Bathroom tile design ideas for beginners

Tiles have been a part of mankind's history for thousands of years. Evidence of tiles were found in the pyramids, in the ruins of Pompeii and Babylon, and ancient Greece. Invented in the Near East, tiles did not become used around the world until the 12th century. Their uses continue today as exterior flourishes for buildings, in subways or the tube, and in the bathroom. When considering tiling your bathroom as a beginner, there are a few tips that will make the job go more smoothly.

Pick out the tiles

The first step is picking out the tiles for decorating your bathroom. The best way to do this is to go to tile stores or online sites and look at not only the tiles offered but pictures they have for bathroom inspiration. The tiles you choose can help you with your bathroom renovations; for example, decorative tiles can become the focus of the bath design, making the rest of the tile placement easier.

Draw your design

Procedures Before setting a tile to mortar, plot out your design first on paper. The best method for doing this is on a sheet of graph paper where every square equals an inch. Make a to-scale drawing of the bathroom walls or floor, then draw the exact placement of the tiles. You may find that a border design works best with decorative tiles only at the top of the walls and shower or also outlining the tops of counters and the top of the bath as well. Perhaps you prefer a checkerboard pattern with alternating porcelain tile of different colours. It may happen that after creating the design, you find that you don't like it. Thanks to the fact that it's on paper, you can turn the paper over and start again - far simpler than trying to pry tiles from hardening mortar.

Set the tiles

Clean the walls of any debris and dirt and let dry. Inspect them to make sure the surface is flat and even. Apply the mortar to the walls with a toothed trowel. Set the tiles firmly and evenly into the mortar according to the design you drew in Step Two. Check each tile before moving on to make sure each is even and straight.