June 6, 2024 | Updated: June 7, 2024
Nothing beats bathroom tile ideas for a complete makeover of the room’s décor. With a simple update of the floor and wall tiles, your bathroom can become a luxurious home spa.
For both practical and aesthetic reasons tiles are the ideal decorative treatment for the bathroom. They protect floors and walls and give off a luxurious sensation of solidity and elegant ornament.
And bathroom tiles provide the added bonus of almost zero maintenance. With a little TLC, they will look just as good in five years as the day they were installed.
Through this article, we will help you choose specific tiles for your bathroom floor and walls. We include suggestions for small en-suites, courtesy bathrooms as well as large family bathrooms. In addition, we’ll provide decorative inspiration and colour suggestions. Read on to discover all about bathroom tile ideas.
Bathroom tile ideas are generally divided into floor tiles and wall tiles. These tiles should not be confused, as they do very different things. Floors for bathrooms protect the building structure from damp ingress, and provide a safe and level surface to walk on that is resistant to slips. While wall tiles are more decorative and provide greater artistic freedom (although they also protect walls from dampness). Broadly speaking, we categorise floor tiles by the material and wall tiles by their style.
Types of Bathroom Floor Tiles
· Porcelain tiles
· Natural stone tiles
· Vinyl tiles
Styles of Bathroom Wall Tiles
· Ceramic tiles
· Porcelain tiles
· Subway or Metro tiles
· 3D tiles
· Zellige tiles
· Mosaic tiles
The beauty of bathroom tiles is their capacity to create different zones within the same space. The modern bathroom includes a WC, Wash Hand Basin, shower and/or bathtub, all of which are used differently. With contrasting or complementary tiles, the different functions in the space are better defined. And if you choose a decorative handmade tile to surround the WHB the effect is enhanced by using plain tiles everywhere else. Similarly, within shower cubicles tiles help to define niches for grooming products or can create built-in furniture, like a bench for sitting.
Depending on the size of your bathroom you might prefer using contrasting or continuous tiles for bathroom floors and walls. Bathroom tile ideas can include an integrated aesthetic that looks identical on floors and walls. Or alternatively, a contrasting approach that includes different designs, patterns, sizes and finishes. For very small ensuites or wet rooms, the continuous effect might work best. Here the floors and walls appear to run into one another. While for larger bathrooms to avoid a sparse, empty-looking space it’s advisable to choose more contrasting tiles for different zones.
Nylo Noir Polished 120×270 cm
Tiles can be used to great effect to make a small bathroom look bigger. The size of the tiles and the use of colour are the key. Bathroom floor tile ideas such as larger format tiles will require fewer joints and look like a continuous surface. Rectified floor tiles also help, the edges of the tiles are precision cut and the joints are narrower, thus almost disappearing.
The same applies to large-format wall tiles. Small bathroom tile ideas also include mosaics, geometric tiles, patterned tiles or rectangular tiles laid in patterns like herringbone, chevron or offset style. These tiles are ideal for ensuite bathroom ideas, small bathrooms and wet rooms. They look elegant and create visual interest, you can also incorporate colour as part of these bathroom tile ideas for small bathrooms.
Another of the most underappreciated ways to transform the bathroom is with textured tiles. 3D wall tiles, mosaics and handmade tiles like Zellige tiles can be combined imaginatively with other plain tiles to highlight the contrasting surfaces. The use of texture is particularly effective when the light falls on the tiles (either natural or artificial) illustrating the surface relief. Bathroom wall tile ideas that combine flat and textured tiles also help to define zones and expand the space.
Mosaico Durango 33.3×100 cm
The feature wall is the perfect balance between decoration and style in the bathroom. Even a standard tile like the subway tile can be used to great effect to create an eye-catching wall behind a Wash Hand Basin or WC. The laying pattern, the grouting and the colour of these versatile tiles can add a decorative flourish. Alternatively, a 3D tile confined to a small area will not break your budget. The bathroom feature wall is the perfect way to use a favourite tile in a more limited but nonetheless effective way.
No matter which style décor you prefer there is a tile, or combination of tiles, that will bring your vision to life. Whether your taste is cutting-edge contemporary or traditional Victorian, tiles are one of the most versatile ways to express a decorative style. These ideas will help you get started matching décor and tile.
If you are looking for a modern bathroom aesthetic then there’s a new generation of tiles to choose from. These modern bathroom tile ideas consist of types of tiles such as three-dimensional tiles, mirror tiles, textured tiles or uneven wall tiles. But equally, another bathroom floor idea or wall idea is to use traditional tiles in a modern way. You can do this with strong definite colours used over entire surfaces, or by combining different patterns and textured tiles.
Golden White Pulido 120x60x2 cm
Habana Dark Classico 120x60x1.5 cm
To add an exotic and decorative touch to your bathroom, these are some Spanish bathroom tile ideas for you to use. Adding geometric style glazed wall tiles, which are typical of Andalusia (south of Spain), can add this Spanish resort retreat look to your bathroom. You use this bathroom tile idea to feature on a wall or combine a panel with a plainer tile to maximise the effect.
Retro-style tiles have become very popular in UK bathrooms. The traditional Victorian cement tile for example is trending in bathroom décor. If you want to get the look, we recommend combining a pattern with a border tile to get the authentic retro look. Similarly, mosaics and handmade tiles can evoke vintage charm and contrast with modern sanitary ware. And even classic metro tiles in modern colour schemes look familiar but in a modern way.
For a great classic bathroom look, a combination of black and white will never date, nor will either of these colours used separately. The chequerboard floor pattern always looks at home in UK bathrooms. Similarly, the use of the half-tiled wall creating a wainscot or dado rail always looks stylish in a bathroom. It also offers the option of combining wall tiles with paint colours or wallpaper.
Colour is not just for the living room and other entertaining areas of the home, colours for bathrooms will also enrich the décor. So, when looking for bathroom tile inspiration, one aspect you should look into is colourful bathroom ideas, from neutral to bright, here are a few of our bathroom tiling ideas by colour.
Liston Madera Roble 45×120 cm
Natural wood flooring is problematic in bathrooms, the humidity damages the wood over the long term. But that doesn’t mean sacrificing the texture and warm colour ranges of natural timber. Wood effect floor tiles add an organic element to design with all the advantages of ceramic or vinyl. Bathroom walls are also an ideal surface for cladding with timber effect tiles. They are ideal for a feature wall or as a way to define a zone within the space.
The look of marble is the utmost in sophisticated chic within bathroom décor. With marble effect tiles the colour range and veining of natural marble can add a spa-like feel to family bathrooms. Marble is suitable for floors and walls. Larger format tiles help to add character to larger bathroom spaces that might otherwise look empty. These tiles can be used to create a continuous vertical and horizontal surface, or just as a feature panel.
Grey is a great colour for modern-style bathrooms. It has character and versatility reflecting light into the space for lighter shades of grey or creating drama with darker shades. Large format concrete texture floor tiles in a matt finish are ideal for a loft-style or industrial bathroom. Grey slate or stone tiles will provide a luxurious finish to complement any choice of sanitary ware. While the grey Metro wall tile oozes elegance and sophistication.
For a timeless classic décor that will never date white is hard to beat in the bathroom. For a white bathroom, we recommend combining laying patterns and textures. Bathroom tile ideas like the subway wall tile in glazed white ceramic are infallible. It evokes hygiene and light, which is precisely the qualities that the bathroom should express. Subtle combinations of different white and tile dimensions will add visual interest to an all-white colour scheme.
Beige and brown tiles hide a multitude of sins when used on bathroom floors and walls. In addition, these tones will bring visual warmth to the bathroom floor and walls. You can choose oxidised metal effect tiles which will provide your bathroom with an industrial loft-like finish. Or handmade Zellige-style tiles in earthy tones to add an organic quality. Gold and beige mosaics are also an exceptional combination for a feature wall in the bathroom.
Cream is a classic neutral shade for bathroom décor that suffers from a bad reputation. Like brown and beige cream is a colour full of potential to create warm and luxurious spaces. You can do this by combining different cream bathroom tiles. It’s all about maximising the light, combining glazed and non-glazed in different format ceramic tiles. Variety is the key when it comes to cream bathroom tiles.
Taj Mahal Silk 120×270 cm
Taj Mahal Silk 120×120 cm
Of all the colour choices that are trending in bathroom décor currently green is one of the most powerful. With the advent of environmental awareness, we associate green with nature and sustainability. In recent years the advent of biophilic design has helped bring green bathroom tiles into focus where they can be combined with plants and water-saving sanitary ware. Green tiles are a statement of intent that also evoke balance and harmony between body and soul.
Blue is among the most inspirational colours for bathrooms which explains why it’s also one of the most popular. The range in tones, the associations with water and the calming qualities of blue make it an obvious choice. Nevertheless, blue has the potential to express a range of styles: from boho-chic seaside vibes in marine tones to moody drama in luxurious deep blue and indigo tones. Our advice is to combine a few complementary shades of blue on bathroom walls and floors to create depth and character.
Nazari Yadida 11.5×11.5 cm
With a wide range of bathroom tile inspirations in this article, it can be hard to choose which bathroom tiles you may want for your walls or floors. To help choose a bathroom tile we recommend making an appointment with the professionals at your nearest Porcelanosa showroom. They can guide you and advise on technical issues. In the meantime, if you need further explanation on any of the issues raised in this article please drop us a line.
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English · UK
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