June 27, 2025 | 4:12 Min

Kitchen Remodel Ideas: How to Coordinate Floors, Backsplash, and Countertops

Residential | Kitchen
When planning a kitchen remodel—or designing your dream kitchen from the ground up—it’s easy to fall in love with one element at a time. Maybe you’re drawn to a dramatic stone look slab or can’t stop thinking about the perfect patterned backsplash. But the real magic happens when floors, backsplash, and countertops are chosen together to create a space that’s not only beautiful but balanced from every angle. 

Whether you're working with a designer or managing the home improvement project yourself, these expert strategies and design ideas will help you select all three surfaces with confidence—and walk away with a kitchen that feels fully finished. 

1. Start With Your Style Vision 

Kitchen with black marble look slab countertops, black cabinets, and white marble look floor tile.

ONE Quartz - Marble Look

Broadway Black OQ03
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Designing your kitchen should feel a bit like styling an outfit or outdoor living space. You wouldn’t layer bold pieces without a vision in mind—you’d start with a vibe, a color palette, or a favorite fabric. Kitchens deserve the same kind of thoughtful curation. 
Ask yourself: What’s the mood I want to create? Maybe you’re drawn to rich, moody colors. Or perhaps you prefer a light and airy feel. Whether you're leaning into a favorite hue, a texture you love (like polished marble or rustic wood), or a specific style like modern farmhouse or urban industrial, start with what speaks to you. 
 
Tip: Gather inspiration across your favorite looks—whether that’s color families, tile patterns, material finishes, or design movements. Save photos where all three surfaces (floor, backsplash, countertop) are visible and harmonious. Check out our insights into the top kitchen remodel trends in 2025 for more ideas and inspiration.

2. Choose a Dominant Surface to Anchor the Design

Kitchen with black quartz countertops on island and backsplash, dark wood accents, and wooden bar stools.

ONE Quartz - Marble Look

Black Canyon OQ76
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Trying to decide where to start with your renovation? In most kitchen remodels, one surface will visually dominate the space—usually the floor or countertop.

  • Large-format floor tile sets the tone for the entire room and serves as the visual foundation. Choose a large-format pattern and style that complements your cabinetry and home’s architecture.
  • Countertops sit at eye level and often act as a design focal point. Many homeowners choose this surface first due to its influence on color and material palette.
Once you’ve selected that anchor piece, let it guide the tone and finish of your backsplash and other surfaces. For example, if you opt for a dramatic kitchen countertop, balance it with a subtle backsplash and soft neutral floor tile.

3. Keep Undertones Consistent 

Kitchen with white cabinets, white countertop, and gray square mosaic tile on backsplash.
Kitchen with brown cabinets, white countertops, beige stone look floor tile, and a brown ceramic square mosaic on the backsplash.

Color Wheel Mosaics

Desert Gray X114
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A cohesive color story is key to a polished look. That doesn’t mean everything has to match—but it should flow.

  • Stick to either warm tones (like creams, beiges, or honey wood looks) or cool tones (like grays, charcoals, or crisp whites) across your three surfaces. 
  • Mix textures, not undertones. A high-gloss backsplash can beautifully contrast a matte floor, but combining a yellow-based floor with a blue-based wall tile can feel disjointed. 

Pro Tip: Our Stylizer tool makes it easy to visualize how different materials and tones work together in your kitchen layout. Remember to consider the color and finish of your appliances. Stainless steel appliances, for example, tend to pair best with cool tones and modern finishes like concrete look or marble look tile.

4. Layer in Texture and Pattern Thoughtfully

Laundry room with green cabinets, washer and dryer, and an encaustic marble look tile on floor.
Kitchen with a stone look chevron mosaic on wall, dark wood accents, white cabinets, and bar chairs at center island.

Sovran

Triangle SV24
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You want visual interest—but too much pattern across all three surfaces can overwhelm. Aim to highlight one surface with bold movement or design and let the other two complement it.

  • If your countertop is busy, choose a soft, textured backsplash and a clean-lined floor tile.
  • If your floor has marble veining, select more minimal wall and counter surfaces to avoid clashing.
  • If your backsplash features a unique shape or pattern like mosaics, ground the look with solid-tone slabs and neutral floors.

Balance is everything.

5. Don’t Forget the Finishes

Kitchen with center island, white sitting stools, brown cabinets, light wood floors, white quartzite slab countertop, and gray undulated subway tiles on the walls.

Natural Quartzite

Pegasus White Q767
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Finish plays a huge role in how your new kitchen feels. Polished countertops bring sleekness, while matte or textured floor tile creates a cozy, grounded feel. Mixing finishes can enhance your design—but aim for intentional contrast rather than accidental mismatch.

Pairing a matte concrete look floor with a polished marble countertop? Add a satin-finish wall tile to bridge the gap.

Ready to Bring It All Together?

Whether you’re remodeling an outdated kitchen or building a custom home from scratch, Daltile makes it easy to coordinate every surface—from floors and walls to countertops and beyond. 

 

Visit a Daltile showroom to explore materials side by side, get expert guidance, and experience how all the elements of your kitchen can come together in perfect harmony. We offer complimentary design services that’ll inspire creativity and elevate your new kitchen’s aesthetic!