Selecting tiles for a small bathroom can seem daunting at first however, there are just a few simple steps and strategies that can be applied to the selection process to ensure you achieve the exact outcome you are after in your bathroom design project. You will find that your selection of tile colours and sizes, grouting and even tile layouts can all be used to your advantage to create visual effects that will either add a sense of space in your new bathroom or alternatively, have the opposite effect where the smaller dimensions of the room are embraced in order to create a cosy and comforting bathing experience.
Tile Colour Selection For A Small Bathroom
The best place to start when selecting your new bathroom tiles is of course colour. Your selected colour scheme in a small bathroom design should aim to achieve one of two goals: To either maximise the space by creating the illusion of added width or height, or to create a cosy ‘cocoon-like’ bathing experience with the use of a darker colour scheme that embraces the smaller size of the bathroom rather than disguising it.
If you prefer to create an added sense of space in a smaller bathroom, opt for brighter coloured wall tiles that feature a glossy finish. The lighter colour scheme and reflective finish of your wall tile selection will assist in creating a brighter space that allows light to travel and bounce off the walls, effectively brightening up a small bathroom. This look can be balanced out with the use of semi-gloss or even matte floor tiles that will act as a means of grounding your entire colour scheme.
Caption: Deep, Mediterranean blue wall tiles are used in this small bathroom design to create a cosy and luxurious bathing experience with the darker tones offset by luxurious metallic bathroom furniture and glossy surfaces.
To achieve the opposite effect of a cosy ‘cocoon-like’ bathroom interior, opt for rich, dark hues in your wall and floor tiles and balance out the entire scheme with luxurious metallic finishes in your bathroom accessories, décor and lighting fixtures as a means of lifting the entire look with an emphasis on comfort and opulence. This design scheme uses a smaller bathroom’s dimensions as an advantage, creating a warm and comforting bathing experience in the home that is perfect for winding down in at the end of a long day.
Tile Grouting & Sizes For Small Bathrooms
Your selected tile size will also play a part in the final look of the space, once again allowing you to experiment with the perception of space in the room with your use of specific tile sizing and grout lines. Keeping the overall dimensions of the space in mind, select a tile size that will be in proportion with these measurements to create a harmonious and clutter-free look. Medium to larger format tiles for example, offer a perfectly suitable solution for smaller bathrooms provided their dimensions can comfortably fit into the space with minimal cutting required during installation.
Caption: A light coloured grout is used in this modern small bathroom design to create a contrast with the darker toned rectangular tiles as well as a means of tying in the bright white bathroom finishes with the space’s colour scheme.
Dark, elongated rectangle tiles are used in this modern bathroom small bathroom design with a light coloured grout
Grout colours will also pose a particularly crucial decision in the process of creating your new bathroom colour scheme. Minimising the appearance of grout lines will ensure a clutter-free aesthetic in your design, assisting in maximising the amount of space in the room. Selecting a complementary or matching grout colour to your tiles will ensure a smooth and clean look that will pull the focus away from the grout lines and onto your wall or floor tiles instead. Selecting a contrasting coloured grout on the other hand, will emphasise the grout lines, creating a much busier look. This technique is best reserved for feature wall tiles in a smaller bathroom as it will emphasise the shape and pattern of your selected tiles without overwhelming the entire design scheme.
Feature Tiles For Small Bathrooms
If you are hoping to include a mosaic or stylised patterned tile (such as the popular Moroccan lantern shaped tiles or fish scale varieties) these can be used as a feature tile in the space in order to maximise their impact while also keeping grout lines to a minimum, once again ensuring the patterns and grout lines in the space are not crowding your design scheme. Limit their use to single wall that you wish to use as a focal point, for example inside your shower enclosure, behind a luxurious freestanding tub or behind your bathroom vanity unit. Your bathroom feature wall can then be balanced out with simple and elegant wall tiles so as not to overwhelm your colour palette but rather creating a modern and sophisticated look.
Caption: A complementary grout colour has been used on the subway tile feature wall in this space to soften the deep grey tone of the tiles, creating a soothing and ultra-modern look in this small bathroom design.
Small Bathroom Tile Layouts
Another ingenious way to play with the perception of space in a smaller sized bathroom is to consider the overall effect of your tile layout or laying pattern. Using rectangular shaped tiles for example, lay your bathroom tiles running horizontally on your walls to create the illusion of added width in the room. If you are instead looking to add a little height to a bathroom with a low ceiling, run your rectangular wall tiles vertically up the walls in order to draw the eye upwards, creating the perception of added height in the space. This technique can also be applied to the use of subway tiles and can be especially effective when creating eye catching feature walls in the bathroom.
Using these techniques, choosing tiles for a smaller sized bathroom is simple. By carefully considering your use of colour, grout, shapes and patterns you can build the exact look you are after, whether your goal is to create the perception of added space or use the smaller dimensions of your bathroom to your advantage in creating a soothing bathing experience.
