Black Bathroom Tile Ideas – 15 ways to make a statement with black tiles
If you want to add elegance, sophistication and a sense of drama to your bathroom, using black tiles is a great way to achieve this.
Whether you’re feeling bold and are keen to tile the whole room in the darkest shade, or you want to create a feature shower enclosure, black is guaranteed to make an impressive statement.
Black bathroom tiles can make a room appear smaller but even if you don’t have a bathroom window, don’t let this put you off. Using black in a room can help to create depth and drama, you can mix it up with contrasting white or brighter tiles and best of all, black tiles are really easy to clean and maintain.
Image credit: @splendorstyling
Are black tiles good for a bathroom?
With over one hundred black wall and floor tiles to choose from in our collection, we certainly think so! Black is different, it’s unexpected and it can look completely incredible. If you’re worried about going so dark, try ordering a few different sample tiles and take a look at images of black bathrooms for inspiration.
Beautiful black bathroom tile ideas
If you’re tempted to go for black in your bathroom, take a look at our ebony bathroom tile ideas and discover some innovative ways to use black in different spaces.
Tile an all-black shower enclosure
Small spaces like shower enclosures and compact splashback areas are ideal places to fit darker tiles. Matte black tiles are effortlessly chic and you can completely change the way they look by adding black, grey or white grout.
Laying tiles in a herringbone pattern is particularly elegant. Keep the look cohesive with black edging trims.
Image credit: @kristel.koidu.designs
Add the wow factor with a black hexagon tiled splashback
Go geometric with chic honeycomb tiles. Sure to add interest wherever they are laid, we love this tiled feature wall that extends above and below the usual splashback area. Hexagon tiles work equally well on floors and you can mix them with white or other coloured tiles for added interest.
Go bold with large format tiles
Large format tiles are perfect for creating a spa-like look. Large format tiles are usually bigger than 30x30cm and are ideal in large and small spaces alike. Large tiles have fewer grout lines than smaller tiles so help to create the illusion of space.
Black tiles will go with any colour and work especially well with the warmth of wood. Use natural wood or more practical wood-effect porcelain tiles to achieve a similar look in your bathroom.
Image credit: @michelesouhaid
Recommended Tile: Welsh Slate Black
Add interest to a wall with black mosaic tiles
Mosaic tiles know how to make an impact and for that reason, they’re best kept for smaller areas like bath panels, shower enclosures, splashbacks and feature walls. Gloss or matte, square or hexagonal, rectangular or round, there’s a mosaic shape for every style.
Image credit: @rlaxerinteriors
Fit a fish scale tile bathroom floor
There’s Definitely something special about scalloped tiles. Often used for splashbacks, fan-shaped tiles are a good choice if you want to liven up your bathroom and they look incredible when used on the floor. Keep walls white for maximum contrast.
Image credit: @modbazaarmama
Opt for opulent black marble
Few things look more luxurious than marble-clad bathroom walls. Marble is not only timeless and elegant, it’s a good choice if you love black but the thought of a solid black wall is a bit harsh. The natural veins and colours in the marble create interest and help to soften the black.
Natural marble is perfectly suitable for use in bathrooms, it will need to be sealed, however. For a cheaper and more easily maintained option, go for marble-effect porcelain. You’ll be hard pushed to tell the difference between the two.
Image credit: @burkhartinteriors
Recommended Tile: Wellington Dark
Add texture with black splitface tiles
Porcelain splitface tiles are almost indistinguishable from natural splitface tiles and they’re much easier to maintain. Adding splitface tiles is an excellent way to bring a rustic touch to a bathroom. Use these stone effect tiles for lining shower enclosures, as attractive feature walls or as spectacular splashbacks.
Image credit: @villabouw_sels
Recommended Tile: Arun Dark
Choose a classic combination
Simple and ultra-stylish, it’s no wonder that metro tiles are one of the world’s most popular tile styles. One of the main reasons for their popularity, apart from their timeless looks, is the huge variety of colours, textures and styles to choose from. Even with black, you can opt for glossy or matte, porcelain or marble, mosaic or larger size, and straight or bevelled edge.
Metro tiles can also be laid in myriad ways. We love the understated sophistication of black and white, a classic twist on the ubiquitous white and black tile trend.
Image credit: @the_1882_house
Add luxurious polished porcelain tiles
Black doesn’t have to mean solid colour, as these beautiful black and gold onyx-effect tiles demonstrate. Polished porcelain is more expensive than standard porcelain, due to the polishing process involved during manufacture, but these tiles are an excellent choice for bathrooms. Chic, shiny and easy to keep looking like new, these tiles will turn a plain bathroom into a spa-like sanctuary.
Image credit: @originalstyleuk
Fit classic black metro tiles
Metro tiles are probably the most versatile tiles you can buy. With so many different ways to lay them, you can create completely different looks from the same tile. The vertical stack is a contemporary pattern than can help to elongate the room, this can be useful when using darker tiles.
Image credit: @mamethomes
Recommended Tile: Rio Nero
Create a rustic feel with natural slate tiles
Slate is a natural material, usually quarried from mountains. It’s extremely tough and virtually waterproof, making it a great option for floors, bathrooms and, of course, roofs!
Natural stone is amongst the most attractive options for wall and floor tiles because no two tiles will be the same. Slate tiles will need to be sealed if used on the floor or on shower walls to prevent it from staining and soaking up water.
Image credit: @baxter_built
Recommended Tile: Graphite Black Natural Slate
Add interest with black terrazzo tiles
Terrazzo tiles originate from Italy, where quarry workers used stone offcuts to create their floors. Rough at first, the tiles evolved to become smooth and elegant and are undergoing a renaissance in the design world. Terrazzo tiles can be made from cement, resin or porcelain.
These tiles are extremely durable and will add a fun element to your bathroom whether used on the floor, walls or both.
Image credit: @annsacks.chi
Keep it simple with black square tiles
Pair a black feature wall with a bright white floor and walls and the result can be surprisingly uplifting Square tiles are a great alternative to metro tiles. Try laying them either stacked or brick bond for a different look and keep grout bright white for greater contrast.
Image credit: @lauxesgrates
Reflect light with glossy black tiles
Perfect for smaller spaces, glossy tiles help to add depth and will reflect light into the room. Create an inviting shower spot with polished metro tiles, gloss tiles look particularly striking in black.
Add interest with retro penny tiles
Although these tiles look modern, the use of penny mosaic tiles dates back to the early 1900s. Perfect for pepping up smaller spaces, these dinky tiles can look wildly different depending on the grout colour used.
Top Tips for Black Tiled Bathrooms
- Consider the grout colour; black, white and grey grouts all look good with black tiles and will result in wildly different looks. Black on black is best for a softer look whereas white grout will create the most contrast.
- Combine black walls with lighter coloured floors, stone and wood look especially good with black tiles.
- Black tiles with a glossy finish will help to reflect light around smaller spaces.
- Black and metal is a winning combination, add gold brassware for a luxe look.
If you’re thinking about fitting black tiles in your bathroom, Atlas Ceramics has a huge range of black bathroom and cloakroom tiles to help you achieve a similar look. Browse our selection yourself or call one of our experts for advice.