Wood Look Tile Flooring (5 Top Ideas and Trends)
Last Updated: June 28, 2023, by: Greca Fotopoulos
Since our first post about wood look porcelain tile, the popularity of this type of tile flooring has gone through the roof.
The result has been a huge increase in the different styles of wood look tile available; in fact, there are now porcelain wood tiles that mimic just about every kind of real hardwood flooring style.
So we thought is was high time we did a round up of the five best wood tile flooring style ideas.
CLASSIC OAK – TIMELESS ELEGANCE
There’s a reason oak is the most popular type of hardwood flooring: it has a timeless elegance that suits all kinds of architecture and all kinds of interior design. So it makes sense that one of the most popular wood look porcelain tile trends is Classic Oak.
Oak has a distinct, but not overwhelming, wood grain that forms into flowing, linear patterns that give it its beautiful character. One of the best advantages of using tile that looks like wood is that they are often available in a wide range of plank width sizes (sometimes even up to 10”), giving you the opportunity to create a beautifully harmonious floor that accentuates those lovely wood grain patterns.
Porcelain tiles that look like oak are now also available in numerous colors, from natural warm browns to bleached whites to gray-stained; so you can be as classic or as contemporary as you like, whilst still referencing the enduring beauty of oak flooring.
Related Oak Flooring Reading: Oak Flooring Manufacturers and Brands | Red Oak vs White Oak | Oak Vs Hickory
This classic oak wood ceramic tile is a great choice for bathrooms, where humid conditions might not be ideal for real hardwood flooring.
PARQUET FLOORING TILES – RE-IMAGINING OLD WORLD CHARM
Whenever I see the word parquet, I thing of the grand palaces of 17th century France, when the luxurious grandeur of such intricate flooring was the reserve of the wealthy who had the servants on hand to install it and keep it looking so beautiful!
Thankfully, modern parquet flooring isn’t quite so expensive to install, and if you go for wood look parquet porcelain floor tiles, the upkeep is next to minimal! Simply sweep, mop and your tiled parquet floor is fit for royalty!
Contemporary wood tile manufacturers have channeled all that grandeur and style in gorgeously detailed porcelain floor tiles that really do look like real parquet flooring patterns, with classic patterns such as chevron, herringbone, basket and chateau – or modern updates that play on those authentic styles.
The added bonus is that parquet look porcelain tiles come in a variety of colorways to suit your tastes, and allow you re-imagine old world charm with a contemporary vibe.
This modern take on the chateau pattern parquet comes in five different colors, including this rather sleek whitewash version.
This chevron pattern is full of intricate detail, giving it both the feel of antique wood and the elegant looks that will make any room look grand.
INDUSTRIAL CHIC – WEATHERED AND DISTRESSED IN AN INSTANT
If you like all things vintage, but prefer a much more informal setting for your home, then the Industrial Chic aesthetic is for you.
Closely related to Rustic Style and Shabby Chic, the main quality of this design style is to have a softer, less structured finish.
Related Reading: Rustic Flooring Ideas
It’s a very personalized style defined by mixing in contemporary furnishings with ones that are either handmade, passed down as heirlooms, found in flea markets, souvenirs from trips abroad, or picked up from a beach.
Rough and ready aspects are also in evidence, with exposed beams, brick walls, shiplap cladding and so on.
The ideal match for this style, in terms of flooring, is reclaimed floorboards – aged over time, full of history and character. The good news is that there are now distressed wood look porcelain tiles that look just like those antique floors, so you can get a weathered or hand scraped wood tile in an instant!
This flooring showcases the vintage style oak planks, which combine beautifully with the aged cement look tiles.
This flooring features distressed wood look floor tiles complete with rough details like scratches, dents and abrasions; the collection also has decorative tiles that look like they are made from old barrels or crates.
OUTDOOR TILE THAT LOOKS LIKE WOOD – SLICK AND SEAMLESS TRANSITIONS
For me, this is one of the best developments in recent wood tile trends: creating exterior ceramic floor tiles that look the same as interior ones but that also withstand the elements, allowing for a beautifully seamless transition from indoors to outdoors.
It makes for a very slick, contemporary look, and provides a calm uniform background to your home. With the creation of wood look exterior floor tiles, you can now have the characterful, warm wood aesthetic both inside and outside.
Plus, the best ceramic tile manufacturers, have developed these exterior tiles with different installation methods – including floating a tile floor over a waterproof membrane, applying tile directly onto a gravel substrate or installing with traditional adhesive bond systems – making it easy to create this look no matter what your exterior terrain demands.
The stunningly detailed larch wood look tile can be installed both indoors and outdoors for seamless transitions and beautiful patios!
The shabby chic wood tiles can be installed in different ways, including a floating tile floor – ideal for roof terraces and courtyards.
WOW FACTOR – WOOD LOOK TILES WITH A DIFFERENCE
Finally, the best trend of all in contemporary wood look tiles are the ones that create that wow factor in your home. This trend is all about using wood tile flooring to give you wood aesthetics that are either outside of what’s commonly available from standard hardwood lumber yards, or have finishes such as stencils or bleach effects that would take you time, effort and know-how to achieve to a high standard.
Top wood tile manufacturers like Refin are creating one-of-a-kind designs that simply aren’t made in real hardwood; using tile making technology to embellish wood look planks with beautiful details that allow you to create a truly unique look in your home.
This collection celebrates the Japanese charred wood technique of Shou Sugi Ban, and has wonderfully textured wood tile planks alongside décor planks that showcase Japanese motifs such as cherry blossom and koi carps, and crackled gold.
This collection features, alongside beautiful plain larch wood planks, charmingly pretty décor planks that have geometric or floral designs that look as if they have been stenciled or bleached onto the plank.
About the Author:
Greca Fotopoulos
Greca is the lead style writer at Home Flooring Pros (more), with a BA in Technical Art, she’s focused on flooring trends, flooring ideas, and flooring brand reviews.
“There’s nothing more satisfying than creating a home that you love. The hardest thing about this job is trying not to covet all the great floors I get to review; if I could remodel my home every month, I would!”