Have you ever walked into a bathroom and immediately thought you were going to shrink like Alice did after drinking from the wrong bottle? Seriously though. Sometimes bathrooms are designed with the capability to fit a toilet and not much else as some sort of Dave_UNIFORM challenge to your abilities to determine up from down.
Last week I helped my neighbour Sarah remodel her guest bathroom. The space is TINY. When the door is open you have to do the twist so you don’t step over the toilet when entering.
But after MANY years of squeezing my butt-cheeks together into very small spaces I have learned that there are actually magical possibilities when it comes to choosing the right flooring tiles. Most people think of their bathroom floors as just “existing” as this flat surface that collects water and hopefully looks semi-clean.
Ever looked at two bathrooms with identical layouts and decorating styles but the floor tiling just makes one of them feel like a cozy sanctuary while the other feels like an elephant decided to take up permanent residency?
I’ve seen it happen. Heck, I lived in it. It’s not Harry Potter witchcraft.
It’s understanding how our brains process what we see and manipulating that process. So let’s dive into the witchcraft, shall we? Tile Size Makes All The Difference One of the biggest game changers I’ve noticed (pun VERY much intended) is using large format tiles.
I know, what gives? Large tiles in a small space won’t make it feel bigger, right? WRONG.
When my contractor told me he thought I should use 24″ porcelain tiles for my tiny en-_suite I scoffed. Maybe 6 tiles total for the whole floor. Ridiculous.
But the fewer grout lines you have, the less visual distraction there is. When you walk into the room, your eye can travel farther without hitting a ‘stop’ point so instead of looking choppy, your floor will feel more seamless and big. That’s why I used those beautiful big tiles 3 years ago and that’s why people STILL comment on how nice and spacious my bathroom looks.
You can trick your brain with an uninterrupted expanse of tile that pushes past the threshold your brain automatically perceives as “close”. Compare that to the hundreds of 1″x1″ tiles I was living with before. Instead of seeing one seamless surface, your eye hits tiny little chop lines every few inches, creating a more segmented, busy surface that can make your floor feel like it’s shrinking down around you.
Colour Matters Besides size/layout of the tiles you choose, colour plays a huge role as well. And no, it doesn’t always mean “Pick white! White makes a space feel bigger!” Of course that is true, and I have been thrilled with how a super pale grey porcelain worked with its natural veining.
But pale does NOT mean bright white. Completely white floors in a bathroom without windows can make the space feel more sterile and severe than open and inviting. Learn from my mistakes in a rental bathroom where the super white tiles combined with harsh overhead lighting made me squint everytime I took a shower. (Don’t worry, I got the landlord back). warmer.
A warmer tile will open up your space without feeling sterile. I recently purchased a tile that was a “what-the-colour-picker-on-this-computer-is-too-dumb-to-show-white” but once on the floor it had enough beige undertones to keep the space from feeling severe. It worked.
My tiny bathroom didn’t feel like cramming myself in a tub in the closet anymore. Ok, ok, stay with me here. Patterns can also help.
You may have heard of installing tiles on a diagonal to open up a space. WHAT? How is that even possible?!
Because our eyes travel along the longest path possible when taking in new visual information. By installing your tiles on a diagonal, you are forcing the viewer to look further instead of letting their eye settle at the hard 90 degree angles of traditional “square” tile placements. I had to try this for Sarah’s bathroom.
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We installed 12×24 tiles on a diagonal. The entire space felt less narrow because the diagonal lines pulled your eye along and created visual movement. There is a catch, however.
You WILL have more cuts and waste when doing a diagonal pattern. We used about 15% more tile on that job because of it. One trick I love (that always surprises people) is to continue your floor tile AT LEAST partway up the wall.
Instead of your floor stopping abruptly where the wall starts, continuing that same pattern makes the eye travel farther. In a super narrow powder room I took tile up about 18″ then painted the rest. It worked like a charm.
Trust me, I get it. You don’t want to spend your hard-earned money on natural stone that will peel and degrade in the high-moisture environment of a shower. Do yourself a favour and spend the extra money on porcelain.
It’s magical. Just as waterproof as anything and the styles available now are truly stunning. I’ve seen wood look porcelain that fools even me.
Maintenance is another thing to consider. That gorgeous dark tile that shows EVERY DROP OF WATER will make you rage-clean every day. Texture.
Make sure your tile has SOME texture. Smooth-as-can-be tile? Slippity slide city when those things get wet.
Loud textures? Vintage grossville. I have had success with subtle textures; ones that feel somewhat rough to the foot but look smooth when standing.
Remember kids, safety first. Grout colour matters. Dark grout creates thick grid lines that will visually cut up your small space.
Grout that is the same colour as your tile? It essentially vanishes. Try to pick a grout colour that is within two shades of your tile colour for the best seamless look.
But wait, there’s more! (you guys, I crack myself up) As with any home improvement project, the quality of the installation will make or break your budget dollar. Level tiles, with even spacing create smooth, unbroken surfaces that your eye follows, creating the illusion of a larger space. Poor installation with uneven lines or lippage will kill your illusion faster than ANY trick I can name.
Hire a quality installer, even if it costs you more.
Trust me. You’ll appreciate it when you don’t hate your bathroom.
Now that you’ve selected your dream tile and had it professionally installed, the lighting in your bathroom will become even MORE important. Now that your room has these beautiful surfaces that highlight your awesome tile choice( s) , you don’t want a cheap light fixture drawing attention to every nick and imperfect seam of poorly made tile. Take it from the pro: test ALL of your tile samples in the lighting you WILL be using them in before making a final decision.
That “bright white” tile you loved at the store will feel yellow next to your walnut (or should I say “greige”) walls when you see it at home under your “soft white” bulbs. Who knew changing your floors could be so magical? I LOVE walking into that once-cramped guest bathroom now.
Natural light streams in from the window and reflects off of the diagonal tiles. Tiny shadows appear where the tiles intersect, creating depth and interest in what used to be a completely forgotten space. Even Sarah agrees, “It doesn’t seem like a bathroom and that closet next to it *really* fooled me!”
