Ceramic tile is a flooring material of choice in many parts of the country. Reader Melissa tipped me to this floor tile — Daltile Natural Hues — which is available in 8″ squares — a size that is close to the vintage 9″ resilient floor tiles that were common in midcentury homes. There are lots of colors and neutrals in the Natural Hues line — I count 58. There also are many other sizes and shapes — this is a workhorse line for Daltile, to be sure.
From the product info page:
For variety, color options and versatility in design, no tile can outdo Natural Hues. With this tile, you can create customized murals, borders and patterns. Choose from a smooth finish or two abrasive styles, depending on the look or effect you want. The abrasive is applied under the glaze without impacting the color.
Floors can be slippery, so when choosing floor tile, it’s important to make sure the product you choose is properly specified for the use you have in mind. Work with a professional to make sure you’re ordering correctly. On another Daltile page, the company reminds, “No floor tile is ‘slip proof.'” And, it recommends following maintenance and use instructions.
Thanks for the tip, Melissa.
Links:
- Daltile Natural Hues Ceramic Floor and Wall Tiles
- Factors to Consider Prior to Tile Selection
New retro-style resilient flooring options from Mannington 
Flooring for a 1970s kitchen or living area: Moroccan-style Filigree luxury vinyl flooring from Mannington 
Rubber flooring — another good midcentury choice 
1970s style kitchen flooring: Kahlo by IVC 
ineffablespace says
I looked at this, and it’s beautiful tile, relatively expensive for Daltile that is relatively “modest” looking, and the 4×4 is a true 4×4 rather than 4-1/4″
I was looking at this relative as to how well it played with their Matte and Semigloss and it doesn’t quite…because you can really tell that it is “other” if that makes any sense. I feel like if I used it I would have to commit to using it entirely on a project. (Or possibly as a distinct accent)
JMA says
I have a lot of this tile in an apartment building I own, it was put in by the previous owner. The hallway is in the Iceberg color, and tenants bring their bikes and leave them there, come in with muddy boots: Essentially, the tile gets extremely dirty in the winter, and each time I mop it I see it hasn’t lost it’s finish and it doesn’t look worn. The glaze is very durable, it’s not shiny but it’s not exactly matte, either. Maybe what in paint might be thought of as eggshell.