When designing a bathroom, shower tiles are an important decision that can take the space to the next level. Your bathroom shower tile should be beautiful, functional and easy to clean, allowing you to relax and feel comfortable in the space. Tiles are often made from ceramic, porcelain, glass, stone or marble and come in many sizes, patterns, colors and textures, giving you endless options.
Whether you need a simple idea for a low-maintenance, elegant look or a trendy design for a luxurious vibe, there are several popular types of shower tiles for a bathroom.
Some homeowners will want white shower wall tiles for a small bathroom to make the space feel larger, while others may prefer textured floor tiles that complement a beautiful mosaic for a chic finish. The way to tile your shower can also depend on your bathroom layout and whether you have a bathtub, stand-up or walk-in shower.
With so many different examples to consider, it can be a challenge choosing the right shower wall and floor tiles.
For inspiration, we’ve compiled this guide on the best shower tile ideas. From modern to classic styles, these stylish bathroom shower tile designs offer popular patterns and cool colors you’ll love.
Bathroom Shower Tile Ideas
Combine Multiple Styles For A Unique Look
The angular lines of the subway tiles and paned shower divider lend this bathroom a contemporary feel. These sharp shapes are juxtaposed against the more ornate French Provincial-style floor tiles. These distinctly contrasting styles create a look that’s anything but cookie-cutter. This black and white bathroom design with rustic accents offers an effortlessly chic and modern finish that will elevate your space.
Create Visual Interest By Mixing Shapes
The large, rectangular tiles in this shower have a chic and classic look, while an inset of smaller hexagonal tiles provides a contrasting visual element and adds a modern edge. Coordinating shades of gray and crisp white offer continuity between the disparate shapes.
Modern Farmhouse Bathroom Decor
The floor-to-ceiling white subway tile in this modern farmhouse bathroom looks sharp and contemporary against the wood grain ceiling, especially with the addition of black grout. The bathroom and shower floors feature black tile with white grout, providing contrast that makes the pattern pop. Using tiles in a variety of shapes but with a limited color scheme can incorporate texture without overwhelming a small space.
Bring Nature Indoors With Bold Tile Choices
An interior bathroom without windows can feel dark in the absence of natural light. The verdant green tiles in this shower evoke the feeling of nature and liven up the space. Placing the tiles vertically instead of horizontally also delivers a soothing waterfall effect that amplifies the pastoral feel.
Create A Spa-Like Environment With Faux Wood Shower Tiles
Wood is a fantastic visual element to incorporate into home decor, but it’s impractical for use in a shower thanks to the moisture and humidity. Engineered wood tiles incorporate warm colors and subtle patterns through faux grain, creating a design style that is easy to keep clean. Pair them with elements like a rainfall shower head and shower-safe plants for a soothing, Zen feel.
Mix Various Patterns To Make A Striking Statement
Small bathrooms can look much larger when you stick to a minimalist color palette. But even though this bathroom has a simple black and white color scheme, it’s anything but boring. White subway tiles with black grout and hexagonal shower floor tiles with white grout create stylish contrasting colors and shapes. A patterned black and white floor tile adds another layer of intricacy.
Charming Walk-In Shower Floor Tile Scheme
Selecting simple finishes like white subway tiles for your walk-in shower walls gives you room to play with patterns elsewhere. The grayscale diamond pattern on this floor provides a stunning focal point and makes this wet room feel even more spacious.
Use Textures When Tiling For A Rustic Look
Traditionally, bathroom wall tiles have a smooth finish. This urban bathroom breaks the mold by featuring a roughly-textured brick wall. Eclectic floor tiles arranged in a deliberately haphazard pattern bring another layer of textile-inspired texture to this understated but compelling room.
Make Monochrome Magical By Playing With Shapes
This small bathroom feels much larger thanks to the floor-to-ceiling cream color scheme. While the floor tiles are large and uniform in shape, the wall tiles feature tiles in a mixture of sizes. This pattern variation adds visual interest in a sublimely subtle manner.
Select Simple Tiles To Help Other Decorative Features Shine
The star of this chic bathroom is the marble slab that tops the built-in shower bench. The sleek and simple subway tile is understated enough to let that feature be the focal point. The gray tile and white grout echo the colors swirled throughout the marble slab, creating a sense of flow and continuity.
Subtle Color Gradations Evoke Upscale Design
A chevron feature wall is often used as a focal point to anchor a design. This unconventional take on the trend uses tiles without a lot of contrast, for a more minimalist version. The subtle swirls in the marble shower tiles segue smoothly into the chevron pattern, creating a sense of fluidity.
Use Natural Stone Tiles For A Beachy Chic Look
The muted color scheme in this bathroom offers an elegant take on a beach theme. The shower combines three different tile designs in shades of tan and taupe that invoke sand and seashells, while the muted blue-gray walls hint at the sea.
Scale Shower Tiles To Suit Your Space
This spacious bathroom features plenty of large-scale features to fill it up, including an oversized vanity and luxurious soaking tub. Large rectangular tiles on the walls and floor balance the proportions of the room and fashion a smooth visual flow.
Go For The Gold With Glitzy Mosaic Wall Tiles
Add a touch of vintage glamor to your bathroom by creating a luxe feature wall. Gold foiled mosaic wall tiles add chic elegance by bringing in sheen and luster. This is also a clever way to achieve the illusion of light in an interior bathroom.
Draw The Eye Upwards With Elongated Hexagon Tiles
Hexagonal tiles are very on-trend right now, but they don’t work with every design style. If you have a more modern aesthetic, these two-toned elongated hexagon tiles offer a contemporary twist on this trend. They are also ideal in narrow rooms and can be used to construct the illusion of increased space.
Cover All The Angles
This contemporary bathroom has some striking rectangular features, including a floating sink, shelving, and mirror. Subway tiles wrapped around the shower walls carry the same shape throughout the bathroom. The overall effect is crisp, sharp, and modern.
Create An Exotic Vignette With A Striking Tile Inset
Arabesque tile is used a lot in modern design, but it also has its roots in classic Arabic style. This Moroccan-influenced tile insert adds visual texture thanks to its earthy brown tones and curvilinear patterns.
Be Bold With Contrasting Tile Patterns
This eclectic bathroom features a diverse assortment of patterns, from the striped shower curtain to the toile wallpaper, to the floral tile pattern on the floor. Simple subway tiles and a limited color palette keep the design from feeling too cluttered or overdone.
Build A Strong Design Concept With Cement Tiles
This modern bathroom pairs sleek ceramic fixtures with rough-hewn concrete tiles. Introducing an unexpected element like this adds an edgy industrial feel to this space, but the abundance of natural light keeps it from feeling too sterile.
Add Visual Texture With Decorative Tile Inlays
Large marble shower tiles give this bathroom a European feel and the Italian Carrara basketweave inlay builds on that theme. The subtle gray veining in the larger marble pieces is picked up in the inlay feature, providing continuity.
Floor Everyone With Your Design Choices
If your bathroom is small, you don’t have to shy away from patterns. But instead of placing them on the wall, pair a striking tile floor pattern with monochromatic walls. This adds style and pizzazz while manufacturing the illusion of space.
Colorful Shower Wall Tile Pattern
The warm orange-hued tones in this design are a less-conventional choice for a bathroom, but the narrow, vertical tiles spilling down the wall neatly evoke the image of falling water, making it a clever idea.
Play With Unusual Color Combinations
This bathroom pairs sleek black shower tiles with delicate lilac paint on the walls, offering an interesting balance of traditionally masculine and feminine colors. Gleaming silver chrome fixtures tie together the cool tones in each shade.
Faux Wood Wall Tiles For A Rustic Modern Look
Faux wooden wall tiles are a beautiful way to layer rich tones and textures into interior design. Unlike real wood, they hold up well to the steamy, humid air that can build up during baths or showers. The natural light in this room keeps the dark tones from becoming too overwhelming.
Manufacture Contrast With Bold Accents
Fitting a smaller shower with mostly white tiles is a great way to make the same feel brighter and roomy while adding small hints of a contrasting color tells a design story. Black stripes on the walls and a floral pattern on the floor are simple yet bold style elements.
Contemporary Shower Design Style
A long, narrow bathroom can feel crowded. Using the same, understated tile throughout the space makes it feel more spacious and upscale. Large cement tiles in a cool gray shade help amplify the proportions in the segmented space.
Install Wall-To-Wall Tiles For A Whimsical Wet Room
This clever wet room uses tiles to amplify its unusual features. White subway tiles blanket the walls and cover inset shelves, a long bench, and the curved ceiling.
Repeat Tile Motifs Throughout The Bathroom
This Moroccan-inspired bathroom features a hexagonal mosaic shower wall in rich earth tones. That pattern is repeated next to the mirror, which helps fabricate continuity throughout the space.
Simply Sublime Scandinavian Design
This chic bathroom exemplifies Scandinavian style thanks to its open layout and bright, airy colors. Tan veining in the marble shower walls perfectly complements the neutral faux wood floor tiles. Plants adorn the open shelving, bringing in a natural element.
Design Is All About the Details
This modern bathroom features large rectangular tiles in rich brown hues that serve as an elegant backdrop to the dual mosaic wall panels. The small squares bordering the mirror are a neat feature that continue the detailing in the mosaic.
Play With Expectations By Changing Orientation
While white subway tiles are a common feature in bathrooms, they are usually installed horizontally. These vertical subway tiles subvert this common design paradigm. This is a great trick to use in bathrooms with low ceilings, as it elongates the space.
Use Classic Patterns To Create Timeless Style
Arranging tile patterns in geometric shapes is a tricky proposition. While it can look very trendy in the moment, some popular styles don’t age as well. Herringbone patterns are considered a classic, whether they’re found in clothing or tile work, like in this large shower.
Highlight Features With Custom Tile
This sleek, modern shower has two recessed niches to store toiletries. The backs feature a chic gray mosaic pattern that helps them pop out. The adjacent shower wall features a larger pattern in the same mosaic pattern.
Design Visual Texture By Layering Patterns
This large, bright bathroom feels surprisingly cozy thanks to multiple tile patterns. The shower wall features a sleek, white chevron pattern, while the shower floor is made up of smaller, square tiles. The neutral tones in the shower floor continue into the large, hexagonal tiles on the floor of the main bathroom.
Subtly Separate Spaces With Shifting Tile Patterns
At first glance, this bathroom seems to feature the same white subway tile throughout. But upon closer inspection, only the tiles in the main bathroom are plain white. The shower tiles feature a subtle, smoky pattern which helps differentiate the shower from the rest of the space.
Use Tile To Tie Together Disparate Spaces
This large bathroom could feel very choppy, thanks to its segmented layout. Wrapping white subway tile across all the walls helps create a sense of flow. The white hexagonal floor tile is also featured in the shower niche, adding to the sense of continuity.
Bring Nature Indoors With Stone Tiles
The floor tiles in this soothing, spa-like bathroom feature beautiful swirls of neutral browns and grays. These colors are picked up by sandstone bricks on the wall, which have been left rough-hewn to produce natural texture.
Use Muted Tones For An Unconventional Take On Moroccan Style
Floor-to-ceiling whitewashed brick walls give this shower a North African Feel, especially with the mosaic detailing under the showerhead. Gray and white floor tiles and a metal garden stool add more layers of texture.
Add A Pop of Color With A Whimsical Inset
The large gray tiles in this shower give the room a modern, industrial vibe. But an inset with circles in various shades of gray and blue brings in a unique style element that plays well off of the angled ceiling.
Balance Dark Wood With Hues of Cream and White
The creamy marble tiles on the shower walls and inset of this airy bathroom look rich against the crisp white bathroom and countertop. Meanwhile, the dark wood vanity creates a strong contrasting element that grounds the space.
Combine Warm and Cool Tones
This chic, modern bathroom features large marble tiles in a combination of deep gray and warm goldenrod hues. This balance of tones, along with the details and texture in the tiles, makes it feel like beams of light are filtering throughout the space.
Put A Twist On Terrazzo With This Wall Application
Terrazzo is a composite material that became popular in the 1920s. While it’s usually used on floors, Terrazzo can also be used to create a bold feature wall. Black tiles on the shower floor and in the inset offer a stylistic nod to the focal wall.
Make Monochrome More Exciting By Mixing Patterns
This subtle salmon pink shower has a surprising visual impact, thanks to contrasting tile patterns. The shower wall itself features large rectangular tiles in a herringbone pattern, while the small niche contains small, square mosaic tiles.
Know Your Angles
This shower stall feels fresh and modern thanks to its judicious use of angles. A floating wall bench and angular inset play nicely off of the rectangular wall tiles. Small square mosaic floor tiles add texture without losing sharpness.
Customize Your Shower With Creative Insets
Glossy gray wall tiles give this shower a chic look, but it’s the details that really make it stand out. Gray and blue mosaic floor tiles provide some subtle contrast, but it’s the chevron insets that make this shower truly one-of-a-kind.
Bold Bathroom Tile Designs
This unique bathroom plays with perceptions. A graphic blue and white floral tile extends from the floor and up the sides of the bathtub, producing a neat wraparound effect. A textured wood vanity and gold fixtures pop against this unexpected feature.
Give Monochrome A Glow-Up With Subtle Sheen
This monochromatic bathroom is surprisingly elegant, thanks to its luxe finishes. Gleaming chrome fixtures play beautifully against glossy gray marble tiles, while a silver metallic vase adds a touch of burnished shine.
Use Tones and Textures To Set The Mood
This ultra-masculine shower brings together contrasting materials in a compelling way. A faux wooden tiled wall meets up with a textured stone wall, creating a play on natural materials. Stark overhead lighting highlights the dramatic black and gray tones.
Use Conventional Materials In Unconventional Ways
Faux wood floors are popular in bathrooms as they won’t warp in a humid environment. In this space, faux wood flooring has been applied to develop a feature wall. The panels are longer than traditional wall tiles, which helps this narrow bathroom feel more spacious.
Show Off Your Shower With Subtle Textures
An elegant shower is the centerpiece of this bathroom, both literally and figuratively. The pony wall around the shower is wrapped in an understated marble that plays beautifully off of the textured wallpaper behind the twin vanities.
Amplify Light With High-Gloss Finishes
Gleaming gray glass tiles have a luminous quality thanks to the natural light that filters through this space. The matte metallic finish on the faucets helps ground the design and gives it an earthy touch.
Mix Genres For Unique Styling
This bathroom juxtaposes sleek white geometric shower tiles and gleaming gold fixtures against rustic wood beams. Contrasting these disparate styles allows for a one-of-a-kind space with plenty of character.
Blue Tiles Bring Beachy Beauty
The swirls in this blue glass tile inset bring a sense of movement that evokes the ocean. Meanwhile, gray stone wall tiles mimic the sandy shore. The final result is an abstract take on the seashore.
Use Rich Tones To Invoke Strong Style
This shower doesn’t shy away from using deep, dark tones to get a sleek, masculine mood. Wrapping the shower in staggered panel tiles elongates the space, while earth-toned mosaic strips create contrast.
Let There Be Light and Color
This bathroom makes the most of its skylight, centering it over a stunning feature wall made up of graphic blue Tunisian tiles. Mottled gray marble floors and white subway-tiled ceilings bring in more subtle textural elements, letting this standout wall shine.
Fill Up Large Spaces With Striking Patterns
This minimalist bathroom may have few fixtures but comes with a stylish design. The freestanding tub is perfectly highlighted by graphic black and white floor tiles and a dimensional white brick wall. Black powder-coated window frames bring an additional strong style element.
Get Vintage Vibes With A Luxe Logo
This whimsical bathroom evokes a classic hotel feel, thanks to a tile inset arranged like a logo. The scrollwork motif in the logo is amplified and repeated on the shower floor, as well as by the bathtub.
Pair Contemporary Tiles With Vintage Fixtures
This sleek, modern shower features light gray tiles that pick up the natural light from the windows. A vintage-style showerhead and old-fashioned faucets add a custom element to the design.
Square Up Your Style
This moody bathroom features square wall tiles in various textured tones of gray and blue, with the motif continuing onto a sleek shower bench. Gray geometric floor tiles and gold fixtures add elegant contrasting elements.
Showcase Your Tile With An Open Shower
This large shower is framed to display tile to its best advantage. The brown wall tiles are a neutral color, but their varying sizes create an interesting pattern. The earthy, multicolored mosaic tiles on the shower floor are echoed in the backsplash above the sink.
Make The Most of Your Light With Natural Colors
The soothing hues in this bathroom amplify the natural light streaming in through the window. The warm undertones in the gray wall tiles play well off of the wooden floor slats. A mosaic waterfall inlay adds a lovely focal point.