It’s a showy tile for any kitchen emulating French or Italian styles. You may want to avoid high-gloss finishes, as they easily scratch. American Olean recommends “double glazed like [our] Crystaltex or glazes fired at higher temperatures, such as glazes on vitreous and porcelain bodies.” Natural stone, these 12-inch square tiles from American Olean evoke an Old World look. This treatment is bordered by a simple but effective matching edge treatment. This same stone covers the peripheral counters at a depth of two tiles. Stone and grout need to be sealed before they can be used for counters. You will want to install small tiles with caution. The issue is the seams between the tiles. Seams tend to act as little valleys that accumulate crumbs and, if you’re not careful, dirt and grime. As such, you’ll tend to find this type of application in bathrooms more than in kitchens. One solution is to lay larger tiles. The only issue with that: larger tiles tend to look ungainly in small spaces.
