Home Bathroom Design 40 Bathroom Tile Ideas To Inspire Your Renovation We can't decide which is our favorite. By Hallie Milstein Hallie Milstein Hallie Milstein is an Editorial Fellow for Southern Living where she is primarily focused on digital production and online content creation. She covers home design, entertaining, and lifestyle across the South, keeping a watchful eye out for emerging and declining trends. Prior to her fellowship, Hallie had been published in Modern Luxury magazines, Our State Magazine, and Hudson Valley Magazine.Hallie recently graduated from North Carolina's Elon University with a degree in Journalism and Religious Studies and has continued her journey by moving even further south. A Southern transplant, Hallie is soaking up the culture, drawls, and as many biscuits as she can in Birmingham, Alabama. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Updated on November 27, 2023 Once upon a time, just a few years ago, all-white bathrooms seemed like the only stylish possibility for bathrooms. From the tile to the porcelain, paint, and linens, white was the go-to. While we still love white, we’re expanding our horizons to the world of intriguing colors. These days, interior designers are opting for more unique bathroom looks. Because bathrooms are enclosed spaces, they provide an awesome opportunity for fun design featuring interesting colors, patterns, and materials. Among them, tile can be a particularly impactful choice with seemingly endless options. Not only do you have to choose the tile material, color, and shape, but from there, you also need to decide what pattern to arrange them in. And don’t even get us started on grout. Colleen Scott Photography If you’re redoing your bathroom (or dreaming of a future refresh), we’ve got tile inspiration galore to help you figure out your favorite kinds of tiles and configurations. For those discontent with their current bathroom tile but don’t foresee a renovation any time soon, interior designer Zoe Feldman may have an easy upgrade: Simply paint your tiles a new color. “As long as it's ceramic tile, there is actually a tile paint that you can use,” she says. “We like to paint tiles to make them feel fresh and lean into a new color which will help modernize it as well.” 01 of 40 Carrara Tile Photo: Laurey W. Glenn; Styling: Buffy Hargett Miller The veining in marble tile is a simple, natural, and can complement practically any bathroom. These tiles are laid out in a herringbone formation to build additional interest. 02 of 40 Unique Details Photo: Hector Sanchez Here, hexagon tiles are organized prettily to include flower details out of contrasting black tiles. They're an intriguing addition that ties in with the bathroom's black paint. 03 of 40 Subway Tiles Photo: Hector Manuel Sanchez; Styling: Barbara Schmidt White, oversized subway tiles are a go-to way to incorporate tile in the bathroom, or really all over the house. Here, they're paired with smaller, darker tiles on the floor. 04 of 40 Zellige Photo: Linny Morris; Stylist: Sunday Hendrickson Handmade and one-of-a-kind, zellige tile hails from Morocco but brings beauty to homes across the South. Each tile is a slightly irregular shape and color, so they don't lay as flat as many manufactured tiles do, but the result is a lively landscape of gorgeous tiles. 05 of 40 Blue And White Photo: Rick Lew; Stylist: Matthew Gleason Incorporate this classic color way into your bathroom from the paint and linens to the tiles. Blue and white tiles are a stunning combination that has yet to fail us. 06 of 40 Border Marta Xochilt Perez; Styling: Page Mullins Be consistent in your tile design across the entirety of your space, or designate some spaces for particular attention. An alluring border transforms this white-tiled floor into an eye-catching statement. 07 of 40 Multiple Sizes Photo: Laurey W. Glenn / Styling: Anne Turner Carroll When tiling multiple surfaces, there's no rule that you need to stick to just one size tile. Don't be afraid to switch it up. 08 of 40 Same Colors, Different Pattern PHOTOGRAPHY BY LAUREY W. GLENN; STYLING BY KENDRA SURFACE On the wall of this beautiful bathroom, white and greige rectangular tiles are laid in pretty stripes. Meanwhile, the floor complements the wall wonderfully with the same colors in a basketweave pattern. 09 of 40 Speckle Effect Photo Robbie Caponetto and Charles Walton IV / Styling Buffy Hargett Tiles in an array of colors in the same colorway can create an appealing and nature-inspired result. Their differentiation also allows the floor to match multiple other brown tones throughout the room. 10 of 40 Mandala Patterns Photo: Laurey W. Glenn; Styling: Buffy Hargett Miller A pretty pattern can instantly spice up an otherwise simple bathroom. This delicate blue and steady pattern do just the trick. 11 of 40 Match Shades Hector Manuel Sanchez; Styling: Lizzie Cullen Cox If possible, we recommend choosing your tile first. From there, it will be much easier to choose shades of paint and other details to match. 12 of 40 Contrasting Grout Hector Manuel Sanchez By using dark tiles with light grout, this designer seamlessly made a more interesting floor. The light grout in attractive and prevents the floor from seemingly too dark and disconnected with the rest of the space. 13 of 40 Hexagons Brie Williams Styling: Jennifer Berno Decleene While irregular shaped are certainly possible, in general, there are three most common tile shapes. Rectangular and square tiles are a lovely option, but here, hexagons were certainly the right choice. 14 of 40 Tile All Over NOMI A large space with all surfaces covered in tile is a simple but effective use of space. Use the same tile for the floor, walls, and/or ceiling, or try different ones. 15 of 40 Stripes Laurey W. Glenn; Styling: Liz Strong Tiles can form patterns in multiple ways. Firstly, they can be arranged in interesting formations, but secondly, alternative colors may but used to build a pattern all of their own like these stripes. 16 of 40 Statement Color Courtesy of Peter Spaulding, Photography by Kelley Kish Colorful tiles in an otherwise neutral room are a powerful focal point. Plus, you can always take Feldman's advice and re-paint them a new shade. 17 of 40 Quilted Colors Marta Xochilt Perez; Styling: Page Mullins Weaving different hues of square tiles, this bathroom floor gives off a quilted effect. This is a pattern these homeowners won't soon tire of. 18 of 40 Oversized Tile Jonny Valiant This bathroom uses big tile and them one-ups itself with even bigger tile. These larger slabs allow the marble's beauty to really speak for itself. 19 of 40 Herringbone Layout Photography by Brian Woodcock; Styling by Natalie Warady There's so many ways to arrange tiles depending on their shape and size. Zig-zagging rectangles are an appealing and classic choice. 20 of 40 Stone Tiles Laurey W. Glenn Both glossy and natural, tiles that show off the stone's natural veins and color variations can pleasantly ground a room. Choose a stone that matches your bathroom's color palette and maintenance ability. 21 of 40 Composite Tiles Alison Gootee; Styling: Matthew Gleason Rather than sticking to just rectangles, squares, or hexagons, try a composite format that uses multiple shapes or sizes of tiles. Here, rectangles are combined with small squares and arranged to mimic a woven pattern. 22 of 40 Abstract Brie Williams; Styling: Page Mullins When working with patterned or multi-colored tiles, geometric formations are the usual choice. This homeowner decided to be lead astray with incredible results. 23 of 40 Grounding Black Hector Manuel Sanchez; Styling: Page Mullins Black details can be incredibly grounding in a room. An all-black floor can be stunning, but small black tiles speckled in may be enough. 24 of 40 Ocean Floor Photo: Melanie Acevedo; Stylist: Erin Swift In this beach house, tiles were selected to mimic the seawater nearby. Small tiles in a range of blue, green, and aqua shades create the illusion of shimmering waves. 25 of 40 Colorful Shower Photo: Rick Lew; Stylist: Loren Simons Reserve the colorful tiles for the shower enclosure. The shower is a wonderful place to be bold with tile and take a vibrant leap. 26 of 40 Tile Panels Tria Giovan Alternate tile with other materials for a layered, dynamic bathroom that's got it all. In this one, tile panels are complemented by more textures including the rope on the mirror and woven shades. 27 of 40 Glossy Tiles Raquel Langworthy Tiles are available in a wide range of finishes. While some are rougher or matter, these glossy black tiles shine when clean. 28 of 40 Pebble Tiles Laurey W. Glenn; Styling: Liz Strong Below blue rectangular tiles laid like bricks, teeny tiny tiles grace the floor. These oval-shaped tiles mimic pebbles in the prettiest way. 29 of 40 Mediteranean Deborah Whitlaw Llewellyn, Stylist Elizabeth Raines Beeler Travel to other parts of the world, and you'll find vibrant, age-old tiles arranged in intriguing patterns. Get inspired by your favorite destination to decorate your bathroom. 30 of 40 Octagon Dot Courtesy of Arditi Design, Photography by Sinan Tuncay This composite tile arrangement, referred to as 'octagon dot,' includes octagonal tiles with smaller diamond-shaped ones. Opt for black and white tiles like this bathroom, or choose any two other shades. Alternatively, stick to just one color for both shapes. 31 of 40 Multicolored PHOTOGRAPHY BY LAUREY W. GLENN; STYLING BY KENDRA SURFACE Why limit yourself to just one or two colors of tile? This lovely bathroom is striking and pretty as a peach with three. 32 of 40 Forgo Wallpaper Photo: Ngoc Minh Ngo; Styling: Ed Gallagher Rather than adorning your powder room with a bold wallpaper, build intrigue with tiles on the wall. Use darker grout to enhance the contrast of the pattern. 33 of 40 Stick To White Leslee Mitchell Like we said, we're not totally opposed to simple white in the bathroom. However, we particularly love white tile when paired with color in other places, like through paint or wallpaper. 34 of 40 Floor To Ceiling Hector Manuel Sanchez Don't let your wall ending stop you from using more of your favorite tiles. Adorn the ceiling with them, too. 35 of 40 Black And White Laurey W. Glenn Black and white is a classic combo that's always pleasing due to it's high contrast. This black and white bathroom is particularly beautiful with metallic accents. 36 of 40 Square Tile Laurey W. Glenn This bathroom is adorned with not one, but two types of square tiles. Some rectangular tiles are also thrown in as a baseboard. 37 of 40 Neutral Charm Kerry Kirk If you're not quite ready for colorful tiles, you can still be bold with pattern. These endlessly interesting, neutral hexagon tiles are the proof. 38 of 40 Green Tiles Laura Sumrak Lately, green, has been taking over the home by storm. You'll find it on our kitchen cabinets, painted on walls throughout the home, and gracing bathroom tiles all over the South. 39 of 40 Gray Scale Laurey W. Glenn; Styling: Shannon Gini As much as we love tile, it doesn't always have to be the focal point of a bathroom. Let other elements shine with simple, large-scale tile that is white or gray. 40 of 40 Flow Into The Shower Colleen Scott Photography These art deco tiles are too amazing to limit to just one space. To maximize their use, this designer incorporated them in the shower, as well as the rest of the bathroom floor. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit