Choosing tiles for bathrooms

Big and bold or small and subtle, anything goes when choosing tiles for bathrooms these days.

When it comes to updating a bathroom and laundry, the choice of floor surface must take into account aesthetics, durability, ease of cleaning, safety and waterproofing. While tiling your wet areas has practical motivations, it can also be done in style.

Moving from neutral to bold bathroom tiles

The conservative choice was always for neutral square ceramic tiles in standard sizes, perhaps with a few border or feature tiles. This narrow focus has changed, with consumers becoming more adventurous and choosing anything from big bold tiles to tiny mosaics, or interesting materials such as glass, ceramic or natural stone. 

The choice of material and size is all about an impression of space. "Larger tiles have less grout lines and make your surface look bigger," says Fran Jacobsen of Beaumont Tiles.

For example, Fran says a low-ceilinged bathroom can be countered with a narrow strip of feature tiles running vertically up a wall to give an appearance of a taller ceiling.

A move to colourful bathroom tiling ideas

Fran has noticed renovators and new home builders are becoming more daring when it comes to colour selection. She believes it's a reflection of the wider availability of quality designs of fixtures in bathrooms.

"People also just don't want the same tiles as they had before," Jacobsen says. 

A choice of tiles is almost always determined by the makeup of the household. Many people are turning to experts for advice on what will work with their lifestyle. For example, a family with three or four children may not want something that is fussy. "They'll tend to go for something that looks clean and is easy to keep clean," observes Jacobsen.

Bathroom tiles and safety ratings

Another important consideration when choosing tiles is safety. Jacobsen recommends people study the safety ratings of tiles that are glazed with different finishes to make it less likely to slip over on water spilled onto the tiles.

Contact a bathroom tiler in your area today to discover tiles for bathrooms: