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Choosing the right design and color scheme for a bathroom remodel can be tricky if you don’t have any shower tile ideas to guide you. Mosaic, ceramic, porcelain, glass tiles can dictate whether the tone of the space is vibrant and energizing or tranquil and toned down. “Tile is the chameleon of surface materials,” says Cean Irminger, creative director of the Exmore, Virginia–based tile manufacturer, New Ravenna. “Depending on the color palette, the reflective qualities of the materials, the size of the individual pieces, and the textures, a tiled surface can create an environment that is as varied as our imagination.”
You can also lean on the architecture of a home to inspire bathroom tile design ideas. “When [choosing] hard finishes like tile, staying true to the era of the home always yields the best results,” explains Tulsa–based interior designer Emily Davis. “For example, black-and-white ceramic in a ’20s and ’30s home, terrazzo for a midcentury home…. Looking to what would have been installed when the home was built is always a great place to start.” Much like deciding on a kitchen backsplash, choosing a shower tile design is a chance to make a statement. “Clients are wanting to have fun with tile design more than ever before,” Davis says. “We are all so saturated with imagery that people are shying away from choices they’ve seen time and time again. Originality and highly personal design is winning out over what was installed in the house next door.” But opting for a tile design that’s out of one’s comfort zone doesn’t necessarily mean avoiding timeless looks. “A herringbone design is an elegant classic that will never got out of style,” says designer Janna Robinson. “It provides beautiful but simple fluidity, especially when using a white or natural stone.” For those with home resale value in mind, Amy Elbaum of AE Design says clients shouldn’t be afraid to let their tile designs stand out. “Using unique finishes in your bathroom design can set you apart,” Elbaum says. “It is also nice to break up the monotony and have each bathroom be different yet still cohesive. The use of a bold tile can make a huge difference in how your home is perceived by house hunters.”
Whatever your home design aesthetic, consider these frequently asked questions that many homeowners find themselves pondering before tackling a bathroom remodel or locking in a shower tile design.
Square tiles are trending up, says Jen Meska, director of merchandise for North American flooring retailer LL Flooring. Options like classic ceramic squares can feel retro or midcentury. Newly popular zellige squares give a handmade feel, offering a more modern take on a vintage shape. Subway tile is always a classic, and for good reason: you’ll find it everywhere from subway stations to homes across the globe. For a more modern take on the subway look, stack the tiles directly on top of each other, vertically or horizontally in a grid pattern, instead of offset in the more traditional running bond pattern.
Another time-honored aesthetic? White subway tile on the walls and penny tile on the floor. The pairing is easy to care for, easy on the eyes, and can be done on a modest budget. You’ve seen the look everywhere from restaurants and cafes to luxury hotels, and it always looks elegant. Porcelain tile and ceramic tile are the most durable options—and are wise choices for a shower that gets heavy use. They’re also easy to keep clean and don’t require sealing that is needed for more porous options, like marble or other natural stones. In addition to being less subject to daily wear-and-tear, the density of porcelain tile makes it more durable than ceramic tile. Porcelain tile is stronger and available in a variety of incredible textures, says Zuni Madera, VP of the NYC–based design firm Foley & Cox. Some options can resemble linen, sisal, or wood. “It gets you bang for your buck,” Madera says.
On the other hand, if you have a healthy budget for your bathroom remodel, marble is a timeless options, per Laurie Davis, cofounder of Eralyn Interiors. Laurie points to Carrera or Calacatta marble as popular options for those looking to outfit their bathrooms using the sleek stone. “Every trend can be incorporated to complement marble,” she adds. For the same look at a fraction of the price, porcelain slabs can also be purchased in a large format.
The color tile you choose largely comes down to personal preference, but common design principles still hold true. White walls and other neutral tones can help make a space feel brighter and more airy. Darker colors, like gray tiles or vivid greens, may make a space feel more cozy. “When a shower appears smaller, it’s okay; showers aren’t generally thought of as large spaces, so making a shower feel spacious shouldn’t be the first priority in design,” explains Heather Mastrangeli of Innovatus Design, which offers virtual design services.
Guest bathrooms and kids’ bathrooms are both prime venues for experimenting with shower tiles. “These are great places to interject personality and really have fun with color and pattern,” Mastrangeli says. You can take the idea to heart by choosing floor tiles or wall tiles that have an unexpected or whimsical design. These spaces are ideal for playing with unexpected pops of color or unusual color combos.
Tile size can be one of the most important decisions homeowners make when designing their space. Small tiles with dark grout will visually make a shower feel smaller, but small tiles with lighter grout may make a shower feel larger, per Mastrangeli: “When more pattern is introduced onto a surface, it will visually make that area appear smaller.” Using smaller tiles on the floor can help with slip resistance.
These days, homeowners are leaning into a more modern look by using bigger tiles, which allow for fewer grout lines. Larger tiles, like a 24x48" tile, work well in spacious bathrooms because they have more square footage to show off the tile design, says Kendal Cavalieri of Kendal Cavalieri Design in Buffalo, New York. “Using the same tile in a smaller bathroom will only allow you to use 10 or so tiles and will likely make the space feel cramped.”
While you may want to stick to rectangular or square tiles in a small shower space, consider other shapes to create a sense of grandeur. A hexagon tile is a bold choice, but if you yearn for something a little bit more unique and out-of-the-box, unexpected tile shapes are the way to go. Triangular tiles can add visual interest with a pattern that isn’t too harsh on the eyes, and oval-shaped tiles evoke calmness with their soft edges.
The majority of tiles and natural stone slabs are offered in two finishes: honed and polished. Honed tiles have a matte or satin-like finish. Polished surfaces are more glossy and will reflect light in a more glamorous fashion. While polished surfaces can have a luxe look on walls, you should avoid polished surfaces for the floor in your bathroom, which can be dangerously slippery when wet.
Though it’s often one of the last design choices you’ll make when choosing a bathroom tile, grout shouldn’t be overlooked. If you’re going with a traditional white subway tile, opting for a black grout can help make your space look more modern, says interior designer Grey Joyner. She also recommends considering a colored grout for a pop of fun but cautions against ever using white grout: “It’s the hardest color for hiding dirt and unwanted mildew,” she says. We rounded up 36 stellar shower tile ideas, including gorgeous mosaic tile accent walls, eye-catching marble showers, and numerous spaces both classic and whimsical color palettes. Whether you’re ready to DIY it or call in a contractor, we guarantee you’ll be floored by these shower walls.
While the size of the tile can make a difference on how large or small your space feels, you’re likely to make a larger impact by thinking outside of the shower box, so to speak. Particularly if you’re short on square footage, consider extending the floor tile up the shower wall. This creates the feeling of a larger space, explains Regan Baker, of Regan Baker Design in San Francisco. Select a bold tile, both in color and design, to further push the limits of the space. A pattern will inspire a feeling of levity and playfulness while providing a dose of visual inspiration, Baker adds.
A guest bathroom sheathed in black-and-white ceramic tiles by Bisazza packs a serious punch in this Manhattan residence, designed by Delphine Krakoff. For a DIY on a budget, alternate black and white subway tiles to fashion your own take on this timeless pattern.
To give a kids’ bathroom some personality, Los Angeles designer Sarah Sherman Samuel installed a window on the shower wall. This overall look offers an abstract take on a sunset above the horizon line on the striped tile. “The cement tile has a beautiful matte finish that feels earthy and warm,” she says.
“I like to call this my Kermit and Miss Piggy bath,” says Sara Simon of Handsome Salt Interior Design in Los Angeles. “This bathroom is at our new boutique lodge, Noble + Proper in Big Bear Lake, California. Each cabin is themed after one of mine and my husband’s grandparents.” The vibrant space pictured is situated in a particular space where the tones were more subdued throughout, so Simon opted to “pop in some wow factors like this bathroom, which is a fun unexpected surprise,” she says, describing it as “a little retro with a modern twist.”
A bathroom is the ideal place to experiment with colors you fancy, but may not want to see every time you walk in the door. “Pastels can seem daunting, especially when using them in a permanent feature, like tile,” admits Charlotte-based interior designer Ashley DeLapp. “The key to using them successfully and preventing your space from feeling juvenile is to pair pastels with sophisticated elements, like bold wallpaper and brass fixtures.” Look for an elevated finish, such as this metallic fabric-backed tile, to add more dimension than a standard ceramic or porcelain. The end result is visually soothing, yet still makes a statement.
A small bathroom space can still be big on style, as long as you utilize pattern. “This faux-wood tile by Artistic Tile add an earthy elegance and warmth to the room,” says Chandos Dodson Epley of Chandos Interiors in Houston. Natural, earthy colors and materials are solid picks for bathroom designs because they feel warm and calming, says Leah Harmatz of San Francisco–based design firm Field Theory. “Neutrals also have a more timeless quality,” she says. “Tile isn’t something you want to have to change or replace quickly.”
A Penny Lane mosaic tile, in a white blend, envelops this ensuite bathroom designed by the Houston-based Lucinda Loya. She cleverly installed the Nero blend as a scalloped edge along the base and ceiling, adding an unexpected detail to this eye-catching design.
Denise Hall Montgomery of DHM Architecture in Berkeley, California, wants her clients to have some fun. In crafting a bathroom for two little ones, Hall Montgomery went with a whimsical yet sophisticated shower tile look that would still work when the children got older. This Brando Blue matte porcelain tile paired with Chance polished ceramic tile, both from Tilebar, provided the space with bold graphic shapes that give the otherwise simple bathroom a pop of fun.
Interior designer Amy Kehoe worked with actor Sarah Paulson to create a pink sanctuary of a bathroom in the star’s Malibu hideaway. Kehoe doused the bathroom walls in mauve zellige tile from Clé for a touch of “sophisticated whimsy.”
“This beautifully designed primary bathroom at Casa Alpaca counters the misconception that a strong pattern should be limited in a space,” says Lauren Cherkas, president and chief sales officer at Artistic Tile. “Designers Widell + Boschetti went all-in on Euclid by Alison Rose, using a custom colorway on both the floor and wall and well into the shower.” The graphic pattern is paired with Cipollino marble from the Apuan Alps in northern Italy, which features a unique green-beige coloring contrasting with swirls of white and gray.
Hattie Collins of Hattie Sparks in New Orleans wanted to nod to the blue of the wallpaper of this shared boys’ bathroom without it feeling too matchy-matchy, so she went with a tonal look and selected a sky blue glass tile. “We chose to save in this area, since we splurged a bit on the wallpaper and marble flooring, and found a super reasonably priced option from Floor & Decor.”
A handcrafted mosaic tile has the ability to bring you into a new world. And isn’t that the kind of escape you seek when taking a shower in the first place? This unique design, aptly named Waves by New Ravenna, incorporates marcasite, zircon, mica, pewter, opal, and moonstone alongside sea glass. The accent wall is paired with jeweled glass that evokes the rolling waves.
These Clé zellige moroccan tiles in charred cedar are handmade and feature variations in color, size, and texture, resulting in a look that is truly one of a kind. Designer Brittany Hakimfar of Far Studio loves using black tiles not only for their dramatic look, but also because they are easy to keep clean. While Hakimfar says that square tiles look best in a stacked install orientation (like a grid), she does play around a bit with size; this walk-in shower features four-by-four-inch square tile on the walls and a two-by-two-inch tiles on the floor. “This added great interest without feeling too busy,” she explains.
Using a repeating pattern from floor-to-ceiling can help make a small space feel larger, because you’re drawing the eye up. The tight, geometric pattern in this shower space, designed by Courtnay Tartt Elias of Creative Tonic in Houston, adds an amusing element to an otherwise classic space.
While design classics—like subway tile and neutral color pallets—are always likely to be popular, some homeowners are looking for more unusual eye-catching designs. “People are shifting back towards the use of patterns in tile to create more unique bathrooms,” Elbaum says. For this large shower, the LA-based homeowners wanted a dramatic yet tranquil look featuring the color blue. The accent wall is lined with a mosaic of glass tiles in a gradient of colors, ranging from white to shades of blue and charcoal gray, evoking the essence of falling water. “This tile creates a focal point for the bathroom, but also fills out the wall without feeling overwhelming,” adds Elbaum.
For a delicate touch, simple sea glass scallop tile can completely transform a shower wall, as seen in this bathroom designed by Krista Nye Nicholas of Cloth & Kind in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The curvy shape is a crowd-pleaser, sure to work equally well in an ensuite or a guest bath remodel.
Hilary Matt of Hilary Matt Interiors says many clients are turning to larger scale tiles and slabs for an showstopping bathroom look. This walk-in shower features large travertine limestone tiles that provide a marble slablike look at a fraction of the cost. The same stone tile is used for from the floor to the ceiling, creating a cohesive overall effect. It also provides a neutral yet luxurious backdrop for the black shower head and other fixtures.
For a bold and playful riff on a safari theme, designer Alex Alonso of Mr. Alex Tate Design in Miami opted for a deconstructed zebra-patterned tile in green and white to complement the equally whimsical adjacent bedroom. The busy print functions well in a small bathroom, especially when used on both the bathroom floor and the tile wall.
To keep the check pattern from looking too overwhelming on this shower wall, Alonso opted for a two-toned check design. “We wanted the pattern to be a lot, without being a lot,” he says. “The blue tones keep the space design-forward without being too loud.”
To create a minimalist but non-boring white bathroom in this Hamptons dwelling, Erin Lichy, founder and president of renovation and design firm Homegirl, chose bright white Artistic Tile Thasso marble tile for the walls and Country Floors Calacatta Viola marble tile for the insert and the bathroom floor. The shower floor brought it all together with one-inch-by-one-inch micro Thassos marble tile by Tile Bar. Lichy says her intention with this primary bath was to bring in beachy elements and create a luxurious space that lent itself to an elevated sense of calm.
Use the shower as an opportunity to make the most out of an oddly shaped bathroom, as seen here in the home of Molly and Eric Glasglow on Martha’s Vineyard. Architectural designer Mark Hutker shows that even a little bit of patterned tile can make a big difference.
Emma Chamberlain’s Los Angeles home is an AD favorite—particularly for the bathroom, which was designed by the LA-based Proem Studio. The agate-like glass tile by Daltile makes the spacious shower into a jewelry box.
New York–based designer Alexandra Angle gives the master bath in a modern Manhattan town house a striped treatment with Classic Field tiles from Heath Ceramics. Play with color variants to create a unique twist on stripes.
Drama has a place, even when it comes to shower. To step it up, San Francisco designer Nicole Hollis added glitzy Clé aqua tile in the shower and let it run across the entire bathroom wall.
Fashion designer and founder of Alice + Olivia Stacey Bendet completely transformed her Upper West Side bathroom with square tiles in a black-and-white color scheme. Bendet tapped New York interior designer Louise Kugelberg to give her space the checkerboard look.
A concrete tub makes an even stronger design statement when paired with a wall of black tile featuring just a tiny amount of speckle to keep it from skewing too dark (or serious). Designer Sara Simon wanted to create something playful and decided on adding a yellow fixture so it would “popped off of the black tile.”
Black tile doesn’t have to come off as somber or too “bachelor pad.” The Lexington, Kentucky–based designer Isabel Ladd stepped it up thanks to Tile Bar’s hexagonal matte porcelain tile with a Deco-inspired geometric pattern in designing a bathroom for her client’s teenage son. “Let’s face it, kids are messy. I can go safe with an all-white bathrooms, but why?” she says. “I love a maximalist moment, and I’m not concerned with resale value. Everyone personalizes a new home in the bathroom and kitchen, so why limit yourself, especially if you plan on living there for the foreseeable future?” Pair black tile with black grout and get a bathroom wall that is virtually maintenance free. The orange penny tile on the shower floor creates a fun moment that can grow with the teen.
Leave it to New York interior designer Sheila Bridges to help pick a refreshing shower tile choice. After all, she is working with Vice President Kamala Harris and second gentleman Doug Emhoff to renovate their Victorian mansion. Bridges makes a strong case for emerald green tile in this upstate New York estate.
New York–based design firm Ashe Leandro employs a classic riff on subway tile—Waterworks’ Architectonics2 Handmade Field Tile—to create a sleek, clean bath in this Martha’s Vineyard home. To up the minimal design even more, opt for a glass door.
Should your shower boast an incredible view, keep it simple with large white tiles that won’t distract. Here Seattle-based Olson Kundig Architects rely on Daltile and sleek Chicago Faucets fittings to allow the rest of the bathroom space to shine. Generally speaking, larger tiles work well in larger bathrooms because they usually have more square footage and will show the tile better, Cavalieri says. Larger tiles also mean less grout lines which are typically more efficient for cleaning—a welcome bonus, especially if you have a glass door.
Designers Andrew Fisher and Jeffry Weisman showcase a punchy cerulean pattern, accentuated by the matching window trim, in their San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, home.
Seattle interior designer Heidi Caillier chose two complementary tiles that don’t match exactly, but still fit together perfectly: patterned tiles from De Ferranti and the lavender-hued handmade four-inch square tiles from Fireclay. “The design intent was to make these bathrooms feel immersive by using all over tile applications,” she says. “I fell in love with these two very special tiles and made them the main focal point. The use of one tile on both floors and walls feels modern but enveloping.”
For this smaller space, Tess Twiehaus of Tess Interiors fell in love with the border detail tile from Zio & Sons and extended it around the entire bathroom. “It felt truncated to keep it in the shower, so we opted to run it around the entire room and keep a wainscot tile below. This made the space feel more like a bath suite,” she said.
Natural Stone Mosaic Tile “Designers are taking more risks, in terms of the installation and working with tile showrooms and providers, to think outside the box when it comes to patterns and colors,” says Rebecca Cutler of Design by JLA Designs. For this mostly marble tiled bathroom design, the floor was the first thing she picked and the rest of the space was designed around it. “Every space needs to have a focal point and a wow factor, and the main floor of a bathroom is the perfect place for that,” Cutler explains.