Shower tiles are both waterproof and washable, making them perfect for the walls of walk-in showers, showers with trays, and for the floors of wet rooms, too. Aside from their practicalities, the availability of tiling in a wide array of shower-fit materials – from porcelain and glass, to ceramic and stone – as well as shapes, sizes, colors and finishes, means that the design possibilities are endless.
Walk-in shower tile ideas
There are endless bathroom tile ideas for your walk-in shower, thanks to the fact that these days, tiles come in every color, shape and size imaginable.
1. Embrace the trend for terrazzo shower tiles
Terrazzo is having a moment, and no wonder. Its wonderful range of designs are perfect for both traditional and modern bathroom ideas, shower rooms and wet rooms. If you want to use it sparingly for impact, putting it across just one bathroom wall, like in this space by Ca’ Pietra, is a good way to do so.
2. Create color co-ordinated contrast
If yours is a north-facing bathroom, or one with a small window that allows in little natural light, you can use clever small bathroom tile ideas to change the whole tone of the space. When choosing tiles for tiny bathrooms, picking tiles with a white background – for light and space enhancement – and a warm accent color – in this case, yellow – can make the space feel brighter and warmer, which is always welcome in a bathroom. If you are going for a bold color like this, introduce some contrast between the walls and floors to create interest, but ensure the color-match is spot on.
3. Mix and match to inject personality
If you’re struggling to choose between intricately tessellated Moroccan mosaics and slick panels of Italian marble, then don’t. It’s perfectly possible to make two tile styles work together in one small wet room. In this example, high-shine, irregularly shaped tiles sit happily alongside marble slabs, tied into one another with ease thanks to a mirroring color choice.
4. Embrace color
‘The main trend that we are seeing is that our customers are increasingly being bold and more adventurous in the colors that they are wanting to use in their tiling,’ says Thornley. ‘Last year we saw a huge rise in interest for our pink range, where we are now seeing greater interest in colors that relate to the outdoors, so our greens, blues and yellows, with our earthy oranges and terracotta being a huge bathroom trend.’
5. Don’t forget about the floor
Making a point of difference between the walls and the floor opens up all sorts of design possibilities: if you don’t think the space (or your morning brain) can quite take a patterned wall, move it to the floor. Remember, however, that texture is just as important as pattern. ‘With any bathroom remodel project it is also worth considering the slip resistance of the tiles – a balance of beauty and practicality should be met!’, warns Fernandez. ‘In most instances a natural finish is sufficient for bathrooms. However, in wet rooms we would always recommend using a porcelain tile in a grip or R11 finish, designed to offer more traction in wet conditions.’
6. Choose shower tiles that suit the space
‘Using concrete in an upstairs bathroom can be tricky as the weight can make it untenable, but a great alternative is micro-cement,’ says Barry Cutchie, design director at BC Designs. ‘It is a specialist coating that can be applied to any hard surface and replicated the design aesthetics of real concrete for a modern, minimalist design.’ ‘Best of all, it is water-proof and suitable for under-floor heating so makes the perfect alternative to tile design for a walk-in shower ideas and wet room ideas. In this design, it has been paired with marble-replica porcelain tiles for a modern take on a spa bathroom.’
7. Lift a white scheme with the California Casual trend
‘A modern yet casual interpretation of a beach house, and a strong presence of blue in the finish palette were the two requests from the homeowner of this Manhattan Beach home,’ says Karen Harautuneian, founder and principal designer at Hub of the House (opens in new tab). ‘This was accomplished through blue and white concrete tiles from Granada tile, floating vanities and layered finishes.’
8. For a hotel style aesthetic, opt for digitally printed porcelain
Consider the use of marble carefully for spaces where you are using it in swathes because no slab of marble is the same as another. ‘What I love most with marble is the activity and coloration,’ says interior designer Cara Woodhouse. ‘These shower wall tiles are a new favorite product of ours from Cancos Tile and Stone (opens in new tab),’ says Joshua Smith, founder and principal designer at Joshua Smith Inc (opens in new tab). ‘It is a digitally printed porcelain that offers the look of Calcutta marble without the headaches or staining of actual marble.’
9. Introduce an ocean-inspired look
Inspired by the colors of the sea – and with a crackle-glaze iridescent finish, these porcelain scallop-shaped walk-in shower tile ideas will add fresh impact to any space. Green and blue are very much the color of the moment, and this vivid shade is both invigorating and refreshing. The bold shade is offset by the rest of the grey bathroom, from the plain subway tiles on the adjacent walls to the matching faded patterned floor tiles that extend through the rest of the space.
10. Go bold and bright with a floor to ceiling motif
‘Bathrooms are one of the few places in the house where you can get away with strong, vivid tones which might be over-the-top in other rooms,’ says James Lentaigne, creative director at Drummonds (opens in new tab). ‘Maximalism is very much on-trend with more and more people experimenting with bold patterns and bright colors. Using colored or patterned tiles is a great way to make a feature of a walk-in shower area.’
What kind of tile do you use for a walk-in shower?
Walk-in shower tile ideas are endless, and it’s a great place to really show off your interior design flair. But one thing to remember when it comes to floor tiles for a wet room is to go for a design with a raised matt finish and non-slip bathroom flooring. Just because you’re limited on space in a walk-in shower doesn’t mean that shower tile ideas are in limited supply, too. Small bathroom ideas, from ensuite bathrooms and wet rooms, to simple compact family bathrooms and walk-in showers, don’t automatically have to be a plain white room to get the feeling of space.
