When you or your client are starting to design a tile installation the first thing to consider is the color. Color sets the scene in any room; it is the canvas for all the design decisions that follow. Making sure that all the colors in a space harmonize is key to making a pleasant livable space that you can enjoy for years.
When starting a project from scratch I recommend picking your tile color at the same time as you select the other permeant features in the space. In a kitchen, for example, pick the cabinet, counter, flooring, paint, and tile colors together. Decision fatigue is a real hazard, try to get these choices set early on, so they don’t hold up your project down the line.
How to pick a glaze color
I recommend lots of online research to help you get inspired. Between Pinterest, Houzz, Instagram, and other visual social media sites there are thousands of examples of the room you are working on. Find a few that you like and make them your guide for the look you want to achieve.
One caveat, though, don’t get so attached to a specific feature in your inspiration image that you neglect the rest. If you can’t find that end table, don’t spend so much time searching for it that you neglect more important features, like the tile color!
With your inspiration in hand visit tile company websites and then visit a local showroom to see the tile in person. As you work to select your tile make sure to learn about the tile’s color properties. It is a handmade tile that will have a little variation or a lot of variation. Make sure you know and are comfortable with the specific features of your tile. Seeing several images and various samples of higher variation glazes is a good idea.
It is super important that you get samples and view them in your space. You will also need to get samples of the other materials for the room and view them all together and at various times of the day.
Environmental lighting will greatly affect the color of all your selected materials. Glazes will appear very different depending on the time of day and the mix of natural and artificial light in the room. You should always review your samples under multiple lighting conditions, and if possible, under conditions closely matching the room where the tile will be installed. Knowing what type and color of lighting is important, try to get that nailed down while making your selections.
A few final thoughts
Color preferences can be as unique as you are. You should pick a color that makes you happy. If a bright vivid color makes you happy, great. If picking a color that you think will make the house more saleable in the future makes you happy that is good too.
From personal experience I can assure you that at this moment this choice feels very big, deciding between these two shades feels hard and important. Rest assured that you are doing just fine, the importance of this choice will not feel so big after your project has been completed. Find a color you like or close to what you like, and you will be just fine.