Bathrooms have become the stage for some of today’s most incredible interior designs, and accent walls are often the stars of the show. Learn where to put accent walls in your bathroom and what to put on them as we walk you through 40 of our favorite accent wall ideas.
Can You Put an Accent Wall in a Bathroom?
Yes!
Visual design choice is personal. Even if you read 100 blogs telling you you shouldn’t do something, even if I tell you you shouldn’t, the aesthetic decisions you make in your home are yours to make (keyword: aesthetic, listen to your contractor when it comes to anything structural or functional). Doing things differently is how design progresses and new trends are born.
Tile Shown: Iron Ore 3x9 // Design: Tera Janelle Design // Image: Tera Janelle Design
When it comes to bathroom accent walls though, no one would dissuade you. Accent walls add intrigue and focal points to these small spaces. And with fewer square feet to work with compared to the living room, for example, a single accent wall distills a big statement into a tightly contained canvas.
Which Wall Should Be the Accent Wall in a Bathroom?
Again, these choices are wide open and whichever wall is speaking to you, go for it. But there are a couple of common walls you’re likely to consider first.
Behind the Vanity
The vanity is in many ways the de facto focal point of a bathroom. We’re constantly facing our vanities, and backing one with an accent wall makes perfect sense.
Tile Shown: Caribbean 3x12 & White Wash 6x6 // Design: Leslie Murchie // Image: Leslie Murchie
In the Shower
Showers are like a room within your bathroom and the place where many designers pull out all the stops. An accent wall allows you to add a visual element you wouldn’t commit the whole shower or room to or adds icing to the cake of a showstopping shower.
TIle Shown: Magnetite 3x9, Daisy 2" Hexagon, Daisy 8" Hexagon & Daisy 2x4 // Design: Destination Eichler // Image: Destination Eichler
What Should I Put on my Bathroom Walls?
At Fireclay, we’re partial to handmade tile, but once again, the choice is yours. Just be considerate of where you’re placing the accent wall and the likelihood of it getting wet. Wallpaper in the shower for instance is an obvious nonstarter.
Ceramic Tile
Monochromatic Materials
An accent wall doesn’t have to be radically different from the rest of the room. Switching up the material is enough to make a pronounced accent.
Tile Shown: Caspian Sea Ogee Drop // Design: Buck Moorhead Architect // Image: Marcus Brooks
Tile Shown: Nautical 2x8 & Alpaca Kite // Design: Tiffany Thompson, Duett Interiors // Image: Marni Mervis
Tile Shown: Frost Chaine Homme // Design: Edwards + Mulhausen Interior Designer // Image: James Johnson
Tile Shown: Quartzite Picket & Carbon Picket // Design: Chipman Design Architecture // Image: Ballogg Photography
A Pop of Color
A brightly colored accent wall in a room with a neutral color palette is instantly eye-catching and influences the vibe of the bathroom without committing the color to the entire space.
Tile Shown: Glacier Bay 4" Triangle // Design: Annie Hall Interiors // Image: Michael J. Lee Photography
Tile Shown: Flagstone 3x6 // Design: Curio Design Studio // Image: Samantha Elizabeth Collin
Tile Shown: Evergreen 6x6 & Tusk 6x6// Design: Alicia Davenport // Image: Besea Photography
Tile Shown: Nautical 2x8 // Design: Chora Studios // Image: Beth Perry
Specialty Shapes
Often times accents are less about the color and more about the pattern or texture. Specialty shapes up the ante of bathroom design whether you choose a multicolored pattern or a single color accentuated with contrasting grout lines.
Tile Shown: Rosemary Ogee Drop & White Wash 3x12 // Design: EFE Creative Lab // Image: EFE Creative Lab
Tile Shown: Salton Sea Picket // Design: Destination Eichler // Image: Destination Eichler
Tile Shown: Amalfi Coast Ogee Drop // Design: Pamela Pennington Studios // Image: Michelle Drewes Photography
Tile Shown: Basalt Chaine Homme // Design: Hatch Works // Image: Robert Gomez
Tile Shown: Sunflower, Calcite, Dusty Blue, Driftwood 6" Triangle & Sunflower 6x6 // Design: Silent J Design // Image: TC Peterson Photography
Ombre Ensembles
Whether soft and tonal or bold and splashy, ombre is a style that's sure to capture the attention of anyone who steps into a bathroom featuring it. Ombre creates intrigue to keep the eye moving across the accent wall and can help you combine separate colors of your bathroom into one cohesive design.
Tile Shown: Painted Sky, Frost & Evening Glow Chaine Homme // Design: Simply Situated Interiors // Image: Simply Situated Interiors
Tile Shown: Tomato Red, Haystack, Bryce Canyon & Gypsum 3" Hexagon // Design: Jackson Design & Remodeling // Image: Jackson Design & Remodeling
Tile Shown: Feldspar, Dolomite & Calcite Picket // Design: Nest Design Co. // Image: Thomas Kuoh Photography
Learn more about Ombre Tile Design
Handpainted Tile
Every handpainted tile is a unique work of art, making this decorative choice perfect for accent walls. Not only are these among the most eye-catching tile options, but they are also often the most costly, and reserving them for a single accent wall gives your bathroom the dramatic effect of featuring handpainted tile while cutting down on the total cost compared to a full room of this precious one-of-a-kind tile.
Tile Shown: Custom Old Cairo // Design: Debra Szidon // Image: Debra Szidon
Tile Shown: Neutral Motif Ripple // Design: Stonewood Kitchen and Bath // Image: Megan Gery
Tile Shown: Neutral Motif Kasbah Trellis // Design: Annabode + Co // Image: Brandon Lopez
Tile Shown: Neutral Motif Harvest // Design: KS Designs LLC // Image: KS Designs LLC
Tile Shown: White Motif Interlaced Leaves & White Wash 3x6 // Design: Asquared Studio // Image: Tony Garcia, AIA
Tile Shown: Fresco Motif Roundabout 2 + 4, 4x4 Jade, and 4x4 Oyster Shell
Brick Tile
An exposed brick wall is one of the most classic accent walls, and thanks to brick tile, you don't have to luck into living in a historic building to achieve this look. Even better, Glazed Thin Brick is substantially lighter than traditional glazed brick, resulting in potentially an 85% cost and emissions reduction. There are a few ways you can go with brick.
Dark Colors
A black accent wall in a powder room adds a dimension of depth to the small bathroom.
Tile Shown: Black Hills Standard Brick Tile // Design: Caren Rideau // Image: Meghan Beierle
Light Colors
Light colors accentuate the traditional features of brick and match paints and finishes you're more likely to use throughout the rest of the bathroom.
Tile Shown: Big Horn Standard Brick Tile // Design: Chelsea Sachs Design // Image: Meghan Bob Photography
Tile Shown: San Gabriel Standard Brick Tile // Design: Sara Combs + Rich Combs // Image: Margaret Austin Photography
Tile Shown: White Mountains Standard Brick Tile // Design: Ramsey McDaniel // Image: Ramsey McDaniel
Colored Brick
It's easy to get creative with brick by combining the variety of colors of ceramic tile with the texture and character of brick.
Tile Shown: Appalachian Standard Brick Tile // Design: Vivian Johnson // Image: Anja Michals Design
Mosaic Tile
Whether choosing a uniform color or creating a pixilated masterpiece, mosaic tile takes small tiles and creates a big accent in any bathroom. They also come sheeted for easier installation.
Tile Shown: Dust Storm 3x3 // Design: Claire Thomas // Image: Claire Thomas
Tile Shown: Gypsum 1x6 // Design: Amanda Jane Jones // Image: Amanda Jane Jones
Glass Tile
Glass tile makes for a refined and modern look wherever it's installed and using it for an accent wall in a bathroom makes more than just aesthetic sense. Glass tile is impervious to water, making it the most waterproof tile, perfect for wet environments like the bathroom.
Tile Shown: Rosy Finch Gloss 3x9 // Design: Handsome Salt // Image: Jenny Siegwart
Wallpaper
A simple way to create an accent wall in your bathroom is to use wallpaper. This is a great option if the rest of your bathroom features tile walls. Floral wallpaper or other patterns complements the color of your tile with artistic detail.
Tile Shown: Rainy Day 2x8 // Design: Banner Day Interiors // Image: Collin Price Photography
Tile Shown: Frond 2x8 // Design: PS212 HOME // Image: Dan Chavkin Photo
Tile Shown: Adobe 2x8 & Front Range Standard Brick Tile // Design: Kim Cornelison // Image: Kim Cornelison Photography
Conversely, if your primary wall finish is wallpaper, a tile accent wall breaks up the design with a durable backsplash behind your vanity.
Tile Shown: Salton Sea 2x4 // Design: Benita Cooper Design // Image: Benita Cooper Design
Tile Shown: French Linen 2x6 // Design: Sanabria & Co, Old City Design Studio // Image: Stacy Zarin Goldbery
Windows
Sometimes the most impressive accent is the natural environment around us. If you find yourself in a breathtaking setting, set the tone of the bathroom with an accent wall of big windows to savor the views. A wall of windows is the perfect spot for a soaking tub to relax and take in the scenery from.
Tile Shown: Gypsum & French Linen Picket // Design: EJ Interior Design // Image: Brad Knipstein
Ready to add an unforgettable accent to your bathroom design? We're here to help! Fill out our quick Design Assistance Form and you'll be connected with one of our friendly Design Assistants who will guide you every step of the way with free personalized assistance.
