Often a smaller footprint than a home’s primary bathroom, a guest or powder bathroom is a great place to take a risk and try something less expected and more daring. If your guest bath needs an update, now is the time to order supplies to get a project started after the rush of the holidays have passed. Here are a few ideas for bringing a little more style to your space.

Go Green 

A large bath might feel overwhelmed by so much color, but a guest bath is the perfect place to bring in a punchy glass tile like our Laguna Surf. We love the unexpected application as a full-height backsplash, and the vertical stack of the subway shape is especially fresh. Pair this daring choice with sleek fixtures to keep the look chic and understated.

 

Design by March Twice Interiors | Photo by Ryan Linnegar Photography 

Shop this style: Laguna Surf 

Cozy and Chic

Subway tile’s ultra-chic older sister is elongated hand-crafted tile. Seattle-based designer Heidi Caillier wasn’t content to use it just on the shower walls and added it to the tub surround. Paired with a dark penny tile on the floor and a vintage dresser-turned-vanity, the look is at once cozy and sophisticated. 

 

 

Design by Heidi Caillier Design  | Photo by Haris Kenjar 

Shop this style: Handcrafted Creme  | Penny Charcoal 

Classic Checkerboard

There is scarcely a more classic option than back and white checkerboard tile, and when applied in natural stone, the look is elevated and nostalgic. A larger-scale tile might not be your first choice for a bath with a small footprint, but it can actually make the space seem bigger. Repeating the paint color on the walls, ceiling, and trim the focus will stay on the beautiful floor and keeps the design from feeling too busy.

 

 

Design by Tom House

Shop this Style: Black and White Antique Marble 

Trendy Accent

A secondary space is an ideal spot to try out a fun trend, such as Moroccan fish scale or “mermaid tail” tile. Shown here as a feature wall on one shower wall and the tub surround, the shapely, colorful tile packs a serious style punch. To keep it from overwhelming the space, the homeowner paired it with white four-by-four tile and a simple hexagon on the floor.

 

 

Photo by Emma Byrnes  for Homes to Love 

Shop this Style: Sorrento 

Pretty Pattern

Encaustic and cement tile is definitely having a moment, but the style has been used in Europe for centuries. It works in both modern and traditional settings, such as this bath by Park and Oak Design. If your home leans toward a more formal, classic style, this fun patterned option is a great way to bring in a touch of whimsy and youthfulness. 

 

 

Design by Park & Oak 

Shop this style: Riad Blue 

Bring the Drama

This is not your grandmother’s square tile. A dramatic option used as a floor-to-ceiling backsplash, this will definitely leave an impression. We love the contrast of pairing a tumbled or handcrafted wall tile with a more refined marble on the floor, which gives the room a chic, collected feel.

 

 

Design by Jean Stoffer Design | Photo by Stoffer Photography Interiors 

Shop this style: Bling White Marble Geo 

Ostrich Grey Tumbled Quartzite