Victorian Bathroom Tiles

The Victorians effectively invented the modern bathroom, and the tiling that came with it has barely changed since: a patterned floor, walls dressed in glazed brick tiles, a dado rail marking the transition to paint or paper above. It's a scheme that sits into a period property without a second thought, and into a new build without ever looking like fancy dress.

Underfoot, small-format geometrics come into their own at bathroom scale. A chequerboard, a faceted hexagon with a contrasting centre, or a bordered field pattern all suit the proportions of the room, where a larger tile can look clumsy. Being unglazed and set with plenty of grout lines, they also give a surer footing than a smooth, large-format floor.

On the walls, brick tiles carry the weight of history, whether half-tiled beneath a dado or run full height inside a shower, with penny round or small hexagon mosaics offering a period-appropriate way to finish a shower floor. Together, these elements are why our Victorian bathroom tiles remain one of the most enduring looks in British interiors.