How to Choose Ceramic Tiles for Your Home
The ceramic tiles you choose today will stay with you for many years.
In the kitchen where you prepare Sunday breakfast. On the terrace where you gather with friends. On the floor where children lie down to play.
If choosing ceramic tiles for your home feels overwhelming, that’s completely normal. That’s why we created this practical guide, free from complicated jargon. Everyone deserves a space that combines style, functionality, safety and comfort.
Choosing ceramic doesn’t need to be difficult. It starts with asking the right questions.
Where will the tiles be installed?
This is the most important question, and often the one people forget to ask.
If you’re planning a patio where children will run barefoot, consider a non-slip floor that offers grip on wet surfaces. If you imagine a kitchen where family meals are prepared daily, the tiles need to handle splashes and regular use.
Perhaps you’re designing a bathroom, your personal retreat, or want visual continuity between wall and floor. Every choice matters. Each space has its own needs and personality.
What type of ceramic should you choose?
At Recer, we offer three main types of ceramic products, each suited to different uses and design goals.
Single Fired Wall Tiles
If you want to create bold and expressive walls, single-fired wall tiles are the right choice.
These tiles are developed exclusively for indoor wall applications. Their finishes are available in vibrant colours with impressive gloss or softness, creating depth and elegance.
Some formats also include 3D effects that give the surface a sculptural feel, adding dimension and creativity to vertical spaces.
Main features:
- Suitable for indoor walls only
- Glazed with intense colours and unmatched visual depth
- Rich colour options with glossy, soft matte or satin finishes
- Ideal for kitchens, bathrooms, entrances or social areas
- Great for elegant, creative and visually rich wall designs
Stoneware tiles
For creative projects with personality, stoneware tiles offer great versatility.
This ceramic is ideal for smaller formats and decorative compositions. It allows for bold layouts, colour combinations and rhythmic patterns. Some collections include mesh backing to simplify and reduce installation time and cost.
Main features:
- Suitable for both walls and floors
- Small formats perfect for geometric or artistic layouts
- Excellent for creating environments with visual rhythm, contrast or detail
- A rich aesthetic range that adapts to different interior styles
Porcelain tiles
Looking for maximum durability? Porcelain is the right choice.
This type of ceramic is made from highly compacted powder and fired at high temperatures, making it resistant and low in porosity. It is a high-performance material.
Main features:
- Suitable for floors and walls, both indoors and outdoors
- High resistance to wear, impact and temperature changes
- Ideal for areas with greater technical requirements
- Wide range of finishes and textures: gloss, matte, soft-touch or anti-slip
- Sophisticated appearance, adaptable to various styles and settings
- Available in large formats due to its strength
Which finish is best?
What are you looking for? An elegant living room? A kitchen that can handle daily use? Or a patio with safe flooring for your family? The type of finish affects not only the appearance, but also the performance of the product.
Matte
- Ideal for warm, cosy environments
- Conceals everyday marks effectively
- Versatile and easy to pair with different styles
- Available in anti-slip versions, ideal for wet areas or outdoor use
- Natural and understated look
Gloss
- Visually enlarges small spaces
- Ideal for modern, elegant interiors
- Adds brightness and a sophisticated feel
- Enhances bold colours and patterns
- Easy to clean
Semi-glossy
- A balance between shine and subtlety
- Suitable for a wide range of spaces
- Modern and comfortable, with soft reflections
- Blends easily with various materials and styles
- A good option for those seeking both aesthetics and practicality
In Recer’s technical sheets, you will find finishes named Natural, Plus and AS. These terms indicate the surface type and its suitability for different areas and uses, especially in terms of slip resistance. Here is what they mean:
- Natural: Matte or slightly satin finish, with a soft touch and authentic look. Versatile and comfortable, ideal for creating natural and balanced environments. Can be used indoors or outdoors, depending on the product.
- Plus: Textured finish with a non-slip surface. Ideal for areas where extra safety is needed, such as bathrooms.
- AS (Anti-Slip): High-grip finish, recommended for wet zones that require high slip resistance, such as around pools or on access ramps.
What are variation levels in ceramic?
Did you know that ceramic tiles from the same product line can have subtle differences in tone or pattern? This level of variation is classified from V1 to V4 and can help you choose the look that best suits your space.
- For uniform, elegant and minimalist spaces, choose V1 tiles (no visible differences between pieces) or V2 tiles (very slight variation).
- If you prefer surfaces with more visual movement, texture and character, consider products rated V3 (moderate variation) or V4 (more pronounced differences between pieces).
Recer examples:
Time White Canvas: Smooth variation. Variation level: V2
Anker Plus Grey and Light Grey: Strong variation. Variation level: V4
Why is it important to check the tile batch?
In ceramic production, small differences in colour tone between batches are normal. They result from factors such as raw material composition or firing temperature. These differences are natural and common across the industry.
Although subtle, they can become noticeable when tiles from different batches are installed in the same space. It is important to understand that these differences are unrelated to the V1–V4 variation levels, which are part of the design and give identity to each collection.
Recer tip: To ensure a consistent visual result, always purchase material from the same batch and add 10 to 15 percent to your order to cover cuts or future replacements.
Understand the importance of the PEI rating
If you are choosing glazed ceramic floor tiles, one detail makes all the difference: the PEI rating. This number indicates the tile’s resistance to surface wear caused by daily use.
The PEI is assessed according to ISO standard 10545-7 and helps identify the right tile for each space:
- PEI 0: Walls only
- PEI 1: Ideal for bedrooms or home bathrooms
- PEI 2: For indoor areas with light use and no direct outdoor access
- PEI 3: Perfect for kitchens, living rooms, hallways and entrances
- PEI 4: Recommended for hotels and other public interiors without exterior access
- PEI 5: For high-traffic areas like airports, shopping centres and exterior entrances
How to choose non-slip flooring?
Choosing non-slip ceramic is not just a technical matter. It is about protecting the people who matter most.
Footwear vs barefoot: two different realities
The right question is not “Do I need non-slip tiles?” but “How will this space be used?”
With footwear (R rating):
- R9: Domestic kitchens with occasional splashes
- R10: Bathrooms with regular water exposure
- R11: Terraces, balconies and patios where rain is expected
- R12: Professional kitchens where oil and water are constant
- R13: Heavy-duty areas such as factories or workshops
Barefoot (A/B/C rating):
- A: Basic grip, for areas with low slope and occasional water
- B: Intermediate grip, ideal for changing rooms, spas and gently sloped wet areas
- C: High grip, for showers, swimming pools and wet areas with a slope
Keep this in mind when choosing a non-slip tile:
A ceramic tile may be rated R11 and safe for use with footwear, but less suitable when walking barefoot. It may sound confusing, but it is simple: shoes have textured soles, bare feet do not.
For example, a tile with R11/A may be perfect for a terrace (where people wear shoes), but not ideal for a shower floor (where people walk barefoot). That is why it is essential to understand the intended use before installing ceramic tiles.
Remember: it is not about the numbers. It is about your safety and comfort.
Now that you know what to look for
You are ready to choose the ideal ceramic for your home and make decisions with confidence.
Explore our collections and bring life to the spaces where your everyday memories are made. Your home deserves the best. And the right ceramic makes all the difference.
