How should the bathroom wall tiles be laid? (Photos)

[aperol10]

We're having our bathroom done, and I need help with the tiles!

It's a small bathroom (2.5x2m) but tall, at 2.7m. I've chosen black and white tiles for the floor; they measure 20x20cm.

For the walls, I've settled on (I think) matte white metro tiles, but I don't know whether to lay them horizontally or vertically. I feel like given the ceiling is so high, vertical might be better?

The metro tiles will be either 20x10cm or 20x7.5cm. Either way, I want them to be the same width as the floor tiles.

Please help me!

What about a vertical offset pattern? I've seen it a couple of times and thought it looked a great twist on the traditional offset/brick pattern. I'd use the slightly squarer metro tile for it though!

Horizontal - vertical looks wrong imo and I think it would make the room look v narrow

Thank you both. No offsetting - our old bathroom was offset (horizontally though) with dark grey grout. I was very sick of it after five years.

If horizontal, should I go for the 10cm or 7.5cm? 20cm wide for both. The 10cm is matte, but I've realised the 7.5cm is gloss and slightly wavy textured.

And I assume light grey grout?

I think horizontal. If your ceilings are high it will balance out better. Vertical risks looking like you’re looking up a chimney.
I prefer offset pattern too, but if you are not keen, line them up.

Thank you - should I go for the 7.5x20cm or 10x20cm?

I prefer the bigger tiles in matt (plus less grout cleaning to do!)

I’d go white grout with the white tiles, or the lines will look too stark (it’s a bit office/public bathroom).

I think larger too. Re grout I think it would be too white - and will show up stains faster - if we used white grout too, no?

Not vertical it'll make the room look tall and thin. I prefer brick bond. Or what about herringbone?

I think herringbone might look a bit too busy. I'd rather something classic.

Just had my bathroom done with white metro tiles with white grout, tiles horizontal.

Saturday I was in the toilets at Birmingham New Street and thanked God I had chosen white grout as otherwise my bathroom would look like - well - a Metro toilet because they have white metro tiles and a darker grout.

Warning - they aren't flat, or mine aren't, they have slightly sloping side edges which makes cutting and laying tricky sometimes, my tiler says. They do look great though.

Herringbone is nice but only if it is done VERY well.

I think if you were going with another colour of grout then go for something fairly light such as a lighter grey rather than dark - a bit like this

I agree @SirChenjins light grey rather than dark. Our old bathroom had bevelled metro tiles (this isn't what I want this time round) with dark grout and I was very sick of it by the end.

@mimbleandlittlemy my tiles aren't bevelled. May I see a photo of yours for inspiration?

We have white metro tiles and white grout and no stains. They’ve been in for 5yrs now.

We live in a hard water area... I worry about orange limescale stains. It seems to cover things quickly, despite diligent application of Viakal.

You could have a coloured grout such as green or pink or navy and matching towels. Fun!

I think horizontal, matte, 10cm + white grout. Horizontal will def look better. We have similar and Flash Bleach is your friend on the grout. I think the matte tiles look very classic.

We’re in London which is hard water and not had a problem, and I can’t say I’m fanatical about cleaning the bathroom! If you’ve an orange problem, I think it would be the same with any light colour. Might be different where you are though.

I really like the vertical layout. Looks fresh and different. That fresh and different look is often a characteristic of new trends that precedes a huge explosion of said trend which then gets really boring and overdone, so I’d be wary. However, responses to this thread suggest this isn’t going to be that popular, so I’d go for it.

Here we go - I think!

I also have a conundrum over what to do about the red circled bit. The bath tub is about 25cm shorter than the width of the room, so we plan to box up that gap and tile over it. The question is, do we use the floor tile or the wall tile? If wall tile, do we arrange it sideways or longways? Either way, it will look funny against one wall won't it?

Ps ignore the suite and tiles in the photo. The photo is just to show the gap between the bath and the wall.

@mimbleandlittlemy it looks lovely! Very clean and crisp.

Aperol, I'm in a hard water area too and I'm hoping these will be easy to clean.

I'm in London. The rubber seal in our old shower screen was impossible to keep non-orange, so I'm worried about white grout. But maybe I'm fretting unnecessarily.