Clever shower tile ideas

Black showers and taps have become incredible popular in recent years, bringing a dramatic feel to bathrooms. If you’ve decided to go to the dark side, opt for tiles that will show your trendy taps at their best.

Take these pale blue tiles set behind this contemporary shower. They have been laid in a herringbone pattern to bring more attention to the sleek design feature and create a statement wall.

Large format tiles are ideal for making a small bathroom look larger thanks to less grout lines and a less busy feel.

Here, this timeless shower enclosure features large tiles in a neutral shade to make a smaller room feel more spacious.

If you have the opportunity, it’s definitely worth including a shelf inset into the wall and tiled for a waterproof finish. That way you’ll rid your shower tray of ugly plastic bottles.

Don’t be afraid to mix tile textures and colours. If you have a walk-in shower, create an interesting effect by combining large format tiles with a wall of mosaics.

Treat the shower enclosure as if you were decorating it, like you would do a room, and choose a statement wall for the mosaic tiles.  This could be behind the shower itself, or to the side. Either way, it will make a bold feature.

Planning a corner shower? Consider building in a handy seat and tiling it to match the walls.

If you have plain bathroom, pick a tile with a strong pattern, such as these bold marble-effect tiles, to add energy to the space.

Looking to jazz up plain white tiles? Or maybe you’re after something slightly different to the ever popular metro tiles trend? Then why not marry square white tiles with black grout for a unique, contemporary look?

Black grout is the perfect companion to black taps, showers and even baths, and it’s also a practical solution as it won’t show up marks as much as paler grout.

In small shower rooms, draw attention to the shower area itself by using a different coloured tile around the enclosure. This way you’ll distract from the size of the space and bring focus to the main feature of the room.

Keep the rest of the room light, with white tiles for example, and you’ll have a fresh shower room that will feel lovely and spacious.

In this masterfully designed shower room, huge format wall tiles seamlessly transition onto the floor creating the impression that the wall and floor are one large streamlined surface.

Wood-effect tiles have then been used on the adjacent walls and vanity unit to add  warmth and texture to this stunning space, while a sleek black framed screen finishes the contemporary look perfectly.

Simple, yet so effective, a monochrome bathroom featuring classic brick tiles is a timeless choice that you won’t tire of. Keep the walls white and introduce bold black touches through the tapware, vanity unit and tile grout.

Then, when you feel like sprucing things up, try introducing texture, pattern and colour through the accessories, such as a bamboo bath mat, or a marble soap dish and tumbler.

Hexagons have been big news in tile design lately, bringing a dynamic edge to both bathrooms and kitchens. If you want to embrace this funky trend, stick to a simple  white hexagon tile as the busy pattern will add enough interest in itself.

For a quirky look, consider extending the hexagon pattern across the rest of the bathroom walls for a fun and playful look.

Want an eye-catching feature in your shower enclosure but your budget won’t stretch to a full statement wall? Then simply tile a vertical line behind the shower controls and you’ll have an instant focal point.

Go for a tile that will create a bold contrast to the rest of the bathroom, such as these tactile pebble style tiles that add a cool, beachy feel to the modern space. You could even continue the tiles onto the floor of the shower for a bolder finish.

Pared back elegance is the flavour in this modern industrial  bathroom, which features plenty of funky, on-trend details, like the pale wood vanity unit and hexagon floor tiles.

For a coordinate scheme, choose the same tile for all the walls, including behind the vanity, and around the bath and shower. Then continue the tiles up the side of the bath panel for a super sleep finish.

Super stylish and utterly glamorous, the secret to this bathrooms’ success is the marble-effect tiles that bring attention to the shower area and give it a five-star hotel feel.

The bold grey veining on the tiles is then mirrored by the smart grey vanity unit, resulting in a harmonious scheme, which is completed with beautiful wall lights.

Pink might not be everyones favourite colour, however it has been creeping into bathroom design lately, thanks to its warmth and versatility.

The key is to go for sophisticated muted pinks rather than girlie sugary tones, such as this stunning vertical tile.Then team it with grown-up design features, like a black shower screen, shower and contemporary terrazzo floor tiles, and you’ll feel like you’ve stepped into a funky boutique hotel.

By their nature, mosaics can feel a little too busy when used on every wall in a bathroom, however, they are superb at bringing interest to different parts of a room when paired with larger plain tiles.

Pop mosaics into a shower enclosure and you instantly have a dynamic edge to your showering space, while a stripe of mosaics above a bathtub or basin give these areas an interesting touch too.