Fluted Tile Ideas: Marble, Porcelain and Ceramic Fluted Tile for Walls, Backsplashes and Fireplaces

Fluted tile is tile with parallel grooves or ridges along its face, so a flat wall shows stripes of light and shadow. In our range it comes in five forms: honed marble tiles with flutes or reeds, porcelain in narrow fluted formats, 16 by 48 inch ceramic panels, glazed terracotta in a thin brick size, and marble flute trim. Sizes run from 2-1/4 by 7-9/16 inches to 16 by 48 inches.

Everything below is in our fluted tile collection, with sizes, finishes and listed uses from each product page.

Fluted, reeded, ribbed and 3D: the terms

• Fluted: concave grooves cut into the surface. Each groove holds a strip of shadow.
• Reeded: convex, rounded ridges standing out of the surface. Each ridge catches light on top.
• Ribbed: a general word for a tile with raised lines, used for both reeded and fluted profiles.
• 3D fluted tile: the name makers use for a deep fluted or ribbed profile, which can combine concave and convex forms on one tile, such as MSI's Folk porcelain.

In product names, fluted is also used loosely for reeded and ribbed profiles. MSI's honed marble shows the difference clearly: the Valentino Fluto tiles are described as an inverted, concave flute, and the Milano Ribbo tiles as a convex, outward flute, in the same stones and the same 12 by 24 inch size.

The nine tiles below

Tile	Material	Size (in)	Finish	Listed uses
1. Carrara White Milano Ribbo	Marble	12 x 24	Honed, convex	Backsplash, interior walls
2. Capri Blue Valentino Fluto	Marble	12 x 24	Honed, concave	Backsplash, interior walls
3. Folk Pearl	Porcelain	7 x 16	Satin, 3D	Backsplash
4. Gems Caraibi	Porcelain	5 x 10	Glossy, pre-scored	Backsplash; indoor and outdoor in description
5. Hip Hop Arena	Porcelain	6 x 16	Matte	Backsplash; indoor and outdoor in description
6. Urbanslat White	Ceramic	16 x 48	Matte	Backsplash; description mentions shower enclosures
7. Urbanslat Marmi Gold	Ceramic	16 x 48	Satin	Backsplash
8. Grove Leather thin brick	Glazed terracotta	2-1/4 x 7-9/16 x 9/16	Leather glaze	Backsplash, interior walls, shower walls
9. Iris Black flute trim	Marble	6 x 12 x 3/4	Honed	Backsplash, interior walls, shower walls

Fluted marble tile

1. Carrara White Milano Ribbo, convex reeds

White and gray Carrara marble in a 12 by 24 inch tile with rounded ribs standing out of the face, honed so the light stays soft across the ridges. Its description lists walls, fireplace facades, backsplashes and accent walls.

2. Capri Blue Valentino Fluto, concave flutes

A light gray marble with veins of gray, blue and gold, carved with hollow channels. The concave cut shows the veining crossing from groove to groove. Capri Blue also comes in the convex Milano Ribbo profile, so one stone is available in both profiles.

Flat marble in the same and similar stones is in our marble mosaics. Fluted marble trim, carved fluted mantels and fluted marble sinks are covered in our guide to fluted marble.

Fluted porcelain

The fluted porcelain here comes in 5 by 10, 6 by 16 and 7 by 16 inch formats, in glossy, satin and matte glazes.

3. Folk Pearl, 7 x 16 satin

Cool white porcelain with a mix of concave and convex forms and a satin sheen, the kind of profile sold as 3D fluted tile. The Folk line also comes in Silver, Sky and Charcoal, and its description lists kitchen backsplashes, under bar tops and accent walls.

4. Gems Caraibi, 5 x 10 glossy

A glossy green porcelain pre-scored into slats, so the fluted look comes from the grooves between them, with color that varies from tile to tile. The same tile comes in Latte, Grigio and Cobalto, and its description lists indoor and outdoor walls, including around pools.

5. Hip Hop Arena, 6 x 16 matte

A limestone look in matte porcelain with a textured, fluted face, listed for accent walls, backsplashes and fireplace facades, indoors and outdoors. Camel and Abedul give a wood look in the same format, and the Piano line offers these colors in a 4.5 by 9 inch size.

Large format fluted ceramic

6. Urbanslat White, 16 x 48 matte

A bright white 16 by 48 inch ceramic panel with fine fluting. One panel covers 5.33 square feet, so a 10 foot wide, 8 foot tall wall takes about 15 panels. Its description lists kitchen backsplashes and bathroom shower enclosures. Urbanslat comes in solid colors, wood looks and two marble looks, Marmi Gold and Marmi Noir.

7. Urbanslat Marmi Gold, 16 x 48 satin

A warm white marble look with gold veining over fine flutes, in a satin finish. Its description lists fireplace facades, kitchen backsplashes and bathroom showers. It is the ceramic alternative to fluted marble in a single large panel.

Fluted thin brick and flute trim

8. Grove Leather fluted thin brick

A small glazed terracotta tile, 2-1/4 by 7-9/16 inches and 9/16 inch thick, with deep ribs and a green glaze that pools in the grooves. Its brick proportions give a fluted wall at a small scale. The line includes Navy, Crimson, Ocean and Rose in a leather glaze and Ash and Topaz in gloss, all listed for backsplashes and shower walls, and the Ocean, Rose and Topaz colors also list light residential floors. Flat thin brick is in our thin brick tiles.

9. Iris Black flute trim

A 6 by 12 inch piece of honed black marble, 3/4 inch thick, with rounded flutes across the face. As a band or a border, it adds one fluted line to a plain marble or tile wall. It also comes in Calacatta Cremo, Lilac and Royal Beige, and other marble accents are in our marble accent tiles.

Choosing fluted tile by wall

Wall	Formats that fit	From this guide
Kitchen backsplash	Narrow porcelain, thin brick, 12 x 24 marble	Folk, Gems, Grove, Milano Ribbo
Full-height feature wall	16 x 48 ceramic, 12 x 24 marble	Urbanslat, Valentino Fluto
Shower wall	Tiles listed for shower walls	Fluted thin brick, Iris Black trim
Fireplace facade	Tiles listed for fireplace facades	Hip Hop Arena, Milano Ribbo, Marmi Gold
Outdoor wall	Porcelain described for outdoor use	Gems, Hip Hop

For a kitchen, our fluted tile backsplash ideas group fluted tile by cabinet color, and our kitchen backsplash ideas cover the wider range of materials, all from our backsplash tiles. For a bathroom, the fluted thin brick and Iris Black trim are the shower-listed options, and the rest of our bathroom tiles covers the floor. For a fireplace, vertical flutes around the firebox lead up the chimney breast, and our marble fireplace surrounds show carved stone options.

Direction is a matter of look. Vertical flutes follow the lines of columns and wall paneling, and horizontal flutes run the length of a long backsplash or a low bench wall.

Fluted Tile FAQ

How is fluted tile different from flat tile with a printed pattern?

Fluted tile has a real profile: grooves or ribs that cast shadows and change with the light. A flat tile with a printed stripe or slat look has no relief. On the Urbanslat Marmi Gold panel, the marble look is printed and the flutes are formed in the tile, so it has both.

What is 3D fluted tile?

3D fluted tile has a deep profile that stands out from the wall more than a shallow groove does. MSI's Folk porcelain is an example, with concave and convex forms on one 7 by 16 inch tile and a satin glaze. The depth makes the shadows stronger, which shows most in raking light from a window or under-cabinet lights.

Can fluted tile go on a floor?

Only a few listed products. In our fluted range, the Ocean, Rose and Topaz fluted thin brick list light residential floors as well as walls. The marble, porcelain and ceramic fluted tiles here are listed for backsplashes and walls only.

Can fluted tile be used outdoors?

The descriptions of the Gems, Hip Hop and Piano porcelain lines describe them for indoor and outdoor use, with Gems also mentioned around pools. The marble, ceramic and terracotta fluted tiles here are listed for interior walls.

Which fluted tile is the thinnest and which is the thickest?

Among the pieces that list a thickness, the fluted thin brick is 9/16 inch and the marble flute trim is 3/4 inch. The other tiles here do not list a thickness on their product pages.