Tiles play a highly important role as they not only waterproof the bathroom but also determine its overall look. With so many tile options available in the market in terms of materials, shapes, sizes, finishes, colours and patterns, choosing the best option for the washroom can become confusing. These pointers will help you to narrow down your selection and choose the tiles that are most suitable for your bathroom.

Calculate the Quantity of Tiles

First figure out the total no. of tiles that will be required for the bathroom. Make sure you calculate the quantity separately for the walls, the flooring and the accent tiles if you plan to create a feature with tiles.

Determine your Budget

It is essential to determine the approximate price range for the wall and floor tiles as per your budget. Although accent tiles are more costly than the wall and floor tiles, the quantity of accent tiles required is very less in comparison to the total quantity of floor and wall tiles.

Select the Material

Bathroom tiles are available in a wide range of materials like ceramic, porcelain, glass, natural stone, mosaic and cement tiles. Since the bathroom is prone to getting slippery when wet, always go for matte finish, textured or anti-skid tiles as they offer good grip. Glass tiles should never be used on the floor because they are slippery.

Ceramic and porcelain are the most popular tiling options because of their durability and ease of maintenance. Both these tiles are available in matte, gloss and satin finishes in a variety of designs but porcelain tiles are preferred. Tiles like terracotta, cement and natural stone need maintenance because they are porous and require periodic sealing.

Choose the Tile Size

Choose the most appropriate tile size for the flooring and wall cladding of the bathroom that ensures minimum amount of cutting and wastage. Opt for smaller tiles on the floor because the number of grout lines increase and they offer more slip resistance to the floor.

Decide the Colour Palette

It is always good to have a colour scheme in mind before you purchase tiles so that you can select them faster. You can contrast or mix and match the floor and wall tiles and consider a coloured, textured or patterned accent tile to achieve the desired look. Choose a matching countertop in materials like granite, marble or quartz to complete the look.

For a compact bathroom, it is always advisable to go for lighter coloured tiles to give the bathroom a spacious look. Consider gloss finish tiles on the walls as these tiles bounce off light and make the space look brighter.