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!

We can just slide ours off and clean it so haven’t had that problem.

@Qwill would you mind linking to your shower screen please? Ours is a disaster.

I will try and find it in my email, it was a while ago now!! I do like the aesthetics of the shower screen, but it was installed pre-children and it’s a pain now when trying to wash the children in the bath!! Don’t want to have a shower curtain though!

Omg no to shower curtain. I'm forever trying to escape the one we have atm (put in by previous owner). It has a terrible habit of clinging to you while you shower. Why??

Team vertical! The horizontal pic you posted looks like an 80s municipal toilet, sorry. Biased as I have vertical, though I’m blessed with Hobbit-height ceilings

@stuntbubbles would you mind sharing a photo at all so I can see a real life example?

@aperol10

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.

Box it in and use as shelves for the shower. So floor to ceiling boxing in and a few shelves to put things on.

Like the idea from ItsSnowJokes of boxing in up to the ceiling with shelves.

Could you run the floor tiles part way up the walls, either to height of the top of the bath or above the sink, then just use the white tiles vertically above. Would be more unusual and less clinical.

We don't need any shelves really. Won't boxing in the whole way up look oppressive?

We have horizontal white metro tiles in the kitchen with white grout, and lined up evenly. Like you I find brick or off set too busy. Similarly I love herringbone but would only do it in a floor. White grout will be a pita in a bathroom. Could you go slightly grey tile and then use the grey grout?

@dudsville do you mean pita because of limescale? I think I'll go with white tiles and light grey grout. That should be ok? Light grey tiles would make the room look quite dark I think.

I vote for the long narrow tiles, with light grey grout. I love the vertical setting, but for a small room I think horizontal will be better, plus in you pic you have a wall with tile only half the way up and if you are going to tile it like this, definitively horizontal.
Regarding the space between the bath and wall, I would build a box with shelves for towells and toiletries, up to the height of the bath. Tile the top of the box and put some plant or keep the shampoo and gel over it.

@MushMonster that's a great idea, doing shelves just up to the bath height! How should I position tiles on top of the box though? Wall or floor tile for that bit?

Having that extra space at the end of the bath is great we have it and it’s tiled on top with the wall tiles. We have switched to using a shower spray after every adult showers and it has absolutely cleared all the limescale buildup that we had before.

I would go for the wall ones

@mimbleandlittlemy I love your wall colour. What shade is it please?

Wall tiles for the boxed in bit at the end of the bath - we have that and it just blends in with the walls. Floor tiles up off the floor would look odd imo.

But would the wall tiles go vertically or horizontally for the boxed bit? It would jar with one of the two adjoining walls either way, wouldn't it? Top of boxed bit would measure 25x70cm.

The orange stained shower seal and grout was probably caused by a mould, fungus or bacteria. Bleach or a mould and mildew remover would be more effective to kill and clean it off than Viakal.

[quote KloppsTeeth]@mimbleandlittlemy I love your wall colour. What shade is it please?[/quote]
Klopps, it's Craig & Rose French Turquoise.