Kitchen tiles: floor, splashback and worktop
A kitchen is not tiled like a bathroom or a living room: the floor, the splashback and the worktop answer three completely different sets of requirements. Here I bring together the technical criteria I apply on my own sites, the formats that genuinely work, indicative prices recorded in Morocco in 2026 and the mistakes that cost the most to put right.
Three zones, three sets of requirements
Within a few square metres, a kitchen brings together constraints that have almost nothing in common: a floor that takes impacts, water and oil, a wall cleaned every day at eye level, and a worktop exposed to heat, knives and acidic stains. Looking for "a kitchen tile" as if it were a single product is the first source of error.
So I always frame the problem zone by zone, before even discussing look or colour.
| Zone | Dominant constraint | Criterion no. 1 | Criterion no. 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Floor | Impacts, abrasion, oil | Full-body porcelain stoneware, PEI IV or V | R10 slip resistance, matt finish |
| Splashback | Splashes, grease, daily cleaning | Non-porous surface, minimal grout lines | Heat resistance behind the hob |
| Worktop | Cutting, heat, acids | Continuous surface, no joints | Treatment of edges and cut-outs |
This guide sets out the criteria, price ranges to be confirmed with your supplier (rates vary a great deal depending on imports and format) and the points to watch that I see coming up again and again on sites in Casablanca and Rabat.
The floor: impact and stain resistance, with sensible grip
The kitchen floor is the most heavily used surface in the home after the entrance hall. A saucepan dropped, a chair dragged across it, a litre of oil spilled: that is the brief to plan for, not the catalogue photo.
The three useful ratings
| Rating | What it measures | What I ask for in a kitchen |
|---|---|---|
| PEI (I to V) | Resistance of the glaze to abrasion | PEI IV minimum, PEI V for heavy traffic |
| R (R9 to R13) | Grip underfoot with shoes on | R10: the right compromise. R11 is hard to clean |
| Water absorption | Porosity of the body | Porcelain stoneware, absorption below 0.5% |
Full-body porcelain stoneware remains the benchmark: the material is coloured all the way through, so a chip on an edge stays discreet. A cheap glazed tile, by contrast, reveals a white or red body at the first knock, and that kind of damage cannot be repaired.
What I rule out on a kitchen floor
- Polished gloss finishes: slippery as soon as there is oil about, and they reveal every micro-scratch and every footprint.
- Untreated marble and limestone: lemon, vinegar and wine mark the surface permanently.
- Unsealed cement tiles: very beautiful, but porous. They need regular re-impregnation, which sits poorly with a family kitchen.
- Heavily textured R11: designed for outdoor use, its grain traps grease.
Format, grout and substrate
For general areas, 60 x 60 cm and 60 x 120 cm cover most needs. A rectified tile allows a 2 mm grout line, a non-rectified tile requires 3 to 5 mm: the visual difference is significant, and the finer line is easier to clean. I always choose a grout colour close to the tile, never white grout on a floor.
Large formats are unforgiving of a poorly prepared substrate. You need flatness of around 5 mm under a 2 m straight edge, a class C2 adhesive applied by back-buttering, and a tiler used to these formats. On a recent slab or a screed that may still move, an uncoupling membrane prevents cracks from telegraphing through the tiles. These choices are made at the drawing stage, as I explain in the guide to villa plans.
The splashback: what wipes clean in one go
The splashback is the wall between the worktop and the wall units. It catches sauce splashes, steam and cooking grease. The only criterion that really matters: how long it takes to wipe clean with a single pass of a sponge.
The working height
With a worktop at 90 cm above the floor and wall units starting at around 145 to 150 cm, the splashback measures 55 to 60 cm. Behind a hob topped by a decorative extractor hood, the tiled height often rises to 70 or 80 cm. I fix these dimensions before ordering the tiles, otherwise you discover on site that half a row is missing, or that a 4 cm cut tile runs along the base of the wall units.
Splashback options compared
| Option | Grout lines | Maintenance | Indicative supply price (MAD/m²) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Large-format porcelain stoneware, single continuous slab | None, or one | Excellent | 600 to 1,500 |
| 60 x 120 porcelain stoneware laid horizontally | Very few | Excellent | 300 to 900 |
| 10 x 20 or 7.5 x 15 metro-style ceramic | Many | Fine with epoxy grout | 150 to 500 |
| Glazed zellige from Fez | Many, irregular | Requires patience | 250 to 700 |
| Made-to-measure lacquered glass | None | Excellent, shows marks | 700 to 1,800 |
| Brushed stainless steel | None | Excellent, scratches | 800 to 2,000 |
Indicative 2026 figures excluding installation, to be confirmed by supplier quotation.
How I decide
When the kitchen opens onto the living room, I favour large formats or glass: the splashback becomes a calm surface that lets the units take centre stage. When the kitchen is closed off and a more artisanal character is intended, zellige or a small-module ceramic works very well, provided you accept cleaning the grout and choose a mid-grey grout rather than white.
Two technical details make all the difference: epoxy grout behind the hob, which does not stain with grease, and no visible cut on the axis of the extractor hood or the tap. The setting-out is drawn, not improvised on the day of installation.
The worktop: why tiles are rarely the right choice
The question comes up often, usually for budget reasons. My answer is nuanced but clear: technically, a tiled worktop is possible, but in nine cases out of ten it is not the best use of the budget.
The reasons are simple. The grout lines, however fine, sit exactly where you chop, where you set down the pan and where water lingers. Cutting out for the sink and the hob exposes the tile body and calls for trims. The front edge has to be finished either with a metal profile or with a glued 45-degree mitre cut by a stone specialist: that work cancels out much of the expected saving. Finally, an 8 to 10 mm tile bonded to a support panel remains vulnerable to a knock on the front edge.
| Material | Performance in use | Weak point | Indicative installed price (MAD/linear m) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local granite | Very good | Limited choice of shades | 700 to 1,800 |
| Engineered quartz | Very good | Sensitive to direct heat | 1,800 to 3,500 |
| Large-format compact ceramic | Excellent | Price, specialist installation | 2,500 to 5,000 |
| Made-to-measure stainless steel | Excellent | Scratches, professional look | 1,500 to 3,500 |
| Thick laminate | Average | Swells if water gets into an edge | 400 to 900 |
| Tiles bonded to a support panel | Average | Grout lines, edges, cut-outs | 500 to 1,200 |
Indicative 2026 figures, supply and installation, to be confirmed by quotation. Linear metres are measured along the worktop run, excluding the splashback.
If the budget is tight, I would rather use a plain local granite over the 3 or 4 linear metres that are genuinely useful than tile the entire length. And if tiling is unavoidable, then a single large-format slab per run, mitred edge, epoxy grout, and definitely no small formats.
Floor continuity and coordination with the units
In the apartments and villas I design, the kitchen is almost always open or semi-open to the living room. The question of the floor then becomes a question of space, not of finish.
One floor, or two?
My default rule: the same tile running continuously between kitchen and living room, with no threshold and no change of material. The space feels larger, there is no break joint to clean, and you avoid an awkward junction where the door used to be. That means choosing a tile that handles both briefs: PEI IV, matt, a mid-tone shade that shows neither light dust nor water marks.
I only introduce a change of flooring for a strong reason: a genuinely closed kitchen, an existing difference in level, or a deliberate design intention with a rug of decorative tiles framed by a brass or stainless steel profile. In that case, the boundary must fall in line with a wall or a reveal, never in the middle of a walkway.
| Configuration | Flooring choice | Point to watch |
|---|---|---|
| Kitchen open to living room | Same tile throughout | Laying direction aligned with the longest dimension |
| Semi-open kitchen with a glazed partition | Same tile, movement joint under the frame | Position the cut under the profile |
| Closed kitchen | A specific floor is possible | Junction aligned with the face of the wall |
| Central island | Setting-out centred on the island | Avoid a thin cut along the plinth |
Coordination with the units
Three precautions avoid most nasty surprises. First, tile before the units are installed, and tile under the carcasses too: the floor stays level, the plinths adjust correctly, and a future kitchen replacement does not leave an untiled strip. Second, review the samples together, laid flat, under the real light of the room: floor, splashback, unit fronts and worktop. A choice approved on screen or from a photo often turns out too yellow or too grey on site.
Finally, limit the number of materials. Three visible materials in a kitchen is about right: the floor, the fronts, the worktop. The splashback should join one of those three rather than adding a fourth. This fine-tuning work is part of my interior architecture services in Casablanca, and you will see examples of this approach to materials in my projects, in particular the My Laser centres in Casablanca and Tangier.
Indicative prices, recorded in 2026
The ranges below reflect what I see on the Moroccan market in 2026, across all brands. They should be confirmed by a quotation: the price of the same tile varies with the batch, the origin and the format.
| Item | Standard range | Mid range | High range |
|---|---|---|---|
| 60 x 60 porcelain floor tile (MAD/m²) | 90 to 160 | 160 to 350 | 350 to 800 |
| Large format 60 x 120 and above (MAD/m²) | 250 to 400 | 400 to 700 | 700 to 1,500 |
| Ceramic or wall tile (MAD/m²) | 80 to 180 | 180 to 450 | 450 to 900 |
| Floor installation, standard format (MAD/m²) | 70 to 120 | 120 to 180 | 180 to 250 |
| Large-format installation (MAD/m²) | 150 to 220 | 220 to 300 | 300 to 400 |
| C2 adhesive, grout, trims (MAD/m²) | 30 to 60 | 60 to 100 | 100 to 160 |
For a kitchen with 12 m² of floor and 4 m² of splashback, the tiling budget including supply and installation therefore usually falls between 4,000 and 15,000 MAD (Moroccan dirhams), excluding the worktop and any substrate repairs. Allow 10% for breakage and offcuts when ordering, plus 5% of tiles kept in reserve for future repairs: a given model is almost never available two years later.
On the fee side, an interior design commission runs between 10 and 20% of the value of the works, and a simple on-site assessment between 1,500 and 2,500 MAD. The various types of commission are set out on the fees page. If your kitchen project forms part of a new build or an extension, the permit is filed through the Rokhas platform and requires an architect registered with the Ordre under law 016-89: the guide to building permits explains the procedure in detail.
Mistakes to avoid
- Buying the tiles before you have the kitchen layout. Without the position of the units, it is impossible to set out the tiling, the splashback height and the cuts.
- Choosing a gloss floor. It becomes slippery as soon as there is oil and shows every scratch. Matt is safer and ages better.
- White grout. On the floor as behind the hob, it turns grey within months. Use coloured grout everywhere, epoxy in the cooking zone.
- R11 indoors. The texture designed for outdoor use traps grease and makes cleaning a chore.
- Laying large formats on an unprepared substrate. Without checked flatness and back-buttering, you end up with tiles that sound hollow and then crack.
- Not tiling under the units. Any later change to the kitchen leaves a strip of bare slab that cannot be matched in properly.
- Forgetting movement joints. Over large continuous areas and at the perimeter, they prevent tiles lifting. They belong in the setting-out, not as an afterthought.
- Using too many materials. A floor, unit fronts, a worktop and a splashback all different from one another produce a restless kitchen, whatever the budget spent.
- Ordering the exact quantity. Without spares, the slightest breakage during installation holds up the site for weeks.
Tell me about your kitchen project
Choosing tiles is far easier once the layout, the circulation and the lighting have been settled. That is why I treat the kitchen as a piece of architecture rather than a catalogue of finishes: real dimensions, working heights, position of the extractor hood, services, and then materials.
If you are unsure whether you need an interior architecture commission or a heavier project affecting the structure or the floor areas, the guide architect or interior architect will help you work out where you stand. Other technical topics are gathered in my guides, and the guide to construction prices places these figures within an overall budget.
To move forward, send me the size of the room, its current state (new build, renovation, existing kitchen to be kept), the layout you have in mind and your indicative budget. You can also attach two or three photos and a plan, however rough, via the contact page or call +212 661 25 78 84. You can read more about how I work on the about page.
What clients ask me most
Which tiles should I choose for a kitchen floor in Morocco?
Full-body porcelain stoneware, matt finish, PEI IV or V rating and R10 slip resistance, in 60 x 60 or 60 x 120 cm. That combination stands up to impacts, does not stain and cleans easily. I rule out polished gloss finishes, untreated marble and heavily textured outdoor-type surfaces.
Can zellige from Fez be used as a kitchen splashback?
Yes, and the result is superb. Two conditions: accept the irregular joints, which are the signature of the material, and use coloured rather than white grout, ideally epoxy behind the hob. Expect an indicative supply price of 250 to 700 MAD/m² in 2026, to be confirmed with the supplier, plus slower installation than an industrial ceramic tile.
Should tiling be done before or after the kitchen units are fitted?
Before, and tiling under the carcasses too. The floor stays level, adjusting the plinths is easier, and a future kitchen replacement will not leave an untiled strip. The splashback, on the other hand, goes in after the worktop for a clean junction.
Do tiles work as a worktop?
They do work, but they are rarely the best choice. The grout lines sit exactly where you cut and where water lingers, the sink and hob cut-outs require trims, and the front edge has to be finished by a stone specialist. On a tight budget, I would rather use a plain local granite over the linear metres that are genuinely useful.
Should the kitchen and living room have the same tiles?
In an open-plan kitchen, yes: a continuous floor with no threshold visually enlarges the space and removes a junction that is hard to clean. I only change flooring for a genuinely closed kitchen, an existing difference in level or a rug of decorative tiles framed by a profile, with the boundary aligned on the face of a wall.
What budget should I allow to tile a 12 m² kitchen?
With 12 m² of floor and 4 m² of splashback, supply and installation usually comes to between 4,000 and 15,000 MAD depending on the range and the format, excluding the worktop and any substrate repairs. These are indicative 2026 figures, to be confirmed by quotation, allowing 10% for offcuts and 5% of tiles held in reserve.
Let's talk about your kitchen
Send me the size of the room, its current state, a few photos and your indicative budget: I will tell you what really matters for the floor, the splashback and the worktop before you buy any materials.
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