Ready to transform your bathroom into a stylish sanctuary? Before you dive into choosing tiles, let’s uncover the insider tips that professionals wish you knew. 

We asked Sandra Funk, a designer at House of Funk, to share her best tricks for choosing tile—from pinpointing the perfect pattern to landing the ideal size. Read on to get Funk’s six key insights that will make your bathroom tile selection process as smooth as can be.

How to Choose Bathroom Tile

Plan Where You Want Your Tile to Go

According to Funk, a good way to start your tile project is by assessing the following areas of your bath and deciding if you want to add tile there or not:

• Floor: Provides a durable and stylish foundation.
• Walls: Adds texture and color, especially in the shower or tub area.
• Shower or tub Surround: Protects walls from water damage while enhancing visual appeal.
• Backsplash: Decorative tile above sinks and vanities for a splash of style.
• Accent Walls: Creates a focal point with a different tile pattern or color.
• Countertops: A retro touch that can add a durable surface for sinks and vanities. 
• Niches: Built-in shelves or storage spaces within the shower or tub area.

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Pick a Pattern and Layout

Most times, your pattern will be dictated by the shape of the tile you choose. This means if you’re leaning toward a certain layout like herringbone, it’s wise to make a final call on your layout before you pick your physical tiles. Some common layouts to consider include:

• Stacked Square Tile 
• Diamond-Laid Square Tile
• Stacked (Vertical or Horizontal) Rectangular Tile
• Herringbone Rectangular Tile 
• Penny Tile 
• Basketweave or other Mosaic Tiles 

When it comes to accent tiles, Funk encourages clients to channel their desire for whimsical touches beyond accent tiles.

“Filter the cute into the wallpaper, accents, cabinet color, and window treatments—anything that’s more easily updated than your tile, if needed,” Funk explains.

Find the Right Tile Size

Funk underscores the importance of freeing yourself from strict guidelines when it comes to selecting bathroom tile sizes.

For instance, Funk loves a small penny or mosaic tile in a large space especially if she can run the tile right into a seamless shower.

On the contrary, for smaller bathrooms, Funk personally loves an oversized stone tile with tight grout lines to give off the aura of stone slabs.

In the 1940s and ’50s, matching tiles were the norm, but nowadays, a mix of tile shapes, colors, and textures is generally preferred.

In the bathroom above, for instance, Funk elected to mix a custom-colored cement Moroccan tile in a straight grid format with small-scale running bond slate on the floors, and large, wavy-textured subway tiles. The key to pulling it all off? 

“If you blend multiple tiles like these three, you should vary the scale, material, and/or layout,” Funk says. “Color weaves them together while varying the scale prevents them from competing with one another.”

Choose a Tile Material

Material and texture aren’t things all of us think about when it comes to tile selection—it’s easier to focus on color or pattern—but material actually has the potential to make a lot of impact on a bathroom. The most common tile materials are below:

• Ceramic: Comes in a wide variety of colors and patterns; easy to clean and projects a classic look that suits many styles.
• Porcelain: Mimics the appearance of natural stone or wood; highly durable and resistant to moisture; provides a sleek and modern finish.
• Glass: Reflective surface that adds brightness; available in a range of colors and finishes; creates a clean, contemporary look. 
• Natural Stone: Inclusive of materials like marble, granite, and travertine, natural stone offers a unique and luxurious appearance; natural veining and textures. 

When it comes to choosing tiles for the walls and floors, Funk explains how there are tiles that are floor grade and those that are wall grade. She recommends speaking to the tile seller to make sure you’re using the correct one. That said, the walls are fair game when it comes to slick tiles.

“I love to use a large format rectangular tile, straight laid, in a high sheen on the shower and vanity walls—it delivers a ton of light bounce,” Funk explains.

Pick a Color

For simplicity’s sake, most bathroom color schemes can be broken down into one of three options:

• Brights: From rich red to kelly green, bright color tile options can infuse your bathroom with vibrant energy and personality. You’ll see many designers turning to bright tile schemes in kids’ baths and powder rooms.
• Neutral: Natural and earth tones including, slate, cream, and sage can be used to create a calming, spa-like bath. “You can’t go wrong with natural materials, varying the scale and grounding a space with darker, textural tile floors,” Funk says.
• Classic: Pair a single color with black and white—or simply go black and white—to create an elegant and sophisticated space that will never go out of style. 

Finish With Grout

Part of why picking tile can seem so daunting is because the decisions seemingly never end. Just when you’ve selected your tile shape, color, size, and texture—you’re faced with the decision of grout.

“Keep your grout lines as tight as your tile installed can do,” says Funk. “Tight grout lines minimize the visual impact of the grout, allowing your tiles to truly shine.”  

To make things simple, match the grout to the tiles as closely as possible, Funk says.

“Have a sample or two actually grouted and check multiple times a day to verify the right color,” Funk explains.