Popular tile trends in Folsom, CA kitchen remodels right now include large-format porcelain tile, warm neutral color palettes, zellige-style backsplashes, wood-look plank flooring, and subway tile set in herringbone or vertical-stack layouts instead of the traditional brick pattern. These trends reflect a broader shift among Folsom homeowners away from small, busy tile patterns and cool gray tones toward simpler layouts with more warmth and texture built into the material itself. As Folsom neighborhoods built in the 1990s and 2000s move through kitchen remodels, these trends show up most often in local projects, alongside matte and honed finishes, patterned accent tile, terracotta tones, and mixed-material kitchens.
Large-Format Tile Is Replacing Small Mosaic Backsplashes
One of the clearest shifts we're seeing in Folsom kitchens is the move toward large-format tile, both on backsplashes and floors. Instead of the small glass or ceramic mosaic backsplashes that were common a decade ago, homeowners are choosing tiles in the 12x24 or even 24x24 range. Fewer grout lines create a cleaner look and make a kitchen feel more open, which matters in many Folsom homes where the kitchen connects directly to a great room or dining area.
Large-format tile also shows up on kitchen floors, often continuing into adjacent living spaces to create a sense of flow. In open-concept layouts common in Folsom subdivisions like Empire Ranch and Broadstone, homeowners frequently choose one flooring tile throughout the main living level rather than switching materials at the kitchen threshold.
Warm, Earthy Neutrals Are Replacing Cool Grays
For several years, cool gray tile dominated kitchen remodels across the Sacramento region, including Folsom. That's changing. We're seeing a clear move toward warmer neutrals: creams, soft taupes, warm whites, and greige tones with subtle beige or tan undertones rather than blue-gray ones. This shift pairs naturally with the wood tones and brass or matte black hardware that are also trending in Folsom kitchens right now.
Warm neutral tile works particularly well as a backdrop for colorful cabinetry, which some Folsom homeowners are introducing through island color or lower cabinets while keeping upper cabinets lighter.
Zellige and Handmade-Look Tile for Backsplashes
Zellige tile, the handmade Moroccan clay tile known for its irregular surface and subtle color variation, has become one of the most requested backsplash materials in kitchen remodels generally, and Folsom is no exception. Each tile has slight imperfections and a glossy, glazed surface that catches light differently across the same wall. For homeowners who want texture and character without introducing a strong pattern, zellige-style tile offers a middle ground between a plain subway tile and a bold patterned design.
Because true handmade zellige comes with a higher price point and longer lead times, many Folsom homeowners are opting for ceramic tile manufactured to replicate the zellige look, which offers similar visual texture at a more accessible price and with more consistent availability. Handmade zellige is also more particular to install and typically calls for a tile setter experienced with its uneven edges and variable thickness, which is another reason ceramic reproductions have found a following among homeowners who want the look without the added installation complexity. Installers working with any tile that requires special handling generally follow guidance from the ANSI installation standards that govern setting materials, grout types, and substrate preparation.
Wood-Look Plank Tile in Kitchen Flooring
Wood-look porcelain plank tile continues to be a popular flooring choice for Folsom kitchens, particularly in households with children, pets, or frequent water exposure near sinks and dishwashers. The material reads as wood flooring visually but performs differently underfoot and resists moisture in ways that traditional hardwood does not. Because porcelain tile is prized for its low water absorption, some manufacturers pursue independent porcelain certification to confirm their products meet the technical definition of true porcelain.
This is especially relevant in Folsom, where many kitchens open onto patios or pool areas. Wood-look tile lets homeowners maintain a consistent visual language between the kitchen and adjacent outdoor-adjacent spaces without the maintenance concerns that come with hardwood near exterior doors.
Matte and Honed Finishes Over High Gloss
Kitchen tile finishes are trending toward matte and honed surfaces rather than high-gloss glazes. This applies to both floor tile and backsplash tile, including options like this 24x24 matte finish porcelain tile in a terrazzo look. Matte finishes tend to show fewer fingerprints and water spots, which matters on a busy kitchen backsplash, and they also photograph and read differently under Folsom's abundant natural light, producing a softer, less reflective look than glossy tile.
Honed finishes are also appearing more often on tile designed to look like natural stone. Where a polished stone-look tile can appear busy or overly formal in a casual kitchen, a honed finish creates a quieter, more relaxed surface that suits the indoor-outdoor lifestyle many Folsom households are designing around.
Slip resistance is another practical reason matte and honed floor tile are gaining favor over polished options. A honed or matte surface generally offers more traction underfoot than a highly polished glaze, which is a meaningful consideration for a kitchen floor near a sink, refrigerator, or exterior door where water and foot traffic are frequent.
Geometric and Encaustic-Look Patterns as Accent Features
While full-kitchen patterned tile has fallen out of favor compared to a few years ago, patterned tile is still showing up as an intentional accent. Encaustic-look cement tile patterns, whether behind a range as a focal point or across a small kitchen floor in an older Folsom home, give a remodel a distinct character without overwhelming the whole room.
We're seeing this pattern-as-accent approach used most often in kitchens with otherwise simple, neutral finishes elsewhere. A patterned tile behind a range hood, paired with plain large-format tile on the rest of the floor and counters, lets homeowners introduce personality in a contained area.
Subway Tile in Non-Traditional Layouts
Classic subway tile has not gone away in Folsom kitchens, but the standard brick-pattern layout is losing ground to more distinctive arrangements. Herringbone layouts, where rectangular tiles are set at alternating angles to create a zigzag pattern, are a popular way to add movement and visual interest to a backsplash while keeping the tile shape itself simple and familiar.
Vertical stack layouts, where subway tiles are set in straight vertical columns rather than the traditional horizontal offset, are also gaining traction. This orientation can make a kitchen feel taller and works well behind a range or in a narrow backsplash area. Basketweave patterns, which alternate pairs of vertically and horizontally set tiles, offer another option for homeowners who want more texture than a straight layout but less complexity than a full herringbone installation.
What makes this trend appealing to many Folsom homeowners is that it allows them to keep a classic tile shape that has stayed in style for generations while updating the overall look through layout alone. It's a lower-risk way to introduce pattern into a kitchen compared to choosing a boldly patterned tile, since the tile itself remains simple and neutral even as the installation pattern adds character. Grout color also plays a bigger role in these layouts than it does in a standard brick pattern. A contrasting grout emphasizes the geometry of a herringbone or basketweave design, while a matching grout lets the pattern read more subtly and blend into the surrounding cabinetry and countertop tones.
Terracotta and Warm Clay Tones Making a Return
Terracotta and clay-toned tile, often associated with Mediterranean or Spanish-influenced design, is reappearing in Folsom kitchen remodels, particularly in homes with warm wood cabinetry or Tuscan-adjacent architectural details common in some of Folsom's established neighborhoods. Rather than covering an entire floor, terracotta tones often appear as an accent, whether in a tile runner, a small mudroom-adjacent flooring transition, or a patterned backsplash insert.
This trend connects to the broader shift toward warmer, earthier palettes across Folsom kitchens and pairs naturally with brass fixtures and matte black hardware.
Mixed Materials Within a Single Kitchen
Rather than choosing one tile material for the entire kitchen, more Folsom homeowners are mixing materials deliberately: a wood-look plank floor, a zellige-style backsplash, and a patterned tile accent behind the range, for example. This layered approach requires more planning to make sure finishes complement rather than compete, but it produces kitchens with more depth and personality than a single-material approach.
For homeowners planning a mixed-material kitchen, it helps to select the largest surface first, typically the floor, and build backsplash and accent choices around that foundation. It also helps to limit the palette to two or three tones across all the materials chosen, since too many competing colors or finishes can make a kitchen feel busy rather than layered. A useful approach is to let one material carry the most visual weight, such as a patterned backsplash, while keeping the floor and any secondary tile simple and neutral in comparison.
What This Means for Folsom Homeowners Planning a Remodel
The tile trends showing up in Folsom kitchens right now share a common thread: warmth, texture, and simplicity in layout paired with visual interest in the material itself. Large-format tile and warm neutrals create a calm foundation, while zellige, terracotta, patterned accents, and reimagined subway tile layouts let homeowners add character in smaller, more intentional doses.
For a kitchen remodel, it helps to look at physical tile samples in person rather than relying only on photos, since finishes like matte glazes, honed stone-look surfaces, and handmade tile variation are difficult to judge accurately on a screen. Lighting, cabinet color, and hardware finish all interact with tile in ways that are easier to evaluate at our Sacramento showroom or through our full online tile catalog.
Bringing Your Folsom Kitchen Vision to Life
Whether we're helping a Folsom homeowner choose a warm zellige-style backsplash, a herringbone subway tile pattern, or a wood-look porcelain floor, we find that kitchen remodels go more smoothly when materials are seen and touched in person. Our team, family-owned since 2005, offers design consultation to help Folsom homeowners compare tile options side by side and figure out what will actually work with their cabinetry, lighting, and layout before they commit. Stop by our showroom at 6100 Warehouse Way, Sacramento, CA 95826, or book a design consultation to set up a time to look through our current tile selection for your kitchen remodel.
Note: Some images on this page may be conceptual renderings created to illustrate design possibilities and may not depict actual installations.
Frequently Asked Questions
Large-format porcelain tile in warm neutral tones is currently the most requested choice for Folsom kitchen floors and backsplashes, often paired with a zellige-style or handmade-look tile as an accent.
Wood-look porcelain plank tile is a popular option for Folsom kitchens because it offers the visual warmth of wood flooring while handling moisture and daily wear differently than natural hardwood.
Herringbone, vertical stack, and basketweave layouts are all popular alternatives to the traditional brick pattern, letting homeowners keep a classic tile shape while updating the overall look through installation pattern.
Matte and honed finishes are trending over high-gloss glazes for kitchen backsplashes, largely because they show fewer fingerprints and water spots and create a softer look under natural light.
Yes, we recommend viewing tile in person since finishes and color variation are hard to judge from photos alone. Our Sacramento showroom carries a range of tile styles that Folsom homeowners can compare side by side.