Choosing bathroom flooring can, on the one hand, be one of the most fun aspects of redecorating. If you have a flair for design or a predilection for pattern and colour, consider this a place to really let loose. On the other hand, there are plenty of practical considerations to mull over, too: will it be easy to clean? Are the tiles you’ve chosen non-slip? Do they fit with the historic style of my house? And does it matter? From non-slip bathroom flooring to vinyl bathroom flooring to tile ideas for small bathrooms, we round up thirteen great design ideas to think about.

Patterned Ceramic Flooring


Black And White Floor Tiles

Patterned ceramic floor tiles have been gaining in popularity over the past decade. An easy way to inject fun and personality into a room, they often work well when counterpoised with absolute simplicity, as well as softening modern bathroom designs in period homes. We love the Metropolis Star Black Wall and Floor tiles from Tile Mountain. Ideal as a geometric point of interest in an otherwise minimal room, they can also work well in a vintage style bathroom. Given how arresting the pattern, we would suggest, as in the image, deploying them alongside white metro tiles – and, if you want a further flourish, why not add a complementary strip along the wall? Shop them here.

Waterproof Vinyl Bathroom Ideas


Hugo Floor Tiles

T’was a time when vinyl bathroom flooring elicited turned up noses from those who considered themselves arbiters of elegance or members of the design cognoscenti. These days, however, vinyl and laminate flooring has improved considerably and consequently is gaining in popularity. Much more authentic-looking than it once was, it is a practical choice, thanks to its durability. Most vinyl floors will come with a wear layer that resists scratches and stains, making them great for high traffic areas. For bathrooms, it is an especially pragmatic option, thanks to the ease with which you can wipe it clean. Trends are veering towards lighter, natural tones, though in a bathroom, a darker hue, such as this example from Victoria Plum, can offset white wall tiles well. It comes with a fifteen-year domestic use warranty, and there is no need for a professional fitter, which cuts costs further. Shop it here.

Black And White Patterned Bathroom Floor


Black Tiles

For those who favour a monochrome palette, patterned tiles can be a really good way to bring life into a room. Whether you opt for a dark, moody hue on the walls – as per this example on Pinterest – or you favour a whitewashed look, tiles with a patterned motif in a black and white palette can make a good way of breaking up blocks of solid colour. What’s more, they can work just as well in period and contemporary homes alike. To explore more, click here.

Mix Of Vinyl Bathroom Flooring And Gloss Finish


Vinyl Flooring And Gloss Finish

The effectiveness and success of an interior design scheme always lie in the details. Chief amongst these is, of course, texture. Earthy tones can, in the right context, work well with high gloss finishes, both to offset and to establish different zones in a room. Evidence of this can be seen here in the Brooklyn-based Ishka Designs’ White House, a project the company executed in Jamaica. A fresh, minimalist scheme, the gloss platform that the bath sits upon provides a focal point to the room, gently breaking up the natural-hued vinyl flooring. If you’re looking for bathroom flooring ideas, this could be the best of both worlds. Get more inspiration here.

Coloured Victorian Patterned Bathroom Flooring Ideas


Victorian Floor Tiles

Anyone who has ever had the good fortune to move into a 19th-century home in which the original features still remain intact will attest to the Victorians’ way with a tile. Along with the industrial revolution, electricity and compulsory education, they gave us much in the way of inspiration for the humble floor tile. Most of us who live in Victorian terraces know, however, that it is more likely than not that those details will, over the years, have been gutted, alas. But the good news is that reproduction Victorian tiles abound, and they are pretty convincing. One of the best places to reinstate them is, of course, in the bathroom, where even the decoratively cautious tend to feel brave. If you’re looking for bathroom flooring options, don’t neglect to check out Original Style’s period patterns. Click here to shop.

Textured Square Tiles


Chequered Square Tiles

If you are inclined to keep your palette neutral but would still like your bathroom to look distinctive, why not plump for bathroom flooring options that put the onus on texture rather than pattern? We like this example, as seen on the Style By Emily Henderson blog; it’s simple, it’s tactile, it’s understated, and it works well with a pared-back aesthetic – with a few decorative flourishes too, of course. Click here for inspiration.

Classic Tiles With Gloss Finish


Classic Tiles With Gloss Finish

Nothing so instantly oozes luxury like a bit of high gloss on some classic tiles. Whether you live in a minimalist apartment or in a period house, there is something about this combination – understated yet highly polished – that transports you straight to the enveloping welcome of a reassuringly expensive hotel. This is not a look for vintage-orientated homes. And neither is it particularly well-suited to smaller bathrooms. But if you have the space, the inclination to feel as though you’re in a five-star hotel, and you’re looking for bathroom tiles ideas, don’t discount this one. Click here for inspiration.

Black And White Chequered Chess Floor in a Bathroom


Black And White Tiles

Did you recently binge-watch the Queen’s Gambit? If so, you may be more than usually interested in the game of chess. Okay, there are few people who would choose their bathroom floor based on a highly watchable Netflix series, but the chequered chess bathroom tile is something of a classic – and perhaps one that would qualify to make it onto the set of that stylish show. Black and white floors have popped up throughout the centuries: they were present in the temples of ancient Egypt; they grew in popularity in the fifteenth century, as evidenced in their repeated appearances in Renaissance paintings; they crop up again and again in American diners; and in iconic hotels, such as The Savoy – and right now, they’re no less stylish a choice than they ever were. Tile Mountain makes a version, as seen here. Do note, though, the look is most effective when you have enough space to really make an impact. Click here to shop it.

Luxurious Marble Floor Tiles


Luxurious Marble Floor Tiles

The words ‘marble’ and ‘tiles’ used in conjunction with one another are likely to have you either nodding your head in vigorous agreement or shaking it in stern consternation. When it comes to marble in the house, there seems to be very little in-between or sitting on the fence. If you are of the former inclination, you need no words of encouragement from us. But if you are of the latter persuasion, do not dismiss the idea wholly out of hand just yet. Should you feel that marble on your floors – rather than remaining unbothered in the mountains of Carrara – would be horribly ostentatious, remember that, as with everything decorative, it is all about context. As the Style By Emily Henderson blog shows, it can be surprisingly modern, especially when teamed with clean lines and some softening and more rustic wooden textures. And, as she reminds us sagely, for those with young children, your own bathroom can be the only space in the house that is untouched by sticky little hands. It can, then, be nice to invest in a little luxury. Click here for inspiration.

White Marble Effect Polished Tiles


White Marble Effect Polished Tiles

If, on the other hand, you’re in the firm ‘yes please’ camp for marble tiling and the only thing making you shake your head is the cost, do have a think about white marble effect polished tiles. Coming in at a fraction of the price, they have all the mandatory gloss and just a fraction of the whopping price tag. They make a perfect backdrop for a statement freestanding bath or shower – and act as the most luxe of splashbacks to protect your painted walls. Walls and Floors makes a good example, which comes in at £39.95 per square metre. Click here to shop it.

Bathroom Flooring With A Bright Colour


Bathroom Flooring With A Bright Colour

Other than those few of us who are of an exceptionally bold persuasion, when we choose to use colour, most of us opt for more understated palettes in the home – a fact evidenced by the phenomenal success of Farrow & Ball, specialists in the gently muted hues found in heritage interior schemes – and a proliferation of other paint companies who have duly followed suit. But when it comes to the bathroom, somehow we seem to feel liberated to unleash the wilder side of our tastes. And we say, why ever not? Unlike the other rooms in the house in which one spends longer periods of time, a shot of cheer in the form of bright yellow tiles can be just the shock of sunshine to brighten your day. Click here for inspiration.

Multi-Colour Bathrooms


Multi-Colour Bathroom Flooring

If you are taken with the idea of a colourful bathroom but want to take it a step further than a single block hue, why not experiment with multi-colour bathroom flooring? Okay, it will be somewhat Marmite as a choice, but for those who derive great joy from living with a riot of colour, we say, what’s stopping you? It is worth noting, it can be a rather overpowering look, and is, therefore, best suited to being used sparingly. But for those searching for bathroom tiles ideas for small bathrooms, this could be a contender. Alternatively, if you want to combine colour with rubber bathroom flooring, do explore the range available at the Colour Flooring Company. You can buy rolls in single block colours, or in modern triangle patterns. It’s graphic, wipe-clean, fresh and fun. For more inspiration, click here.

Fish Scale Floor Tiles


Fish Scale Bathroom

Anyone who has ever trailed admiringly around Eltham Palace – or any other such ode to Art Deco – will know that our symmetry-obsessed forbears really knew how to create a bathroom. It was, at the time, the height of luxury to not only have an indoor bathroom, but one that exuded opulence. One of the hallmarks of such plush decorative living was the fish scale tile, which makes a welcome change from the classic square or rectangle and, indeed, from the proliferation of Victorian-style geometric patterns. Suited well to a feature wall, they also work effectively when used, rather more unusually, on the floor, as shown in this example. If you’re looking for small bathroom flooring ideas, this is a great way to elevate a diminutive space. Equally, if you have a large bathroom, it could look textural and striking. But as in all things balance: if you opt for a scheme like this, we’d advise keeping the walls and the rest of the bathroom as simple as can be. For more inspiration, click here.


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