My kitchen is 13x16 and I think the 12x12 looks fine (it continues into the mudroom and with all the doorways, pantry closet, appliance footprints, it just seemed it would be easier to install, plus I loved this tile). It's really personal preference. You can always install it on the diagonal to get a "larger tile" look (use matching rather contrasting grout to make the floor look like one solid surface). Just be sure to seal the grout really well since you will have more of it than you would if you used larger tiles.

I had people tell me that 12x12 tile was too *big* for a small bathroom - but I thought it made the room look larger. So don't be constrained by what other people say. BTW, I used the same tile (in a slightly different color) in my new kitchen b/c I loved it so much in my old house's bath!

Personally I like the larger tiles. My kitchen is similar in size to yours (15x22) and I used the 17" tiles set on a diagonal with a 4" boarder around the room. IMO, the smaller tiles make a space look busier, and there are a lot more grout lines to clean. If you can post a picture of the tile some of the GW'ers can try to help you find a similar tile in a larger size.

I wouldn't do smaller than 12". I think you can give it a bit more impact if you have it laid in a pattern that is more interesting than straight rows or brick. The diagonal might be nice, and with only one size of tile the patter choices might be limited. If you have a larger or smaller tile, they can lay them in patterns with movement -- things you might see called pinwheel, hopscotch, tumbling, etc. Anyway, my master bath is 13" on the diagonal and I like it. Your kitchen has a lot of space, but I suspect much of that will be covered with cabinets, appliances, a table, maybe a rug, etc. The areas that are open and exposed tile usually aren't that great, so I don't think you'll have the issue of a great expanse of smaller tiles and lots of grout lined looking busy.

Just a few years ago, the trend was to rip up 6 and 8 inch tiles to put down 12 and 13, then 16, then 20 and larger. The mosaics are making their way back into the bathrooms -- wonder when smaller tiles will come back into the kitchens too.

12" is appropriate, and bigger would be too. You could draw it out on graph paper or tape out a 12" gridto see how you like it. The bigger the tile, the stiffer and flatter the floor and underlayment need to be.

We used 16x16 and now I wish I had used 18x18 or higher. In a kitchen you want to minimize grout lines.

My recommendation would be 18s or higher. If I had to do this again, i would use 24x24 tiles in a kitchen.

FWIW, originally set 12" tile through the entry, hall and in the dining/kitchen back in the early 90s. Now that I've finished the back addition, adjacent to the dining/kitchen, I'm preparing to rip out our 70s kitchen, that tiled floor in the dining/kitchen and removing what was the exterior wall of the house to open it up.

While looking at the different flooring options, the feedback from personal/business friends in design, realty, or within the industry is nothing less than 17" in design for the foreseeable future. Funny thing is, I still used a 12" in our ~5'x8' 2nd bath a couple years ago and liked the resulting scale and feel it gave when done.

Although we wanted to move away from tile to something more forgiving underfoot, like some floating laminates, we'll probably more than likely take the tile advise and go with a 17" or larger in the kitchen. Maybe something in a porcelain that can be laid with 1/8" inch grout lines or less and using the floating laminate through the dining to the addition.

Style is a different thing, and big is in, but 12"x12" is "standard" and is never too big or too small.

My floor is a combination of 6x6, 12x12, 6x12, 6x24 and 12x24.

I recently saw a great, new floor that was 3" hexagons.

Agree design is totally a matter of personal preference. Beware of the dictatorship of the trendy. Most of my mistakes have come from *not* listening to my inner muse. I think your wife is right to go for perfect color. Color is much more important than the size of tile.

Tile size also depends on your style. If you have a traditional or transitional space, a 12" tile is ideal, regardless. Personally, I like them on the diagonal to expand the space. In a modern/contemporary space, oversized tiles are very trendy right now. Actually, oversized squares are already yesterday's news; oversized rectangles are the new "in" thing.

The classics will always be "in." But, there really are very few absolute rights or wrongs. Especially when it matches your style.