How to Make A Small Bathroom Look Bigger with Tiles (2024)

Ensuring all rooms throughout your home feel spacious can be a tall order in modern households. So it’s no surprise that many people are searching for ways to maximise the space of each room throughout their home.

In this blog, we’ll take you through a few steps you can take to ensure your bathroom feels considerably larger than it actually is, simply by using tiles.

Choose Large Format Floor Tiles

Our top tip for making a small bathroom look bigger with tiles, is to opt for large format floor tiles. Using larger floor tiles is a great way to trick the eye and make a room look bigger than it actually is.

Larger tiles used throughout the bathroom look a lot less ‘busy’ than with smaller tiles, which therefore make the room appear larger; the lack of grout lines also makes the whole space appear more expansive.

If you’re looking to make your bathroom appear even larger, you can go one step further and opt to use a grout that is the same colour as the tiles you’re using. By keeping the colour uniform, you are creating a seamless transition throughout your bathroom.

Check out our full range of large format tiles or extra large tiles for some inspiration.

Use Light Coloured Tiles Throughout

Have you ever noticed that a bathroom which has lighter-coloured tiles throughout appears to be larger than one with darker coloured tiles? If not, you’d be surprised just how much larger a room can feel by simply opting for light-coloured tiles.

Utilising light shades of bathroom wall tiles and bathroom floor tiles will reflect light and will visually open up space. The opposite can be said of darker tones, which will absorb the light and make your bathroom feel considerably smaller. And don’t miss our guide on how to tile a bathroom wall with large tiles.

How to Make A Small Bathroom Look Bigger with Tiles (1)

Install Tiles Diagonally

One of the most important things to remember when looking to make your bathroom appear larger, is that you need to try and keep the room flowing as continuously as possible. Installing your tiles diagonally can help to naturally do this.

Using this technique works best when the bathroom is very small, as having your tiles installed diagonally tricks the eye into thinking the room is longer and wider than it is in reality.

Choose Plain Tiles

If you’re looking to really make the most out of the space you have available in your bathroom, ensuring you choose both plain floor and wall tiles will give the bathroom a feel of being considerably larger than in reality.

The key to making your bathroom appear larger than it actually is, is to steer clear of highly patterned tiles as they will visually ramp up how ‘busy’ the room appears, therefore making it appear more cramped.

When choosing bathroom floor or wall tiles, we’d suggest opting for plain, lighter colours to really enhance that feeling of extra space in your bathroom.

How to Make A Small Bathroom Look Bigger with Tiles (2)

Keep All Main Features The Same Tone and Colour

The final thing to consider is using the same wall and floor tiles throughout the bathroom, this keeps a sense of continuity throughout the room. If you’re looking to maximise the spatial feel of your room, steer clear from having dark floor tiles and light wall tiles (or visa versa) as this will chop up space and will make your bathroom feel considerably smaller.

If you’re looking to add some differing tones or colours to your bathroom, this should be done by introducing some objects with contrasting colours to the tiles. Furnishings like cabinets and light fixtures are fantastic at providing contrasting colours to that of your tiles, whilst not affecting the size of your bathroom.

Other Space Enhancing Tips

Aside from tiles, there are some other great techniques you can utilise to make your bathroom feel bigger. Here’s a few of our favourites:

  • Reflect the Space With Mirrors – A large mirror is a fantastic way to make your bathroom feel much larger than it actually is. A large mirror will reflect any natural light that spills into your room and will give the effect that the room is larger than in reality. If your bathroom doesn’t allow the space for a large mirror, try installing several smaller mirrors around your bathroom artistically to get the same effect.
  • Cut Out Small Accessories – An abundance of accessories scattered around the bathroom is the number one culprit for making a space feel even smaller than it is. Try and store all bathroom accessories in a cupboard if possible, only leave the absolute essentials out on display. You’ll be surprised how spacious your bathroom will feel after doing so.

Thankfully, there are many techniques and steps you can take to make a room feel bigger than it actually is. When it comes to the humble bathroom, making this feel larger than it actually is can be as simple as installing the right types of tiles.

How to Make A Small Bathroom Look Bigger with Tiles (2024)

FAQs

How to Make A Small Bathroom Look Bigger with Tiles? ›

Strategic tile placement: Lay floor tiles diagonally or in a herringbone pattern to create depth and visually elongate the room. Consider vertical tile installation in the shower area to make the ceiling appear higher.

What size tile makes a small bathroom look bigger? ›

Choose Large-Format Tiles

Large format tiles (tiles that are larger than 60cm x 60cm) will make your bathroom feel bigger than it really is. Firstly, there will be fewer grout lines, so your walls & floors will look more seamless & less cluttered & restrictive. Secondly, the scale will make your space feel larger.

What color makes a small bathroom look bigger? ›

Go all-white. All-white bathroom designs never go out of style. They also have the added advantage of making the room look bigger as white reflects light better than any other colour. As most bathroom fixtures tend to be white, this also creates a more seamless, unbroken look throughout the space.

What tile pattern makes a room bigger? ›

Layouts such as herringbone and chevron are ideal for lengthening narrow spaces, but if your room is more boxy, stick with traditional vertical or horizontal layouts. Lay rectangular tiles vertically down the length of the room, to further trick the eye into imagining the space is elongated.

Should I use large tiles or small tiles in a small bathroom? ›

The space can be made to look bigger if the following is considered before finalising plans and layout. What size tile should I use in a small bathroom? A small bathroom can actually benefit from a large tile. With fewer grout lines the walls and floor are less cluttered and the room visually expands.

What color flooring makes a bathroom look bigger? ›

Use Light Coloured Tiles Throughout

Utilising light shades of bathroom wall tiles and bathroom floor tiles will reflect light and will visually open up space. The opposite can be said of darker tones, which will absorb the light and make your bathroom feel considerably smaller.

What kind of flooring is best for small bathrooms? ›

Opt for a small ceramic tile or mosaic ceramic tiles to create an illusion of space in your small bathroom. If safety is a concern, textured porcelain floor tiles could be a valuable option, offering improved slip resistance for added peace of mind.

What color walls look best in a small bathroom? ›

Stay away from using dark colors for paint and instead use cool, light grays and blues or warm neutrals, like Elusive Blue or Stargazer. These colors are best because they are light and make the room look bigger. They also reflect light, making the room look brighter.

What makes a small bathroom appear larger? ›

Add a Mirror

A well-placed mirror can help to reflect light and visually enlarge a space. “A great way to make smaller bathrooms feel bigger is to swap out large, frameless mirrors for smaller, decorative mirrors with a minimal thin frame.

What is the most popular tile pattern? ›

Subway tile is the most traditional and popular tile pattern, and it typically comes in a rectangular shape of all degrees and colors. The most well-known pattern is akin to offset bricks. However, you can also "stack" them vertically or horizontally.

What is the most difficult tile pattern? ›

The Versailles pattern stands out as one of the most complicated and exquisite tile layouts. This puzzle-like design is made up of different sized rectangles and squares.

Do mosaic tiles make a room look bigger? ›

In summary, mosaic tiles have the potential to make a room appear bigger through clever design choices, color selections, and installation techniques. However, the effectiveness of this illusion may vary depending on factors such as the room's size, the specific mosaic design, and the overall design concept.

What direction should you lay tile in a small bathroom? ›

Horizontal fitted tiles can make your kitchen or bathroom look wider. This layout is particularly suitable for tall yet smaller bathrooms and kitchens. Because of this specific layout, the space looks visually open, wider and bigger in both dimensions (Width and depth, not height).

Is it better to fully tile a small bathroom? ›

For smaller bathrooms, the fully tiled look can make the space appear larger. By fully tiling the walls from floor to ceiling, the smaller bathroom can more easily be converted into a wet room at a future stage. Provides a cleaner junction between tiled walls and floors with less fussy detailing.

What is the most popular size tile for a bathroom? ›

Guideline for Bathroom Floor Tile Sizes

Generally, the 12-inch by 12-inch or 24-inch by 24-inch works the best!

What size tile is best for small bathroom shower? ›

The size of tiles that work best for a small shower typically falls in the range of 4 inches by 4 inches to 6 inches by 6 inches.

Which size tiles are best for a bathroom? ›

What size bathroom tile is best? For a small bathroom, you can go ahead with 1-inch square to 4-inch square sized tiles while for moderate or large sized bathroom size, go for 4-inch to 15-inch by 30-inch or for large sized bathroom, choose 4-inch square up to 12-inch by 24-inch.

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