We definitely have a thing for tile floors...Tile is a popular choice for bathroom floors because it's durable, easy to clean, and also a beautiful design element. From the floor to the shower pan, we've got a lot of ideas on how to best use our tile to suit your own personal style. The majority of our tile options can be used for flooring, (just ask us if you are considering tiling the floor of a steam shower, you'll have a couple of limitations there).
Below we're sharing our 6 favorite ways to use tile for your bathroom floor. Want more design ideas? Head to our Pinterest Board dedicated to bathroom floor tile. And if you're working on kitchen floors, check out this blog!
Working on a full bathroom design? Check our Complete Guide to Bathroom Tile.
Things to Consider When Choosing Bathroom Floor Tile
Grip
In a wet and slick space like the bathroom, safety is top of mind for designers balancing form and function. DCOF (Dynamic Coefficient of Friction) value of 0.42 is acceptable as a minimum value for surfaces that are expected to be walked on when wet with water. Beginning January 1, 2022, all of our matte glazes will feature a DCOF value above .42 and be rated for wet areas where slip resistance is required.
If you need slip-resistant tile sooner than that, speak to one of our design consultants.
If you prefer a gloss glaze, you’re still in luck. Gloss tile is still perfectly suitable for both light commercial and residential bathroom floors. To achieve better traction with a gloss glaze, one can opt for a smaller dimension tile. Smaller-sized tile will increase the number of grout lines and the grip of the floor. Wider grout lines increase traction as well.
Grout Color
Smaller tiles means more grout lines. While that creates more traction, it also creates more upkeep to keep your grout looking as fresh as your tile. An easy solution to this is to use a dark colored grout. If you’re choosing a dark colored tile, match the grout and tile shades for a seamless look. If you’re using lighter colored tile, consider an artistic pattern, like herringbone, or shape, like triangles or hexagons, that will be accentuated by the high contrast grout.
Learn More About How to Choose The Right Grout Color For Your Tile
Material
All of our tile, ceramic, handpainted, brick, and glass, are suitable for bathroom floors, so the decision ultimately comes down to personal style. Ceramic tile offers a classic look and the widest selection of color options. Brick tile is rugged, durable, and substantially lighter than traditional glazed brick, resulting in potentially an 85% cost and emissions reduction. Glass tile is impervious to water and provides a breathtaking contemporary finish. Handpainted is our most decorative tile that adds one-of-a-kind detail to a bathroom floor.
Consider what you want your bathroom to reflect, including the walls, the shower or tub surround, the cabinets and fixtures, and your floor tile will easily fall into place.
Now let’s get to our 6 favorite ways to use tile for your bathroom floor.
1. Tried and True Hexagon
The hexagon shape is very often found in bathroom settings for good reason: it just works. We have hexagons as small as 2" mosaic tiles and as big as 8" large format and all will work as bathroom floor tiles. We do recommend that if you're using hexagons for your shower pan that you go with a smaller size or a slip-resistant matte finish to avoid slipping!
Tile Shown: 6" Hexagons in Flagstone with 3x9s in Salton Sea // Design + Image: The Fresh Exchange
8" Hexagons anchor the beautiful, airy bathroom below:
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Tile Shown: 8" Hexagons in Slate Blue; Image: Stephanie Godfrey
3" Hexagons make for the ideal bathroom floor; the grout lines create the perfect amount of grip in the damp environment.
Tile Shown: 3" Hexagons in Calcite
Learn How to Choose The Right Hexagon Tile Floor for Your Bathroom
2. Have Some Fun With Geometric Shapes
The geometric tile trend is here to stay and why not express it on your bathroom floor? You can opt for a bolder shape on the floors and pair it with a standard subway tile on your bathroom or shower walls.
We love that Justina Blakeney opted for the classic tile shape, Mini Star and Cross for her master bath:
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Image: Justina Blakeney
Sometimes it's all about going bold. A saturated color in an eye-catching pattern creates a major wow-factor in the bathroom:
Tile Shown: Hexite in Dusty Blue // Design + Image: Urbanism Designs
Highlight your chosen shape with a contrasting grout like this Small Diamond floor:
Tile Shown: Small Diamonds in White Wash
3. Go Luxe With Handpainted Tiles
There is something so special about a handpainted tile floor. You can opt to do your entire floor (these tiles are also fine in a shower pan) or just go for a tile rug of a certain area.
Tile Shown: Starburst // Design + Image: In Honor of Design
Our Persian Star in Warm Motif outfits the bathroom floors at our factory:
Tile Shown: Persian Star in Warm Motif.
We also have more contemporary, graphic patterns like Jardin Fretwork.
Tile Shown: Jardin Fretwork in Neutral Motif.
4. Hip to be Square
We've said it many times, but we'll say it again: we love square tile and it's definitely making a comeback. Square tile is perfect for bathroom floors or walls. Remember to scale down to a smaller size on your floor or shower pan.
In the bathroom below, they opted for 4x4 tiles on the walls and used 2x2s for the shower floor:
Tile Shown: 4x4s in Tusk and 2x2s in Tusk
Squares also pair easily with other field sizes and patterns, as you can see in the master bath below:
Tile Shown: 2x6 in White Wash with 2x2 in French Linen
5. Try a Field Tile in a Pattern
Are you into field tile sizes? A pattern in standard field size can be just as compelling as a geometric shape. From a parquet to a herringbone to a striped pattern, you can play with both size and color.
Tile Shown: 2x8 in Tidewater with handpainted Elephant Star
We really like what's happening with the striped look of the tile floor below:
Tile Shown: 2x6 in French Linen and White Wash
Another classic floor tile pattern is the parquet:
Tile Shown: 3x12 in White Wash
6. Go for Glass
A glass tile bathroom floor shows off cutting-edge design, water-resistant and perfect for wet environments. If you’re daring to design with glass, we recommend using shapes no larger than 3 inches. Additionally, glass tile can show scratches so many designers reserve these precious tiles for shower pans (and of course bathroom walls) and choose another type of tile for the higher traffic areas of the bathroom.
Author Jaclyn Johnson uses mosaic 1x1 Glass Squares and a 4x12 glass shower curb to match the Matte Blue Jay Glass Motif throughout this elegant bathroom.
Tile Shown: Blue Jay Matte 1x1 Straight-Set, Blue Jay Matte 4x12
Think any of the featured colors might be perfect for your bathroom floor tiles? Order color samples online now. Need some help? Simply call, chat, or fill out our Design Assistance Form and one of our talented Design Consultants will get back to you shortly.
