There is so much you can do with bathroom tile patterns, it seems a pity to waste the opportunity and just go for plain white. Even a simple band raises your tilework up from the ordinary.
Then again, some tile work is so complex and colorful that some people might see it as being over the top. It all depends on you – whether you want a subtle, soothing background to a relaxing soak in the tub, an invigorating, lively visual feast during your morning shower to help you wake up and face the day, or something else.
Bathroom Floor Tiles
When placing patterns underfoot, you need to be a bit careful you’re not going to be inducing vertigo!
Classic black and white hexagon tiles were used in in Victorian homes, and in Arts and Crafts style houses and bungalows at the beginning of the 20th century. These tiles were used in plain colors, with contrast dots, or to form contrast circles which look like flowers, a little like the “Grandmothers Flower Garden” quilt pattern. Historic tiles were flat, without the raised effect that modern tiles usually have, and you can still get the flat ones if you want an authentic look or need to match existing tile. They are more expensive though.
Small tiles like hexagons give good footing on a bathroom floor, not because of their own finish, but because of the many grout lines. Those grout lines also can mean lots of cleaning. Try using grout sealer or an off-white, beige or gray grout to help reduce cleaning chores.
Square white tiles with black squares set diagonally at the corners is another classic pattern which was very popular a few years ago (to the point of reaching the budget-vinyl-flooring ranges), though it’s gone out of fashion again now. Trends aside, it’s a clean, crisp look which can work very well with the large tiles parallel to the main walls, or diagonally.
Tub Surrounds
Subway tiles – rectangular tiles half as high as they are long, usually 3″ x 6″ – laid in a running bond like bricks are another classic pattern that has become very popular recently, especially for kitchen backsplashes, but they work just as well as a tub surround. Adding a simple colored band part way up, or at the top, adds loads of pizazz with very little extra work. Colored grout also adds some snap, or you can use grout which is close to the tile color for a more subtle effect.
Offset patterns like running bond, where you don’t have continuous vertical grout lines, are a good choice if you old house walls are not vertical!
A white mosaic tub surround is very simple, but again the addition of a colored mosaic band can add a lot of character. Other opportunities for pattern if you wanted to add more, would be to use colored grout, or to add more of the colored tiles as used in the band, randomly across the field – perhaps making them more frequent near the band and less so towards the floor and ceiling. Another band at floor or ceiling level would also look interesting, perhaps both. Vertical bands at the corners and beside doors and windows might be overkill, but then again maybe that’s your style!
Large white stone or marble tiles can feature a band of small stone strips in darker shades. The effect is calm and subtle: very little movement in the large tiles, and the colored tiles give structure without a lot of jazziness. This kind of look is very popular for master baths and baths where you want a “spa-like” effect.
Bathroom Shower Tile
A shower area can take up most of a small room, with a floor drain in the middle, a great idea for a kids bathroom where you can get a production line going and shower several of them at once. A pebble floor can be done with large enough and flat enough rocks that they won’t be uncomfortable to stand on, but still have plenty of grip and the “beach” look is very cool.
Bathroom Tile Patterns for Walls
A mosaic tile wall can be done as a large scale “damask” pattern – similar to the tone-one-tone patterns found in fabrics used for soft furnishings. Another idea for mosaic patterns is to use cross stitch designs: these can range from large to small, feature areas to motifs, colorful to subtle. This would work best in a larger room where you can step back and get the full overall effect, then go close up to look at the details.
