Bathroom tile ideas for walls, floors and showers

What tiles should I put in my bathroom?

Start with the material, then the look. The right bathroom tile has to cope with water, steam and daily cleaning, and on the floor it has to be safe when wet.

• Porcelain. The best all-round choice. It is dense and absorbs very little water, so it suits floors, shower walls and wet rooms. Most marble-effect, stone-effect and wood-look tiles are porcelain.
• Ceramic. Lighter and usually cheaper than porcelain. Ideal for bathroom walls, and fine on floors if the slip rating is right.
• Natural stone. Marble, limestone and slate look beautiful but need sealing and more care. Stone also costs more to lay: MyBuilder puts labour at £30 to £60 per square metre for stone or complex designs, against £20 to £40 for straightforward work (MyBuilder).
• Mosaic and glass. Small mosaic tiles are good for shower floors, because the extra grout lines give feet more grip, and for niches and feature strips.

14 bathroom tile ideas

1. Large-format porcelain on walls and floor

Big tiles, such as 600 x 1200 mm, mean fewer grout lines, so the room looks calmer and is quicker to clean. They need flat walls and floors, so allow for preparation.

2. Marble-effect porcelain

You get the look of marble without the sealing and staining. Polished finishes suit walls; on the floor, choose a matt or textured finish.

3. Metro tiles with a twist

Classic white metro (subway) tiles look fresh again when laid in a vertical stack, a herringbone or with a contrasting grout. They suit both period homes and modern bathrooms.

4. Herringbone floors

A herringbone tile pattern adds movement to a plain floor. It takes longer to lay: MyBuilder puts herringbone labour at £65 to £85 per square metre, against £40 to £60 for a grid (MyBuilder).

5. Patterned floor tiles with plain walls

Victorian-style or encaustic-effect patterned tiles on the floor, with plain white or soft-coloured wall tiles, give character without overwhelming a small bathroom.

6. One feature wall

Put the bold tile behind the bath, the vanity unit or in the shower space, and keep the other walls simple. You spend more on a smaller area.

7. A mosaic shower niche

A recessed shower niche lined with small mosaic, or the same tile as the wall, gives a neat place for bottles and a small hit of detail.

8. Wood-look porcelain planks

Wood-look tiles bring warmth to a modern bathroom and work well with underfloor heating, without the risk of real timber swelling.

9. Glazed handmade-look tiles

Glossy, slightly uneven tiles in deep green, blue or terracotta, like the green tiles in the photo above, catch the light and suit a bathroom with a window.

10. Terrazzo-effect tiles

Terrazzo-effect porcelain adds pattern through small chips of colour. It hides water marks better than a plain dark tile.

11. Black or dark tiles

Black tiles and dark stone look dramatic in a modern bathroom design. Doncaster's water is classed as hard (Selectra), so limescale marks show more on dark, glossy surfaces. A matt finish and a squeegee help. You can check your postcode on Yorkshire Water's hardness checker.

12. Half-height tiling

Tile to around waist height and paint above it with a bathroom paint. It cuts the cost, and suits cloakrooms and family bathrooms away from the shower.

13. Wall and floor tiles in the same tile

Running the same tile across the walls and floor makes a small bathroom or wet room feel bigger, because there is no line where one stops and the other starts.

14. Coloured grout

Grey or charcoal grout hides wear on floors. A contrasting grout on white tiles makes the pattern the feature.

Which bathroom tile ideas make a small space look bigger?

• Use large-format tiles and fewer grout lines.
• Keep wall and floor tiles the same colour, or the same tile.
• Choose light colours and a satin or gloss finish on the walls to bounce light.
• Lay tiles vertically to make the ceiling feel higher, or horizontally to make a narrow room feel wider.
• Keep the bold pattern to one area, such as the floor or the shower wall.

Should bathroom wall and floor tiles match?

They don't have to. Matching tiles make a small bathroom feel larger and work well in wet rooms. Contrasting tiles, such as patterned floor tiles with plain walls, add interest in a larger room. The rule of thumb is one star: either the floor or the walls, not both.

What tile size is best for a bathroom?

Large tiles suit walls and open floors. On a shower floor that falls to a drain, smaller tiles or mosaics follow the slope better and give more grip. Very small rooms often look best with medium to large tiles, not tiny ones, because there are fewer grout lines.

Slip resistance for bathroom floor tiles

Check the slip rating before you fall for a floor tile. Walls and Floors explains that tiles with a pendulum test value (PTV) of 36 or more are low slip risk, 24 to 35 are moderate and below 24 are high, and that the HSE recommends 36 or more (Walls and Floors). On the R scale, R11 and R12 suit most bathrooms, while R13 is usually kept for wet rooms, pools and outdoor areas (Walls and Floors).

How do I choose grout for bathroom tiles?

Match the grout to the tile for a seamless look, or contrast it to show off the pattern. In showers and on floors, mid-grey hides wear better than bright white. An epoxy grout costs more but resists stains and mould in wet areas.

What is the best substitute for tiles in a bathroom?

Waterproof wall panels (PVC, acrylic or laminate) are the usual alternative. They go up quickly and have few joints, so they suit rentals and quick refits. Tiles still give you more choice of colour, pattern and finish.

What does bathroom tiling cost?

MyBuilder puts tiling most bathrooms at £500 to £1,500, and a full retile at £700 to £2,500, depending on size and complexity (MyBuilder). A standard family bathroom usually takes three to five days, including preparation and grout drying time. See our bathroom tiling service and bathroom prices, or read how long it takes to fit a bathroom.

Frequently asked questions