Bathroom tile is moving toward stronger pattern, warmer color, and smarter placement. The current trend list also shows a useful split: floor designs lead the conversation, while shower walls get bold accents. Here are the standout looks, plus the rooms and remodel plans they suit best.
1. LIFT Construction (Our Top Pick)
LIFT Construction is our top pick for homeowners who want tile style matched with sound planning and skilled work. We serve Northern Utah homeowners and businesses with bathroom remodeling, renovation, and restoration work.
Tile selection is only one part of a bathroom project. The layout must account for drain slope, wall height, fixture locations, waterproofing, grout joints, and the number of full tiles visible from the doorway. A tile can look great in a showroom yet feel chopped up once it reaches a small room.
We help clients compare different tile sizes, shower tile options, subway tile, natural-looking finishes, and bold floor patterns before installation begins. Tile size can affect the number of grout lines on a shower wall. Tile layout and size also matter when planning a sloped shower floor and its pitch toward the drain.
For homeowners in Layton or Davis County, our bathroom remodeling services in Layton and Davis County include updated tile, vanities, lighting, storage, and shower work. We plan the room as one system, so the tile supports daily use instead of fighting it.
The limitation is simple: LIFT Construction is a remodeling contractor, not a tile brand. You still need to choose the look you want. We can help you test that choice against the room’s size, fixtures, budget, and long-term care needs.
If the project involves fire or smoke damage, tile selection also has to fit the repair plan. In that case, a full-service contractor can keep demolition, restoration, and finish work in one handoff.
2. Blue Subway Tile, A Familiar Classic with More Personality
Blue subway tile remains one of the easiest bathroom tile trends to adapt. It keeps the familiar rectangular shape but adds more mood than plain white tile.
In the source gallery reviewed for this article, blue subway tiles line a shower area as a strong accent. That placement works because the rest of the room can stay calm. A soft white, warm cream, or pale wood tone nearby gives the blue room to stand out.
Tile size and direction change the effect. A narrow subway tile can feel lively when stacked vertically. Vertical placement pulls the eye upward, which can help a short shower wall feel taller. A horizontal layout feels wider and more traditional.
Blue also works across several design moods. Deep blue can make a bathroom feel quiet and grounded. Pale blue feels lighter. A muted blue with a handmade surface adds texture without requiring a loud pattern.
Keep the grout choice in mind. A close grout color makes the tile read as one surface. A high-contrast grout makes each rectangle stand out. That can be attractive, but it also adds visual lines across the wall.
Blue subway tile has one clear caveat. It can look dated if the shade, grout, and fixtures all lean too heavily into the same period style. Pair it with a clean vanity or a simple neutral floor to keep the room current.
The examples reviewed provide useful visual inspiration, but they do not prove that blue tile is popular everywhere or that one shade will suit every home.
3. Mosaic Glass Tile, Reflective Detail for Shower Walls and Niches
Mosaic glass tile brings small scale and light reflection to the bathroom tile trends list. The reviewed example uses glass mosaic on a feature wall in a modern cottage bathroom.
Glass works best when you want detail in a focused area. A shower niche, vanity wall, or narrow band can gain depth without covering every surface in pattern. This detail can also help shape a design around corners and recesses.
Glass tile is different from porcelain or ceramic tile in the way it catches light. A reflective finish can brighten a darker room, while a less reflective finish keeps the effect softer. Glass tile is a separate material category from ceramic products.
For a small bathroom, use reflection with care. Small bathroom remodel ideas can help you balance a glass mosaic accent with practical layouts, storage, and other finishes. A glass mosaic on one wall can add depth. The same mosaic across every wall may feel busy, especially when paired with patterned flooring or strong metal finishes.
Shower floors need enough joints and a layout that follows the slope toward the drain. A mosaic may suit that job, but the tile still needs to be rated for wet-floor use and installed with the right waterproofing system.
Glass mosaic usually costs more to install than a plain large-format wall tile because there are more pieces and more joints to set. Cuts around outlets, niches, and valves also need care. If the layout is off by even a small amount, the error can show across the full sheet.
Choose this look when you want a bright accent and can keep the rest of the room restrained. It is a detail tile, not always the best choice for every wall.
4. Patterned Cement Tile, Earthy Character with a Custom Feel
Patterned cement tile gives a bathroom an earthy, crafted look. In the reviewed example, patterned cement tiles act as the focal point in a mixed-style bathroom.
This trend fits homeowners who want the floor to carry the design. A repeated motif can define the room without adding a separate accent wall. Keep the vanity, shower wall, and paint more restrained so the floor does the work.
Cement also supports the warmer color direction seen in current bathroom design. Terracotta, sand, clay, olive, and cream can make a room feel less stark than a cold white scheme. Those colors pair well with brass, copper, brushed gold, or black hardware when the metal is used with restraint.
The material needs closer review before purchase. Cement is porous, so sealing and care matter. Ask the tile supplier about the required sealer, cleaning products, stain risk, and maintenance schedule. A tile with a cement-inspired appearance may offer a different care routine, depending on its material and product ratings.
Material details are often missing from trend galleries. In the nine-entry dataset used here, cement is one of only two materials named directly. That means the visual idea is clear, but the performance details are not.
Do not assume a tile’s pattern tells you where it belongs. Check the product’s technical sheet for floor use, wet areas, slip resistance, thickness, and installation needs. The term porcelain describes a ceramic tile type with specific manufacturing traits, but product ratings still control the correct application.
Patterned cement tile earns its place when you want warmth and character. It needs more care than a simple porcelain floor, so make that trade before you commit.
5. Graphic Black-and-White Tile, a Bold Shower Statement
Graphic black-and-white tile gives the bathroom tile trends list a bold visual hit. The reviewed example uses the tile in a shower, where the walls become the room’s main feature.
High contrast can sharpen a plain bathroom. It works well behind a freestanding tub, across a shower wall, or on a small powder room floor. In a larger bathroom, use the pattern on one surface and let the remaining walls support it with a quiet tile.
Black tile does not always make a small bathroom feel smaller. The result depends on placement, light, pattern scale, and the surfaces around it. A dark floor can ground the room. A dark shower wall with no variation may feel heavy, especially if the ceiling and nearby walls are also dark.
White tile creates a brighter look, but plain white can feel flat. Texture, soft veining, handmade edges, or a small pattern can add depth without pushing the room into visual noise.
Pattern scale matters. A large shape can read well in a spacious shower. A small room may look better with a smaller repeat or a pattern limited to the floor. Lay sample boards against the wall before choosing. View them in daylight and under the bathroom’s planned light.
Installation needs a clean starting line. Geometric patterns reveal crooked walls and uneven cuts quickly. The installer must plan the center line, corners, niche edges, and transition points before spreading adhesive.
Use this style when you want a firm design point. If you’re unsure, keep the pattern to one surface rather than trying to make every wall compete.
6. Herringbone and Chevron Tile Patterns, Movement Without Changing Materials
Herringbone pattern adds a young, energetic feel to a bathroom. Chevron pattern dresses the floor, adding visual interest. Both can bring movement to a bathroom without requiring a new tile material.
Herringbone and chevron create distinct visual effects, so review the actual tile sample and layout before making a final selection. The patterns can look different in a full bathroom than they do on a small sample board.
The reviewed examples describe herringbone as energetic and chevron as a floor treatment with visual interest. If you’re choosing a floor pattern, confirm that the tile has a suitable slip rating and that the layout will not leave awkward slivers near the walls.
Tile with larger pieces can make a room feel calmer because it has fewer grout joints. Mosaic tile can help a shower floor follow its slope. Neither choice fixes a poor layout plan. A tile professional must still check the room’s measurements and sight lines.
The reviewed examples describe herringbone as energetic and chevron as a floor treatment with visual interest. A pattern image can inspire you, but it cannot tell you if the tile belongs on a wet wall or shower floor.
Choose the layout first, then test it with the actual tile size. A pattern that looks balanced on a sample board may end with narrow cuts once it reaches the room.
FAQ
What bathroom tile is most popular right now?
Large hexagon tile, blue subway tile, glass mosaic, warm earthy tile, and geometric tiles are all part of current bathroom tile trends. Popularity alone should not decide the purchase. Match the tile to its location, slip needs, cleaning routine, room size, and the amount of contrast you want.
Are large tiles better for small bathrooms?
Large tiles can make a small bathroom feel calmer because they create fewer grout lines, but they are not always the best fit. A small shower floor often needs smaller pieces to follow the drain slope. Large tiles also need enough wall width to avoid awkward cuts at corners and fixtures.
What tile is best for a shower floor?
Smaller pieces are often easier to shape across a sloped shower floor, but the product must be rated for wet floors and have suitable slip resistance. Two-by-two tile or other smaller pieces are common examples. Confirm the rating and installation details before buying because appearance alone cannot show whether a tile is safe.
Are different tile finishes better in a bathroom?
A softer-looking finish can create a calmer look, while a light-reflecting finish can brighten a wall. Neither finish is best everywhere. A light-reflecting finish often suits a shower accent or backsplash. Softer-looking finishes may feel calmer on floors, but the product still needs the right wet-area rating.
What colors are trending for bathroom tile?
Warm cream, beige, terracotta, soft sage, olive, blue, and black-and-white patterns fit the current direction. Color affects mood, but light also changes how a tile reads. Order a large sample and view it beside the vanity, hardware, grout, and planned lights before making a final choice.
Conclusion
Choose tile by location before choosing it by trend. For a Northern Utah remodel, start with samples, test the floor and shower separately, then review the full layout with LIFT Construction before installation. A sound plan will protect the look you want from start to finish.