Lots of Alan Heath and Sons customers ask us about tiles. Do the tiles you choose for your bathroom affect the overall look of it? We certainly think so! Every bathroom is different and the style of suite and colour won’t suit them all. The same can be said for your tile choice.
After choosing your bathroom suite and furniture the tiles are the next biggest decision you make. But not many people focus on the difference a good tile choice can make. It’s very easy to pick the latest style that’s in fashion or a matching tile to your suite. And that’s fine if that’s your choice. But there are other options…
We’re always helping our customers make the right choice when it comes to tile choices, so we thought we’d share our tiling wisdom with you.
What works best in a small bathroom?
Arguably small bathrooms can require more planning than larger bathrooms. Being clever with design is certainly something we recommend to get the best from your space. You can read more about designing a small bathroom on our recent blog.
When it comes to tiles, the choice in a small bathroom is very important. Funnily enough, choosing a small tile is not be the best choice .
Small tiles bring more noise into your design. They’ll also use more grout and that will give you more lines. Grout lines can take over your small bathroom’s look and appear messy and busy.
Choosing a larger tile is your answer (but not too large).
Selecting a larger tile will decrease the amount of grout lines and give you a cleaner look. Don’t go too big though, as a tile any bigger than 600 x 600mm in a small bathroom will dwarf the design and defeat the purpose of it. Generally speaking, the larger the tile the more space it will feel you have.
If you really want to use large tiles in a smaller bathroom you could consider a style that’s cut for a closer fit, so that you have fewer gaps between them, or choose a grout that is similar in colour to your design. We always recommend keeping them under the 600 x 600mm sized tiles for a small space though.
How does the texture of a tile affect your bathroom?
Textured tiles will give a really great look and wow factor to your bathroom but be careful where you use them.
Smaller bathrooms in particular will struggle to cope with a busier textured design. Strong colours or texture can be too much for the eye in a small space as your eye is drawn to too many places at once.
For smaller bathrooms we usually recommend a cleaner style with less noise for the eye – although it does depend on individual taste.
Which tiles suit a large bathroom?
A larger bathroom will cope well with texture and patterns and give your bathroom a striking look and feel. If you have the luxury of space then patterns and borders can give a really stylish feeling to your bathroom. Larger rooms also cope well with busier designs.
What’s ‘in’ and what’s ‘out’ of tile fashion?
Fashions come and go in bathrooms just as they do in other areas of life. Thanksfully the trends stay for longer. People can’t just pop to the shops on a Saturday afternoon to change their furniture like they can for clothes.
At the moment larger tiles are very much in fashion and have been for some time. We don’t see that changing soon either. Some colours like cream can be timeless and stylish, no matter what fashions come and go.
Can a simple change of tile rejuvenate an old bathroom?
Tiles are a brilliant way of updating your bathroom without changing the furniture. Maybe you have a small bathroom with a dark coloured tiles, or large tiles, or a large bathroom with old fashioned busy tiles that don’t suit anymore. Perhaps you’re just bored of the tiles you have. If you have a bathroom without tiled walls the effect you can give by tiling it can be very huge and can change the dynamics completely.
Just be sure to match the tile design with your room and makes sure the design doesn’t conflict with your existing suite.
Colour me bad
Colours have a dramatic effect on your design. A larger bathroom can cope with strong, bold designs and you can be really creative with your choice.
If you have a very high ceiling you can bring the eye down with a lower border. If you have an alcove or feature wall you could have a focal point with a different design or colour on to draw the eye to it.
Smaller bathrooms though will suit a simpler design like with the textures. Go for a light colour as this will create more light and give a spacious feel rather than an enclosed feeling.
Tiles pave the way to bathroom success!
Choosing the right tiles for your bathroom will make a huge difference to your serenity and relaxation. Making the most of your space and selecting tiles that complement – not conflict – with your suite is key to success.
Above all else, tiles are a more hygienic option to wallpaper as they’re wipe-clean and less likely to harbour mould. Tiles can turn a simple bathroom into a stylish contemporary space that you will want to spend time in. And we think it’s worth getting the place you see first and last in the day just right.