Dripping with Style: Your Guide to High-End Tile Design

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Home & Garden

While the bathroom may be the most utilitarian of the rooms we frequent in our homes, it clearly need not look that way. From spa vibes to high-end vintage modern, fine bathroom design has been refined over the last couple of decades inspiring with a wealth of rich details and top-of-line materials.

There’s not a better way to define the character of a bath or powder room than using tile, and there are seemingly as many varieties as there as stars in the sky. Let’s explore by breaking down the latest trends. 

Handmade Tiles

How luxe does this look? For enhanced texture and eye-popping appeal, handmade tile is a character-rich cut above. These Zellige style tiles are made in Morocco and because they are hand-molded, glazed, and cut, like snowflakes, no two are exactly alike. These beauties come in glazed and unglazed styles and are now available in a variety of shapes. For sculpted texture, nothing beats handmade. 

Something New Taking Shape

Thinking outside the box, or square, as it were, has never been so dramatic! From every side and angle this bathroom makes an enduring artistic statement with its hexagon-shaped tiles displayed to engage and invigorate the senses. There’s no rule that says you have to cover the entire room, as hexagons allow for a more creative permission structure. Trending now, are hexagonal designs in rich jewel tones and soothing shades of gray. These are from the HexArt Collection by Tile Bar.

Marble on Marble

For some homeowners, there is no more luxe a material than marble, and it remains popular despite the special care it requires to keep it in tip-top shape. The trend has this variety going dramatic and bold in its veining. This Macchia Vecchia slab of classic Italian tile is known for its soft and velvety bolt-like designs breaking through the cream stone with its accents of mellow ochre. 

Beauty in the Third Dimension

3-D tiles are quite the stand-out and another luxe option if you’re a lover of texture. This vibe comes across as artistic with raised floral options creating an appealing take on the natural world. Fluted 3-D styles can be installed in various ways to convey elegance and charm through movement. You may need to exercise increased care when cleaning these styles by using a hand vacuum, duster, or broom to keep particles and dust from settling into its subtle surfaces.

Go Boldly Biophilic

The biophilic tile trend is one of the most popular out there right now. This design movement incorporates natural materials, colors, and textures to create a connection with nature inside your space. The popular palette here is fennel green and garden-centric which is sometimes accented with subtle aquatic shades.

The Mermaid Makes Her Mark

These iridescent scallop-shaped tiles channel the sensibility of a colorful mermaid at play. This scallop tile style has roots in the 1920s Art Deco era, which first popularized this pattern in interior design and its popularity continues to be appreciated on a global scale. These examples reflect light beautifully, creating a shimmering, jewel-toned effect​ and designing an accent wall with them can turn an underwhelming powder room into a conversation starter at your next dinner party.