How to Choose the Perfect Tiles for Your Bathroom Renovation

If you’re renovating or remodelling, then your walls and floors are going to be a primary way of changing the visual style of your bathroom and bringing it up to date. Floors and walls occupy the most visual space so getting these right is paramount.

Tiling and flooring are also important as they usually take up a large part of your overall budget as they require skilled labour time, so let’s look at how to choose the right tiles for your bathroom.

Main Tiling Considerations

There are two main tiling considerations, the first is how much tiling you will have compared to your wall space. Tiling just one wall or certain sections is quite common but it’s crucial to get the endpoints right otherwise it will look out of balance and wonky. Endpoints must line up with your joinery and cabinetry to achieve a clean intentional look. This technique also uses fewer tiles so can save money overall, but you’ll need to consider how you’ll finish the rest of the wall space.

The second is many people like their tiling to be everywhere and from floor to ceiling which is especially effective for opening up the space in smaller bathrooms. Whilst this comes at a higher cost, it also gives you more options for how much impact your tiling can have (see below).

Tile Combinations

Mixing tiles can lead to exciting and dramatic visual results, but also some complete disasters. Try to stick to one style of tile, for example, stone, matt finish, large scale, one colour, low profile, contoured edges, then only change the colour or size of this tile in combination. Do not mix any of the other attributes. Sometimes a different complimentary texture can work especially if it’s not a texture like stone but just a flat matt tile, otherwise stick to these guidelines and you will end up with a great look.

Small Bathroom Tiling Tips

It’s common for most people to want to make their small bathroom appear bigger to avoid that claustrophobic feeling. Sticking to light colours and also tiling from floor to ceiling will massively help with the illusion of space. You can still mix and match colours but be wary that darker separate sections for the shower for example will still make the bathroom look a bit smaller.

Wear and Tear and Maintenance

Not all tiles are equally strong or equally easy to take care of. Some man-made and cement tiles are quite porous and need regular sealing and cleaning to prevent staining and watermarks etc. But porcelain and ceramic tiles will be the most prone to chips and cracks if you have young children.

Natural stone tiles are the toughest but not the cheapest and each type will have its own benefits in design and finish so take this into account when choosing. For some expert advice, consult your local bathroom renovators