Tile options abound, and the choices just keep getting better and more interesting. New ways of orienting glass tile and even subway tile (think herringbone), the influence of French design and European contemporary mean manufacturers continue to turn out key on-trend components of au courant kitchen design:

Subway tile – not a new trend, but it’s not slowing down any time soon – square is well, square – it’s all about the rectangle.

Glass tile hung vertically or horizontally – the next greatest thing, stacked glass is extremely popular at the moment, as well as fun patterns like a random blend of squares and rectangles or herringbone.

Artisan glass tile – very small pieces of glass tile are cut or broken by hand to fit into a pattern on a sheet. The glass has quite a bit of variation in its color due to the handmade nature of the product, and it creating an artisan looks.

Marble tile – This is also not exactly a new trend, but the popularity hasn’t begun to wane. It’s always the same two: Calacatta and Carrera – most commonly in a subway pattern, but also in longer rectangles.

Texture – there’s been a huge upswing in people looking for tiles with texture. Most popular are tiles with grooves or geometric patterns that create a sense of depth and dimension.

Pattern – Arabesque tile has really taken off this year in a big way, also more intricate geometric patterns from the big names in tile manufacturing are setting future trends.

Herringbone or Chevron – Herringbone and chevron both create a European feel, and make for a stunning backsplash that is quite a bit more interesting than your standard subway tile.