Bathroom marble: luxurious stone in the bathroom

Introduce decadence and use bathroom marble for the floor, splashback or vanity top. A bathroom with marble features is not as tricky as it seems, but what are the best bathroom marble products?

If you want an elegant and sophisticated look, using bathroom marble on the floor or counter tops will instantly give your bathroom a luxurious feel, according to interior designer Mitch Beard.

"Bathroom marble is often overlooked when people renovate, because there is this fear that it is hard to maintain or that the cost of marble is too expensive," Mitch says. "But bathroom marble is actually one of the most cost-efficient and simple stones to use, and it gives amazing results."

What can bathroom marble be used for?

Bathroom marble has many uses, from complete floor tiling to splashbacks and vanity tops, and is often used in prestigious day spas. Bathroom marble can even be used for basins, creating a striking twist on the standard white porcelain.

"Bathroom marble is a great stone to use on the floor because it comes in a huge range of colours and designs, so it complements nearly any look," Mitch says. "And when used on counter tops, like a vanity area, it immediately makes the space look stylish, modern and clean."

For complete floor tiling Mitch suggests choosing honed or tumbled marble tiles, rather than polished. "Tumbled tiles are my personal favourite, because they give a classic, almost antique look, but for extra traction you should choose honed tiles," he says. "Polished bathroom marble tiles look beautiful but can get very wet, so I wouldn't recommend using them on the floor."

Laying bathroom marble

When laying bathroom marble on the floor area, Mitch suggests starting from the centre and evenly working your way to the edges. "You don't want to tile yourself into a corner, because if you step on the tiles at this early stage you can deform their shape or colouring," he says. "And if you're going for a very detailed pattern you might want to draw it out on paper to scale first."

Bathroom marble is sensitive to colour damage and water spotting, so it's also important to consider the colour of your adhesive before you start. "And don't ever use sanded grout on marble because it can badly scratch the tiles," Mitch says.

The cost of bathroom marble

Renovating a bathroom with marble can be very expensive, so if you don't have the budget you might want to consider faking it. "There are some great faux marble tiles and counter tops around these days that are affordable and look as good as the real thing," Mitch says. "If you love the look of marble but can't afford it, then I'd definitely have a look at faux products."

To see the range of bathroom marble tiles, vanities and benchtops, find a bathroom product retailer in your area: