Grout colours
Pick a tile colour and a grout colour to see them together on the same kitchen splashback. Only the tile and the grout change from photo to photo, so all 40 pairings compare fairly, and each one says what it shows, what it hides and how it ages.
The short answer
Match the tile and the joints fade. Go a shade darker and marks hide. Pick a strong contrast and the pattern becomes the feature. Mid grey hides kitchen splashes best, white shows them first, and black hides stains but can show a white haze.
Pearl with mid grey grout
- What it shows
- A clear outline around every tile, so the brick pattern shows without shouting.
- What it hides
- Most splashes and grime: mid tones are the easiest grout to keep looking clean.
- How it ages
- Ages the most evenly of the five: grime blends in, and it doesn't show a white haze the way black can.
Dark grout on a light glaze: ask your tiler to grout a spare tile first. Some tile makers coat the glaze with a wash-off grout release, so the colour can't settle into it.
See Pearl tilesFull-size sample $7
Grout colour chart
Every Chroma colour with every grout, close up on the same patch of wall: 52 x 160 mm subway tiles in brick bond. Under each, how the joints read: they fade into the tile, draw a soft outline, or draw strong lines that make the pattern the feature. Tap one to see the whole kitchen above.
How to choose a grout colour
Decide what the joints should do
A grout close to the tile lets the tile lead, which suits handmade-look tiles with shade changes. A shade darker hides marks and still looks calm. A strong contrast outlines every tile, so the layout becomes the feature, and uneven joints show more.
Think about the marks
Grout is the part of a wall that marks. White joints show cooking splashes and grime first; mid tones like mid grey and beige hide the most. Black hides stains, but ARDEX notes that dark grout shows a white haze more easily when salts come to the surface. Behind a cooktop or sink, ask your tiler about an epoxy grout, which ARDEX rates resistant to wine, juice, oil and milk once cured. To keep any grout looking new, see how to clean grout.
See it dry, in your own light
ARDEX says the colour printed on the bag is a guide only, the dry powder is paler than mixed grout, and the same grout looks different in daylight, warm and cool lights. Cement grout dries lighter than it looks wet, and too much water makes it dry paler and patchy. Ask your tiler to grout a spare tile, let it dry, and look at it where the tiles will go.
Dark grout on a light tile: test first
MAPEI warns that an uneven glaze on tile edges can make grout dry patchy, and some tile makers coat light glazes with a wash-off grout release before a dark grout goes on, so the colour can't settle into the glaze. A spare tile shows you before the wall does.
Thin joints, smaller effect
The thinner the joint, the less the grout colour changes the wall. Small tiles have more joint: about 25 m of grout line in every m² of these 52 x 160 mm tiles with 2 mm joints, so grout colour matters more here than on large tiles. The tile calculator works out how much grout a wall needs.
By Hybrid Floors Australia. Checked 30 October 2026. Colours vary from screen to screen, so order a sample before you choose.
Your questions, answered
Grout colour questions
What people ask Google most about choosing grout.
What is the most popular grout colour?
Light and mid greys. A Queensland grout specialist calls light grey the most popular choice in new builds and renovations, and renovators on Reddit call grey the easiest to keep clean. White stays popular for a seamless wall, and black for a graphic one.
Should grout be lighter or darker than the tile?
Match the tile and the joints fade, so the tile leads. Go a shade darker and everyday marks hide. Pick a strong contrast and every tile is outlined, so the pattern becomes the feature. On a light tile, darker grout hides more; on a dark tile, lighter grout shows off the pattern but also shows grime sooner.
What colour grout hides dirt best?
Mid tones, like mid grey and beige. Black hides stains best of all, but dark grout shows a white haze more easily when salts come through the joints, as ARDEX notes. White shows marks first.
What colour grout goes with white tiles?
Any of them. White grout makes one seamless white wall, light or mid grey draws a soft outline that hides marks, and black draws every tile in a crisp line. See all five on Pearl, a soft white, at the top of this page.
Is black grout a good idea?
For a bold, graphic wall that hides stains, yes. It outlines every tile, so uneven joints show more, and dark grout can show a white haze or dry patchy if it's mixed with too much water. On a light glaze, ask your tiler to grout a spare tile first.
What colour grout goes with green tiles?
White or light grey keeps a pale sage green fresh, mid grey suits a deeper green and hides marks, and black makes any green moody. Compare Celadon and Jade with all five grouts on this page.
What colour grout goes with grey, beige or cream tiles?
A near match keeps the wall calm: light grey with light grey, beige with tan. White looks crisp, mid grey hides marks, and black is the most graphic. See Gris, Dune and Caramel with each grout on this page.
Does grout dry lighter or darker?
Cement grout is darker when wet and dries lighter. ARDEX says the colour on the bag is a guide only, thin grout dries lighter than thick, and too much water makes it dry paler and patchy; MAPEI says the same about water. Ask your tiler to grout a spare tile and let it dry before you decide.
Can you change the grout colour later?
Yes, without regrouting. Grout colourants recolour and seal existing grout: LATICRETE says one coat is usually enough, with more for a big change such as dark to light. Regrouting is the other way.
How wide should the joints be?
The warehouse doesn't set one for these tiles. Sellers of similar pressed-edge zellige look tiles suggest about 1 to 4 mm, and our tables and tile calculator use 2 mm. The thinner the joint, the less the grout colour changes the wall. Agree the width with your tiler.
Where do I get the grout?
Your tiler usually supplies it, or a tile shop or hardware store has it. Take a sample tile with you and compare grout samples next to it, in daylight.
Can I get a tile sample?
Yes. A full-size sample of any Chroma tile is $7, with $9.95 flat shipping for as many as you like. Hold it next to grout samples in your own light before you choose.
Hybrid Floors Australia
See your tile next to the grout
Every Chroma tile comes as a full-size sample for $7, with $9.95 flat shipping for as many as you like. Hold it against grout samples in your own light, then work out how many boxes you need.