• Manufactured by Granada Tiles

• 213-482-8070; www.granadatiles.com 

• Cost: Starts around $20 per sq. ft.

Although concrete floors and counters have become high-tech chic, concrete tiles have flown beneath most consumers’ radar, at least in the United States. Now concrete is finding a growing niche in the marketplace—not as a lackluster bargain alternative to ceramic, but as a high-end designer tile that runs $20 to $40 per sq. ft. You can choose gray, if you insist, but bright colors and patterns that look nothing like concrete predominate. The overall effect is warm and well-worn.

Concrete tiles are suitable for walls and floors, both indoors and out, even in Arizona heat and New England cold. The tiles are unglazed and need to be sealed every year or two, depending on exposure to the elements. Like any concrete product, they are scratch- and chip-resistant, but not impervious to major impacts and corrosive liquids. Like ceramic, concrete tiles can be cut with a tile saw; however, they require thinset mortar rather than mastic. Either sanded or nonsanded grout, depending on tile spacing, can be used.

A top layer of colors and patterns is added manually to the tile using molds. Although Granada offers several stock patterns and colors, any color can be ordered, along with matching grout if desired. You even can create your own design alternatives on the company’s Web site and email an image of the finished product for a quote.

Photo by Krysta S. Doerfler