How To Choose Tile for a Bathroom

Bathrooms many years ago were fairly simple to design, and many homes featured similar looking tilework. Fast forward to today and the choices are too many to consider in one visit to the tile store! Wall and floor tiles come in multiple shapes, sizes, colors, and materials.  With so many selections, how can you choose?

With such a variety of price points, your dream bathroom can easily look luxurious with the right combination of tile choices, even if your budget is tight.

Because it’s a small space, the wrong mix of tiles can make your bathroom feel too bare and cold, or too cluttered and overwhelming. A smart way to choose the right tile is to start with your favorite personal design style. Is the rest of your home sleek and modern, or classic and comfy? If your project is the bathroom within a master bedroom, you’ll want to continue the overall design choices from one room into the other.

So Many Tile Choices – Where to Begin?

Choose your very favorite style of tile first, whether it’s the main design or an accent area. Starting with your ideal design helps you imagine the rest.

While there are many sizes, shapes, and colors that would go great in your bathroom and meet your personal style, don’t go overboard. It’s best to limit the number of styles to three selections for the whole room.

Begin by choosing your best style because if it’s a bold pattern or color, your other tiles can be simpler and more subdued. That will help your star tile stand out. And if your favorite is very clean and plain, then your other tiles should have brighter or deeper colors or shapes to complement it.

Plan on choosing tile for your floors, wall of your shower or tub, and a decorative accent piece as the star of the room.

Create a Design Story With a Combination of Tile Selections

Your accent piece will be one focal point, so choose your favorite carefully. Having 2 or 3 accent pieces will clutter up the visual appeal of the room, especially since bathrooms are a small space.

The accent tile doesn’t have to be confined to a small space – you can use decorative tile for your whole floor, or you can fill one small wall with it, making it a showstopper. But then it’s important that the other tile surrounding that area is neutral and simple, so it doesn’t compete for attention.

Don’t Forget to Consider Maintenance

For the tiles in your shower, choose tiles that work well in wet areas, such as porcelain or ceramic. As a bonus, they are most easy to clean. On the other hand, natural stone tiles are porous and like to hold on to dirt.

For planning purposes, it’s good to know that natural stone tiles must be sealed. They are porous and prone to holding on to dirt.

And while glass tiles come in many colors, sizes, and shapes, they are meant for the walls. Glass is too slippery for floors!

Count on the Experts to Help

Choosing tile for your new bathroom can be fun or befuddling! The team at Loughlin & Son Construction can help guide you with our years of expertise to make the process as smooth as possible.