Stone floorings have captivated people’s attention for centuries. No two pieces of stone tile are ever exactly alike, with the minerals and crystals that make up the stone varying in quantity and placement to make each piece of stone unique and beautiful.

Because of the extreme amounts of variation that can be found in stone, it’s possible to use this natural material to create a nearly endless array of different floors. Whether you’re looking for a new floor for your bathroom, your kitchen, or your entryway, these 17 stone tile flooring design ideas will help you transform your home.

1. Oversized Running Bond

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Polished marble makes a beautiful addition to any room of the home, enhancing natural lighting by reflecting upward. This Grigio Fantasia has been installed in a 12×24 running bond, or offset pattern. The long lines of the tile draw the eye lengthwise down the room. Install this pattern running from short wall to short wall in a narrow area to help visually widen it, or use the pattern to direct someone’s attention toward an accent elsewhere in the room.

2. Honed Travertine

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The same running bond pattern is used in this kitchen, but with very different results. Instead of a polished marble, a honed travertine – Yauri – is used. The long grains of the stone, made by escaping water vapor when it was formed – follow the shape of the tile, further emphasizing the pattern. The honed surface allows you to see the depth of color in the stone better, and lets the polished countertop stand out more.

3. Polished Travertine Herringbone

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While honing travertine emphasizes its depth, polishing it makes its unique veins come to life. This polished Yauri has been installed in a 12×24 herringbone pattern. The larger format tiles give an updated look to a classic pattern, while the polished surface suggests an elegance that pairs well with the columns installed in the room.

4. Accent in Arabescato

Mixing and matching materials in a small space, like a bathroom, adds interest and depth to a design. In this case polished Arabescato marble makes a unique statement by running parallel to a wood floor, then into the shower and up the wall as an accent. This installation has an added bonus of providing a visual widening of the room by creating an optical illusion that makes it hard to tell where the floor ends and the wall begins.

5.  Deeping Color with Bardiglio

Most people are familiar with the gray and white marble quarried in Carrara, making it one of the most used stones of all time. For a look that nods to that classic appearance, but gives new depth and richness to a room, consider using Carrara’s polar opposite – Bardiglio. Rather than a white stone with gray veins, Bardiglio’s deep gray with a white vein makes a stunning contrast. Arranged here in a herringbone that shows off the veins, the stone floor creates a work of art in the bathroom.

6. Old World Charm

Polished and honed aren’t the only finishes that you can find in stone tiles. This Belgian Blue has been given a tumbled or antiqued finish that provides it with a softened, varied edge and rounded corners. Combined with the deep color and large size of the tiles, it gives an updated look to more informal areas like family rooms, mudrooms, and entryways, while still providing a rustic or old world charm.

7. A Modern Slate Floor

Many people associate slate floors with the blue/gray stone that is quarried in Vermont. Slate can be found in a wide range of colors and textures, however, including this Black Blizzard. Installed in a 3×8 herringbone, it gives you the beauty and durability of a slate floor with a more contemporary twist.

8. Colorful Copper Slate

Many slates come in a wide range of varying colors and tones, like this Copper Slate. Installed in a simple 12-inch square, straight set pattern, the range of colors and textures in the floor create a stone “rug” under the feet, perfect for installing beneath desks, kitchen islands, or dining room tables.

9. Breaking The Pattern

Many natural stones are complementary to one another, allowing you to mix and match to create different patterns and effects within a room. In this case, Hasia Light and Dark tile are installed in a 12×24 running bond, only to be broken by an 18-inch square white marble in between. The effect helps define the space, and keeps the lines of the Haisa from overwhelming the room.

10. A Welcoming Kitchen Floor

One of the best things about slate tile is the way that its many colors and textures help disguise things like spills in the kitchen. This Indian Autumn slate has a matte finish and a warm color that contrasts beautifully with the contemporary cabinets, while making a practical and efficient floor for the entire level of the home.

11. Large Tiles for a Small Space

It’s a well-known trick in bathroom design; use the same material on the floors and walls of a small bathroom to make the space appear larger. At the same time, install a larger format tile running against the width of the room to visually widen the space. This small bath uses travertine tile in a 12×24 to achieve both aims. The tile changes direction where it meets on the sink wall to help further enhance the space.

12. Honed Herringbone

Many people mistakenly believe that the only white marble available is Italian Carrara. This Turkish Milas White, however, is a hard, durable marble with a consistent color and vein. Installed here in a herringbone, it gives a classic appearance to the bathroom, with a uniform floor.

13. Four Piece Pattern

Rustic stone floors like this Silver Travertine often look their best when installed in a pattern to mix sizes as well as texture and variation in color. This pattern uses four distinct sizes – two squares and two rectangles – which repeat across the floor to show off the most amount of depth in color and texture on the floor.

14. Oversized Herringbone

Changing the size of a tile can have a dramatic effect on the appearance of a floor and a room. This bathroom uses Milas White marble in a herringbone pattern, but instead of a 2×8 tile, the marble is cut into large format 12×24 pieces. The larger tiles create a quieter, more subtle pattern on the floor, changing the look of the room.

15. Silver Slate

Get a more updated look for your slate courtyard by using a stone with more variation than your typical Vermont Gray. This Silver Gray slate has a lot of variation in color, veining, and depth which makes it more interesting. The running bond pattern further updates the look, putting a new spin on an old classic.

16. Dramatic Marble Living Room

White marble is a classic look that will never go out of style, but that is often associated with more traditional spaces. This open concept floor plan gets a fresh new twist with Skyline marble – a more dramatic white stone with thick veins of gray, blue, and gold running through it. Installed in an oversized running bond, the marble instantly creates contemporary setting for the room.

17. An Optical Illusion

Travertine tiles like this Yauri, that have been honed, filled, and installed butt-edged together, help create a unique effect on the floor. The long grain of the stone almost mimics the look of petrified wood, giving you a natural floor that has a lot of character and visual appeal.

Transform Your Home

Natural stone has so many colors, veins, finishes, sizes, and patterns that it’s easy to find one that will complement any room of your home. Whether you’re looking for something classic or unique, it’s possible to transform your home using natural stone tile flooring.