Bathrooms

How to Choose Bathroom Floor Tile

by

Planning a new bathroom or remodel involves countless decisions. From large-format tile to mosaics, and ceramic to marble, it can be difficult to know what sizes, finishes and materials are ideal for your space. This comprehensive guide is designed to help you confidently choose the best flooring for your bathroom and create a space you’ll love for years to come.

1. Select the Best Bathroom Tile Floor Material

With so many options for man-made tile (including luxury vinyl flooring) and natural stone—selecting the right material often depends on your desired look, your overall project budget, and your preferred level of maintenance. Here are some of the benefits of our most popular bathroom floor materials.

Man-Made:

Man-made materials include clay, vinyl, cement, glass and any other material that is not naturally occurring. In this section, we’ll discuss our most popular man-made materials for bathroom floors: porcelain, ceramic and luxury vinyl flooring.

Porcelain & Ceramic

Porcelain and ceramic tiles are made of clay that has been glazed and fired in a kiln. While porcelain tile, made from a stronger clay and fired at a higher temperature, is slightly more durable, both porcelain and ceramic floor tiles are robust enough to withstand typical bathroom traffic. In addition to being waterproof, these tiles are scratch- and stain-resistant, making them an excellent choice for bathroom floors. Available in a wide variety of shapes, patterns and finishes you can find porcelain and ceramic tiles to complement virtually any design. These tiles can even mimic the appearance of other materials; wood-look or marble-look tiles offer natural beauty with superior durability and easy maintenance.

A modern farmhouse bathroom with a wood-look porcelain tile floor.
A contemporary bathroom featuring steel-look wall tile and stone-look floor tile.
This chic bathroom features large-format marble-look wall tile and greige hexagon-shaped stone-look floor tile.

From left to right: 1. Featuring: Truewood Beige. Design & Photography by Haneen Matt of Haneen’s Haven. 2. Featuring: Enredo Steel Dark Brown, Dark Stainless Steel Somerset and Quartzite Patagonia. 3. Featuring: Invisible Grey, DURAL Black Matte and Nord Ris Hex.

Luxury Vinyl Flooring

Waterproof, scratch- and stain-resistant luxury vinyl flooring offers the timeless appearance of natural wood and stone with unparalleled durability and hassle-free maintenance. With an affordable price point (styles start at just $1.79 per sq. ft.) and easy installation, luxury vinyl is a great option for budget-conscious or DIY projects. Plus, since all luxury vinyl styles are compatible with in-floor heat, you can create a space that looks and feels extravagant.

Note: Vinyl is a waterproof material; however, standing water can seep through the seams of your luxury vinyl planks and tiles. Ensure proper installation and promptly clean large spills to help prevent damage to the subfloor beneath. Not recommended for use in showers or wet rooms.

Pro Tip: DIY with confidence using our How to Install Luxury Vinyl Plank Flooring guide.

This large bathroom features dark wood-look luxury vinyl flooring.
This contemporary bathroom features light-grey stone-look luxury vinyl flooring.

From left to right: 1. Featuring: Cyrus Plus Fauna. 2. Featuring: Marmoreal Cement Silver Grey.

Order $3 Samples.

Natural Stone:

Unlike porcelain and ceramic tiles, stone is mined from the earth in large pieces and then cut into individual tiles, revealing inherently unique variations in color and veining. The Tile Shop’s stone collections include field tiles as well as coordinating mosaic and trim pieces, making them an excellent choice for a luxurious whole-bathroom remodel.

At The Tile Shop, you can find natural limestone, quartzite, slate and granite tiles, but here we’ll focus on our two most popular stones for bathrooms: marble and travertine.

These tiles are available in four distinct finishes:

Tumbled: A rough, textured look created by tumbling the stone with rocks.

Brushed: A textured look is achieved by combing the stone with a wire brush.

Honed: A smooth, matte finish.

Polished: A smooth, shiny finish with a sleek surface.

Marble

When choosing marble tile, the main considerations are color, finish, and shape. Available in a wide variety of colors–white, beige, and even green and black–marble floor tile can achieve virtually any aesthetic. Whether you like a rough, textured appearance or a smooth matte finish will determine whether you choose tumbled, brushed or honed marble. Polished marble tends to be slippery when wet, so if you prefer this shiny finish, consider a marble mosaic tile, which provides more grout joints for greater traction.

Pro Tip: Regularly treat your marble tile with made-in-U.S.A. Superior Enhancers and Sealers to keep it looking new.

This chic bathroom features white handmade-look shower wall tile and a grey and white checkerboard marble floor.
This elegant bathroom features a creamy white marble tile floor.
This transitional bathroom features white subway shower wall tile and white tumbled marble floor tile.
This chic bathroom features a custom floor made of white marble hexagon tile with "dots" of black marble hexagon tiles.
This elegant bathroom features large-rectangular marble tile in a herringbone pattern.

Clockwise from top: 1. Featuring: Arctic White, Bandung Gris Acid, Riad White, White Pebbles (Small) and Arctic White Skirting. Design and photography by @MaryLauren. 2. Featuring: Arctic White. Design by Annie Selke. Photography by Bethany Nauert Photography. 3. Featuring: Meram Blanc Carrara, Verano White and Meram Blanc Carrara Somerset. Design by Timber Trails Development Company. Photography by John and Maura Stoffer. 4. Featuring: Firenze Carrara Hex. Design and Photography by The Grit and Polish. 5. Featuring: Siberian Pearl. Design by Timber Trails Development Company. Photography by John and Maura Stoffer.

Travertine

A type of limestone characterized by its formation in natural springs, travertine features rich veining and color variation, with shades ranging from brilliant silver to warm beige to black. Available in the same four finishes as marble, travertine tile has seen a resurgence in recent years thanks to its warm, earthy tones.

Pro Tip: Stretch your bathroom budget by pairing a natural stone floor with a stone-look porcelain or ceramic wall tile.

This spacious wetroom features hexagon-shaped travertine floor tile and large-format marble-look wall tile.
A cute small bathroom featuring tumbled travertine floor tile.

Right to left: 1. Featuring: Atlanta White, Claros Silver, Claros Silver Barnes, Claros Silver Threshold, Claros Silver Skirting and Claros Silver Hex. Design by Kelli Fontana Vogelgesang. Build by Rick and Kelli Vogelgesang of West Bay Homes. Photography by Spacecrafting. 2. Featuring: Claros Silver. Design & Photography by Coco & Jack.

Find a Tile Shop near you.

2. Select the Best Style of Flooring for Your Bathroom

Both man-made and natural stone tiles are available in a wide range of styles. From hexagons and penny rounds to checkerboards–when it comes to design, there’s no wrong choice. Virtually any floor tile will meet the functional requirements of your bathroom. Ultimately, it comes down to your individual taste. Here are some of our most popular styles to consider.

Large-Format Tile

Since it requires fewer grout lines, large-format tile makes any space feel more cohesive and expansive. Defined as any tile with one side greater than 15″, large-format floor tiles are available in styles up to 48″ x 48″. The majority of these tiles are porcelain, as the strength of this material reduces the risk of cracks and breakage, ensuring smoother installation and superior durability. Cement and stone looks are especially popular in this format, as the large tiles create the appearance of a single, seamless slab.

This expansive bathroom features grey large-format cement-look floor tile.
This quiet luxury bathroom features large-format marble-look tile and handmade-look subway tile.

Left to right: 1. Featuring: Softcement Graphite, Noir Honed Hixton, Noir Honed Threshold, Noir Honed Limestone, Alvarado Matte and Livingstone Nero. Design by Kelli Fontana Vogelgesang. Build by Rick and Kelli Vogelgesang of West Bay Homes. Photography by Spacecrafting. 2. Featuring: Argile Matte White and Livingstone Melange. Design by Nikki Chu

Patterned Tile

Delicate florals, abstract shapes and textile-influenced designs are all represented in our wide selection of patterned tile. Whether bold or subtle, a pattern can reflect your personality and set the tone for your space. Explore our patterned tile collection to discover the perfect tile for your style. 

Pro Tip: “If there’s a tile that stands out to you but you’re having second thoughts because it may be too bold or too colorful, a powder bath is the perfect place to experiment.” – Nikki Chu, Celebrity Designer

This chic bathroom features a graphic black-and-white patterned tile.
This coastal chic bathroom features a blue-and-white patterned hexagon tile.
This cute bathroom features a blue geometric floral patterned tile.

Clockwise: 1. Featuring: Nikki Chu Zulu Graphite. 2. Featuring: Tribeca Gypsum White and Jeffrey Alan Marks Summerland Miramar. 3. Featuring: Imperial Bianco Bevel Gloss, Laura Ashely Leaf Cloud Blue and Laura Ashley Sunflower Charcoal with Cloud Blue.

Mosaic Tile

Besides offering beautifully intricate designs, the small pieces that make up each sheet of mosaic tile feature more grout joints per square foot, which adds traction to your floors. This makes mosaics perfect for wetrooms, showers and primary bathroom floors. While more grout joints require more cleaning and regular sealing, the results are stunning.

Mounted on mesh sheets for easy installation, this highly versatile tile is available in a wide range of shapes, sizes, materials and styles. Some mosaics, like penny rounds and small hexagons, allow for custom designs by mixing colors in the same size and shape. When you select marble or travertine mosaics from The Tile Shop’s natural stone collections, you can choose from a variety of matching field tiles and trim to complete your bathroom design.

Pro Tip: Achieve a highly designed look by using your bathroom floor mosaic to create matching accents, such as a sink backsplash or shower niche.

A charming bathroom featuring a custom white and blue penny-round mosaic tile floor.
This elegant bathroom features a polished marble mosaic floor tile.
A bathroom floor featuring a black-and-white marble mosaic and a black marble pencil trim border.

Right to left: 1. Featuring: Penny Round Gloss White and Penny Round Cloudy. Design by Timber Trails Development Company. Photography by John and Maura Stoffer. 2. Featuring: Meram Blanc Carrara Polished Niles with Grey. Design by Timber Trails Development Company. Photography by John and Maura Stoffer. 3. Featuring: Hampton Carrara Cardine, Hampton Niles, Noir Hixton and Hampton Carrara Threshold. Design and Photography by Mas Means More.

Subway Tile

Sleek, chic and highly versatile, subway tile consistently ranks as one of our most popular tile styles. While commonly used on walls, subway tile is just as stylish on bathroom floors. The wide range of colors, materials (stone and man-made) and sizes (from petite 2″ x 6″ to long, skinny 4″ x 24″) make this tile compatible with virtually any contemporary or traditional design style. Its versatile rectangular shape can be installed in a variety of layouts, such as brick-lay, straight stack or herringbone. Check out this guide to subway tile layouts for more ideas.

A white subway tile bathroom floor.
A beige handmade-look subway tile bathroom floor in a herringbone pattern.
A grey marble subway tile floor in a herringbone pattern.

Clockwise: 1. Featuring: Coco White Matte. 2. Featuring: Coco Canvas Matte. 3. Featuring: Victoria Grey Dark.

Zellige Tile

Handcrafted by artisans using centuries-old techniques, Zellige tile is renowned for its authentic character and perfectly imperfect appearance. Available in petite subway, square and mosaic styles, the Star and Cross shapes are the most popular floor designs. These unique shapes reflect traditional Moroccan design and can be installed in alternating glossy and matte finishes to create subtle interest.

Note: part of Zellige tile’s handmade appeal lies in the slight variations in size, thickness and surface texture from tile to tile.

Pro Tip: For a slightly more uniform (and budget-friendly) floor tile, try the handmade-look Kasbah Cross and Star tiles.

A bathroom featuring handmade tile throughout.
A chic bathroom featuring a white and orange star and cross tile floor and handmade-look and marble-look wall tile.
A bathroom featuring an orange star and cross shaped handmade-look tile floor.

Clockwise: 1. Featuring: Zellige Alabaster Gloss, Zellige Charcoal Chabone Cross Gloss and Zellige Charcoal Chabone Star Matte. 2. Featuring: Pisa Oro Matte, Kasbah Cross Terracotta, Kasbah Star Bone, Coco White Matte and Coco Canvas Matte. 3. Featuring: Kasbah Cross Terracotta and Kasbah Star Terracotta.

Sign up for emails.

3. The Best-to-Clean Bathroom Flooring

Whether cleaning the bathroom is a chore you love or dread, chances are you want it to go as smoothly and effortlessly as possible. Easy to clean, stain resistant and waterproof, tile is perfect for bathroom floors. Whatever style or material you choose, a good broom and a mop will be enough for daily cleaning. However, you’ll occasionally want to do a deeper clean to address build-up in your grout joints. Large-format tile has the fewest grout joints, while mosaics have the most. Natural stone will also require extra maintenance, including regular sealing and special cleaning.

Pro Tip: A dark-colored grout will hide the appearance of dirt.

This elegant bathroom features a white with grey veining marble tile floor.

Featuring: Siberian Pearl. Design by Timber Trails Development Company. Photography by John and Maura Stoffer.

We hope this guide helps you select beautiful and durable bathroom flooring. Explore our Bathroom Flooring Ideas and shop bathroom floor tile for more inspiration. Have more questions? We’re always here to help! Visit your local Tile Shop showroom, or schedule a free design consultation to get started.

Schedule a free design consultation.

Shop The Look

Share on

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,