How to Choose the Right Bathroom Tiles

To choose the right bathroom tiles, work through four decisions in order: where the tiles will go, what they are made of, what size and finish suit the room, and how much upkeep you are prepared to take on. Matt porcelain is hard to beat on a bathroom floor, and lighter, larger tiles are usually the safer bet in a small room. At Cannadines, we design, supply and install complete bathrooms across Sussex, and tiling is one of the biggest choices in any bathroom project.

Start With Where the Tiles Are Going

Work out which surfaces you are tiling before anything else, because floors and walls ask different things of a tile. That decision alone makes it much easier to choose the right bathroom tiles for the rest of the room. A bathroom floor has to cope with foot traffic, water and dropped shampoo bottles, so it needs a hard-wearing surface with some grip. Walls carry none of that load, which is why wall-only ranges can be thinner and lighter, often with a glossier glaze. Many floor tiles can happily go on walls, provided your fitter confirms the wall can take the weight, but wall tiles should never be laid on a floor. And if you are tiling a walk-in shower or a wetroom, pick a floor tile with a textured or anti-slip finish, because smooth gloss becomes a liability once it is wet.

choose the right bathroom tiles - lovely oval bath with tiles behind it

Get to Know the Main Tile Materials

Ceramic is usually the most affordable option, easiest to cut, and wipes clean easily, so it suits walls that take a lot of splashing. Porcelain is a denser type of ceramic fired at a higher temperature. It barely absorbs water and copes with years of daily use, so it is well suited to bathroom floors. It now comes in convincing wood-effect and stone-effect designs too, for that warmer look without the upkeep. Natural stone such as marble, travertine or slate brings real character, and no two pieces match exactly, but it needs sealing when fitted and resealing over time. Stone Federation Great Britain, the UK trade body for natural stone, publishes cleaning guidance worth following once it is fitted. Mosaics, supplied on mesh sheets, earn their keep in shower niches, on curved surfaces and as feature strips. Material is what most affects how tiles wear, not just how they look, so it is worth weighing up carefully when you choose the right bathroom tiles.

Think About Size and Layout

Bigger tiles mean fewer grout lines. That gives a calmer finish and tends to make a compact bathroom feel larger. Smaller tiles still have their place. A herringbone or hexagon pattern on a single wall adds interest without taking over, and mosaics cope with awkward corners that large tiles cannot. Running rectangular tiles vertically draws the eye upwards, and in a room with a low ceiling, that trick alone can make a real difference. If your bathroom is on the small side, simple changes like lighter colours and smarter storage can make just as much difference as the tiles themselves.

Choose a Finish You Can Live With

Gloss tiles reflect light and can lift a dark bathroom, but they show water marks and smears quickly, so expect to wipe them down often. Matt tiles forgive splashes and fingerprints far better than gloss, and the grip underfoot is better too. For a busy family bathroom, that makes matt the safer bet. Think about grout at the same time. Brilliant white grout looks crisp on day one and takes effort to keep that way, while a grey or coloured grout hides everyday marks and can frame a plain tile beautifully.

Match the Tiles to How the Bathroom Is Used

A family bathroom sees heavy use every day, so it calls for forgiving choices: a matt porcelain floor, a mid-tone grout and nothing too delicate. An ensuite or cloakroom used by one or two people is the place to be braver with marble, gloss or a bold pattern. Still deciding on a shower, a bath, or both? Either way, wet areas need the anti-slip flooring covered above, and it is worth weighing up the space, water and family trade-offs between the two before you commit. Underfloor heating works well under both ceramic and porcelain, and a tiled floor performs better with it than carpet or vinyl.

See the Tiles in Person Before You Decide

The most reliable way to choose the right bathroom tiles is to look at them in person before you order anything. Screens flatter some tiles and dull others, and a sample that reads soft grey online can turn blue or green on a real wall. Daylight and artificial light change things again, so view any sample in the morning and after dark if you can. Better still, talk your shortlist through with the team who would be designing and fitting your bathroom. Our fitters handle the tiling as part of the full bathroom design and installation, so the advice we give is based on what we have seen work in Sussex homes.