Bathroom tile has come a long way since the uninspiring black and white hexagonal tiles that were common in bathrooms some time ago. Now, tiles come in so many materials, colors, patterns and textures that how they are used is only limited by the imagination of the homeowner or their interior decorator. Here are some stunning new ideas on how to use bathroom tile.
One Wall of Tile
A single wall of ceramic tile installed to create interesting patterns and contrasting colors can be a focal point for a bathroom or powder room. Shapes can range from curves or fishscales to squares and hexagonals.
Different Materials
A floor laid with tiles of different materials keeps the space from being boring. A floor can have a pattern of mosaic tiles in the center bordered by tiles of white marble that are continued in the shower stall or a window surround. Mosaic tiles are small tiles that come in sheets that are easily installed by a DIYer. The homeowner may want to hire a bathroom remodel contractor to install tiles of different sizes made of different materials.
Tiles Laid Like Bricks
There’s no reason that tiles can’t be laid on the floor in patterns normally associated with brick, even if those patterns are a bit exaggerated for effect. Patterns to consider for floor tiles include 90 and 45 degree herringbone, herringbone with a contrasting border, basketweave, half-basketweave, basketweave with different colors and even promenade. These patterns can also be placed on walls.
Tile Used as Boundaries
Ceramic tiles of different sizes and shapes in the bathroom can be used to delineate the wet and dry areas of the room. In one instance, hexagonal tiles are placed in the dry area of the bathroom, while larger, textured porcelain tiles are placed in the shower room.
Tile as Dado
Tile looks good installed on only the bottom half of a wall while the upper wall is painted or even designer wallpapered. There is, by the way, wallpaper that is treated to withstand the heat and humidity found in a bathroom.
The Same Tiles on Both Floors and Walls
Tiles the same size, color and texture on both the walls and the floors work in a really small bathroom or powder room. The one thing to be mindful of is even if they are the same size and color, floor and wall tiles are not the same. Floor tiles by necessity have to be a little tougher than those put on the walls, and wall tiles should not be put on the floor.
Use Different Shades of One Color
It can be fun for a homeowner to pick out tiles that are a different shade of the same color. They can have a few tiles of sky blue, a handful of turquoise, a bunch of navy, some number of ultramarine and have the bathroom remodel contractor figure out where to put them on the wall or the floor. A really eye-catching design would be an ombre, where the wall goes from the palest blue at the top to the darkest blue at the bottom or vice versa.
Don’t Forget Accent and Border Tiles
Border tiles in a tub alcove can make an otherwise pedestrian area really pop. The same is true for little accent tiles placed judiciously on the walls and floors. These can be diamonds or circles made to resemble Chinese willow ware or even majolica porcelain.
