I recently stuck my toe in the real estate waters to see what townhouses are out there for sale. One thing that already stands out to me is how much I dislike the beige tile floors that seem to turn up in every kitchen. Some nice wood would be perfectly good, but these examples have me daydreaming about a different look.

While calling these floors "bold" might make it seem like they would only fit in with edgy decor, but they can work with a variety of styles. After all, some of them are classics — such as French and Moroccan tiles and black and white checkerboard (Images 1, 2, and 3, respectively). There are, of course, crazier ones like the Sharpie floor in Image 9.

For example, I could see the tiles in the more traditional kitchens in Image 1 and 7 also looking great in more modern settings. As it is, the flooring makes the kitchens shown stand out so much more than if it were beige, beige, beige.

For wood floors that aren't in great shape, you can consider painting part (Image 8) or all of it (Image 4). Stripes and geometric patterns are unexpected (Images 5 and 6), and a colorful floor can be an alternative or complement to colorful walls.

MORE STAND-OUT FLOORING ON APARTMENT THERAPY:
• Painted Floors: Inspiration Gallery
• Ernest Hemingway Home & Museum
• Tile Vault: Villa Lagoon
• Penny Tile Floor at the Standard Hotel
• Nickel Tile Floor! A DIY Bathroom Renovation

Images: 1. Elle Decor 2. Scott Copley via Kitchen Clarity 3. Kate Spade's kitchen via Polka Dots and Puppies 4. High-Heeled Foot in the Door 5. Orlando Soria via Design*Sponge 6. M-Dashing 7. via Cococozy 8. Nora Fleming via Orange Beautiful 9. Olle Hemmendorff 10. Merrilee McGehee via J&K Homestead