One of the best parts about staying at a hotel or Airbnb is the opportunity to experience a different design style from your usual dwelling. Beautiful bathrooms are one of the highlights in many an upscale residence, and who hasn’t wished that they could remodel their own home after a particularly inspirational overnight stay somewhere else? Bathroom remodeling can be an enjoyable process, from countertops to sinks to tile selections if you know exactly what you’re after. However, if this is your first crack at the job, here are a few tips to help you along when it comes to selecting bathroom tiles.
The Rule of Three
In the design world, three seems to be a magic number of sorts. From choosing wall colors to fabrics, and yes, even tiles, it’s always best to limit yourself to a maximum of three different selections if you’re doing any mixing and matching. So start by choosing a single tile style that you know you absolutely must have. From there, you can branch out to exploring one or two other options to create a complete look.
When it comes to mixing and matching, the best approach is a balanced one. If you know you definitely want that super funky tile in bright teal or what have you, balance out a unique tile by selecting your other tiles in a more muted design or color palette. Similarly, if your main choice of tile happens to be rather plain, don’t be afraid to choose accent tiles that come in a vibrant color or style, as they can draw the eye and help break up the space in interesting ways.
Choosing Colours
Speaking of colors, does it ever feel like some people seem to know how to put nice shades together in ways that you could never dream of? Well, here’s the thing… if you do your homework, you can be an expert in choosing colors in no time!
Complementary Colour Combos
The first step to choosing colors that work well together is to look up a color wheel. You’ll notice that some colors sit directly opposite each other on the wheel. These “opposite” colors are called complementary colors, and they go quite nicely with one another. There are countless different variations on shades, and you can go with whatever you like. Design isn’t an exact science – it’s art!
Split-Complementary Colour Combos
Split-complementary color combos are a variation on the complementary color combo. You begin by choosing one dominant color. Then check out the color wheel, locate your initial selection’s complementary color, and then take a look at the two colors that sit on either side of it. These are your two support colors (you can ignore the complementary shade). If you’re not too confident in your color-selecting abilities, this is a good approach for you. Split-complementary colors generally work quite well together with little difficulty.
Rectangle (Tetradic) Colour Combos
They say that rules are meant to be broken… Remember that rule of three? Well, sometimes, you can break that rule and try out a rectangle color combination instead… this means selecting two sets of complementary colors, resulting in four tile selections for your design. Just keep in mind that convention exists for a reason. If you’re going to go the rectangle route, it might be helpful to seek some consultation to make sure your bathroom cabinet & vanity remodeling is done right. Rectangle combos can provide some great eye candy, but they can also be an eyesore.
Analogous Colour Combos
Analogous color combos are what you get when you select two or three colors that sit next to each other on a color wheel. This approach is gaining traction in modern design, so you might want to go with this trend for your bathroom remodeling if you’re into whatever’s new and fresh. Monochromatic, neutral combos are a popular go-to analogous option for many homeowners. Select one dominant color, another secondary support color, and use the third to accent a fuss-free design.
Maintenance
Designing your bathroom is the fun part. Maintaining it, on the other hand, can be annoying. You can avoid doing thankless chores like scrubbing grout lines with a toothbrush by planning your bathroom design ahead of time.
Go Groutless
Is it even possible to go groutless? Of course, it is with the right tile selection. Take a look at large slab-like porcelain tiles, back-painted glass, or stone slabs, which all have very thin seam lines if any. While some of these options cost more than your usual regular-sized ceramic tiles, imagine a future in which you’ll never have to wipe down the grouts again. Just don’t forget that glass is quite slippery and should not be used for flooring! On the other hand, a frameless glass wall is a great, seamless option for enclosing your shower area.
Fantastic Fans
Sometimes it’s easy to forget why a bathroom fan even exists, especially if you’re the type to hang around steaming the place up for a half-hour or more while people are hammering away at the door… but they do exist for a reason. Invest in a fantastic fan, and you’ll be truly thankful. You can purchase very powerful, noiseless fans these days, which go a long way in quickly clearing the air during and after your shower. In addition, this reduces the likelihood of mildew growth on your new bathroom tiles, thereby slashing the amount of time you have to spend on cleaning.
Tile selection and maintenance isn’t all that big of a deal if you’ve done your research beforehand. Now that you know the basics, you should be much better equipped to take that leap towards doing that bathroom remodeling job you’ve been dreaming of since your last hotel stay. Don’t be afraid to consult with your tile suppliers for advice, and of course, Pinterest, Instagram, and any design magazine can provide you with more than enough ideas should you be at a loss for inspiration!
