Bathroom Tile Design Ideas for the Bathroom

Bathroom tile design ideas can help you create a bathroom to enjoy every day. Whether you need bathroom tile design ideas for a new bathroom or you intend to remodel an existing one, understand the tile materials you can select from and their characteristics. The maintenance needed for your bathroom floor is directly related to the material the tile is made of. Above all, you should want to create a floor surface that looks great, is water and stain resistant and safe to walk on.

Here are basic floor tile material types with some of their characteristics:

Decorative Tile - usually consisting of floral patterns or a geometric designs, these kinds of tile can create an interesting pattern within other tile that are the same color or size. Using decorative floor tile that is a different color in your bathroom tile design can go well with other colors used in fixtures, materials and furnishings.

Glazed Ceramic Tile - available in a wide variety of colors to go with any decor style, this tile has a material baked onto its surface that gives a durable floor surface that is easy to maintain. Glazed ceramic floor tile can be made to look like they were made of natural stone. Be sure that the surface has a slip-resistant finish when using where the floor will be wet.

Mosaic Tile - these are small and square shaped tile that are available in rectangular mosaic tile sheets with the individual tiles held together with a mesh backing. A wide variety of materials are used for this kind of bathroom tile design and the floor will be slip-resistant since there will be many grout lines.

Natural Stone Tile - made from natural materials such as granite, limestone, marble and slate. Stain absorption and difficulty in cleaning create challenges when using natural stone for your bathroom tile design. Sealing limestone and slate tile after installation is necessary to keep the tile from staining. Installed and maintained correctly, natural stone tile provides a beauty to be enjoyed by all.

Porcelain Tile - resistant to staining as it is fired at very high temperatures, the white clay base means a wide variety of colors can be added and different surface textures can be made to resemble other materials.

Quarry Tile - color options for your bathroom tile design will be limited for quarry tile since a red clay base is used. The unglazed surface means staining occurs easily, so using a sealer is recommended. Since the surface is not glazed, these tiles will provide a non-slip flooring surface even when sealed.

Terra Cotta Tile - these non-vitreous tiles are made from fired clay in countries like Mexico, France, Spain, Italy and Portugal. They can either be machine made or hand made and will need to be sealed. Terra cotta tile is available in various colors and geometric shapes, giving you many options for your bathroom tile design ideas.

Besides the hard, durable floor materials described above, other more flexible materials exist to choose from. If your floor base will have some sag to it, use a flexible tile that will wear more appropriately. Consider using resilient tiles, laminate or wood parquet tile. And check with your supplier about the appropriate sealer for the tile material you are using.

Enjoy the planning process, learn all you can and let your imagination go as you select the style, color, pattern and size for your bathroom tile design. Having attractive and functional bathrooms and bathroom tile design reflecting your personal style means you will have special places to enjoy for many years to come.