Home designs are constantly changing and evolving, with new innovations on the horizon and often older designs making a comeback. Sometimes, it can be hard to keep track, but for a big upgrade it’s important to have your finger on the pulse of design trends, both to get a look you’ll love and one that will help raise the value of your home. So, if you’re planning a big dream bathroom remodel, here are a few of the hottest bathroom tile trends to get you started.
Large Format Tile
If there’s one trend to point to as the hottest, biggest bathroom tile trend, it’s that tile is getting bigger across the board. Small mosaic tiles are still popular for backsplashes, accents, and sometimes in the shower, but large tiles are really taking over on every surface, and the bigger they are, the better. Ceramic, stone, porcelain, or glass, bathroom tile are trending bigger to create large, nearly-seamless surfaces that aren’t so broken up by grout and are easier to clean because of it. From tile accent walls where big tiles are used as wallpaper to bathroom floors made from just a few huge tiles, large format tile, like this Jade tile from Kertiles, is one bathroom tile trend that everyone is loving.
Wood Print Tile
In every room in the house, wood flooring is starting to make a major comeback. There are more options than ever to get the style, and after many long years of carpet reigning, people are starting to look for something a little more permanent – and personal. High end designers are going crazy for reclaimed wood – turning wood salvaged from barns, docks, and so on into gorgeous, character-rich weathered wood floors. But water absorbency isn’t wood’s strong suit to say the least, which means it’s almost always a no-go in the bathroom. Which is why a relatively new innovation – wood print porcelain tile – is turning into such a runaway bathroom tile trend. Wood print tile, like this Old Lisbon tile, is plank sized and shaped tile that’s embossed and printed with a high definition image of wood (in some cases heavily weathered wood) with the water durability and slip resistance of porcelain, making them perfect for a bathroom setting – on the floors or on the walls!
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Marble
Marble is a classic material all around – used for indoor and outdoor architecture since ancient times. But while most people associate sprawling marble floors and finish work with classical design, a surprising new hot bathroom tile trend is to use it in a more contemporary space. Carrara marble – a white marble with delicate blueish-gray veining – is especially gaining in popularity for its clean, polished finish, and is a great way to dress up a more modern bathroom. That said, one of the main drawbacks of true marble flooring is that it requires special care and cleaners as well as regular maintenance to keep the naturally slightly porous surface looking its best. If you’re worried about it, look for something like this Calacata Print Tile from Mediterranea – it uses the same technology as the wood-print tile, but to recreate a surprisingly authentic stone look.
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Colorful Glass Mosaics
Overall this year bathroom tile trends are staying in the neutral range in terms of color, with whites, creams, tans, and pale up to slatey grays. But while by and large the colors are sticking somewhere between a natural and industrial palette, this year you’re going to start to see small pops of bright, bold color both in wall and floor tile. One of the most popular ways to get the look is to opt for a small, colorful glass mosaic tile like this Bermuda tile from Tesoro, and incorporate either a small strip of tiles or clustered squares into your design. Not only will this carry a cheery color throughout your bathroom, but can help add character to an otherwise neutral design.
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Eco Friendly Materials
One of the hottest home trends on a whole is the move towards greener homes, and I don’t mean the color. I’m talking about more sustainable materials, locally sourced, recycled, or otherwise earth friendly. That goes for bathroom tile trends, too. Recycled glass is a big favorite for mosaic designs, and many companies (like Mediterranea) are starting to use more earth-friendly processes in the manufacturing of their tile. Many of Mediterranea’s tiles, including this Fusion tile, are made with more than 50% recycled content, including material from outside construction and renovation that would otherwise go to a landfill. They’re also made with low and no emissions materials, including materials quarried locally in Tennessee and Alabama, making them LEED certified for locations within 500 miles.
Heated Floors
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This is one trend that has everything and nothing to do with tile flooring. Having heated floors is far and away one of the hottest trends in bathroom flooring and luxury bathroom design as a whole. But you need to decide if you’re going to install them BEFORE you pick your tile, let alone lay it. Adding heated floors to your bathroom takes the morning chill out of a tile floor, but it has to be installed before any other work is done. If you opt out of doing it and choose an expensive stone tile, there’s really no going back: you’d have to tear out and replace the entire floor to install it later. On the flip side, even the small variations caused in the heating sheet or line beneath the flooring can cause problems with some fragile stone tiles, so you’ll not only need to budget for the heating system, but be sure to find a sturdy tile like this Dolmen Tile from Tesoro that can accommodate it, too.
Ultimately, as much as contemporary bathrooms are trending towards being expansive, luxurious spaces, they’re about balancing looks with practicality. Large tiles are easier to clean, wood print tiles give the look of wood without the hassle, and environmentally friendly materials are as good for the bottom line as they are for the earth – and your design. Which of these bathroom tile trends do you like?
