Which tile is better to choose for the bathroom: selection tips + design features
What tile to choose for a bathroom? This question often becomes the cause of many days of painful reflection, accompanied by trips to construction supermarkets and the purchase of fashion design magazines. Meanwhile, among the variety of colors, sizes and textures of the tiled surface, which the modern construction market offers us, you can easily get lost. And then the choice of tiles is delayed for many weeks, or even months. Let's try to shorten this process by understanding the basic rules for choosing a tile and its effect on the design of the bathroom.
Content
Focus on consumer qualities
Tiled material can be used both for decorating walls and floors. Or produced immediately in the kit (collection) along with auxiliary accessories. In this case, the style is made in one color scheme, a characteristic pattern and a certain theme.
In general terms, the material for the bathroom should satisfy the following consumer requirements:
- correct geometric shape and compliance with the dimensions indicated on the package;
- material integrity: fragments should not be cracked, with chips and extraneous inclusions;
- indelible surface stability;
- resistance to temperature extremes;
- not susceptible to mechanical damage (should not be scratched);
- have moisture resistance;
- not to be destroyed by exposure to cleaning chemicals;
- Do not lose the quality of color shades, lines of patterns;
- durability of use;
- have anti-slip effect.
By the way, in order to find out whether the soles will slide on the floor, it is not necessary to wait for the lining to finish. It is enough to drop water on the tiled surface and use your finger to touch to see how easily it slides along it.
Facing tiles differ in their characteristics from the standard flooring. It should be easy to cut to give various forms of floor or wall construction and should be well placed in bends. The option is considered optimal if the water absorption of the material is 20%. Enamel on a ceramic coating gives shine and protects the surface from destruction, resists detergents. In places of maximum contact between the wall and water, where tile joints are considered a weak point, it is best to choose glazed ceramic coarse tiles with a thickness (standard) of 6 - 9 mm.
You can choose the right facing material in online stores. The tile catalog presents various collections and design options.
Choose a color scheme
The color of the tiles affects the overall impression of the bathroom. It should not be too bright, annoying and oppressive. The main thing is that the bathroom should be comfortable and create a special mood - the right color will successfully cope with this:
- White tile in the bathroom is a neutral classic, which to some seems too boring. However, this color is the best you can think of to expand a small space.Moreover, the white tile can be combined with any other shade, creating a variety of wall compositions. The only thing you should avoid is a pure white, cold color, which causes persistent associations with hospital walls. There are many other variations: the color of ivory, cream ice cream, baked milk, etc .;
- Blue or green tile - creates a feeling of coolness, freshness, energizes;
- Coffee, beige, “wood” shades - soothe, give the bathroom coziness, warmth;
- Juicy shades of turquoise, gold, red - are used mainly to create accentuating motifs. A bathroom fully tiled with too bright tiles will cause emotional stress;
- Black tile - reduces space, acts depressingly. If the bathroom does not have a window, then the dark cladding will greatly enhance the feeling of a closed, “crushing” space. In addition, the black tiles are especially visible pollution: traces of water, varnish, detergents.
Tile size and its role in design
Which tile is better for the bathroom: small or large? In large bathrooms, tile size will not play a special role. Mosaic cladding, large tiles, and even ceramic panels laid out on the entire wall will perfectly fit here. You can combine different in texture and color tiles, create volumetric drawings, highlight individual zones - full scope for imagination.
In a small bathroom, the choice of tile size should be taken more seriously. One would think that in this case it is ideal to choose a mosaic. But this is not so. Small tiles are able to visually adjust the space "for themselves", that is, significantly reduce it. The small, but often repeated motley pattern does the same. Using it in a small space is a big mistake.
Large tiles for a small bathroom, especially with seams contrasting with the main color, will break the walls into several large geometric shapes (squares or rectangles). Very bad. In this situation, a small bathroom will seem completely miserable.
In a small bathroom, designers recommend laying medium-sized tiles on the walls and floor. If it is square, then with sides 20x20 cm, if rectangular - then 20x30 cm. By the way, you can experiment with rectangular, elongated tiles. Horizontal laying of such tiles will stretch the walls to the sides, that is, expand the space, and vertical - will raise the level of low ceilings. You can increase the floor space with a square or rectangular tile, if you lay it diagonally.
Style focus
We came to the most important and difficult issue - the choice of tile design. Without an impeccable taste and imagination, it is difficult to come up with your own version of the styling solution for the cladding and decide which tile is best for the bathroom. Therefore, when performing the cladding, it is better to adhere to existing schemes that are being implemented by many interior designers.
Classic - one stop solution
The easiest option that always looks stylish. At the same time, the upper part of the wall is finished with light tiles, and the lower one is darker. The transition zone is emphasized by a border - a narrow rectangular tile with a pattern. In a classic design, the color of the floor should be dark, ideally match the color of the bottom of the walls.If we move away from these principles and make the floor light, the style of the bathroom will be more contrasting, the visual “depth” of the room will increase.
Natural motives
For a bathroom in a natural style, tiles of green, blue, beige, warm "wood" shades are suitable. If the main tile is plain, several elements with a drawing on a marine or natural theme are selected for her in the company. It can be either full tiles (4-5 on the wall is enough), and a border.
In the large bathroom, you can truly convey the atmosphere of the sea beach, flowering meadows, desert oasis, if the entire wall is lined with mosaic or tiled panels with a suitable pattern. For the embodiment of this solution, 3D tile is especially effective, which creates an incredibly plausible feeling that there are no walls in the room. Imagine: around you in the bathroom you see not flat walls, but a three-dimensional sea coast that goes deep and gets lost beyond the horizon. Miracles, and more!
East is a delicate matter
Oriental style is always bright, colorful and outstanding. In the store you can pick up tiles with oriental ornaments: Turkish cucumbers, exotic flowers, birds, hieroglyphs, damask. All this is done in bright, saturated colors. Colors - gold, bright blue, juicy green, turquoise, yellow, red. A bright mosaic, which can be faced not only with walls and ceiling, but also with plumbing equipment: a bathtub, a washstand, a bidet, will especially convey Eastern style.
The traditional oriental style with an abundance of colors and bright motifs is more suitable for large rooms. However, if you have a small bathroom, you should not completely abandon such a decision. Try to slightly dull the colors, choose a less extreme and large picture. As a last resort, let the main cladding be plain in a calm color, and the border will be traditionally oriental, with traditional Turkish cucumbers.
Tile Mirror
For lovers of everything extraordinary, you can advise you to buy a mirror tile. She can lay out the entire wall and visually increase the bathroom 2 times! Or act less radically and make mirror inserts between ordinary ceramic tiles. Such "additions" are quite capable of replacing a real mirror.
If the bathroom is small, then with the help of mirror inserts you can create the illusion of the depth of space. To do this, just lay them diagonally on the floor and walls. Another way to visually “raise” the ceilings is to lay out mirror tiles on the ceiling.
Matte, glossy or textured
Most often on sale you can find glossy tiles. It is easy to look after her, she beautifully reflects light. However, a dark glossy tile in bright electric light can produce strong glare that irritates the eyes. These glare, of course, are reflected from the light tile, but they are not so contrasting and therefore almost invisible.
Frosted tiles are perceived by our eyes as more calm. With exactly the same colors, glossy tiles always seem brighter. Since the matte tile is a little rough, it is especially recommended to use it for the floor.
Another option is a textured tile that simulates pebbles, snake scales, leather, cracked stone, air bubbles, wooden dies, metal. Such a tile with incredible credibility conveys the surface of another material.If it is metal, then it can be covered with artificial rust, patina, scuffs.
Reasonable savings - make a calculation of the amount
Having chosen the tile you like, you should decide on the required quantity. To do this, you need to know:
- The total area to be lined. It consists of the area of walls and floor. Moreover, this does not include a doorway, so its dimensions are excluded from the calculations.
- The dimensions of the selected tile cover (tile) and determine how many square meters per unit. This will make it possible to clarify how many such tile units are in 1 m2.
- Knowing the area of the bathroom and the number of tiles per unit area, it is easy to determine by multiplying the total number of tiles.
- We should not forget about the inevitable battle, non-standard trimmings and pieces. This increases the estimated amount for flooring by another 12%, and wall - by 10%.
- You should not purchase goods in parts. In the case of a second purchase, such a color scheme may no longer exist, because different parties differ in color;
- The phrase "the economy should be economical" to the tile does not matter: saving on it, you will have to overpay twice for frequent repairs and replacing low-quality coatings;
- Make a purchase only from trusted manufacturers or official shopping centers if you have all the documentation and warranties.
When deciding which tile to choose for the bathroom, pay attention to all the subtleties. For color, size, texture, style. Modern tiles can create any mood in the bathroom. You just have to take this opportunity and make the repair of your dreams in the bathroom!
Svetlana 
Yulia 
Ivan 
Alexander 
Olga
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