Bathrooms tend to come in a wide array of shapes, sizes and designs, and without major reconstruction and remodelling to a home, the space we have is often the one we have to work with. This has led to many people trying to figure out how they can make the most of a small bathroom area, creating a luxurious space within smaller square footage than may otherwise be considered.
As with most bathroom designs, tiles have invariably been one of the most prominent parts of the small bathroom design process. This is because, outside of their usual stylistic and cleaning benefits, tiles create texture and structure that may otherwise be difficult to bring to a limited area.
So, what can you do with tiles in a smaller space, and what are some bathroom tile ideas for small bathrooms that you can consider for your own projects? Well, at Tilemall, we’re here to assist you with all your bathroom tiling needs. So, let’s take a look at some tips and tricks to help you bring a big sense of style to your small space.
Small Bathroom Tile Ideas
The important thing to remember when considering small bathroom tiling is that you want the final finish to be eye-catching, but not overwhelming. Especially important when the space in the bathroom is small. Whether you're looking for floor tiles, wall tiles or shower tile ideas, there really is something for every style and space.
Use Pattern Tiles to Create a Modern Style Bathroom
Using pattern tiles in a modern style bathroom adds visual interest and depth, making the space more dynamic and appealing. They allow for customization, reflecting personal style through various designs like geometric shapes or subtle textures. Pattern tiles elevate the overall aesthetics, transforming a plain bathroom into a sophisticated, contemporary environment. Additionally, they can create an illusion of more space, making small bathrooms feel larger. Their versatility means they can be used on floors, walls, or as accents, offering creative design possibilities. Durable and easy to maintain, pattern tiles also enhance the bathroom’s brightness and can potentially increase property value with their stylish appeal.
Choose Penny Tiles to Create a Classic Style
Penny tile is a classic and time-tested choice for any bathroom but works particularly well in a small bathroom since the tile is small in size and easy to cut to fit the tightest of spaces. For example, this penny tile flooring that blends well with the white subway tiles on the shower walls and complements period-appropriate fixtures to create a timeless look. In addition to its practicality in small spaces, penny tile also adds a touch of visual interest with its unique texture and pattern.
Use Terrazzo Tiles to Create a Mid Century Modern Style
In a small bathroom, terrazzo tiles offer a perfect blend of style and functionality. Terrazzo tiles, with their speckled look and variety of colours, add visual interest and a touch of luxury to floors and walls. They are incredibly durable and easy to maintain, making them perfect for high-traffic areas. Despite their elegant look, terrazzo tiles are tough and easy to clean, perfect for busy bathrooms. With a variety of colours and patterns, they can elevate the bathroom's design while maintaining a timeless charm. Plus, their eco-friendly nature makes them a smart choice for sustainable spaces. Terrazzo tiles bring durability, style, and eco-friendliness to small bathrooms, creating a beautiful and functional oasis.
Create a Vertical Layout Style
In this small bathroom using the Antique Porcelain Mosaic Kit Kat 12x92 Mint Green Gloss can add a hint of colour without overwhelming the small space, drawing the eye upward to give the illusion that the ceilings are taller. The glossy finish of the tiles reflects light beautifully, brightening up the space and giving it a vibrant, modern look. The simple, natural feel of this small bathroom design creates a calm and peaceful atmosphere.
Use a Herringbone Pattern
Laying simple white tiles in a herringbone pattern adds subtle texture to the floor of this small bathroom. The herringbone pattern, characterised by its diagonal arrangement, creates visual interest and depth, making the floor appear larger and more spacious than it actually is. This classic yet stylish design adds a touch of elegance to the bathroom, enhancing its overall aesthetic appeal. In a small bathroom, the herringbone pattern helps to break up the monotony of a plain floor, adding a sense of movement and sophistication. The crisp lines and geometric shapes of the herringbone tiles bring a timeless charm to the space, while the white colour brightens and freshens the room, creating a clean and inviting atmosphere.
Use Large-Scale Marble Tiles for Small Bathroom
Large-scale marble effect tiles work surprisingly well in a small space, helping to trick the eye into seeing a seamless slab of stone at a much more affordable price. The expansive size of the tiles helps to visually enlarge the space, creating the illusion of a larger and more open environment. Additionally, the seamless look of large-scale tiles reduces the number of grout lines, giving the impression of a smoother and more cohesive surface. In a small bathroom, this can help to create a sense of continuity and flow, enhancing the overall design.
Balance White With Neutral Textures
Though new renovators often default to a complete white-tile design, for smaller spaces that don’t have as much space to build textures, a little more variety is encouraged. However, you also want to avoid overwhelming the room or creating too much dissonance or disorganisation aesthetically, which is why neutral, muted textures are generally preferred. Mixing white bathroom tiles with terrazzo tiles, for example, will allow for a pleasant contrast between the wall and floor tiles, adding much-needed visual cohesion.
Pair Your Tiles With Your Choice of Vanity
The ways in which tiles are chosen will have a lot to do with the materials that surround them or the materials they are meant to surround. This is no better illustrated than with your choice of vanity or mirror. Unlike most furnishings within a home, a vanity is meant to be a part of a cohesive whole within your bathroom space, so selecting colours that complement your vanity will provide your bathroom with a fantastic first impression to whoever enters.
For a more in-depth look at the particulars of pairing colours and textures with tiles, we’ve written a relatively extensive article detailing some bathroom styling ideas. Feel free to explore this for some additional inspiration.
Consider Zoning Your Small Bathroom Tiles
As much as visual cohesion is key to a good design, using different bathroom colours and textures to create small segmentations and zones can be a fantastic way to get more out of a small space. Many smaller bathrooms have areas dedicated to the toilet, the bath/shower, and the basin. Creating small flourishes to differentiate these areas slightly will assist in making your bathroom feel considered.
Create a Half-Wall Tile Design
Quite often, when tiling a bathroom, it’s expected that it will be an all-or-nothing approach, with the bathroom being entirely tiled. However, a lot of work can be done with partially tiled bathrooms, especially in smaller spaces. This can be seen in bathrooms that use tiling on the lower part of a wall whilst saving the upper part for paint or, in some cases, wallpapering.
Remember that tiles bring more than simply colour to a space and can be used in tandem with other styles to create some fantastic changes in texture. So, when you’re planning out small bathroom tiles, it’s best to consider all of the various avenues you have at your disposal. With that said, do keep in mind that many paints are not suited to the high-moisture environment of a bathroom, especially small bathrooms that fill up with steam more quickly. So, when choosing paint for the upper area of your wall, make sure you have chosen one that is specifically suitable for a bathroom.
~ There are so many things that can be done with tiles to make more out of a small bathroom, and this is just a small smattering of tips and tricks you can use to direct you. For more information on the effective use of tiles, why not explore the Tilemall tile blog? We post new tile, bathroom, and kitchen content regularly, so you can always stay up to date with the latest tips and trends.
