Design Trends 2026 – Trend 02 – Creative Kitchens

As part of our Design Trends 2026 series, today we’re exploring the latest directions in kitchen design and how porcelain tiles and slabs are providing new opportunities for floor and wall surfaces.

Whether part of a multi-purpose space or a dedicated room for culinary creativity, more so than ever, kitchens represent the heart of our homes and need to be designed as harmonious hubs for eating, engaging and entertaining.

For conventional kitchens in period properties, stone flooring springs to mind, but porcelain tiles offer a contemporary twist on the traditional. Replicating the irregular inclusions and shade variation found in the natural material, stone-effect porcelain tiles allow for more precise fitting, with calibrated dimensions and thicknesses, and crisp, rectified edges.

While in some settings a level of non-conformity will be coveted, especially in rural residences, when fitting out a new-build or modernising a kitchen with high-tech appliances and bespoke built units, using a stone-effect porcelain product allows for exacting alignment and a fully flush fit.

This trend for fusing traditional looking material finishes within contemporary kitchens is becoming more apparent, as demonstrated by the expanding selection of stone-effect series in the Minoli portfolio.

One might also rightly think that the mottled markings of stone are less susceptible to showing splashes and spills, but more minimalist concrete and clay designs of porcelain tiles are also in ascendence in kitchen design. All porcelain tiles are almost impervious to moisture and dirt, are remarkably resistant to extreme heat and do not require sealing, making them a desirable and durable choice for kitchen applications.

We’ve seen some outstanding examples of cutting-edge kitchen design using sublimely smooth concrete-effects to enhance the urban and industrial appeal of spaces, where modern and muted tiles can be used as a neutral canvas for other colour accents and patterned elements. Their meticulously matt finishes provide a certain level of grip on floors, which is ideal for use in relatively high footfall areas, especially around sinks where water may be present.

On walls and to clad breakfast bars, splashbacks and other structural elements, smaller format brick and square tiles are resurgent in specifications. The most recent additions to the Minoli collections include retro, metro brick designs with a purposefully hand-made appearance, some in a glazed gloss and others with a saturated flat finish. Others include the softly feathered veining and shading of marble, to bring a sense of luxury to the setting.

Also on the increase is the use of textured tiles and three-dimensional designs to create interesting feature panels and tactile installations. With the clever use of lighting, the surface relief comes to life at different times of the day, amplifying the waves, flutes, organic and geometric forms within their designs. The creative way various porcelain and ceramic series are combined within environments points to a more free-form decorative direction, with designers being less constrained as tile styles become more varied and inventive.

Moving from those in smaller sizes to expansive, extra-large formats, the enhanced scale of 120/240, 120/278 and 160/320 slabs offers new opportunities within kitchen designs. On walls, behind sinks and stoves, single, uninterrupted surfaces offer the perfect protective finish and are so easy to wipe down and keep clean. They can also be precisely cut to accommodate taps, pipes, sockets and switches with a wide array of trims and edges available to complement other fixtures and fittings.

We’re also fielding more enquiries for porcelain pieces for counter-tops, breakfast bars and sink surrounds. In a 12 mm thickness for extra strength and resilience, our production partners are extending the availability of coordinated collections that can fulfil the requirements for walls, floors and furniture alike.

If you’d like to talk to our team about these on trend tile designs, please do get in touch. We’d gladly discuss your needs on the phone, arrange a time for a design consultation at one of our showrooms or, for our corporate clients, arrange a meeting with your account manager.

Minoli Oxford – 01865 778225 / showroom@minoli.co.uk
Minoli London – 020 7474 2934 / thesurfacewithin@minoli.co.uk
Existing Corporate Clients – Please contact your account manager / developers@minoli.co.uk