Tile is understandably a popular flooring material in bathrooms. It is offered in a seemingly endless range of styles, sizes, colors and patterns. The interior design possibilities for using tile in a bathroom continue with the lay patterns available and by combining multiple tile styles together. Through your careful selection of bathroom tile, you can add personality and style to your space that may be hard to achieve through other decorating efforts. As you search for the best tile for small bathroom floor in your home, you must pay attention to several critical factors and understand how these factors can work in your favor to produce the desired effects.
The Importance of Finding the Best Tile for Small Bathroom Floor
Whether you are replacing the floor in a powder bathroom or a smaller full bathroom, the limited dimensions of the space create a design challenge. Color, pattern and other elements have the ability to make a small space seem even smaller and perhaps claustrophobic in some cases. On the other hand, these factors can work in your favor to visually enlarge the space so that it is more welcoming and appealing. Small bathrooms often have a very small window or no source of natural light, so the dim lighting adds to the decorating challenge. The best tile for small bathroom floor in your home will be affordable for your budget and aesthetically pleasing to you personally. More than that, it will masterfully conquer the challenges posed by a darker, enclosed space.
Focus on the Size of the Tiles
You may have heard that you should not use smaller tiles in a tiny bathroom. The theory behind this concept is that a floor with smaller tiles will have many more grout lines, and this visually breaks up the space. The result is a busy space that makes the room seem to be even smaller than it is. Generally, this theory holds up well. You should choose larger tiles for the bathroom floor in most cases. However, you may still use small tiles in the shower or as a decorative accent on a tiled wall or backsplash. Smaller tiles may also be used in combination with larger tiles in a pattern.
There is no specific rule regarding the minimum size that tile for a small bathroom floor should be. This is because other factors come into play, including the lay, color and pattern. Before you settle on a specific tile, bring home a sample so that you can see how the material will look in your space. If possible, request a tile board sample.
Understand the Impact of Color
You may be aware that lighter colors reflect light, and this can make a smaller room seem lighter and brighter. However, colors like white, cream and light beige on a bathroom floor may not be desirable to some people because of how visible dirt and grime may be. The good news is that darker colors can be used in a smaller bathroom with the right approach. With the right tile, a darker color can create the visual illusion of depth, and this can work in your favor. While shiny tiles on a bathroom floor may be slick in many cases, you can search for a darker tile that has metallic flecks or other elements that may reflect light while also creating the impression of depth. Keep in mind that the full color scheme in the room must be taken into account when selecting tile color. For example, you may want to combine a darker floor tile with a lighter color on the wall
Use Patterned Tiles with Care
Not all patterned tiles will work well on the floor of a small bathroom, but the visual impact of the right design can look amazing and may extend the eye. For example, when a tile’s pattern runs linearly, the overall visual effect will be an expansion of the room in the direction of the tile’s pattern. Consider installing the tile so that its lines run across the shorter length of the room.
You can also create a pattern by using a combination of tile styles. The combination of the coloring and the overall pattern that you create with multiple tile styles can visually stretch the room or may create a sense of depth. For example, when white rectangular tiles are combined with black square tiles in a stretch-bond pattern, the overall impact created by the floor is a sense of spaciousness. At the same time, this pattern gives the room personality. Whether you choose one type of tile with an imprinted pattern or you create your pattern using a combination of tiles, you should focus on the combined effects of the coloring and the pattern on the overall feel of the room.
Pay Attention to the Lay Pattern
As you continue your search for the best tile for small bathroom floor, the lay pattern requires special attention. The lay pattern directly impacts the visual effect. A grid pattern is the most common and basic layout pattern. Whether you use rectangular or square tiles, a grid pattern using larger tiles in a small bathroom can create a sense of space. If you decide to use smaller tiles, make your grout lines as thin as possible, and choose a grout color that closely matches the tile color. By doing so, you can create a sense of flow throughout the room.
The grout lines created by other lay patterns can work in your favour. Some of the patterns that produce long grout lines are offset, diamond and staggered layouts. Other lay patterns create a sense of visual flow through the position or angle of the tiles. This holds true for Versailles, herringbone, pinwheel and chevron lay patterns.
When you want to take advantage of the effect of the grout lines in your tile floor, it may be helpful to lay the tile with a slightly thicker grout line and to choose a contrasting grout color. When you want the pattern in the tile to speak for itself or when you do not want the flow of the tile to be visually disrupted by grout lines, install the tile using a matching grout color and thin grout lines.
What Is the Best Tile for Small Bathroom Floor in Your Home?
As you can see, numerous factors come together to impact the look of tile in a small bathroom floor. It is not enough to choose a beautiful tile that has an appealing pattern and the right color scheme. You must also pay attention to the impact of the pattern and color on the room. The layout and the thickness of the grout lines and color also have a significant impact on the finished look in the space. In addition to these factors, understand that the specific dimensions of the room, the presence of natural light and the other colors and features in the room also must be taken into account.
With these factors in mind, you should carefully plan all aspects of your bathroom design before beginning the installation process. You can begin by exploring the many styles of tile available for your bathroom.
Learn more: 7 DIFFERENT TYPES OF FLOORING