Bathroom tiles that make a splash - some of the most stylish designs from the archive

rom kitchens to bathrooms, and even in some bedrooms, we have every tile inspiration covered. Zellige, mirrored, concrete - it's all here from the House & Garden archive, for your perusal. Before you update the tiles in your house, find some ceramic beauties and modern mosaics to suit every taste.

 

 

In the bathroom of this Sussex cottage desgined by Beata Heuman, pale Arabescata marble has been used for the elegant bath surround and splashback instead of tiles. The distinctive coral-themed hanging light is a design by Vaughan.

 

PAUL MASSEY

 

Farrow & Ball’s ‘Setting Plaster’ paint picks up on pink tiles by Emery & Cie in the bathroom of a sophisticated nineteenth-century London house designed by Harding & Read. Howe’s ‘Mark Chair’ is covered in green towelling fabric.

 

PAUL MASSEY

 

Suzy Hoodless, known for her mild eclecticism and smart monochrome backgrounds, designed this bold patterned bathroom in a Notting Hill townhouse. The geometric tiles create a sense of division and space, complemented by the brass taps and reclaimed wash stand. The cement tiles are bespoke, but the 'Cube No. 65' from Emery & Cie is similar. Each tile is 20cm square and costs e138 a square metre. You can order any combination of three colours out of a dazzling array of 51.

 

LUCAS ALLEN

 

Max Lamb’s ‘Marmoreal’ terrazzo tiles from Dzek are a good way to add colour without committing to one shade. In this bathroom by Carter Design, they have been used to provide a bright decorative contrast with the plain white bath and wooden surround.

 

 

Interior designer Suzy Hoodless worked with the owners of this west-London town house to create a glamorous effect, using mid-century pieces and a dark colour palette that occasionally breaks in to splashes of brightness. In this bathroom petrol blue tiles have been paired with bright yellow rugs for a surprisingly graphic look.

 

SHARYN CAIRNS

 

In the bathroom of her house in Stockwell, designer and stylist Maude Smith has hand-painted basic white square tiles with ladybirds, butterflies, botanicals and birds.

 

OWEN GALE

 

Maria Speake of Retrouvius has created bright borders of blue and green zellige tiles from Emery & Cie either side of a central Iznik-style panel in this striking bathroom. The symmetrical arrangement of the tiles is visually pleasing and frames the bath, which has a plain, reclaimed iroko-wood surround and simple unpolished brass fittings.

 

 

'This is the place where I recharge and reboot,' says fashion director and street-style star Pernille Teisbæk of her Copenhagen flat. She is sitting in her Copenhagen flat, located in the Frederiksberg district. 'Everyone who visits us says it's so calm here. Whenever I've been away and staying in a bunch of hotel rooms, it's always amazing to come back here for the space, light and energy. I feel very free here.' The minimalist home shows how Pernille's taste goes beyond her wardrobe, with a style that's natural, instinctive and playful, mixing vintage pieces with new finds to create a signature look that is all her own. The white bathroom has subway tiles and wooden furnishings, which add a natural feel to the space.

 

 

The main bathroom in this Californian newbuild with interiors by David Bentheim has a rolltop bath from Waterworks and blinds in a soft white linen by O Ecotextiles. Herringbone tiles are arranged so as to form stripes of colour - white and mustard and grey.

 

NGOC MINH NGO

 

The colour palette used throughout Caroline O'Donnell's London flat is pared back, but with a few well-placed hits of bold colour - the most dramatic of which are the wet-room tiles. 'I loved the idea of Caroline waking up to this rich blue, which is offset perfectly by the glamourous gold fixtures and fittings,' explains designer Harriet Anstruther. The electric blue Bisazza tiles make a stand-out ensuite.

 

PAUL MASSEY

 

Knowing that Edwins Bathrooms could provide everything they wanted, the owners of this house in France sourced all their bathroom fittings from the company in Notting Hill, and shipped them out. Pictured above is the 'Ove' double vanity basin by Kohler, £523, on a polished - chrome washstand, £481. Vibrant green zellige tiles by Emery & Cie enliven walls.

 

PAUL MASSEY

 

Samuel and Caitlin Dowe-Sandes, the owners of Moroccan tile company Popham Design have decorated their riad, in the heart of Marrakesh's medina, using tiles of their own design. Red and white floor to ceiling pattern makes for an impactful shower room.

 

 

In this double shower, devised by the fashion designer Sara Wensveen, hexagonal tiles in a pale shade of green create a distinctive jagged outline on the walls. The recessed nook features a smaller-scale version of the tiles in yellow.

 

 

The owners of this London house called on interior designer Beata Heuman to create a family home full of fun, distinctive design and punchy colours. A highly original space, unapologetically theatrical and oozing energy. 'The owners are both artists. They have quite wild tastes and they love strong colours,' says Beata. The opulent, free-standing bath was copied from a Twenties design that Beata spotted in an old magazine. 'It was quite difficult to work out how to make it. Fortunately, we had a very good joiner and we discovered a specialist timber from the Netherlands that is used in boat building and can be submerged in water for 10 years without any ill effect.' The navy tiles on the wall create a dark dramatic background for the unique bathroom furnishings.

 

RACHEL WHITING

 

Pierre Frey's country house in Normandy features blue mosaic tiles halfway up the walls and surrounding the bath, with simple white paint and an antique chair to complement them.

 

ROMAIN RICARD

 

This bathroom keeps things ultra sleek and modern with a frameless walk-in shower. The white subway tiles maintain this stylish minimalism. Annabelle Holland Design has cleverly made space for a double overhead rain shower - total luxury.

 

 

The bathroom of Pumphouse Point has a view from the windows that is emphasised by the black tiling. The modernisation within the hotel contrasts with its heritage-listed pastel façade. The matching black floor and wall tiles create a crisp contrast with the white painted wall and the inside of the bath.

 

SHARYN CAIRNS

 

The stunning shower mosaic in this bathroom was created by Ann Hughes at Pierre Mesguich Mosaik to the owners' specification. The mother-of-pearl-inlaid mirror is from Iznik Classics.

 

This restored Georgian house in Somerset was an irresistible challenge for its owners, who put together a team including architect Ptolemy Dean for the painstaking restoration.

 

MICHAEL SINCLAIR

 

Why not make a small bathroom the place where you experiment with the bold colour you're slightly afraid to put elsewhere? Take this tiny windowless room designed by Suzy Hoodless. Adhering to the time-honoured rule that if a room is already dark there is no off-white on earth that will change it, seductive black walls have been combined with good lighting, plenty of mirrors and chic, unfussy fittings. The scheme is anchored by monochrome cement tiles from Popham Design.

 

SHARYN CAIRNS

 

The bath in this bathroom is covered in the same blue tiles as the walls, creating a stylish seamless effect. (See our 20 favourite places to get patterned tiles for more ideas.) This industrial-style space is separated from a bedroom by a wooden partition behind the bed, creating flow between the rooms.

 

Owner Alastair Hendy has an uncanny talent for evoking the mood of the past - from his restored Tudor house to his charming Victorian-style shop in Hastings.

 

PAUL MASSEY

 

Although the small bathroom in this Paris flat designed by Tara Craig is compact, it is also elegant and feels spacious. The classical overtones provided by Catchpole & Rye fittings sit well with the rest of the home and feel appropriate for a building of this period. Metro-style tiles give it a crisp finish, while patterned flooring adds interest to the white room.

 

NATALIE DINHAM

 

The owners of this Victorian terraced house in London turned their bedroom into a luxurious en-suite while renovating the house. They wanted the space to have warmth and colour, hence the bold choice of the coloured terracotta floor tiles in a mix of pink, soft grey, white, khaki and petrol blue. The statement bath from Drummonds was painted in a bespoke salmon pink to match the floor and teamed with classic brassware in un-lacquered solid brass. The wall on the right cleverly conceals a WC and a shower.

 

 

The bold, scenic 'Nuvole' wallpaper by Fornasetti (available through Cole & Son) creates a theatrical atmosphere in this bathroom styled by Gabby Deeming. The curtain is by Ottolie Stevenson for Vanners, with a brass curtain pole and hold-back from Wemyss Houles. The floor is Venetian marble from Lapicida, with the 'Hayon Organico' bath by Jamie Hayon for Bisazzo at C P Hart. The chair, from David Seyfried, is covered in 'Calla Lilies' by Rose Cummin from Dessin Fournir, available through Fromental.

 

SARAH HOGAN

 

Bold herringbone 'Cristalli' tiles from Made a Mano cover the walls and floor of this wetroom by Faye Toogood. The shower, sink and bath are from Drummonds.

 

 

This modern walk-in wetroom style shower in the home of interior designer Sarah Chambers features modern beige tiles that at first glance look like natural stone. In fact they are ceramic decorated with a flock design - a very pleasant surprise indeed!

 

 

This Victorian house in east London was a typical Eighties conversion, redesigned by Adam Bray to be comfortable and relaxing. The Twenties triptych mirror is gilt metal by Brot, Paris. Moroccan bathroom floor tiles from Habibi Interiors are deliberately mismatched for a patchwork effect.

 

CHRIS TUBBS

 

Architecture and interior design practice Waldo Works used a combination of eight different blue tiles from Victorian Ceramics, £360 a square metre, to sit under this impressive 30cm-diameter nickel shower head from Drummonds. The top half of each wall in the wet-room-style shower area has been protected with glass, and the glass and metal divider keeps the look slick.

 

DRUMMONDS

 

The downstairs bathroom in a London flat by Ebba Thott of Sigmar has a collage of handmade 'Blueware' tiles by Tim Simpson and Sarah van Gameren at Glithero, made by pressing weeds from London pavements between glass plates to develop photograms. The collage adds excitement to a neutral bathroom.

 

PAUL MASSEY

 

Wonderful yellow 'Zellige' tiles by Emery & Cie enliven this wet room-style shower. Tongue and groove paneling and a simple stone sink downplay the ornate mirror and lighting.