A bathroom design needs to be effective in a number of different functions, even if the space within the room is limited.
The strategic use of a bathroom tile shape, size, finish and color can all ensure that your bathroom appears much bigger than it actually is.
The type of tile you choose can also influence the design style and personality of your bathroom and therefore, it is extremely important to consider which color bathroom tile will be best suited towards your bathroom.
Interior design for bathrooms
Bathrooms tend to be the smallest- and yet some of the most used spaces in the house. Although bathrooms can range in size, most bathrooms are on the smaller side.
Over time, bathrooms have become multi-functional spaces within the home, functioning as a place of solace and an escape from the outside world, but also a cleaning space with storage for different toiletries and make-up regardless of size.
A successful bathroom design will create a spa-like relaxing feeling within your space, whether it is big or small.
This relaxed feeling should carry over into all aspects of the design, ensuring that surfaces are easy and simple to clean and keep organized, and that there is sufficient lighting for you to be able to do everything from cleaning to make-up effectively and quickly if need be.
However, the practicality of your bathroom is not the only factor to consider. Bathroom designs are no longer just sterile, all-white designs. Decor and other interior design aspects can be used to infuse some life and personality into your bathroom.
Since bathrooms tend to be smaller spaces, this can often be the perfect excuse to use a bolder design or pop of color in a way that will not overwhelm the design of your entire house.
Your bathroom tile is a great interior design element which can help you to achieve a certain look and feel within your small bathroom space.
Factors to consider when choosing your bathroom tile
Your choices when it comes to the size, shape, color, finish and material of bathroom tiles on the market is close to endless.
These factors can all be considered independently to help you decide what will work and look the best within your smaller bathroom space.
When it comes to the size of tiles which would work best for a smaller bathroom, the choice is truly down to personal preference.
Big tiles are often associated with bigger rooms, which will subconsciously make your bathroom appear bigger than it really is, but small tiles can add a subtle texture to your bathroom walls, which can enhance the visual interest of the room.
If you are stuck on what size tiles to use within your space, it can also be effective to use different sizes of tiles in different areas of the bathroom, to ensure that you create a feeling of added space and texture.
The shape you choose for your bathroom tile can help you to accentuate your chosen design style within this room.
Subway tiles in a brick pattern can help you to create a very classic, traditional look in your bathroom, whereas penny tiles or even mosaic can be used to create a modern or even bohemian look.
When choosing the shape of tile and layout of this tile for your small bathroom, it is always best to keep the mood and style that you would like to create for the room in mind.
When it comes to the finish, practicality is often the aspect which will guide you on the right choice.
Smooth and shiny tiles are effective to reflect and distribute light within a small space, but this type of tile can be slippery and dangerous and thus, should be used on the walls rather than the floors.
What color tile is best for a small bathroom?
The color of the tiles you choose for your bathroom can also have an effect on the overall look and feel of the room and can be an effective way to make your small bathroom feel much bigger.
White tiles for a small bathroom
White tile is a classic choice of tile, which has been a favorite among designers and homeowners for a long time.
This timeless choice will bring a lot of brightness to your bathroom and will reflect all of the natural and synthetic light within your bathroom, which will help to make a tiny bathroom space feel even bigger and will help to eliminate dark spots within your bathroom.
Using white tiles on the floor and walls or even both surfaces in your bathroom, can create a very neutral base for your entire bathroom design.
This neutral backdrop will give you the freedom of adding other bolder and more colorful design and décor elements into your bathroom, without having to worry about these colors and textures clashing with the color of your tile.
If the all-white bathroom look is too much for you, this white tile can be modernized in a few ways. Adding contrast to the all-white look can make for a geometric design that is much more interesting than just white.
This can be achieved by using a dark grout color between your tiles or even adding dark or colorful tiles to the room, like these Diflart basket weave mosaic tile with black accents, which will create a bit of contrast with the white tiles and create some visual depth in your design.
 |
| Buy it on Amazon |
Another good way to break up an all-white tile design is to add texture to your tiles.
Using different textured tiles, tiles of different shapes or sizes or even placing tiles in different patterns in different places in the bathroom, can be a good way to break up a bathroom which feels too monotonous, but still keep the brightening effect of a white-on-white bathroom.
Black tiles for a small bathroom
When you are trying to make a small bathroom space feel open and expansive, the use of dark colors can seem counter intuitive. However, black tiles can be an excellent way to add a bit of drama and anchor your space.
Black can be a very effective tile color if you want to create an elegant and sophisticated mood within your tiny bathroom, but you do always run the risk of making the space feel small and dark.
There are a few ways to ensure that your black tiles add some contrast and help to anchor your tiny bathroom, but do not make the space feel gloomy and closed-off.
Using a shiny black tile is always a good idea, as this type of tile will still interact with the lighting in your bathroom and help to reflect some light even if the tile is technically a dark color.
 |
| Buy it on Amazon |
Another way to ensure some brightness in the room is to mix this black tile with a brighter colored tile, to ensure that the whole room does not reflect too darkly.
A black and white checkerboard floor design, can for example, create a distinct and interesting vintage design in your bathroom.
Graphic tiles for a small bathroom
Tiles with bold colors and graphics can be an effective way to add some color and pattern to your bathroom, without overwhelming the small space.
Graphic patterned tiles come in many different color combinations from pink, green and blue, to everything in between and this can be a good way to dip your toes into trying a bolder color without having to use this color all over the walls or floors.
There are several different styles and patterns to choose from but these Art3D Decorative Tiles, are an excellent choice if you are interested in highly colorful tiles that have a variety of different patterns to create an eye-catching design.
 |
| Buy it on Amazon |
These bright colors and interesting textures and lines can add a lot of visual interest to your tiny bathroom and when these colors are paired with white walls and other neutral elements, you achieve the best of both worlds in having a bathroom design that is both light and airy and fun too.
Bold patterns and colors can also be an effective way to create a focal point in the room, and this focal point may make your space feel more expansive, as it will draw your eye to focus on different parts of the room.
As long as these patterned tiles are used sparingly, they are a very effective way to add texture, color and personality into your bathroom design, no matter how big the room is.
Final thoughts
A successful bathroom design uses light, furniture and colors in a way that maximizes space and helps you to capture your design style and personality clearly within the space, no matter how big or small it is.
Tiles are a big part of this bathroom design, as the different shapes, sizes, finishes and colors can help to create clever visual tricks to make the room look and feel bigger.
Choosing between classic white, or even adding some drama with black or texture and color with patterned tiles, simply depends on the style and personality of your bathroom design.
