How to choose tiles for a bathroom

Bathrooms are the most tiled room in the house and the least forgiving. Work through it in this order and the decisions get much easier.

Start with the floor

Pick a slip-rated floor first — P3 as a minimum, P4 or P5 for an open shower. The floor sets the tone; walls are easier to match to it than the other way around.

Then the walls

Larger wall tiles mean fewer grout lines and a calmer room. Running the floor tile up the walls makes a small bathroom feel considerably larger.

Shower base and niches

Mosaics suit shower bases: the extra joints allow the falls to be formed and add grip underfoot. A niche is a good place to use a feature tile without committing a whole wall.

Grout and maintenance

Grout colour changes the whole result: matching grout hides the grid, contrasting grout celebrates it. Mid-tones stay looking clean longest.