Wall panels vs tiles in bathroom

[TiredandLate]

Has anyone opted for wall panels instead of tiles for a bathroom?

Ordered some samples and I'm not sure I like them, I expected them to be slightly 3D like real tiles but these ones were smooth.

If you have panels would you recommend them? Any tips on where to find textured ones would be appreciated too 😊

We still have them in one bathroom , they look like they are from the 90’s ( probably are). They are easy to keep clean , a quick squeegee after a shower is all they need.

we have given it a quick paint and the boilers gone but it’s basically the same.

@TiredandLate
The bathroom is probably the most eccentric room, I also have an Omnitub, Japanese style soaking tub in there, pure heaven.

Luckily my DH is up for most things, he redecorated our downstairs loo...

Wainscotting in bathrooms can look modern... so I mean, you could have both those things at once.

Mostly it’s colour and stuff that makes it look period or modern with wainscotting.

Just to throw in a left field suggestion 😂

@tabulahrasa I'm planning two bathrooms one after the other, so I might go traditional in the main bathroom and more modern in the ensuite.

There's so much choice!

Anyone know of a good big bathroom showroom around Manchester with lots of different styles?

I’m not a huge grey fan so it’s not my cup of tea but... I do think that is IMHO anyway, a mix of feeling both traditional and also sleek and modern.

No clue where any of the stuff is from, I tried following google but got stuck in a Pinterest hole 😂

@TiredandLate
If you have a period house, it’s much nicer to stick with traditional materials. Try and keep to high quality. You don’t need tiles on every wall but I think if you ever sell, buyers are more likely to fall in love with a bathroom that has a nod to the period in some way.

We have wainscotting and a freestanding bath in our main bathroom. It’s a traditional bathroom with a very rectangular solid sink and older style taps. It’s mizzle by F&B and Wimborne white. I have white towels with a dusty pink stripe. It adds colour. We have limestone tiles on the floor but you could use Amtico or Karndean. We have lovely door handles and mirrors that make it a relaxing space but it wasn’t that expensive.

Funnily enough I came across that photo too, we are knocking through to create a much less fancy version of this space for a freestanding bath, without the window. We have high ceilings but not quite as high as that.

The other option we are going to discuss with the engineer is knocking through an archway with the bath under the arch.

My other idea after a bottle of wine last night was to leave the wall in the bathroom, and put the roll top bath in the room we were knocking into, my dressing room. I've been down a rabbit hole and dressing rooms with baths are definitely a thing.. sort of. The dressing room would have a separate ensuite with shower through a door as normal then my dressing table and the roll top bath against the opposite wall.

This would save thousands and thousands knocking through a structural wall. We are already having to move the soil pipe for the ensuite so my nice tile money is disappearing down the drain, literally.

@TizerorFizz I've just posted a longer post above about the structural changes needed on this project and why I'm having to budget carefully on the fittings. I don't disagree and in a perfect world I'd have it all.. but the reality is, unless we compromise on the floor space there is not enough in the pot to have the highest quality everything

I get that. But there are other compromises that can be made.

First-time tiler here, planning to lay 12x24 tiles in my upstairs bathroom and facing a layout issue. Aligning the tiles parallel to the room's length leaves a challenging 1.5" gap on both sides after accounting for a 1/4" expansion joint. Base trim might help on one side, but I haven’t found trim wide enough.
Centering four rows of tiles is another option, but it requires cutting 6.5" strips on both sides. I’m unsure how this would look or if it meets code near the tub or toilet. It may also affect the new vanity, as the rear feet would sit on narrow tile strips.

I chose shower panels for my bathroom in my previous home, I think it looked fine, but definitely not 'high end' or 'posh'. It kept the room looking fresh and helped sell it in the end, so no regrets.

I wouldn't choose them again, but I'm never moving again so I'm not trying to balance cost vs practicality vs salability anymore.

Those shower panels have an aluminium strip to join, mine slotted tongue and grove with a bead of hidden silicone or similar which looks better.

Loved mine in my last house as they're so easy to clean and it didn't feel like a caravan just choose well!

I've recently moved into a house where all the bathroom tiles are textured like ripples. They look nice but OMG they're going to be a bitch to keep clean!

We have Multipanel in one shower and it's great. Floor to ceiling in one go so really easy to clean and looks good too. Quick spray and it's done. There are a lot of designs and textures, you can get samples from the website. Other bathroom has tiles.

We have Altro non slip flooring. It needs specialist fitting, but it's good and safe underfoot.

I've had both and the ones I've inherited here that supposedly look like tiles do not but are as much work as tiles and they look horrible. I think they were cheap.

I loved the flat ones. They were robust and so easy to clean.

I have had a number of bathrooms fitted over houses we have owned. Tiles look fantastic but as soon as you start getting them wet the maintenance needs to be kept up. As soon as you get grout discolouration it is a battle to get on top. We went for pannels this time and no regrets.

I don't like the ones with the tile effect - I think they look cheap, but I do quite like the plain ones, we've got them in our shower cubicle and much better from a cleaning point of view that grout??

What do you use to clean the panels? I’ve just had mine fitted. Can I use the shower and shine spray?