MAKING A splash
Breathe new life your bathroom or en suite with luxurious yet practical tiles
Choosing wall tiles is an exciting and inspiring part of any bathroom design project. Available in an infinite array of colours, shapes and materials – from natural stone and porcelain to encaustic and glazed ceramic – they offer scope to create a look that is unique to your space. Even a plain white tile can be used to create all manner of decorative effects when laid in creative configurations. ‘The important thing to remember when decorating your bathroom is that it can’t always be easily pulled out and remodelled without causing lots of disruption,’ says Joel Fry, designer at West One Bathrooms. ‘Therefore, try to base your decisions on the fact that you have to love this space for years to come – a timeless design provides longevity.’ It’s also worth noting that different areas have different needs. In a shower enclosure you will need tiles floor to ceiling, but elsewhere you may consider tiling to dado level or just as a splashback. Essentially the design you choose should offer ‘a balance between aesthetics and practicality,’ explains Damla Turgut, founder and creative director at Otto Tiles & Design. ‘The finish is dependent on whether your tiles will be laid on the wall or floor, and the look that you’re trying to achieve.’ Another factor that may influence your tile design is the size of your space. In a large master suite or family bathroom, using tiles of different shapes and scales can be used to create separate zones, while in small bathrooms or wet rooms, using the same tile throughout can give the illusion of space, too.
Vintage appeal
Above: Popular for more than a century, the trend for metro tiles shows no sign of abating. An endlessly versatile design, the tiles blend seamlessly into nearly any style of interior. Lay in a brick format for a traditional feel, or try a blocked pattern for a more contemporary look. For a twist on tradition, vertical or herringbone laying patterns would create an interesting feature wall in a bathroom. On paper these sage-toned ceramic tiles are perfect for a country scheme, but they equally stand out in this more modern, eye-catching bathroom, designed by Studio Duggan for a London townhouse. For a similar tile, try crackle glaze tiles in Sage, £36.97 per m2 at Tiles Direct.
Head turner
Above: Add wow-factor to the bathroom with large-format stone-look tiles. Designed to replicate the unique texture and colouring of authentic onyx stone, these porcelain California tiles,
£54.17 per m² from Ca’ Pietra, are both stylish and practical. Available in Jade (featured here), Pearl and Beige colourways with a gloss finish, they are guaranteed to bring a touch of luxury to your bathroom design.
Marvellous marble
Right: If you’re looking to create a bathroom with spa-like sophistication, then marble is the perfect material. Possessing beautiful natural veining, marble bathroom tiles will bring texture and a timeless elegance to a bathroom while keeping the space feeling fresh and bright.
Using the same tile across the wall and the floor is a great way to make small bathrooms or wet rooms feel larger. Get the look of this bathroom with Fired Earth’s Bridgehampton collection, priced from £125 per m2.
Classic combination
Right: Timeless and luxurious yet with a modern edge, this en suite design by Drummonds proves that white bathrooms needn’t be boring. ‘White tiles are a classic and enduring choice for bathroom walls. They come in an array of shapes, sizes and finishes and are a perfect counterpoint for more decorative elements such as patterned floor tiles, coloured sanitaryware and warm metal brassware,’ says James Lentaigne, creative director at Drummonds. ‘Paired with a border of black tiles, two different shapes of white tiles – square and rectangular – have been used to great effect in this bathroom to create design interest,’ he adds. The tiles are from Balineum. Drummonds’ fittings in an Antique Brushed Brass finish provide the perfect finishing touch to warm up the look, while its Single Locky vanity, from £4,860, enhances the feeling of vintage luxury.
A new angle
Right: If you have a bathroom with high ceilings, consider making a statement with tiles laid in a dynamic herringbone pattern, which will draw the eye upwards. Heavily glazed and featuring tonal variations, these ceramic Hoxton pink gloss tiles, £46.67 per m2 from Mandarin Stone, will bring texture, pattern and a vintage-industrial feel to bathroom walls.
Small beauty
Above: Even the smallest spaces can possess a sense of spa-like luxury with a petite bath tub, like The Albion Bath Company’s Tubby Torre design, from £2,540. To enhance the restful feel of the space, small crackle glazed brick tiles in Woodsmoke Blue, £150 per m2 from Marlborough Tiles, are paired with painted walls in Silver Birch, £42 for 2.5ltrs of emulsion at Neptune.
Gentle shimmer
Right: If you are looking for wall tiles for a shower area, then mosaics are a beautiful way of bringing delicate texture to the space. Here, West One Bathrooms’ scallop-shaped Zen mosaic tiles, £339.93 per m², offer a subtle variation in tone, which creates a shimmering ripple effect reminiscent of fish scales. Be sure to use a light grout to create a more seamless look – a dark grout will highlight individual tiles and as a result can make the space feel smaller.
Best of both worlds
Left: While natural marble tiles are beautiful and luxurious, they are heavy and expensive. Porcelain tiles, on the other hand, are generally lighter than marble, making them easier to fit, plus they are more cost effective. What’s more, porcelain tiles are easier to clean and maintain compared to marble tiles as natural stone is porous so will need periodic resealing. Emulating the beautiful veining of authentic marble, but with the durability and easy installation of porcelain, these Macchia Vecchia tiles, from £58.80 per m² at Lapicida, make a beautiful alternative to natural stone.
Mix and match
Above: If you have a small bathroom, try creating a feature wall with an assortment of colourful patterned tiles, like Bert & May’s selection of encaustic designs, £5.25 each. Handmade in Spain using natural pigments, the tiles are available in an array of colours and patterns. Not only do they inject a fun splash of colour, but they also draw the eye and distract from the size of the room.
Colour pop
Left: Bathrooms can run the risk of feeling clinical and cold, yet with so many intriguing and colourful tile designs available this needn’t be the case. For a head-turning dose of colour and pattern, try the new Cliq tiles in Hot Pink, £74.67 per m2 from Topps Tiles. For wow-factor you could use them wall-to-wall, or for a gentler approach, limit them to a single wall or behind a basin as a splashback.