21 Bathroom Tile Trends

July 11, 2023

Bathrooms are important rooms in the house and can add 10% – 40% value to the home when renovated or added to a home. This shows how important bathrooms are and why you should carefully choose their design and tile to ensure a good investment return.

A big part of any bathroom renovation or design is the bathroom tiles. They catch the eye initially and set the tone for the bathroom.

The 2023 bathroom tile trends are fun but durable. They add elegance, charm, or even rustic vibes to any bathroom but leave plenty of room for personal preference.

What is the New Trend for Bathroom Tile?

The year 2023 brings many new bathroom tile trends, but they all share a few things.

They are BOLD, include patterns, and make artistic statements. Yes, there’s room for neutral colors and styles, but still plenty of room for wild patterns and styles. So let’s have fun decorating your bathroom by exploring the top bathroom tile trends in 2023.

Feel free to play with the bathroom tile trends, making them your own. The ideas here are suggestions based on what’s popular today. The good news is you have plenty of room to play with color and style to make your bathroom look and feel just how you want.

21 Bathroom Tile Trends

Like most home décor trends, bathroom tile trends are plentiful. We’ll discuss the most popular trends and different ways to work them into your bathroom to suit your taste.

Tile Colors

First, we’ll look at tile colors because they are at the forefront of the bathroom tile trends this year.

Bold Colors

The tile colors that most homeowners are picking this year are BOLD. The hot color trends this year are bright and not colors you might otherwise have considered, including red, orange, browns, neutrals, and muted shades of bold colors.

Don’t worry; you don’t have to deck out your bathroom in reds and oranges. But instead, you can choose colors like blush-beige or warm neutrals and consider accenting with wilder colors.

Green Tiles

Green may not have been your first thought, but it makes sense because it’s the color of nature, and the bathroom should be relaxing. You can opt for forest green, light green, or anything in between. Green is a wildly popular and easy-to-work-with color.

Earthy Colors

Earthy tones help set the mood in bathrooms. Consider including colors like taupe, crème, brown, or beige. You can mix and match the colors to create the desired ambiance in your bathroom, especially if it’s a guest or master bath that you want to feel inviting and relaxing simultaneously.

Black and White

We’re taking it back a few decades to the black-and-white era. Although this time, it’s used with patterns, allowing homeowners to have a mixture of boldness and texture throughout the bathroom. This works well in homes, going for a more modern look, but want a nod to the yesteryear.

One trend that’s popping up more today is a black floor with contrasting white walls and cabinets. It creates a dramatic effect, giving the room a luxurious appeal.

Pattern Trends

Next to color trends, you should pay attention to the latest pattern trends, and 2023 has plenty of them! Here are some fun ways to spruce up your bathroom.

Color Blocking

Color blocking is a mixture of patterns and solid colors. Mix and match with different patterns or use solid colors to create contrast. Choose bold colors that complement one another, are stark contrasts, or mix patterned floors with solid tile shower walls, or vice versa. You can play with the colors as much as you want!

Mosaic

The mosaic pattern is back and better than ever. Today you have more options to play with colors in a mosaic pattern; whether you choose a solid color for the entire floor, backsplash, or shower or go with multiple colors to create a bold look in the bathroom, they are all in style.

Mini-Hex Mosaic

Mini mosaic tiles are another fun way to embrace the mosaic pattern without going overboard. You can play with colors more with the mini-hex mosaic because they are smaller and less ‘in your face.’ Consider creating fun patterns with the tiles, like flowers or stripes, making the bathroom your own.

Checkerboard

The checkerboard pattern has been around for years and will be even more prominent in 2023. You can go the traditional route, with black and white checkerboard patterns, or choose other colors to play with the design. Play with two or more colors and see how it brings your bathroom alive. It’s fun to see how a simple pattern like a checkerboard can make such a difference.

Stripes

The striped pattern never went away but is more popular this year. Like the checkerboard pattern, you can play with complementing or contrasting colors or still with different shades of the same color, such as a muted and bright green for some variety.

Statement Wall

A statement wall can be the most dramatic wall in the room using any of the patterns mentioned or even another pattern. The other three walls are usually simple, with either a subtle pattern or no pattern at all.

You can have a lot of fun with a statement wall, making the wall as bright and bold as you want, knowing that it won’t be the entire bathroom, so it won’t be overwhelming for the senses.

Geometric

Geometric patterns are another popular pattern in 2023 that is seeing a comeback from the 70s and 80s. This time they focus on muted colors and patterns, so they aren’t as loud and eye-catching but add an element of pattern and fun to the bathroom.

Tile Style

Even though tiles are the most popular material for bathrooms, it doesn’t mean you can’t give them different looks. Here are some different tile styles you can get in your bathroom.

Looks Like Wood

If you love the look of wood floors but know they don’t belong in bathrooms, consider wood-look tiles made of porcelain. You won’t get traditional wood floors’ rustic farmhouse look, but they provide clean lines and an upscale look in bathrooms without the risk of damaging them because wood floors cannot handle water.

Marble Tile

If you want the luxurious look of marble but with more durability, consider porcelain-backed marble tiles. You get the best of both worlds with these tiles, as marble is an upgraded look for bathrooms, but you also get the durability of porcelain.

Terra Cotta

Terra cotta used to be something you’d only see in Southern states, but today it’s making a comeback everywhere. The material is drool-worthy, and the colors fit right in with the hot 2023 colors in their red hues. This can be a great way to play with red without actively choosing it.

Subway Tiles

If you’re looking for something more modern and not tiles that were popular decades ago, consider subway tiles. These tiles are rectangular and usually measure 3″ x 6″. They are typically made of ceramic, but you can find them in other materials, including marble, porcelain, and glass. They’re usually installed with a 50% offset and come in various colors.

Terrazzo Tiles

Terrazzo tiles are from ancient Italy and are made of marble chippings laid into cement. They make gorgeous bathroom floors and shower tiles, giving the room a feeling of luxury without being too expensive.

Matte Porcelain and Ceramic Tiles

Ceramic and porcelain tiles have always been the tile of choice in bathrooms, but in 2023, the emphasis is on matte tiles. The lack of a shiny finish allows you to play up other bathroom areas while embracing the desired color scheme.

Big Tiles

All of the tiles we’ve discussed so far have been small to medium in size, but we can’t overlook the exquisite nature of big tiles. Typically available in porcelain or marble, they will definitely be noticed when someone walks into the bathroom. Choosing a bold color can create an even greater impact in the bathroom, giving the room an air of luxury.

Tips for Choosing Bathroom Tiles

Choosing bathroom tiles is a big decision. Not only are you choosing a color, but you’re also choosing a style that should last and complement your home’s style.

Know Your Budget

If you’re renovating the entire bathroom, determine how much money you have for bathroom tiles. Figure this out before picking out tiles to ensure you stay within your budget.

While looking at tiles, it’s easy to fall in love with tiles you can’t afford but don’t realize it until it’s too late. Instead, have a number in mind and share it with the salesperson so they only show you the tiles you can afford. This ensures you’ll still have money for other areas of the bathroom you want to renovate.

Stick to No More Than Three Tiles

If you want to mix and match tiles in the bathroom, stick to no more than three different tiles. Remember that you’ll need tile on your floor and shower. You may also need it in a bathtub, wall tile, or as accents.

Having too many different tile types can make the room look too cluttered. Sometimes even three is too much, but it depends on the look you want in the bathroom.

An easy way to start is to focus on your must-have tile first. This is the tile you’ll work around. You may want to make your other choices neutral if it’s an extravagant color or pattern. But if your must-have tile is neutral, then you have room to play with other colors.

If you don’t have anything you’re fixated on, you can play with the tiles, colors, and styles and see which works best.

Choose Colors Carefully

Just as you should stick to no more than three tile types, you should also choose your colors carefully. Stick to colors that complement or contrast, but stick to two colors if you choose to contrast to avoid getting too cluttered.

If you have tiles with loud patterns, consider pulling a color from those tiles to pull out in other areas so that everything complements each other.

Play With Patterns

Consider playing with the patterns in your bathroom. Even though you should only have three tile types, you can have different size tiles in the same pattern, some small and some large, to give your bathroom more variation and texture.

Don’t be afraid to put patterns throughout the bathroom too. For example, if you have a solid tile in the shower, consider an accent tile cutting across the middle of the shower tiles for a little variation.

Pick Tiles. You Can Maintain

Keep in mind the maintenance required for the tiles. Don’t choose a type you can’t keep up with or that will get damaged because you have young kids. Choosing tiles with a lot of grout can require hours of deep cleaning if you don’t keep up with it. While tiles with loud patterns may hide some dirt for a while, making them less maintenance-heavy.

Choose Safe Tiles

Keep safety in mind when considering bathroom tile trends. Bathtubs tend to be slippery, so choose textured tiles to reduce the risk. Shower walls don’t need texture because no one is walking on them, so choosing a smooth surface may make cleaning much easier.

Consider the Rest of the House

Even though your bathroom is a separate room, it should complement the rest of your home. For example, if you have a rustic, farmhouse theme throughout the house and then have a modern bathroom, they don’t jive.

Instead, keep it similar. It doesn’t have to be exact, but making it so that things blend well and everything feels seamless will leave you feeling better about your decisions.

FAQ

Bathroom tile trends come and go, but many of the 2023 trends are from decades ago! It’s a great way to bring back the styles you loved while making them modern for today’s styles.

What is the current trend in bathroom floors?

Just like in other rooms in your home, any tiles that can mimic today’s trends, like wood, concrete, or stone, are trending today. There are many options in colors and styles, and the floor should match the entire room’s theme, but today’s trends make that easy.

What bathroom tile never goes out of style?

Subway tiles have always been in style. The trendy colors may change from year to year, but any home with subway tiles doesn’t have to do much to change it. Of course, it’s best to stick with neutral colors, especially white, but any solid subway tiles are still in style.

Do bathroom tiles look better horizontal or vertical?

How you should lay the tiles depends on the look you desire. Horizontal to the ceiling tiles make rooms look wider. However, vertical to ceiling tiles make the room look taller but narrower. So it comes down to personal preference.

Final Thoughts

Bathroom tile trends change often, but one thing is certain. The bathroom is an important room in your home and should be well cared for. If your bathroom is outdated, it’s time for an update.

Simple changes such as new tile throughout can greatly impact the look and feel of the bathroom, not to mention the home’s value. Create a room to relax and unwind in your home, and you’ll see just how important this room is in your home!

Additional Bathroom Remodel Resources