White Subway Tile With Black Grout
If you’re looking for a classic but trendy combination, white subway tile with black grout may be a good option. You get the classic bit from the white tiles; this sealant can surprise you and make the entire thing stand out. The balance between classic and trendy makes this combination popular with many homeowners.
Commonly used in kitchens and bathrooms, particularly accent walls and backsplashes, black grout looks wonderful with white subway tiles measuring 3 x 6 inches. While this may be the standard size, you can use longer rectangles to have the illusion of more space.
If you’re choosing white subway tile with black grout, it can be a stunning addition to your home because of its dramatic effect. Is it worth the aesthetics, though?
Subway Tile With Black Grout Pros And Cons
To decide if this tile combination is the ideal option for your home, weigh the advantages and disadvantages they come with. The choice with this unique grout is not just about aesthetics. There are other factors worth looking into when making a decision.
Check if this combination offers benefits that are worth experiencing its drawbacks with before actually purchasing all the material you need for it.
Pros
While white subway tile with black grout seems like a small factor to take into account, it is actually incredibly popular for homeowners, not just for those with modern and minimalist style homes. And it’s because of the following benefits you can enjoy from this combination:
• Classic and timeless aesthetics: White subway tile with black grout offers an elegant and classic look that interior designers consider easily elevates a space. Using black grout with stark white tiles delivers stark contrast and adds visual interest to your home.
It also provides the warmth and depth that helps the white tiles from looking too sterile. This irresistible combination never gets out of style, so you won’t have to worry about following the ever-changing trend.
• Showstopping statement maker: Even with the classic and timeless vibe, it cannot be denied that white subway tile with black grout is a beautiful statement maker that makes people stop and look. The stunning contrast adds a little drama to your home, and black is a bold color that can deliver that showstopping look.
• Showcases the shape and size of your tile: The black grout acts like a bold outline for the white subway tiles, bringing more attention to how the tiles are shaped and sized.
This means that the subway style will pop more in this combination, and the size of the grout, whether a narrow pencil-thing outline or a thick one, will determine the boldness of this look.
• Inexpensive yet sophisticated look: With its sophisticated look, white subway tile with black grout does not necessarily come at high prices. So, if you’re looking for a way to make your kitchen or bathroom look luxurious without spending too much, this is a combination you might want to consider.
• Delivers bold design grid patterns: Since the black grout acts like a wonderful outline, it creates bold design and grid patterns you can appreciate. The white subway tiles will appear to have a grid-like pattern and make your chosen design more prominent and obvious.
• Black grout can conceal dirt and grime: While darker grout can help conceal a dirty backsplash, that is not always a positive. The dark color can also help hide dirty grout lines, which can avoid alerting you that they need a cleaning.
Cons
Before committing to black grout and white subway tiles, you also need to look at the disadvantages you are about to experience using this combination. Here are some of the drawbacks that you need to know before making a final decision.
• Tricky to install: When installing white subway tile with black grout, hiring a professional might be more recommended because of its tricky constitution.
Since grout is gritty and has this kinetic texture that tends to go everywhere, using black shades means that it can be really messy. It’s also why most prefer light-colored grouts so that it won’t be as noticeable if there’s a mess.
• Can get dirty without you noticing it: While black seems like something that can easily hide dirt, it can actually deliver the opposite effect.
The dark color can make it more challenging to keep the tiles and adhesive clean, especially since you won’t know if it needs cleaning in the first place. This is crucial for common areas with high foot traffic which tend to get dirt more compared to other areas.
• Dark grout fades over time: The truth about these black materials is that they do fade over time, and this is even when they are properly sealed. Since they are extremely porous, they will fade even faster when exposed to moisture.
• Requires meticulous and specific maintenance for the upkeep: Many believe that having darker grout-lined tiles means it is easier to clean and maintain, but it’s the opposite.
Dealing with darker mortar can be incredibly messy and difficult to clean up. It can also fade through time, so maintaining a luster look can take effort. There are other lower maintenance bathroom wall materials that can make cleaning easier.
• Not recommended with white glaze: Dark-colored grouts like ebony are not ideal to match with white glaze because of the tendency to stain. To make sure that staining is minimized, use a sealer for your grouts.
| Pros of Subway Tile With Black Grout | Cons of Subway Tile With Black Grout |
| · Beautiful appearance | · Can be difficult to install |
| · Creates interesting contrast | · Can fade over time |
| · Brings focus to the tile | · Harder to clean up |
| · Creates a bold design pattern | · Should not be used with a white glaze |
| · Darker grout can help conceal grime | · Can become dirty without you knowing |
Adding Tiles with Black Color Grout to the Kitchen
White subway tile with black grout is a popular choice for the kitchen, primarily since white tiles are the go-to option for the kitchen. This is an incredible option if you’re looking for something eye-catching and eclectic to add to your kitchen walls.
This combination can make a fun addition to your kitchen, whether installing this for your kitchen backsplash or as a kitchen accent wall.
A kitchen with a subway tile backsplash will look traditional, but the darker mortar will make it look more contemporary and modern.
Some of the elements you can pair with this combination are the following:
• White kitchen cabinets
• Stainless steel appliances
• Light-toned wood flooring
• Marble countertops
• Pendant lights
Bathroom Tiles Matched with Black-toned Grout
A white subway tile with an ebony filler bathroom uses white rectangular tiles, typically 3 inches by 6 inches in size, arranged in a brick-like pattern. Using this kind of filler, creates a bold contrast against the white tiles and highlights the individual tiles, helping them stand out and make an impression.
This design has become popular in recent years due to its classic yet modern look, and it can work well with a variety of decor styles. The ebony filler also has practical benefits as it can help to hide dirt and stains better than lighter-color mortar.
You can make this a bathroom accent wall or half wall and pair it with a wood grain marble vanity and a trendy frameless mirror.
The bathroom walls can have white subway tile with ebony fillers, while the floor can also have similar white tiles but only with ornate black patterns.
To create a more mellow look, one can use a lighter color mortar, such as gray, which will tone down the design contrast. See more pictures of bathrooms with subway tile here.
White Shower Tiles With Black-toned Grout
The shower area is one of the ideal spaces to install ivory subway tile with ebony-colored filler, especially if you want to contrast the shower area from the bathroom without having to use any partition between the areas.
If you want some sort of partition, you can go for a white shower curtain with a black fringe to have a similar concept as the walls.
Other elements that you can pair your ivory subway tile lined with charcoal-colored fillers are the following:
• Seamless glass enclosure
• Black faucet kit
• Wooden stool
• Black hexagon floor tiles
• Ivory freestanding bathtub
• Wooden counter with ivory sink
How To Clean Dark Grout
Black grouts have become increasingly popular because of how the design adds an aesthetic punch and boldness to the mix. Popular for a minimalistic and modern farmhouse plan, this combination will need special caring if you want to keep this bold and stunning black sealant on your ivory subway tiles.
Cleaning the ebony-colored tile sealant of your kitchen or bathroom needs to be regular and thorough, but only after you make sure that it is properly sealed.
Choosing the right sealer is vital, and the cleaning task can be laborious, so you will need to schedule enough time to clean those tiny spaces between your tiles. Here are some solutions that will come in handy with this task:
• Water and vinegar solution: Mix equal portions of water and vinegar to create this solution then use a toothbrush to rub it on the sealant, leave it for a few minutes, then rinse with clean water and a sponge.
• Water and baking soda paste: Safe to use for dark grouts, this paste is created by pouring a small amount of water on the backing soda.
Follow the same process as the water and vinegar solution by leaving the paste on the surface for a few minutes before rubbing and rinsing everything off.
• Hydrogen peroxide and baking soda: You can use both baking soda and hydrogen peroxide in small amounts because using them in large quantities can lead your dark sealant to become lighter and have stains.
Once applied to the ground, use a toothbrush to rub it on the sealant and a sponge and water to clean the dirt and mixture.
• Water, baking soda, and dish detergent solution: The combination of these elements can be a wonderful cleaning product for your sealant, along with their anti-fungal components that can make the cleaning task even more successful.
It might be a bit tedious to clean your sealant, but it is a necessary task you need to undertake if you want to maintain the stunning look it offers your white subway tile. It is crucial since staining and discoloration can destroy its classy look.
Should You Use Dark Grout on White Color Tile?
Yes, you can use black grout on white subway tile, especially if you’re looking for something that’s both classy and dramatic. The contrast of the dark and light shades can look wonderful and provide a certain depth to the appearance.
It can serve as a bold outline of the tiles and add texture to the area. Whatever pattern you choose to have for your tiles (like the subway), a darker filler can emphasize it more and give it a bolder look.
The major downside of using this kind of filler is that even if many homeowners believe it hides dirt, it will also lead you to believe that it’s still in good condition, even when it needs a thorough cleaning from dirt and mold. If this is the case, just make sure to regularly clean the mortar, with or without the dirt showing.
See more related content in our article about full tile bathroom wall designs on this page.
