Five creative ways to use large-format porcelain slabs in the home

With recent interior design trends charting a course for more creative waters, a whole new world of material and colour palettes has opened up. No longer restricted by conservative ideas around what materials should be used in specific applications, designers are making bold decisions to feature the unexpected — like a tiled wall in a bedroom — in their homes. 

Porcelain slab suppliers, Flosa, are inspired by this wave of creativity; their catalogue of beautiful, large-format porcelain slabs are ideal for both traditional and out-of-the-box applications in the home. 

“Porcelain is known for its strength and resistance to scratches, cracks, and chips, making it incredibly hard-wearing. And, unlike natural stone that often requires regular sealing, porcelain slabs are non-porous and stain-resistant, which makes cleaning as simple as wiping with a damp cloth,” says Shan Huang, founder and director of Flosa. 

ArchiPro caught up with Shan Huang to talk creative applications for porcelain slabs, discovering five ways this material can be used to add a point of difference to your space.

While kitchens are one of the more traditional locations for stone or tile surfaces, there are plenty of opportunities to approach this space creatively through colour and texture. For a bold, statement benchtop, Huang suggests Flosa’s Nero Marquina slab. With a matte finish and striking, full-body patterned black and white streaked appearance, the slab looks as if it could be granite. 

“Porcelain slabs are water, stain, scratch, and heat resistant, making them the perfect choice for kitchen benchtops and outdoor cooking areas,” Huang explains. 

Whether you’re designing a dark-toned kitchen, or looking for one contrasting piece, the Nero Marquina slab is an audaciously tasteful selection.

Hard surfaces like stone and tile can seem like the antithesis of traditionally cosy and comfortable living room material palettes. But, paired with warm wood grains, thick rugs, plush furnishings, and soft ambient lighting, a porcelain slab feature wall is a luxuriously welcome addition. 

Huang recommends Flosa’s Malachite — a gorgeous green stone-look slab — as the backdrop to a media wall or fireplace. With shades of green ranging from pastel to deep forest, with hints of blue and gold, Malachite is bound to captivate any audience.

As with the living room, designers often think cosy first in the bedroom. This doesn’t have to rule out porcelain, particularly as Flosa’s range includes timber-look slabs. Huang’s suggestion, the Flosa Sweden Spruce slab, appears almost indistinguishable from timber at a glance. Though the material’s porcelain properties are certainly different to those of wood, the finish achieves the same serene, scandi-chic goals. Application-wise, Huang says this slab can be used creatively as a feature wall or façade for cabinet doors. 

“Our large slabs provide a seamless look with minimal grout lines which enhances the visual flow of the surface — particularly appealing for sleek, modern designs.” For designers wanting to create a look reminiscent of large timber panels, this is a definite plus.

Similar to kitchens, stone and tile finishes are a common occurrence in bathrooms. This doesn’t rule out the possibility of creative ideas, though. With a rich blue hue that calls to mind arctic glaciers, Flosa’s Azure Wave Marble slab is Huang’s pick for walls, floors, or vanity applications in the bathroom. From the bold (a wall-to-wall installation) to the refined (a benchtop or feature wall moment) this slab is sure to turn heads. 

“As the slab is water resistant and has minimal grout lines, it is a hygienic and trustworthy product for bathrooms,” Huang says. “Plus, as porcelain is made from natural, renewable resources like clay and sand, it is more energy-efficient to produce compared to other surfaces.”

Whether you’re dreaming of a grand entryway with chandeliers, towering staircases, and a tasteful marble sculpture, or drawing up something more simple and refined, the soft grey of Flosa’s Emperor Armani slab is a breathtaking addition to this often overlooked area in the home. With its polished finish, the slab could be a window to a stormy sky — the colour is that lush. 

“Porcelain doesn’t fade when exposed to UV light, which makes it great for indoor spaces that receive lots of sunlight, as well as outdoor applications.” This opens up several opportunities for entryways; as Huang suggests using the slab on the floor, it could easily be extended across a patio or placed on steps to the front door. 

To finish, Huang suggests a few additional applications for Flosa slabs, “They can also be used in furniture design as tabletops, cabinet doors, drawers, and decorative surfaces for another touch of elegance in your space.”

Explore the Flosa porcelain slab range here.