Foundry Porcelain Smeraldo|Designer: NK Living

Bathroom Wall Tiles

The walls of a bathroom set the tone for the whole room before anything else does, and they have to cope with water and steam every day besides. Marble and limestone bring a sensory, hotel-like calm, letting veining do the decorating so little else is needed. Handmade ceramics, shaped by patient craft and finished with a moving glaze, suit smaller bathrooms and cloakrooms, giving a compact space something to look at, while brick tiles laid in a half bond are the hardworking choice that never looks wrong.

Full-height tiling gives the cleanest, most contemporary result and the easiest wall to keep clean, while half-height with a rail or border and paint above makes a room feel less clinical. Tiling one full wall and leaving the rest painted is a good way to put attention into a single considered material.

Mixing materials is where bathroom wall tiles get interesting: a marble wall paired with limestone underfoot, or a plain glazed tile beside one wall of something decorative, brings contrast without turning the room into a showroom of samples.