10 Bathroom Tile Ideas

House 3 min read

10 Sep 2020

House2Home: The Complete Guide to Renovating or Redecorating

This blog is part of our  House2Home series; expert advice, resources and style ideas on renovating or redecorating your home. For more great bathroom design inspiration, check out the House2Home kitchen content on our landing page.

Hexagon, Concrete, Subway, Victorian, Porcelain – the bathroom-tile buzzwords on renovators lips at the moment. Think splashes of texture, matte smooth finishes or classic marble, traditional black and white patterns that have stood the test of time.

One of the biggest decisions you’re going to make in your bathroom renovatin is the tile, and to help you choose between your Hexagon or your Terazzo, we’ve listed the most popular bathroom tile designs in Ireland right now.

For more bathroom inspiration, you also need to read Roisin Murphy’s Bathroom Design Ideas, and her suggestions for a Small Bathroom.

 

What is the most popular tile for bathrooms?

1. Subway Bathroom Tile

The subway bathroom tile is hands down the most popular tile for bathrooms – it is simple, easy to fit, can be placed on both the bathroom floor and the wall and best thing is it’s budget-friendly too. It consists of small, slim, rectangle tiles and comes in a range of colours if you want a mixed tile affect. The image above, shows black grout in between the tiles to create a dramatic effect. 

Image: My Domaine.com

2. Hexagon Bathroom Tiles

The diagonal, bee-hive look is here… and seriously, it’s sweet. (!) Hexagon tiles are big right now, from the classic black hexagon tiles or marble effect hexagon tiles.

Create a splash with a mixed tile affect: a bottom wall of hexagon tiles and a top of deep, rich paint, or use smaller, black hexagon on a large surface area - like the sophisticated floor example above.

Image: Discount Glass Tile Store

3. Concrete Bathroom Tiles  

Concrete bathrooms are all the rage... If you haven’t got on the concrete bandwagon, you’re probably wrinkling your nose thinking of a carpark. But it’s sleek, exposed and industrial style actually looks pretty impressive, as it acts as a neutral and matte pallete for other materials like brass and marble.

This bathroom above, from Decoist.com, shows how smooth concrete can really bring the other elements of the bathroom to life.

Image: Decoist.com

 

4. Terrazzo Flooring

With resurgence of sustainably friendly designs, it’s unsurprisingly that Terrazzo is popular again. The tile dates back to Renaissance Venice, and was used by builders to create cheap floors from scraps of marble. It consists of marble, quartz, granite, recycled glass, porcelain, concrete, and metal aggregates, mixed with cement or epoxy and polished to produce a sustainable, smooth surface.

It adds colour and sparkle, and this floor from Dwell.com shows how Terrazzo can add a splash of colour and depth to a bathroom floor.

Image: Dwell.com

5. Stick on Floor Tiles  

Stick on floor tiles are also causing a bit of a frenzy. If you’re doing a DIY job, or want something quick, low cost and easy for a small down stairs loo, they are a great idea. They also work for a small area like a backsplash over a sink, if you want to create a bold pattern or coloured tile, and only need six or seven tiles to achieve the look.

6. Victorian Era Tiles 

Victorian and Edwardian era tile designs are back with a bang. Beautiful styles, the pattern and borders are created from a series of individual tiles in different shapes and colours.

Victorian Florentine, above, is a stunning Spanish Victorian-style tile that is suitable for use on walls and floors.
 

Image:  Halo Tiles.ie

7. Porcelain Tiles

Although Porcelain tiles are sometimes called ceramic tiles, they are different from a different clay. Similar looking, porcelain absorbs 0.5% water, while ceramic absorbs more. Porcelian tiles are harder than ceramic, too.

The great thing about porcelain is they can mimic different materials, so you can have wood-effect porcelain, or stone or cement effect porcelain. (Like in the image, above.) Polished porcelain can also have the effect of marble, without the maintenance.
 

Image: Tiles.ie 

 

8. Patterned Bathroom Tiles

Another name for Victorian, Parisian, Spanish or any tile that has a patterned texture and design – all of these tiles are making a big comeback in Irish bathrooms.

Pavimento Antiqua is a stunning design from HaloTiles.ie.
 

  Image: Halo Tiles.ie

 

9. Black and White Tiles

Classic Black and white tiles never went out of fashion, and they’re still one of the most popular tile colours. Mix patterns in a hexagon shape to add some texture and a dash of trend.

Image: Direct Tile Warehouse

10. Marble Tiles

Add a touch of luxury to your bathroom and opt for a glossy marble – be-it Spanish or Italian stone. The only downside with marble is that it’s high maintenance – it has to be sealed and cleaned regularly to avoid stains. But if you put the work in, the reward for a stunning finish is yours - like the gorgeous classic white marble from Home DIT, above.

Image: Home DIT


 

Planning a home renovation? Keep up to date with all the latest articles from Roisin Murphy on our landing page and keep an eye out for #House2Home across out Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram for more great advice on planning, budgeting, as well as design and style ideas and inspiring stories – so you can turn that house into the perfect home.

 If you need any help with budgeting or financial support with your project, (big or small) don’t hesitate to contact your local credit union - we’re here to help. 

The content of this blog is aimed to provide general advice and information to the public only. Readers should seek professional advice when it comes to renovations.