Advice on choosing bathroom tiles

[LauraS1986]

Hi, we are having our bathroom refitted and are being indecisive about what tiles to have so was hoping for some advice! It's a small bathroom so we're thinking large gloss white tiles as apparently gloss tiles help reflect light and make small bathrooms look bigger?? We definitely want a border to liven it up a little and are thinking black/grey so can change accessory colours if we (more me than hubby!) get bored in a few years. We're also having a light grey vinyl flooring. We like the look of this border tile: www.homebase.co.uk/en/homebaseuk/edinburgh-marble-strip-wall-tiles---black---305-x-48mm---6-pack-210871#BVRatingsAnchor (does look better in the flesh than online) however, I wasn't sure if a matt finish border would go well with large gloss white tiles? Hubby thinks I'm overthinking this but this refurb is costing a fair bit and definitely not planning to have it done again anytime soon so want to be happy with it! Any opinions or other borders people have seen and liked? Or whether gloss or matt is better in smaller bathrooms?

I've just picked a cream gloss tile 30x10 for our small bathroom. It has shading variations and I think it's lovely. Will be tiled in brick pattern and grouted in off white. The shading and the tiling pattern will add interest and we're having the room fully tiled. Gloss will definitely help bounce the light around. Your matt border will work with gloss tiles.

I had some fixed ideas when I started looking - white with a border or dado tile - only half-tiled, as a nod to it being a 1930s house, but have ended up choosing something different when I saw a tile I loved, but it will still be neutral and light. More than one tile place told me borders are going out when I was looking.

For flooring we are going for wood effect luxury vinyl tile - either Quickstep Livyn or Kardean to give a warmer feel.

Not sure what colours you have in mind for accessories, but might it be a bit stark?

My bathroom has a border tile. Put in by the person who sold the house to us. I can't begin to count how many times I wished it wasn't there. Why O Why O Why a border tile, I've wondered, as I lie in the bath, sick of the sight of it. And it's not even ugly. Just perpetually there... A decorative 'feature' I can't change.
Avoid, avoid,avoid, the border tile.

Quite alot of bathroom refurbs have a border contrast tile (or section) vertically instead of horizontally which is much more contemporary than a order.A bit like this

I have recently done two bathrooms in two very different properties and my good friend (high end plumber) has tiled them. He is an extremely good tiler and basically a complete perfectionist and doesn't really charge enough!

He's done EVERYTHING. He recommended Mandarin Stone, I've been very happy. I have used Fired Earth but Mandarin Stone stuff is awsome. I actually picked up some ridiculous bath with concrete surround worth 3000k for £100 and matched the tiles with concrete porcelain (over a heated floor) and they are about a foot wide but half a foot long and staggered. Protip, if using anything other than white tiles use a darker grout.

By the way, glossy white tiles may hurt your eyes, and you can't walk on them, also, the small brick tile thing is getting a bit dated.

topps tiles is expensive for what it is.

You know what I think is horrible at the moment, is how office- y /masculine some bathrooms are getting, with dark colours and lots of heavy looking stone. I really dislike them. Completely impersonal looking, dressed to impress, I think they will date very fast. All the posh flats being built near me have these terrible oppressive bathrooms that are supposed to look glamorous but are just gloomy.

Thanks for the input so far, our bathroom is fully tiled in cream at the moment and I'm not a fan that's why I was thinking white as need a light colour and they're the two obvious choices! I have seen the vertical contrast sections but as we only have a shower over bath and a window right in the middle of another wall (it's a tiny room) I didn't think we'd have anywhere to put this. Will have a look for a marble effect white tile though to see if this is less abrasive on the eyes :)

I'm going through this too at the moment. We are now at the grouting stage though.

So they tell me that brick bond is going out and uniform placment of tiles is what people are preferring. That suits me because I did that 10 yrs ago and fancied a change. I have large gloss tiles across one side floor to ceiling (where the sanitary ware is) then part of the other wall which is a splash area, paint elsewhere and a teal 'statement feature' tile wall in between the White tiled area. This is a glossy tile shades of medium tone teal with teal grout. Again I had matte before and wanted something different.

I found a design on Pinterest I liked and found the closest I could locally.

Laura,
I think that if you have a small room then rather than a border doing a whole wall in a different tile can work well. I have most of my (wide but v shallow ) bathroom all in large pale tiles but the two side walls in a contrasting texture albeit similar colour.
Apart from that m only advice is not mosaic. Have taken mosaic tiles out of two bathrooms. IME they look great for about 3 months. Cleaning them is horrid and I certainly wouldn't put them where they constantly get wet - grout to tile ratio too great.
Good luck though

If you fancy a border I would go for a wide panel above the sink and similar central to the bath. If it has to be horizontal again a wide band or even a third upwards all around your tiled area. I think it would give you a more modern look. It's a good way to use a striking (and probably expensive) tile that you love without it being too much.

Gloss or matte white I do not think there is much of a difference but the matte is easy to keep clean.

In case you are interested I post my own inspiration pic

My bathroom is also small. I've changed the layout which has made a massive difference but soooooo expensive to do - I was surprised.

You can take the flooring up the side of the bath if you tile that could give you a more spacious feel. Wouldn't work with vinyl though. I've also seen a bath panel clad in mirror which also made a difference, but I didn't fancy the polishing.

That pic is lovely, LeLivre. I like your advice about toning tile colours but differing textures. sounds very nice.

Faced the same dilemma recently. We ended up going for what was described as white but they have quite a lot of grey in them, with one wall in a different patterned tile in the same shade. Some photos in here.

www.flickr.com/photos/ebygomm/sets/72157654608583461

Found it really hard to make a decision as tiles can look so different when actually on the walls but mostly pleased with the final result

Thanks ancestry I'll bear that in mind about mosaic! I also like that idea about a different tile one wall, Tizwoliz that's a nice colour, is that a Matt or gloss finish tile? I'm beginning to be swayed away from borders haha.

I would say more matt than gloss but not as matt as some, i.e. it does reflect a little

You can do an 'accent' tile, like this?
(Sorry for the picture of my loo)

A tiny teeny accent is fun and might not be as regretted in five years time as a whole lotta tile. If you know what I mean. And you can accessorise to match the accent colour. Easier to swap out accessories than tiles.