A tiled bathroom always gives that necessary room a touch of sophistication or designer splash and will give any bathroom a memorable pick me up. 

Wall and floor tiles come in many styles but the most common choice is bathroom ceramic tile. It's affordability and firing process seals in the color and makes it crack, stain and scratch resistant, makes it a home owners favorite. 

Natural stones of Marble, Granite, Limestone and Slate are also a popular, though pricier option. These come with a word of warning, however. All natural stone needs to be sealed on a regular basis to prevent staining, grease and water absorption.

Tiling is usually best left to the professional because they are faster and have all of the tools but it can be done by a do it yourselfer rather well when time and consideration are put into the work.

Shopping for bathroom tile can be bewildering and even a bit overwhelming when faced with the seemingly endless choices of patterns, colors and textured tiles.

If you are also wanting to use bathroom floor tile to finish out the floors you will have to ask yourself a few questions. Larger tile is usually best on the floors, but make sure to not go too large because it will be easier to see any precision mistakes when laying this type of tile. You will also want to make sure that the tile compliments whatever you decided to use for the bathroom wall tiles.

Spend some time in your bathroom, identifying the rooms specific features. Imagine what colors and design ideas will best communicate your creative expression. Note the darkest areas and how the installed or organic lights illuminate the room. A textured tile may look great under direct light. A lighter tile may be needed to brighten up those darker zones in the bathroom. 

You could include a border tile to strengthen a horizontal feature. How about framing that bathroom mirror or window with complimentary tiles? Be creative. Consider several tile arrangements that will best compliment the room.

Determine the current style of the room, or what style you are designing. A formal bath would be perfect for recreating the old world textures with mosaics using a Roman or Italian tile. More color, glass or patterned tile would be fun in a casual decor. Do a little research to find what you want and what looks fit the design style of choice.

Shopping for Bathroom Tiles

When you are ready to shop, enjoy the process. Don't be intimidated by the sales room. Know what you want when you arrive. Spend some time looking through the options. Ask for suggestions from the sales floor representative. Then, choose a few samples and bring them home before you make a final purchase decision. You need to "see" how your potential selection works with the light and area of the room.

You do not need to go expensive to get a wonderful result. Patterns and staggered arrangements can create a fantastic look with or without purchasing higher end tiles. Prices will vary based on style, glaze, size and manufacturing process. They are either sold by the square foot or on a per piece basis.

Explore complimentary grout colors to accent your tile. Can't find the right color? You can always color it yourself using paint or stain. If you already have ceramic tile in your bathroom but are considering replacing them to create a different look, there is another option.

Save money and paint your tile! The process is relatively easy and the results can be amazing. Begin by sanding tiles lightly with a 150-grit sand paper to provide more paint adhesion properties on the tile. Next, wash the tiled walls with a TSP (Trisodium phosphate) cleaner to clean off dirt and grease.

Test a small out of the way section, the area behind the door is a good choice, to test the paint color. Paint the area with a bonding primer designed to stick to shiny surfaces. Allow to dry completely as per manufacturers instruction.

Next try your test color. You need to be using a gloss or semi gloss latex paint created specifically for ceramic tile or porcelain surfaces. It is better to paint over both the tile and grout rather than sweating over the details of trying to paint just the individual tiles.

Allow this test color to dry. If it meets your expectations complete the entire room in the same order. Though the paint may dry within a few hours of application it will take a few weeks to cure onto the tile. Avoid scratching or washing within 30 days after application.