Are you looking for beautiful shower tile ideas? Bathroom tiles come in a seemingly endless selection of materials, finishes, and price points, which means there are bathroom tile designs for everyone, whatever your style.
Shower tiles are waterproof and washable, making them ideal for shower cubicle walls, showers with trays, and wet room floors as well.
Aside from the practicalities, the availability of tiles in a wide range of materials suitable for a shower – from porcelain and glass to ceramic and stone – as well as shapes, sizes, colors and finishes, means that the design possibilities are endless for your bathroom ideas.
bathroom tile ideas
There are endless bathroom tile ideas for your walk-in shower, thanks to the fact that tiles these days come in just about every color, shape, and size imaginable.
1. Embracing the trend for terrazzo shower tiles
(Photo credit: Ca Pietra)
Terrazzo is having a moment, and it’s no wonder. Its impressive range of designs are perfect for traditional and modern bathroom ideas, shower rooms and wet rooms. If you want to use it in moderation for effect, placing it on just one bathroom wall, as in this space designed by Ca’ Pietra, is a good way to do it.
2. Create a coordinated color contrast
(Image credit: Nick Smith)
If your bathroom faces north, or has a small window that lets in a little natural light, you can use these clever small bathroom tile ideas to change the tone of the entire space.
When choosing tiles for small bathrooms, choosing tiles with a white background – to improve lighting and space – and a warm accent color – yellow in this case – can make the space brighter and warmer, which is always welcome in the bathroom.
If you want a bold color like this, introduce some contrast between the walls and floors to spark interest, but be sure to match the color in place.
3. Mix and match to inject the character
(Image credit: Future/Mark Bolton)
If you’re struggling to choose between Moroccan tiled mosaics and Italian marble slabs, don’t do it.
It is entirely possible to make two tile patterns work together in a small wet room. In this example, the irregular high-gloss tiles sit happily next to the marble slabs, and bond together easily thanks to the matching color choice.
4. Embrace color
(Image credit: Bert and May)
“The main trend we’re seeing is that our customers are getting bolder and more adventurous in the colors they want to use in their tiling,” says Thornley.
In the past year we’ve seen a spike in interest in our pink collection, now we’re seeing more interest in colors that relate to the outdoors, so our greens, blues, and yellows, with earthy oranges and terracotta as a huge bathroom trend. “
5. Don’t forget the word
(Image credit: Future / Davide Lovati)
Pointing out the point of difference between walls and the floor opens up all kinds of design possibilities: If you don’t think a space (or your morning mind) can take on a patterned wall, move it to the floor. Remember, however, that this texture is just as important as the pattern.
Fernandez cautions that, “With any bathroom remodeling project, it’s also worth considering the tile’s slip resistance – a balance must be struck between aesthetics and practicality!”.
In most cases, a natural finish is sufficient for bathrooms. However, in wet rooms, we always recommend the use of porcelain tiles in the grip or R11 finish, which is designed to provide more traction in wet conditions.
6. Choose a shower tile that fits your space
(Image credit: BD Designs / @home_is_elmleigh)
“Using concrete in an upstairs bathroom can be challenging because the weight can make it unacceptable, but a great alternative is micro-cement,” says Barry Cutchie, design director at BC Designs. “It’s a specialized coating that can be applied to any hard surface and replicates the design aesthetics of real concrete for a modern, minimalist design.”
Best of all, it is waterproof and suitable for underfloor heating, so it is a perfect tile design alternative to shower cubicle ideas and wet room ideas. In this design, it’s paired with marble porcelain tiles for a modern look in a spa bath.
7. Elevate a white stripe with the California Casual trend
(Photo credit: Hub of the House / Meghan Bob Photography)
“The modern, casual interpretation of the beach house, and the strong presence of blue in the finish palette were the two demands of the homeowner on this Manhattan Beach house,’ says Karen Harautonian, founder and principal designer of the Hub of the House. “This is achieved with Granada Tile’s blue and white concrete tiles, floating vanity and layered finishes.”
8. For a hotel style aesthetic, choose digitally printed porcelain
(Image credit: Joshua Smith Company)
Consider using marble carefully for spaces that you use in large areas because no marble slab is like the other. “What I love most about marble is the vibrancy and coloration,” says interior designer Cara Woodhouse.
Joshua Smith, founder and lead designer at Joshua Smith Inc. Shower wall tiles are our new favorite product from Cancos Tile and Stone, it’s digitally printed porcelain that provides the look of Calacatta marble without the headache or smudging of the actual marble.
9. Offer an ocean-inspired look
Ca’ Pietra Atlantis Scallop Porcelain Tile, Ripples
(Image credit: ripples)
Inspired by the colors of the sea – and with a shimmery iridescent finish, these scallop-shaped porcelain shower tile ideas will add fresh impact to any space. Green and blue are very much the color of the moment, and this bright shade is fresh and refreshing.
The darker shade is offset by the rest of the gray bathroom, from the plain subway tiles on the adjacent walls to the matching faded floor tiles that run across the rest of the space.
10. Be bold and bright with a floor-to-ceiling motif
(Image credit: Drummonds)
“Bathrooms are one of the few places in the home where you can enjoy strong, vibrant hues that might be louder than in other rooms,” says James Lentaigne, creative director at Drummonds.
‘Maximums are quite a trend with more and more people experimenting with bold patterns and bright colours. Using colored or patterned tiles is a great way to give an edge to a shower area.
What kind of tiles do you use in the shower room?
Shower tile ideas are endless, and it’s a great place to show your interior design taste. But one thing to remember when it comes to floor tiles for a wet room is to choose a design with a raised matte finish and a non-slip bathroom floor.
Just because you have limited space in the shower cubicle doesn’t mean that shower tile ideas are also limited. Small bathroom ideas, from en suite bathrooms and wet rooms, to simple compact family bathrooms and walk-in showers, don’t automatically have to be a simple white room to get the feeling of space.