Every January at the studio we look back at what actually sold the year before, and notice what's quietly disappeared. Here's our read on 2026 kitchen tile trends across Manhattan Beach, Hermosa, Palos Verdes, Torrance, and the rest of South Bay LA.
What's selling
1. Zellige in earth tones
White zellige had its long moment. In 2026, what's actually walking out of the studio is clay, terracotta, oxblood, and soft greens. They warm up the kitchen white-cabinet trend that's still dominant locally, and they pair beautifully with the brass and unlacquered-brass hardware that designers are still pushing.
2. Honed marble (not polished)
The shift from polished to honed marble continues. Honed surfaces show etching far less, look more contemporary, and feel less like a hotel lobby. Calacatta in honed finish is up nearly 3× over polished in our sales this year.
3. Large-format porcelain that doesn't pretend to be marble
The "is this real marble?" porcelains had their moment. The interesting 2026 selections are porcelains that lean into being porcelain: solid colors with subtle texture, raw-concrete looks, unglazed-cement looks, and tonal terrazzo.
4. Vertical-stack backsplashes
Subway tile finally pivoted. Vertical stack (tiles oriented portrait, stacked tight) reads more architectural and lets the tile's color or texture do the talking. We've installed nearly as many vertical-stack runs as classic horizontal subway this year.
5. Wood-look porcelain at the floor
For open-plan South Bay kitchens that flow into living rooms, wide-plank wood-look porcelain continues to gain. It looks like wood, survives the kitchen splashes wood can't, and reads as one continuous floor across the open plan.
What's quietly disappearing
Penny round mosaic
Five years ago, penny rounds were everywhere. They've drifted out — partly because the look feels date-stamped to the late-2010s, partly because better small-format options (zellige, smaller hex) feel more contemporary now.
Glossy white subway tile
Not dead, but very much a "rental property finish" now. South Bay clients with budget for a remodel are picking something else.
Black-and-white encaustic floor patterns
The Spanish-revival encaustic look had a big moment in the mid-2010s. It's still beautiful in the right house, but the bold geometric pattern is much less common in 2026.
Heavy travertine veining in interiors
Pool decks: still strong (see our pool tile guide). Interior floors: receding. Designers are reaching for cleaner limestones and quartzites instead.
Three local micro-trends
A few patterns we're seeing specifically in South Bay LA, distinct from broader US trends:
- Coastal weather influence: clients are more conscious of salt air and UV in tile selection. Bath-and-pool-rated tile is being specified for spaces that don't technically need it, "just in case."
- Indoor-outdoor flow: as more remodels open up to the patio, the floor tile is increasingly being chosen to extend seamlessly between the two — same plank or slab inside and out, same width, continuous grout lines through the threshold.
- Mediterranean revival: a real return to terracotta floors, hand-formed plaster walls, and earthy zellige in homes from Manhattan Beach to RPV. Not theme-park Mediterranean — a quieter, more pared-back interpretation.
What we'd watch for the rest of 2026
Two things we think will keep growing:
- Larger format porcelain in unexpected places — feature walls, full-height fireplace surrounds, single-slab vanity tops.
- Earth-pigment grouts — pinks, terracottas, soft greens — paired with monochrome tile so the grout becomes the design move.
Planning a remodel this year? We work by appointment and would love to help curate materials. Book a visit or request samples to start.