Tiles

Porcelain tile and contemporary tile for the whole home

Porcelain tile is the workhorse of contemporary interiors: dense, low-maintenance and available in almost any look, from marble to concrete to oak. We help you choose tile for floors, walls, showers and backsplashes as part of one coordinated palette.

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Illustrative interior

01The material

What makes porcelain tile different from ceramic

Porcelain tile is made from refined clays and feldspar, pressed hard and fired at higher temperatures than ordinary ceramic. Under the US standard ANSI A137.1, tile qualifies as porcelain only if it absorbs 0.5 percent of water or less. That density is why porcelain handles showers, kitchen floors, sun-filled patios and heavy traffic with little more than a damp mop.

Glazed porcelain carries its design in a fired surface layer; through-body or color-body porcelain runs the color through the tile, so chips and cut edges show less. Rectified tiles are ground to precise dimensions after firing, allowing tight joints of about ⅛ in or less for a calm, almost seamless surface.

Tile sits alongside natural Brazilian stone in our range. If you are looking for a tile store in Los Angeles that also plans the cabinets and stone around the tile, start here. Bring your cabinet, vanity and floor selections, and we will build the tile palette around them. Our stone and tile overview shows how the pieces fit together.

02Looks

Marble-look porcelain tile and other finishes

Modern printing and pressing reproduce natural materials convincingly — with porcelain's easy care.

Calacatta look
Dark marble look
Travertine look
Concrete look
Terrazzo look
Warm white

Calacatta look: Marble-look porcelain tile with bold veining, no etching
Dark marble look: Black with white veins for powder rooms and feature walls
Travertine look: Warm, linear stone texture for floors and showers
Concrete look: Matte mineral surface for open-plan floors
Terrazzo look: Speckled aggregate pattern, playful and practical
Warm white: Quiet backgrounds that let stone and wood lead

03Formats and ratings

Porcelain tile specifications to know

Water absorption: ≤ 0.5 % for porcelain (ANSI A137.1)
Common formats: 12 × 24 in, 24 × 24 in, 24 × 48 in, 48 × 48 in and slab panels up to about 63 × 126 in
Thickness: About ⅜ in (9–10 mm) for most floor tile; ¼ in (6 mm) panels for walls; ¾ in (20 mm) pavers outdoors
Finishes: Matte, honed, polished, lappato (semi-polished) and structured
Slip resistance: Wet DCOF of 0.42 or higher for level interior floors walked on when wet (ANSI A137.1)
Joints: ⅛ in or less with rectified tile; wider joints for handmade and rustic tile

Kitchen backsplash in large-format porcelain slab tile behind a stone worktop — Illustrative interior

04Room by room

Where tile leads and where it steps back

In bathrooms, tile is often the main material: large-format porcelain on floor and walls can make a shower feel carved from one block, while a textured accent wall adds depth. Plan it with the vanity and fixtures in our bathrooms section. In kitchens, tile usually plays a supporting role: a quiet floor and a kitchen backsplash tile that frames the cabinets and stone.

Where floors meet, we coordinate tile with German parquet, WoodMax laminate and SPC vinyl plank from our flooring range, so thresholds are level and transitions fall on clean lines. For floors and walls with the fewest joints, see large format porcelain tile.

05Process

Choosing tile with us

01
Start from the fixed elements
Cabinet fronts, vanity, worktop stone and floor come first; tile completes the palette.
02
Compare at scale
View full tiles, not chips, under daylight and warm LED light; check variation across several pieces.
03
Set out the pattern
Decide format, layout and where cut tiles fall — at corners, niches and the shower floor.
04
Order with overage
Order from one production batch with about 10–15 percent extra for cuts and future repairs.

06Next

Plan tile together with your kitchen

If tile meets your kitchen, design the cabinets first in the 3D kitchen configurator, then book a consultation and bring the plan to our Glendale showroom to choose tile and stone with it.

For a shower floor, a niche or a feature backsplash, browse our mosaic tile catalog: marble, glass, pearl and porcelain mosaics by Elysium Tiles, filterable by color, shape and sheet size, with samples on request.

In this section

Porcelain & large-format tile

FAQ

Questions, answered

Still deciding? Call +1 (213) 776-0000 or send us your plan.

Ask a designer

Is porcelain tile better than ceramic?

For floors, showers and outdoor areas, yes: it is denser, absorbs less water and resists wear. Ceramic wall tile remains a good, often more decorative, choice for backsplashes and dry walls.

Does porcelain tile need sealing?

The tile itself does not. Cement-based grout benefits from a penetrating sealer; epoxy or high-performance grouts need none and resist kitchen stains.

Is marble-look porcelain tile a good alternative to real marble?

For floors and showers it is very practical: no etching, no sealing and consistent veining. Real marble still offers more depth and can be refinished, so many clients combine the two.

Can porcelain tile go over radiant floor heating?

Yes. Porcelain conducts heat well and is one of the best finishes over electric or hydronic floor heating; follow the heating and mortar manufacturers' installation guidance.

Where can I see your tiles in Los Angeles?

Visit our Glendale showroom at 614 W. Colorado Street, open seven days a week. Ask our team about current collections and sample availability before your visit.