of our most versatile lines because it allows for many different compositions. You can take the line in a classic black and white direction, soften it in a white and beige, or layer in a 4x12 border to accentuate your space. 

For that French country charm you can always turn towards a line like Maison that offers marble 12” x 12” tiles in white, grey, and black and is perfect for classic entryways and elegant dining rooms.

If you’re looking for the ultimate flexibility in combining shapes, Vogue offers three modular sizes (16” x 16”, 5” x 5”, and 5” x 16”) so that you can incorporate borders and grid patterns in a wide range of custom patterns. 

And playing with alternating colours doesn’t need to stop with squares! We’ve been seeing some beautiful examples of wall tile installations in striped patterns that really take the subway format to the next level. 

Cottagecore

The cozy, natural aesthetic of cottage lifestyle continues to inspire in 2026. Think handcrafted textures and vintage patterns rooted in comfort and charm. As our daily lives grow busier and more digital, cottagecore brings a welcome counterbalance: cozy, nostalgic, soft rooms that wrap you in a gentle, hug-like calm. 

When you’re looking at flooring, our aptly named Cottage line of tumbled edge porcelain offers a timeworn stone look of a countryside escape. In hues like warm cream, soft dove grey, and earthy taupe, Cottage Stone tiles can transform a new kitchen or foyer into what feels like a centuries-old farmhouse floor (minus the upkeep of real stone). Pair the tiles with wood beams, slipcovered furniture, and a crackling fireplace, and you’ve got instant cottagecore charm.

Rustic finishes and nature’s palette also take center stage in your cozy cottage. Our Hearth collection captures this beautifully. Inspired by timeworn Moroccan zellige, each 4”x4” tile has a subtle weathering and shade variation, as if handcrafted. This gives your walls a delicate, imperfect beauty that’s right at home in a cottage-style kitchen or a calming bathroom retreat. 

For pattern lovers, Jardin brings botanical motifs to life in soft or bold palettes. In bathrooms or laundry rooms, the tile brings a touch of nature into the home but retains the durability of ceramic. Or you could add a touch of worldly elegance with Miramar’s Moroccan-style patterns in shades of blue, green, and cream. The tile offers a Moroccan-inspired take on cottage charm and evokes traditional encaustic tiles that can bring a hint of “wanderlust” to your cottagecore scheme.

Design Tip: The key to nailing that cottage aesthetic is balance. If you opt for a statement tile like Jardin or Miramar, complement it with simpler, neutral walls (think creamy subway tiles or wood panelling) so the space doesn’t feel too busy. Conversely, if your floors are in a quiet, weathered stone look (like Cottage Stone), you can have fun with a pop of pattern or color elsewhere in the space. Mixing materials also adds to the collected-over-time feel: pair porcelain wood-look planks, real wood trim, or beadboard wainscoting with your tiles. 

Delicate and Variated Wall Tiles

Not every tile trend this year is about bold patterns: some are about subtlety and craftsmanship. Delicate and variated wall tiles continue to be extremely popular as homeowners seek a more nuanced, artisanal look for kitchens and bathrooms. The light play and subtle movement tend to feel calming and spa-like, not busy, especially in soft whites, sands, or greens. If you love the idea of each tile being just a little different from the next, then this look is calling your name. The result is walls with depth and movement and surfaces that feel one-of-a-kind.

We’ve already touched on our Hearth collection above, but our Bars also capture this aesthetic really well. These 2”x6.5” tiles show tonal shifts, slightly rippled surfaces, and a hand-painted effect. Glossy finishes reflect light softly, while matte versions add muted richness. Use them as backsplashes, shower surrounds, or even fireplace features for surfaces that feel crafted, not manufactured.

Fluted and Structured

Last but not least, 2026 will continue to be big on fluted and structured tiles, which bring texture to your walls in a sophisticated way. Fluted tiles have vertically grooved, contoured surfaces that play with light and shadow, instantly adding depth to a space. They’re a great option if you want an architectural detail that feels luxe and current. This year, expect to see fluted and other 3D-textured tiles everywhere from chic powder room backsplashes to fireplace surrounds, as homeowners and designers embrace texture as the next frontier in tile design.

One of our offerings in this category is the Woodwind collection. Inspired by the look of wooden slat walls, Woodwind tiles are elongated panels with a built-in fluted relief. It’s a perfect tile for adding a textured focal point to a powder room or entryway, or for lining a spa-like bathroom with the look of custom woodwork in a product that’s perfect for a wet environment. It’s an instant dose of luxury and durability.

Fluted tiles aren’t limited to wood-look, either. We’re seeing structured ceramics and porcelains in solid colors or stone-looks too. A great example is our Keys series – a slim “kit-kat” shaped porcelain tile that can be mounted in a way that creates a piano-key vertical pattern. What sets Keys apart is its subtle colour variation and nature-inspired colours, which embody some of the other 2026 trends we talked about above. For instance, using Green Keys tiles in a shower niche or as a full backsplash can create a striking, textured, and variated backdrop that feels calm and natural.

Even traditional stone-look tiles are getting sculpted textures. In addition to the field tiles, both the Solenne and Stonehaven lines offer Structured decor pieces with gentle rippled surfaces. This allows homeowners to seamlessly add texture and movement to their space by running the field tiles on their floors with the structured tiles on the wall. 

Looking forward to 2026

Whether you’re rethinking your foyer, refreshing your backsplash, or designing a full renovation, the 2026 tile trends offer inspiration for every corner of your home. From checkerboard classics with a twist, to the warmth of Cottagecore, to the nuanced appeal of variated and fluted textures—this year is all about design that feels personal and timeless.

Not sure where to begin? The team at TilesInspired is here to help. Use our Find a Tile form to share inspiration or contact us directly for personalized recommendations. We’d love to help you create something beautiful.

Explore the full collections online at TilesInspired.com and bring 2026’s best tile trends home.