ccent tiles can be used in a number of places in a bathroom – around the edge of the bathtub, as a border on the floor, or behind the vanity. They can also be used in the shower, either as a strip along the top or bottom of the enclosure, or as a full wall behind the shower head. Use your imagination to find the perfect spot for your accent tile.
One thing to keep in mind when using accent tiles is that they should be of a different material than the main tile. This will help to create a more cohesive look and prevent the space from looking too busy. If you are using a ceramic or porcelain tile for the main tile, try using a stone or glass tile for the accent.
Another thing to consider when choosing accent tiles is shade. You want the tile to be of a different shade than the main tile, but you also want it to complement the rest of the bathroom. If you have a light-colored bathroom, choose a dark-colored accent tile
If you want to break up the monotony of white or light coloured tiles in your bathroom, then adding some colourful accents is an easy way to do so! You can use one tile colour throughout the room, or mix and match different colours and styles to create a more eclectic look.
When choosing tiles for your accent wall, it is important to keep in mind the overall style of your bathroom. If you have a modern, minimalist bathroom, then sleek, simple tiles will be the best choice. If your bathroom has a more traditional or Victorian style, then more intricate or ornate tiles may be a better fit.
It is also important to consider the size and shape of your bathroom when choosing accent tiles. If your bathroom is small, then choose a tile that will take up less space and avoid using too many bold or busy designs. Conversely, if you have a large bathroom, then you can be a bit more adventurous with your choices.
Creating An Accent Wall
For many the obvious choice to create an accent effect in the bathroom with tiling is to tile a whole accent wall. You have a number of choices if going in this direction.
Traditionally accent walls are created in key focal points of the room. In a living room, that is normally behind a fireplace or the tv, in the kitchen it might be above the counter or range, and in a bedroom it would be the wall with the bed.
For most bathrooms the logical focal point of the room is either the areas behind the bath, or behind the vanity. This is all well and good in a larger bathroom, but what if you have quite a small space? If your bathroom has limited space, using an accent tile in the shower may be a better option so that you can use a larger tile on the other walls.
Use of Colour In Accent Walls
A dark tile accent wall can make a small bathroom appear larger by creating the illusion of depth. It can also add a touch of elegance to a more traditional bathroom. On the other hand, a light accent wall can make a larger bathroom look brighter and more spacious. It can also create a relaxing atmosphere in a bathroom with neutral colours.
The beauty of contrast in accent walls is probably best highlighted by two simple colour combinations – both of which use our Colonial Grey Matt tile. This is a lovely matt brick effect tile in a matt finish. It is a relatively light grey tile – which makes for a dark contrast wall if paired with our Premium Ice White Metro Tile. This is one of our best selling bathroom tiles, as gloss white remains the most popular colour for British bathrooms. In this combination, the matt grey effect creates quite a dark accent wall and behind the vanity in a small bathroom will create real depth – especially when paired with a mirrored vanity unit like this wall mounted LED lit mirrored cabinet from City Plumbing.
On the other hand, the exact same tiles will have the opposite effect when paired with their sister tile, the Colonial Black Matt. Now the light grey creates the a much lighter accent wall from the bold and heavy shade of black used elsewhere in the bathroom.
You may also want to consider getting really bold with colour and including some more vibrant colours. This can really pop in a more neutral bathroom. Consider something like our Tribeca Watercolour Blue tiles for a bright and bold accent wall in an otherwise white, cream or grey bathroom.
A very colourful accent tile like this can make your bathroom appear more fun and inviting. When choosing a very colourful tile though its important to consider the potential to clash with bathroom furniture and accessories, so you will want to pay particular attention to your whole colour scheme when being bold with accent colours.
Use Of Shade in an Accent Wall
Of course you don’t need to change colour to create an impactful accent wall. Consider pairing dark blues with lighter blues, dark greys with lighter greys or white and cream tiles together.
We love the effect of our HD Diverso Marble Matt tiles – its a light enough grey not to be overpowering, while still sufficiently dark to create that elegant soothing feel. This is a tile we have seen incredible interest in this tile already in 2022. This tile also has a lighter sister tile in the HD Diverso Marble Super Gloss. Very similar in style while retaining a sharp contrast in shade. You can see here how two grey tiles combined can really create a strong feature wall.
We are a massive fan of using shade – rather than colour change – to create contrast walls using timeless colours. A grey bathrooms will never go out of style – while some of the bolder trends can be quite transitory.
It’s worth remembering that the average homeowner revamps their bathroom every 7 – 10 years, while a bolder trend may only be on trend for 1 – 2 years. A perfect example is terracotta for a bathroom tile. This shade is already proving to be massive for 2022, and if you want to go in that direction we have got you covered with stunning tiles like our Stromboli Canyon and our Abril Decor Orange (tell me you can’t see a fab feature wall main tile combo there??)
The thing you really have to remember though is that terracotta shades are very, very bold. You might love them today, but are you going to feel the same way 5 years from now?
A clever alternative may be to go timeless with both feature wall and main tile using the HD Diverso combo, and accessorise in terracotta. Less than £80 spent with Direct Fabrics on terracotta towels, Ideal Textiles on a terracotta bathmat and La Redoute on a stunning set of terracotta accessories can also give you a terracotta bathroom vibe that is much easier to replace if hot pinks are in next year!
Use of Patterns in Accent Walls
As a final note on accent walls, it really is worth considering how effective the use of patterns in accent walls can be. We will finish, as we started, on the most popular colour in British bathrooms for many years – white. We’ve paid a clean and simple white tile in the Vita White Gloss with a stunning mixed gloss from the same range – the Vita Natura Decor Mix Gloss. The subtle Moroccan print is quite enough to create a focal point in the room without overpowering – stunning in any bathroom but a particularly wise choice in a smaller bathroom where subtlety is key. Something very similar can be achieved with a botanical/floral effect with a tile like our Havana White Flower.
If you’re looking for ways to add more personality to your bathroom, accent tiles are a great way to do it. You can use different colours, shades, and patterns to create a look that’s unique to you. You can look to create something timeless, or completely on trend. The choice is yours – and whichever way you want to go we have you covered!
