What tiles to choose in a small bathroom?

Unfortunately, even modern apartments can not always boast a large area, and the bathrooms do not exceed four square meters. None of the homeowners will argue that for a room with high humidity, the best finishing material, of course, is ceramic tile, which has a lot of advantages: practical, durable, affordable, safe and easy to care for. Only one question worries the owners of small areas, which tiles to choose in a small bathroom, to visually increase the space without redevelopment, while making the room comfortable for taking water procedures. Ceramics fit for a long period, so it is so important to decide on which tile to choose for a small bathroom, what color scheme to choose in order to create an atmosphere of cleanliness and comfort in the room.

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Preparatory stage - analysis of the condition of the room

Before proceeding to the cladding and deciding how to choose tiles for a small bathroom, evaluate the layout of the room. You only approach the choice of material when you analyze the existing layout and design features of the room.

Pay particular attention to the following parameters:

• Dimensions of the room (length, width, height).
• The shape of the bathroom (square, rectangular).
• Location of plumbing equipment.
• Light intensity (location and number of light sources).
• The presence of furniture and other interior details.
• Assessment of the need for additional decor and lighting. Sometimes, proper lighting can itself visually increase the space.

Important! Knowing the shape and size of the room, you can create several templates in special computer programs to make the right choice based on the finished picture.

To answer the question of how to choose tiles for a small bathroom, first we look at its types and characteristics, because for the design of any room all the characteristics are important: size, color, pattern, style and even the way of laying ceramics.

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Ceramic tile classification

Today in the market you can find several classes of tiles. Each category of material has certain characteristics. The criteria for classifying ceramics are:

• Resistance of coating to chemical detergents.
• Resistance to abrasion during operation.

Important! On each packaging with the material there are special badges that show that the tile belongs to a particular class. Tiles differ in scatter in thickness and size.

Classes

The following tile classes are distinguished:

• First grade. This category includes materials intended for rooms without intensive walking. That is, it is not customary to walk on such tiles in street shoes. For bathroom lining, this option will be best.
• Second class. The surface of the tiles in this category is not sufficiently resistant to chemicals. Use the tiles of the second category in places where people do not often go, for example, in cottages.
• Third class.The material of the third class is not suitable for lining the bathroom, as it has a noticeable variation in size, which greatly complicates installation.

Important! For the bathroom, choose tiles of the 1st, in extreme cases, 2nd class. To determine the resistance to aggressive chemicals, pay attention to the letter marking: AA, B, C, D.

For a bathroom, tiles of category AA are best; it can also be used with marking B, but category D is completely excluded.

Types of Tiles

Not all material is suitable for facing a small bathroom. It all depends on what composition of the tile, as the material used in the production of tiles, behaves during heavy use.

Depending on the amount of added minerals and the composition of the material, the following types of tiles are distinguished:

• Ceramics. The most popular tile to date. It is wear-resistant, behaves perfectly in a room with high humidity and temperature extremes. A wide range of shapes and colors makes it possible to choose the material for every taste.
• Mosaic. Tiles made in the form of small fragments are made of high-strength glass. Mosaic tiles allow you to show imagination in the design of even the smallest room. And with the help of a large mosaic, you can realize the most daring design ideas. The only negative is that it is not easy to look after the mosaic.
• China. The product is strong enough, even to cover the floor. The matte polished surface of the porcelain tile can visually increase the height of the room. The only drawback is the difficulty of caring for the material.
• Porcelain tile. The material has many advantages. It is durable, moisture resistant and easy to clean.

Important! In addition, tile is divided into wall, floor and universal plates.

Texture

According to the type of front surface, ceramic tiles are divided into the following types:

• Glazed.
• Unglazed.
• Glossy.
• Matt

Advice:

• It should be understood that floor and wall tiles have different characteristics of wear resistance. The floor material is able to withstand more weight, so it has a higher abrasion resistance.
• When choosing a material for the floor, you must also take into account the surface texture. For the floor of the bathroom, porous rough briquettes are ideal.
• The size of the floor tile must be larger than the size of the elements on the wall.
• Do not choose a floor with a smooth, glossy surface, as it is easy to slip on such a tile, given the humidity of the room.

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Color schemes and combinations

Any characteristics of the tile affect the perception of the interior in the bathroom, which is why all the details are so important - color, size and shape, the presence of decorative elements, pattern, installation method and even the shade of grout. Next, we will focus on all the nuances of choosing a tile.

The choice of color is a determining factor for the solution of design ideas and ideas. If the main task in the design of space is to expand the boundaries, then the best choice would be a tile of bright colors, which is able to reflect light rather than absorb it.

Basic tone groups

It should be noted that a light shade is not an exclusively white spectrum. Shades of light tones are divided into the following categories:

• Warm. Pastel, warm tones include - beige, peach, sand, light yellow. They fill the room with warmth and comfort. Among the variety of colors, you can choose any shade.

Important! You can choose more saturated, but the best solution would be a combination of two shades of one gamut.

• Cold Cold shades include blue, light purple.
• Neutral and achromatic. This category includes universal colors - white, lilac, green, light gray, pink, and similar shades, which perception can not be attributed to either warm or cold.

To answer the question of what color tiles to choose in a small bathroom, and make the final decision, we recommend that you listen to the following tips from designers.

Tip 1

The following colors are ideal for interior bathrooms:

• Light green, muted green.
• Light blue or marine hue.
• Ivory.
• Light or lemon yellow.
• Gray with a pearl shimmer.
• Pale pink or peach.
• Terracotta, sand.
• Muted lilac or lavender.

Interesting design decisions:

• Light green color will add pleasant freshness to the interior, cream and beige will add depth. If the room has an area of ​​less than 2 square meters. m, then use only one of the above shades. If the bath is not so small, then combine colors that are close in gamut. For example, it may be a combination of blue and cyan, pink and pale violet.
• Those who like contrasting and bright colors can use blue and yellow or dark lilac in combination with orange. The most important thing is that a light tone prevail as the main color.

Tip 2

The rich colors in the interior should be slightly muffled so that the bathroom does not turn into one solid bright spot.

Important! For a more elegant design, use an additional tile with a small pattern to the main color.

Tip 3

If you plan color plumbing with a pattern, then give preference to a one-color tile or having neutral shades.

Tip 4

Very small bathrooms are best designed in two colors of the same shade. For example, if the walls are short, then put on them a tile of a light shade, and on the long side - tile a tone darker. This technique will significantly increase the size of the room.

Important! If you want to use four colors at once, then give preference to the mosaic.

Tip 5:

• Dark colors should not be used for wall decoration - most effectively this tile will look on the floor. In addition, traces of limescale are better visible on dark tiles, and it requires special care.
• White color is likely to disappoint with its excessive coldness. But with the right selection of contrasting furniture and small accessories, this problem is easily fixable.
• With the right selection and combination of shades of tiles, you can increase any space. If light and dark tones divide the wall horizontally and are separated by a decorative border, then the walls will seem to move apart.

Important! The same effect can be obtained if one of the walls is completely laid out with a mosaic with a plot pattern.

Tip 6:

• A great solution for expanding the space is a mirror tile, if you place it on a wall opposite the mirror.
• Using mosaic tiles and combining a variety of textures will give the interior individuality and enrich it.
• A variety of ceramic elements, patterned inserts and convex texture of ceramics can create an unusual atmosphere. For example, on a white background of tile and plumbing, the insert from the tile texture “Gunny” looks great.

Tip 7

For a small room, it is better to abandon the horizontal separation of colors. Use only small details of different shades or lay out strips of a different shade above and below the main tone.

The stripes will significantly expand the space. To increase the height of the ceiling, apply the same technique, but with vertical stripes.

Important! To highlight important zones and visually approximate them against the background of other elements, use dark inserts over the entire area of ​​the zone of interest to you.

As you can see, it is very important to choose the right combination of colors, as they are able to visually adjust the volume of the room and create an overall favorable mood. An equally important aspect is the choice of tile size. This will be discussed below.

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Right size:

• Since the area of ​​the room is limited, large fragments in the bathroom will be absolutely inappropriate.The seams between the fragments will be clearly visible, as a result - the main drawing will no longer attract attention to itself. In addition, when laying slabs, the material will have to be trimmed regularly to bypass all corners and other relief elements. As a result, the facing is not very beautiful, and the work is complex and not economical. All this applies not only to the walls, but also to the floor.
• Too small a tile will not create a visual expansion of space. Laying small tiles will take a lot of time, as a result - it will simply ripple in the eyes.

Important! If you are interested in the question, what tile size to choose for a small bathroom, then the best option would be a tile slightly smaller than the average size (20X30 cm).

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Forms

Visually expand the space in height, length and width. In order to visually increase the area of ​​a room, it is necessary to correctly use not only the size, but also the shape of the tile. For small rooms, an ordinary square tile is not entirely appropriate, since it is not able to visually change the aspect ratio of the bathroom. But in some cases, the universal square version can be used in combination with rectangles.

We suggest that you familiarize yourself with some of the recommendations of specialists to decide which tile size is best for a small room, depending on its shape:

• If the room needs to be pulled up, then place a rectangular tile vertically. If it is necessary to expand the room to the sides, then use horizontal laying out.
• If it is necessary to lengthen the shorter wall, use elongated ceramics to clad it, and square on the adjacent wall. Such a solution can sometimes be more effective than playing with color and lighting.
• For too long and narrow bathrooms, tiles of the following sizes are suitable: 15x30, 30x30, 30x60, 45x45, 60x60 cm. Lay the tile across, and not parallel to the ceiling.

Important! Refuse from cardinally dark shades, give preference to gray and light beige colors.

• For a square room, the tile can be medium in size. A tile of 45x45 and 50x50 cm is suitable. For the room to be airy, combine the colors correctly.

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Style

An important factor in the design of the bathroom is the style. Each direction is distinguished by its color scheme.

For a compact bathroom, any style can fit. For example, there are such ideas as to which tile to choose in a small bathroom:

• Classic requires the use of sand, light yellow and green shades.
• Japanese style involves the use of brown, peach, sometimes interspersed with red.
• French style prefers white.
• Mediterranean - blue, blue and white.
• Country involves the use of white and brown tones.
• Vanguard welcomes bright colors with contrasts.

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Tile Laying Methods

The appearance of the room depends not only on the quality and color of the tile, but also on how it is laid. With the help of simple tricks, you can visually change the perception of the room.

Important! A stitch-in-stitch pattern is considered standard. This is stacking in straight parallel rows without offset. This option can be used if you plan to insert or color lines. For a plain wall or floor, you can choose a more interesting laying pattern.

Tiles for a small room can be laid in the following ways:

• Vertical with offset.
• Diagonal (rhombus). This option allows you to expand the space both in the vertical and in the horizontal plane. With this installation, it is important to maintain the evenness of the lines, otherwise - there will be distortions at the seams.
• Layout in a run-up or in the “dressing”. Laying is done in horizontal lines, and each next row is shifted by half the tile. As a result, it looks like brickwork.
• Herringbone. Only rectangular tiles are used. This option visually expands the space.

Advice:

• Do not lay out pictures on the wall in a small room, as there is no space for a large number of details, and even a small image can occupy half the wall, which will visually reduce the area. A more suitable option would be mosaic. Only use it not over the entire area, but partially.
• Choose the right grout for the tile. It should not contrast with the main color, since in a small room contrasts are usually inappropriate.
• When choosing tiles in the store, take care of the reserve (15%), since during operation some elements can be damaged or go to cut.

Important! Do not count on the fact that you can buy tiles from another party. The hue of the same series may vary markedly in different batches.

• When choosing a quality material, focus on the brand of the manufacturer. Very important is the equipment on which ceramics are made. To verify the high quality of the products of this brand, read customer reviews.

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Stock footage

We hope that our advice and recommendations have helped you decide on the choice of tiles in a small bathroom, but other interior items and decorative elements play an important role. Imagine, use any style and design, albeit a small, but such a necessary room for relaxation!