Moving into my new apartment was exciting… until I saw my teeny tiny bathroom. Seriously — shade after shade of beige, lighting so dim it made me sad for my own indoor plants, and shower tiles so tiny they could induce panic attacks. They weren’t just small tiles.
I’m talking barely-there mosaic style tiles that make your fingers ache just from cleaning them. You know the ones I’m talking about. Cheap tiles you find scrawled across the back wall of your landlord’s wet dream trailer home.
I knew if I was going to survive living in that bathroom, I had to start off on the right foot and choose the correct tile. But tiny bathrooms are tricky.
Go too trendy and your shower will hurl every time you step foot in it.
Too big and getting everything scrubbed down will feel like an Olympic sport. I eventually found the solution. After roaming from tile store to tile store for three dang weekends (and crying in the shower aisle when all the subway tiles looked the same damn color), I stumbled upon the Holy Grail of shower tiles.
So let me share with you what I learned. THE SIZE I was mixing around sample boards one night when it hit me. I was leaning towards small mosaic tiles because, frankly, I convinced myself that small bathrooms needed small tiles.
Bad idea. If your shower already feels too small, tiny tiles are not your friend. Here’s the thing: small tiles equal more grout lines which means crawling eyeballs every time you take a shower (trust me, I learned that the hard way).
Small shower? Choose large shower tiles. Side note about cleaning: small shower tiles hold onto every scrap of dirt from the moment it lands on your tile until the day you decide to scrub your shower.
Thanks evolutionary spiral shapes! Instead of going tiny, I opted for large 12×24 inch tiles. Large format tiles = less grout lines = happier eyes.
Your eyes can take in more of the wall without getting distracted by thin grout every few inches. HOWEVER… It’s not just the size of the tile you need to consider, it’s how you place them! Most people just install them willy nilly, but did you know there’s a correct direction to lay your tiles so they actually make your shower feel bigger?
I installed my tiles horizontally with the long side parallel to the floor. This creates a horizontal line that visually makes your shower feel wider. If you were to lay your tiles vertically, it creates taller lines, making your shower feel higher.
Which would be great! If you wanted your shower to look like a chimney. THE PATTERN Alright, prepare yourself.
You’re going to rip every piece of tile off your bathroom wall and re-tile. I know this because I did it. TWICE.
Straight stack wasn’t shower-y enough. Traditional brick looked too busy. I finally landed on a running bond pattern, with each tile offset by one-third instead of the standard half.
Yes, it meant ripping the tile out again. But please trust me and do it. It’s not overwhelming for the small space, but takes the blah out of basic.
THE COLOR Black marble tiles for days. Yes, please! Wait… what size apartment are we decorating here?
I’ll be hiding in that shower. So dark tiles were a hard pass for me. I went with those 12×24 white tiles with grey veining I mentioned earlier.
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White and light-toned tiles are magic in small spaces. They make your walls feel ten feet taller because light colors reflect the light around them. And that grey veining gives your tile some definition without being too bold or distracting.
WAIT … VEOING? Hold the phone. When I first bought my tiles I got them in pure white.
Holy guacamole they looked boring. Too boring. Like no style boring.
By adding some veining to the tiles you break up that flat white surface. Nothing feels more dated than perfectly smooth tile with water spots and soap scum shining for the world to see. Texture is your friend when it comes to small bathroom tiles!
THERE’S ONE MORE THING ABOUT TILE YOU NEED TO CONSIDER BEFORE YOU BUY: FINISH. Nothing looks worse than high-gloss tile with fingerprints all over. Unless you plan on taking a shower every time you walk into your bathroom, let’s keep those water spots at bay and go with a matte finish!
THE GRout COLOR Oh grout, how I love thee (but not the dark color you just picked). Picking the right grout color can be the difference between washing down your shower in seconds versus climbing the shower-Crack-Vegan-Ninja Warriors… you get it. Go too dark with your grout and stains become more visible.
But pick something too light and your tiles won’t stand out as much. I ended up going with a medium grey grout to balance out the brightness of my white tile. HOW HIGH?
Wait, you’re telling me I don’t have to cap my tile at subway shower height?? News just like this once a year. Most people have their tile end right around 6-feet tall, but no more… DON’T STOP AT THE WRONG HEIGHT Your tile should go all the way up to your ceiling.
Yes, it will cost more to tile that extra foot or two, but trust me on this one. Not only does it create the illusion of height because there’s no visual stopping point, it just looks damn good. You’ll want to pour this level of money into your bathroom tiles so don’t skimp out at the top.
EVERY CONTRACTOR I ASKED TRIED TO TELL ME OTHERWISE “It’s too expensive.” “You don’t need to.” “It’ll look weird.” Nope. No and hell no. Contractors are always going to try and save you time and money.
That’s their job. But if you have the dough, and you’re doing it yourself (hi! ), please make your tile high as FUCK! TILE ON THE FLOOR TOO I’m sure you’ve heard every parent in the baby-making world tell you how slippery those tiles can get on the shower floor.
News flash: they’re not all slippery. Stick with textured tile options, and continue the tiles up onto your shower floor for a cohesive look. You’re not going to believe how a few extra dollars to blend your floor and wall tiles can transform your shower.
THE LIGHTING Hang on, let me just google “does tile placement affect lighting?” Ummm yeah, girl.
If you’re sticking with large tiles like I did, the shower can appear flat without enough lighting underneath. So take my advice, and add an LED strip to the top of your shower.
It casts an even layer of lighting across your tiles that will accentuate the subtle shadows of your tile pattern. FINAL VERDICT Three years later, I’m still obsessed with my shower. It looks twice the size it is, is super easy to clean (literally two minutes to wipe down), and never makes me feel like I’m showering in a coffin.
Biggest takeaway? Go big on your tiles, and keep those grout lines to a minimum. Horizontal layout?
100 percent was the right choice for making my shower feel wider. What would I do different? Maybe pick a different grout color… That dark grey fades way too easily and shows soap scum when I’m just not finished washing away.
But hey, if you keep these tips in mind before heading to your local tile store, I PROMISE you’ll find the winning combination to your perfect shower.
