Tile with dark grout is becoming increasingly popular in many design styles, from modern farmhouse bathroom walls to minimalistic kitchen backsplashes.
Dark grout can be a stunning design choice. Black grout offers a striking contrast that can make a space feel modern while gray and brown grout can offer a more slight contrast, yet still beautiful. I've discussed the timelessness of the combination of black and white in design before. It truly doesn't go out of style.
Choosing lighter colors blends your design together. Darker colors create a more dramatic effect. The shade you pick relies on what you are trying to accomplish in your design. If you want to highlight the pattern your tile creates, a contrasting color is best.
White grout is always a popular choice and creates a fresh look when used with any tile colour. As you can see below on the left, used alongside darker tiles such as Manton Hollow from our Savernake collection, white grout accentuates the grid pattern of the tiles.
Darker grout can outline each tile, emphasizing the grid-like arrangement or specific patterns within the tiles. This approach can add visual interest and architectural detail to the overall design.
Yes, you can absolutely stain grout a different color.
Remove and Replace Grout
The most thorough and complete solution is to remove the grout and install new, grout in the color of your choice. In small areas, such as backsplashes and tub or shower surrounds, this project can be less difficult than you might imagine.
There's something so stylish and innovative about pairing white tiles with black grout. Bold yet minimalist, they offer a distinct design element without overwhelming the space. Perfect for bathroom installations and kitchen backsplashes, they offer a sleek, contemporary look that's harmonious and calming.
For balancing aesthetics and upkeep, you can't go wrong with a neutral grey or beige grout. These lightly pigmented grouts will enhance the pattern of both light and dark colored tiles, have less risk of staining your tile compared to a dark grout and will conceal dirt and stains better than a white grout.
Jim Whitfield, manager of Technical Services at Mapei told industry professionals, “Because epoxy grout is so tough, it wears extremely well. It doesn't wear down over time and become a tile gutter—like cement grout can—where all the dirt and liquid and junk collects.”
Black grout can work well in high-traffic rooms. The dark color can conceal dirt, grease, and grime, making it perfect for bathrooms and kitchens. However, you have to be careful with installation as imperfections show easily.
Neutral grout colours are lower maintenance
Dark and light grout tend to show more dirt and stains over time, while a neutral grout such as beige or grey won't show dirt as readily.
It's important to remember that black grout can be very messy and difficult to clean up.
For instance, dark grout will give a defined edge to light tiles and lighter grout will highlight dark tiles more (black and white is a classic version of this and works especially well to give a bold, geometric look to subway tiles).
Our Medium Grey grout is a classic choice and a softer, more subtle alternative to black grout. Use medium grey grout alongside white and off-white tiles for a traditional, vintage look, or pair it with greys and light blues to blend tile and grout perfectly.
But the most obvious drawback to white grout is that it will get dirty in no time! It will show stains and will be difficult to keep clean.
Selecting neutral grout is often the safest choice for many bathrooms. Instead of selecting classic white or a bold blue, opting for tans, beiges, grays, or creams will add a hint of color without going overboard.
Timeless, Versatile Appeal
With black hardware becoming increasingly popular, black grout is a natural extension of this trend, creating a cohesive, up-to-date look that integrates seamlessly into kitchens and bathrooms.
Grout can be recolored by removing the grout and replacing it with new grout that has been tinted the color you want.
Sometimes you need something that will tie the whole room together. Matching your grout color to another element in the room is a great way to make the overall design flow well together. In the picture on the left, the grout was chosen to match the paint color above the tiles.
This really works! The grouting around the tiles in our kitchen and bathroom was looking very tried with several black damp spots. The grout pen covered it all in one coat and was very simple and quick to use. We added an extra coat on the very stained sections and now it all looks like fresh grouting.
You don't have to remove all of your old grout to apply the new grout. The new grout can be applied right over the top of the existing grout. You will need a grout removal tool, which is a small tool with a sharp blade capable of chipping away the grout.
Replacing grout is certainly one way to fix the problem. Instead, use UltraCare Grout Refresh, a water-based color seal, available in 40 standard grout colors. It's made for refreshing the look of old, discolored grout, or completely changing the color of the existing grout.