How to select bathroom tiles

Our blog on how to select bathroom tiles is a step-by-step guide to picking your perfect bathroom tiles! The latest trends mean that what was once a functional space has become a spa, a go-to for relaxation, a luxurious space and tiles play a huge part in creating a bathroom haven.

From a tile perspective, bathrooms can be tricky spaces to design. This is partly due to the fact they tend to be the smallest rooms in the home. In addition, there are decisions to be made about where you tile. For example, you may only want to tile where water is likely to splash on the walls or floor. Or you might decide to tile the entire space floor to ceiling and perhaps combine a couple of tile options. You may want to create a feature wall in which case you are picking more than one tile for your room so need to think about how your tiles will work together. Size of tile is also a consideration. Small space doesn’t necessarily need to equal small tiles! But how large can you go?

Whatever you are looking for, it is best to start your tile search as early as possible! So let’s start by taking a look at how to select bathroom tiles including some of the key considerations.

Combining different tiles

What is the maximum number of tiles you can really use in a bathroom? Well, this is entirely up to you of course, however, three is probably the maximum you want to opt for. Any more and your space may look and feel busy.

If you want to use more than one tile then think about picking a tile to work across your bathroom and then combining that with a feature tile to create a wow wall or two! Or you may want to use one tile colour for the floor and another for the walls. If you do, then picking two different toned tiles from the same collection can really elevate your space keeping the styling beautiful and tonally changing it up.

Patterned or feature tiles can really work in a bathroom and are a great way of stamping your personality onto spaces. Use them to create a feature wall or for the floor. They can combine brilliantly with a softer, more subtle tile with little movement as this really makes them stand out as a feature.

Tile size

As we have already seen, small space doesn’t necessarily need to equal small tile. In fact, larger tiles mean less grout lines and less grout lines make a space feel less busy. Always check with your tiler that your chosen tile size will work for your space. You may want to opt for a single size tile across your entire space or if combining sizes then think about using tiles that work together size wise, eg a 600 x 600mm format for the floor and then perhaps a 1200 x 600mm for the walls.

Tile size really will impact the overall look of your bathroom design so it is a key consideration. Opt for a rectified tile with straight tile edges and grout lines are just 3mm for floors and 2mm for walls (this is the British Standard and does vary for some really large format tiles so check with your tiles). Picking a grout colour to blend with your tile will also create a more cohesive design and add to a feeling of spaciousness in what is generally a small room.

Tile texture

Part of interior design is about colour palettes and textures. Combining different finishes is key to creating a beautifully cohesive design and tiles can play a huge role in this. Tiles are available in a range of finishes from polished to semi-polished, matt, natural, antislip and more. There are also textured wall tiles that can really add depth to your design. Texture also reacts to light so is a key decision for spaces when considering both natural and artificial light. Matt finishes will tend to absorb light so can make spaces feel cosier whereas polished finishes will reflect light.

Tile finish is also about safety too, so it is important to check the slip ratings of tiles before you finally choose. Matt or textured tiles can be better in areas where water is likely to be present and for wetrooms opting for a tile with a minimum R11 A+B+C antislip rating is a must.

Tile colour

There is definitely a trend towards warmer toned tiles, away from the coolness of greys – although we think grey will always be around in some form or another because it is just such a great colour. Warmer grey tones can bridge the grey-brown divide with mushrooms and taupes proving good choices – aswell as Greige of course.

Co-ordinating colours with any cabinetry is key so having samples of these will help with your decision making process. Ordering samples is a great place to start seeing how your colour scheme will pull together. The beauty of porcelain is tiles are available in a range of colours so even a concrete effect porcelain tile will likely include a spectrum of colours from whites to greys, sands to charcoals.

For a timeless look and feel creams, off-whites and woods are always a good pick. For feature walls think pattern, texture and colour! Wood effect wall tiles, metallic effect porcelains or pretty patterns can all be used to create a wow wall or two.

Alternatively, you can colour drench a wall or two in smaller brightly coloured feature tiles to create an incredible effect! Think rich greens, deep blues or keep it neutral!

Tile design

Porcelain tiles are designed to echo other materials such as concrete, metal, stone, wood and more. In latter years, tile design has moved forward leaps and bounds with tiles that not only look like the material they are mimicking but also feeling like that material. Marble is a good example with tiles like our Macchia Vecchia in natural finish where tile pattern and texture align so these tiles not only look like the real thing, you can feel the veins too.

In addition, better quality tiles have many faces or designs to avoid pattern repeats. Many wood effect porcelain tiles feature 30, 40 or even 50 different patterns for ultra realism.

To sum up

We hope our guide on how to How to select bathroom tiles gives you a good start to picking tiles. Considering things like size, colour, style and finish are all key. Ordering samples is a brilliant way to get started and you can pick up to 6 free samples via our website with the option for larger samples for a small fee. Or visit our showroom! Bring along any samples or key colours and let’s look together at what might work over a coffee!

How to choose bathroom tiles - gallery

Knot Porcelain Wooden Effect Tiles – Honey

Motif porcelain patterned tiles – Geo Sand

smitten gloss porcelain tiles – heather

Smitten gloss porcelain tiles – lapis

Toast porcelain tile – Biscotti

Adore wall ceramic spanish tile – bottle green

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Get In Touch

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The TilePortfolio specialise in Italian and Spanish Porcelain and Ceramic tiles, in particular large format Porcelains and Porcelain tiles for inside and outside. Our carefully curated, stunning tile portfolios are beautifully presented online and supported by our fuss-free ‘go-the-extra-tile’ service. In addition, you can view our entire tile collection at our Northamptonshire Showroom. Visit our website for unmissable interiors inspiration. The TilePortfolio team are always available to chat, we’d be delighted to help with your project so please do get in touch.

Please note: We strongly recommend using a professional tiler for your project. Installation requirements may vary depending on the tiles you choose, the fixing products used and the specific conditions. Always check with your tiler regards the suitability of the tiles. Please get in touch with us if you have any questions.

How to select bathroom tiles