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Bathroom tile design ideas from the House & Garden archive
When it comes to bathrooms, tiles are one of the most important decorating decisions to make. Every element of bathroom design is crucial, but tiles form one of the few decorative elements and there are so many options and so many types of tile to use.
What type of bathroom tiles should you use?
The choice is yours on this point and it depends on the look you want to achieve. There are no rules to follow, so go wild with any type. Metro tiles are the popular pub-style rectangular tiles that have been everywhere for the last few years, while graphic designs with patterns and prints add a touch of interest. You can mix and match and choose plain tiles for the great majority of the bathroom, with a coloured or patterned tile forming a trim along the middle of the wall or above the bath for example. Zellige tiles have an uneven surface that reflects light around and creates a wonderful textural richness in a bathroom – they look especially wonderful when covering three walls of an enclosed shower to create a cocooning effect. Mirrored tiles have a similar effect but with a smooth finish, and terrazzo tiles – which feature marble chipping embedded in a white or black background – hark at Italian palaces in a modern, cool way.
Do I need different tiles for the walls and floor?
In short, no. The one consideration is that the floor should be hard wearing so don't choose something super fragile, but other than that, you can absolutely have the same tiles running from the walls down to the floors. In fact, we think it's a wonderful look, as proved by the pink Nicola Harding tiled bathroom below.
Where should you buy kitchen tiles?
- Balineum - beautiful, hand-glazed tiles created by Sarah Watson in a dizzying array of marvellous designs.
- Topps Tiles - cheap, cheerful and with a wide range of smart options for any style of house.
- Emery & Cie - a French source beloved by interior designers for their classic zellige tiles.
- Dzek - striking tiles in inventive materials, including some amazing terrazzo designs.
- Mandarin Stone - stylish natural stone tiles from a producer with plenty of showrooms around the UK.
- Bert & May - handmade artisan tiles with lots of colour and shape options as well as graphic designs.
- Milagros – the name to know for Mexican tiles, whether patterned or plain.
- Johnson Tiles - a UK brand based in Stoke-on-Trent with a vast selection.
- Feild - a source of modern patterned tiles with a more minimal aesthetic.
- Fired Earth - one of the biggest and most trusted sources for tiles of all types.
- Maitland & Poate - a family-run business who started out sourcing reclaimed and antiques tiles and now also offer their own designs for encaustic cement tiles.
- Clé Tiles - one of the largest online tiles sellers, who frequently collaborate with artists.
- Bisazza - luxury tiles in mosaic and marble mostly.
- Popham Design - a customisable world of colours, shapes and patterns to play with.
- Claybrook - a one-stop-shop for all your tile needs in modern designs.
- Made a Mano - a Danish company that works exclusively with pure solid lava stone.
- Habibi Interiors - traditional Moroccan zellige tiles from a workshop in Fes.
- Mesguich Mosaik - the name to know for bespoke mosaics.
- Tile Mountain - an affordable source for classic tiles in a range of styles.
- Homebase - the DIY store has everything you need, including a good range of basic tiles.
- B&Q - a go-to when the budget is tight and you're after a classic look.
- Terrazzo Tiles - where to go for bespoke and handmade terrazzo tiles.
How do you lay bathroom tiles?
Tiles need grout to be laid, and that's another choice you'll need to make. The standard grout colour is white or neutral, though there are now many more options and some people choose a red grout to pop against a white tile, as you'll see in the pantry of Matilda Goad's London house. The best way to lay tiles is to hire a professional as they'll have a tile cutter readily available to sort all the awkward corners where a full tile won't fit.
How many tiles do I need to order?
Tiles are bought in square metre quantities so first, work out the size of the area you are covering in bathroom tiles and take it from there. Always order 10% more tiles than you need, to account for breakages.
Alexander James1/41In a playful bathroom in this pied-à-terre in Notting Hill, the brief was to offer a French country feel. The bathroom is entered through the joinery in the corridor, so it ‘almost feels like a secret bathroom!', laughs designer Sarah Peake. The Floor Tiles are Series S Ibiza Variato by Balineum and the wall tiles are Zellige by Mosaic Factory – bringing colour and texture to the room.
Owen Gale2/41Undertaking the renovation and decoration of a four-bedroom Victorian house is no easy task, and with the masterful results on show in Sandra Barrio von Hurter's house, you'd never realise this was her first project. The orange of the spare room is picked up in the paint on the bath and basin legs of the master ensuite, and tempered by the pale yellow tiles and walls.
Simon Brown3/41Wipeable floor tiles are the perfect choice for this boot room bathroom of a Georgian house designed by Salvesen Graham – practical for the inevitable the messy comings and goings. (This form of tiling is also an excellent option for children's bathrooms – or for anyone a bit less than neat.)
FRANCESCO DOLFO/LIVING INSIDE4/41After living in Milan for five years, British fashion designer Ashley Fletcher fell for a 16th-century villa in Piedmont. This has become a creative playground, where he has allowed his imagination to run wild with remarkable results. Variations on these striking graphics feature on marble mosaic tiles on the walls and floor in the bathroom.
Boz Gagovski5/41The interior designer Lucy Mayers has wrought an impressive transformation on Interior designer Lucy Mayers' bathroom in her tiny Kensington flat is lined with deep green Zellige tiles, which complements the other natural components and palette seen in the space.
Paul Massey6/41Wondering how to fit a bath and a shower in to a small, sloped attic space? Take inspiration from this design by Todhunter Earle for a chalet in Chamonix. The space is enlivened with iridescent tiles by French company Emery & Cie.
Paul Massey7/41The colour palette used throughout Caroline O'Donnell's London flat is pared back, but with a few well-placed hits of bold colour - the most dramatic of which are the wet-room tiles. 'I loved the idea of Caroline waking up to this rich blue, which is offset perfectly by the glamourous gold fixtures and fittings,' explains designer Harriet Anstruther. The electric blue Bisazza tiles make an ensuite that is tiny but stand-out.
Davide Lovatti8/41The en-suite bathroom in Tara Craig's tiny London flat has Balineum wall tiles and brass fittings from Catchpole & Rye. The bath is over the shower to save space in this small room.
Owen Gale9/41In a shower in the bathroom in Angelica Squire's London house, the shower is lined with deep blue Zellige tiles. These help reflect the light and bounce it around the room, creating a sense of a bigger space – perfect inspiration for those working with smaller bathrooms.
James McDonald10/41Designer Martin Brudnizki's compact west London flat perfectly demonstrates the cleverly layered look of which he is a master. Best known for his work designing hotels such as Soho Beach House in Miami and The Beekman in New York, Martin Brudnizki's forte is creating 'homes from home', he wants his work to be grand and glamorous, but there is also a sense of intimacy and comfort. The bathroom, covered with small marble metro tiles, is the epitome of understated glamour, with brass accessories and industrial-style light fittings.
Taran Wilkhu11/41It took just three months for photographer and artist Zoë Zimmer to make her mark on this London flat, guided by her love of classic 20th-century design and atmospheric lighting. Zoë was inspired by the combination of white tiles and black grout she had seen on buildings in Tokyo. The basin is similar to Lefroy Brooks’ ‘Belle Aire’ design.
Sam Frost12/41In a small bathroom in this well-layered San Francisco flat, the hexagonal floor tiles are a simple and classic choice for a well-heeled bathroom. In tandem with the marble wall coverings, the tiles provide an elegant backdrop for a Waterworks bathtub and the vintage Gilbert Marklund stool.
TARAN WILKHU13/41Traditional Spanish encaustic tiles are set off by Swedish-inspired panelling in the light-filled bathroom in a peaceful Wiltshire country house, adding a playful element to the space.
Paul Massey14/41The owners of this Thirties Georgian-style house were keen to give it an established look while avoiding any stuffiness, so they asked designer Henri Fitzwilliam-Lay to conjure distinctive interiors full of idiosyncratic details. Blue tiles from Waterworks and a bespoke mirror create a pleasing contrast with the woodwork in a custom-mixed orange from Papers and Paints in this bathroom.
Simon Watson15/41A combined sitting room and bathroom in this converted convent in Tuscany is fitted with with hand-painted floor tiles. A shower hides behind a screen and the loo is concealed in a painted cupboard.
Simon Brown16/41This Wealden Hall house in Kent had some unflattering 1920s additions, so the owners assembled a group of experts to restore its late-medieval heart, exposing original structures, swapping cement for lime render, and introducing harmonious furniture and furnishings. In the master bathroom, Antoinette Poisson’s ‘Jaipur’ wallpaper in bleu/vert and floor tiles sourced from Morocco create a bold backdrop to the space.
Michael Sinclair17/41Fonace Brioni tiles create a show-stopping shower space in Pandora Taylor's house.
Joachim Wichmann18/41The black and white bathroom tiles in Pernille Lind's bathroom are from Bert and May, and add a youthful touch to the otherwise more neutral, natural-toned bathroom.
Owen Gale19/41The cupboards in Joanna Plant's upstairs bathroom are painted in Farrow & Ball’s ‘Arsenic’. The lamps are by Hector Finch, the tiles are from Bert & May, and the brass-edged mirror is one of Joanna and Nick’s own designs.
Owen Gale20/41If you're short on a tile budget, consider copying the simple but effective tiling method seen here in Pembroke Lodge. The Delft tiles are from Fired Earth and act as both a decorative feature and a practical, pretty backsplash for the sink.
Owen Gale21/41The bath in the master en-suite of Georgia Cave's house is a bespoke design, with the walls and steps covered in Ruivina marble and offset with Clay Atelier handmade wall tiles from Artisan of Devizes. Riven black slate tiles line the inside of the bath and cover the floor.
Owen Gale22/41Georgina Cave chose these reclaimed patterned tiles to cover the floor and back wall of another bathroom in her London house.
Chris Horwood23/41Should your flat come with white subway tile as it did in Sally Wilkinson's rented flat, consider adding colour in easily changeable ways as Sally did: by adding a skirt around the basin, she provided a simple decoration fix to add flair to an ordinary bathroom feature.
Ollie Tomlinson24/41At Anahita Rigby's design of a Regency house in Marylebone, the walk-in shower features bespoke taps made from unlacquered brass. The tiles are ‘Paintbox’ from Mandarin Stone, and work well with bathroom's more muted palette whilst still adding a touch of femininity and brightness.
Mark Fox25/41The classic black and white Zellige mosaic floor tiling in the master bathroom in Katie Glaister's London house complements the ‘louder’, more unconventional additions to the bathroom – especially the wallpaper, which is ‘Busted’ by Work & Sea. “I love the art and the depth of this paper and have surprised myself by finding it incredibly peaceful,” says Katie.
Paul Massey26/41Farrow & Ball’s ‘Setting Plaster’ paint picks up on pink tiles by Emery & Cie in the bathroom of a sophisticated nineteenth-century London house designed by Harding & Read. This is a wonderful example of how using the same bathroom tiles for the walls and floor can make a big impact. Howe’s ‘Mark Chair’ is covered in green towelling fabric. You can find similar pink glazed tiles at Fired Earth or zellige options in a range of colours from London Encaustic.
Alexander James27/41In the bathroom of a pretty Georgian cottage by Studio Peake, she has used classic metro tiles in white with white grout. The simple style of tiles allows the panelling and wallpaper to set the tone. You can find such tiles at Topps Tiles.
Owen Gale28/41Angelica Squire's house is full of design ideas to copy and her pink marble bathroom tiles are no exception. They use of them across the walls, floor and bath enclosure is dramatic and luxurious, particularly when paired with the rich blue walls. For similar tiles, look at the 'Rosalina Honed Tiles' at Mandarin Stone.
Owen Gale29/41The floor tiles in this bathroom by Clarence Graves are marble effect hexagonal tiles. A very close match can be found at Fired Earth.
Ngoc Minh Ngo30/41The main bathroom in this Californian newbuild with interiors by David Bentheim has a rolltop bath from Waterworks and blinds in a soft white linen by O Ecotextiles. Herringbone tiles are arranged so as to form stripes of colour - white and mustard and grey. Popham Design's 'Baguette' style could work similarly well and are available in many colours.
Sharyn Cairns31/41Interior designer Suzy Hoodless worked with the owners of this west-London town house to create a glamorous effect, using mid-century pieces and a dark colour palette that occasionally breaks in to splashes of brightness. In this bathroom petrol blue tiles have been paired with bright yellow rugs for a surprisingly graphic look. You can find similar bold blue metro tiles at Milagros for a decent price.
Owen Gale32/41In the bathroom of her house in Stockwell, designer and stylist Maude Smith has hand-painted basic white square tiles with ladybirds, butterflies, botanicals and birds. Maude sells her hand-painted tiles via her shop.
33/41Maria Speake of Retrouvius has created bright borders of blue and green zellige tiles from Emery & Cie either side of a central Iznik-style panel in this striking bathroom. The symmetrical arrangement of the tiles is visually pleasing and frames the bath, which has a plain, reclaimed iroko-wood surround and simple unpolished brass fittings. Balineum's hand-painted tiles are a truly magnificent choice for a similar design.
Paul Massey34/41Vibrant green zellige tiles by Emery & Cie enliven the walls of this French bathroom and give it a fresh look. Fired Earth's 'stonelustre aqua' tiles have a similar natural, glossy feel and Mandarin Stone's paintbox range in 'Fern' has a similar colour.
35/41In this double shower, devised by the fashion designer Sara Wensveen, hexagonal tiles in a pale shade of green create a distinctive jagged outline on the walls. The recessed nook features a smaller-scale version of the tiles in yellow. Bisazza's 'Mosaico' range is good for creating a similar look, while Tiles Direct's budget options also come in a wide range of colours.
Rachel Whiting36/41The owners of this London house called on interior designer Beata Heuman to create a family home full of fun, distinctive design and punchy colours. A highly original space, unapologetically theatrical and oozing energy. 'The owners are both artists. They have quite wild tastes and they love strong colours,' says Beata. The opulent, free-standing bath was copied from a Twenties design that Beata spotted in an old magazine. 'It was quite difficult to work out how to make it. Fortunately, we had a very good joiner and we discovered a specialist timber from the Netherlands that is used in boat building and can be submerged in water for 10 years without any ill effect.' The navy tiles on the wall create a dark dramatic background for the unique bathroom furnishings. For a cheap alternative, try 'Matrix Blue Gloss' from Topps Tiles or for a closer match, 'Deep Blue' zellige tiles from London Encaustic.
Sharyn Cairns37/41The bathroom of Pumphouse Point has a view from the windows that is emphasised by the black tiling. The modernisation within the hotel contrasts with its heritage-listed pastel façade. The matching black floor and wall tiles create a crisp contrast with the white painted wall and the inside of the bath. Topps Tiles 'Victorian Black Mosaic Tiles' are a perfect match.
Michael Sinclair38/41The stunning shower mosaic in this bathroom was created by Ann Hughes at Pierre Mesguich Mosaik to the owners' specification. The mother-of-pearl-inlaid mirror is from Iznik Classics.
39/41The owners of this Victorian terraced house in London turned their bedroom into a luxurious en-suite while renovating the house. They wanted the space to have warmth and colour, hence the bold choice of the coloured terracotta floor tiles in a mix of pink, soft grey, white, khaki and petrol blue. Popham Design tiles has a range of colour and shape options that could be used to create a similar effect.
40/41Bold herringbone 'Cristalli' tiles from Made a Mano cover the walls and floor of this wetroom by Faye Toogood. The shower, sink and bath are from Drummonds.
Drummonds41/41Architecture and interior design practice Waldo Works used a combination of eight different blue tiles from Victorian Ceramics, £360 a square metre, to sit under this impressive 30cm-diameter nickel shower head from Drummonds. The top half of each wall in the wet-room-style shower area has been protected with glass, and the glass and metal divider keeps the look slick.
