There’s a surprising range of materials for bathroom floors and walls. Ceramic and porcelain are usually the first that come to mind, and for good reason — but natural stone, concrete-look and mosaic tiles all have their place too. On the Sunshine Coast, a bathroom tile also has to handle year-round humidity and, in plenty of homes, a steady supply of sand from the beach.
Whatever the look, two things matter most for a bathroom floor: the tile shouldn’t be slippery when wet, and water shouldn’t soak in beneath the surface. After that it’s a balance of style, upkeep and budget. Here are ten options worth considering, and where each one works best.
Common bathroom tile materials for Sunshine Coast homes
1. Porcelain
Porcelain is denser and far less absorbent than standard ceramic, so it resists stains and moisture without needing to be sealed. It’s hard-wearing, less likely to chip, and works well with underfloor heating for cooler winter mornings.
It also comes in a huge range of colours, finishes and sizes, including convincing stone-look and marble-look tiles. For most bathroom floors, it’s the low-maintenance default.
2. Ceramic and subway tiles
Ceramic is from the same family as porcelain but less dense, so it’s usually lighter, easier to cut and more affordable — which makes it a favourite for bathroom walls. Glazed ceramics add colour and depth, and classic subway tiles suit everything from a beach cottage to a modern ensuite. See our ceramics, subways and feature tiles.
3. Zellige and bejmat
Zellige is a Moroccan-style glazed tile with an uneven, handmade surface that catches the light; bejmat is its slimmer, rectangular relative. Every tile is a little different, so a wall of zellige has plenty of movement and texture. They’re best suited to walls, splashbacks and shower walls rather than floors. Our range includes the Zellige Fez and Zellige Terracotta collections in a wide spread of colours.
4. Marble
Marble brings a spa-like feel to a bathroom, but it’s a softer stone than many people expect. It can scratch and etch, and it’s porous, so it needs to be sealed in a wet area. Polished marble reflects light and can make a small bathroom feel bigger, but a honed finish is the safer choice underfoot when it’s wet.
If you love the look but not the upkeep, marble-look porcelain gives you the veining without the maintenance. Or browse real marble in our natural stone range.
5. Limestone
Limestone has a soft, even, natural look that suits neutral colour schemes. It’s quite porous, so for a bathroom it must be well sealed, and resealed over time — ask your tiler about the right sealer for the stone you choose. Our range includes limestones in creams, greys and whites, such as Egyptian Crema and Florence Grey.
6. Travertine
Travertine has been used for thousands of years — the Romans built with it, and some of those buildings are still standing. Its natural pits and holes give it a relaxed, textured look that suits coastal homes. Like limestone it’s porous, so it needs regular cleaning and sealing.
If you’d rather skip the maintenance, choose a tile that gives the effect of travertine, like our Rockstone range — which comes in indoor and outdoor versions for bathrooms that open to the outside.
7. Terrazzo, concrete and Venetian plaster looks
Terrazzo, cement, polished-concrete and rendered-plaster looks give a bathroom a modern, pared-back finish — and as tiles, you get the look without the upkeep of the real material. Browse our cement, Venetian plaster and terrazzo-look tiles, or read about Venetian plaster tiles in bathrooms.
8. Mosaic
Both practical and decorative, mosaics are another popular bathroom option. The extra grout lines give more grip underfoot, which is why they’re often used on shower floors, and they make excellent focal points on a feature wall. Using mosaic tiles on walls brings real benefits too, including versatility and durability. See our mosaics for home and pool.
9. Herringbone and chevron
Herringbone is traditionally a timber floor pattern, but it’s now widely used in bathrooms on floors, feature walls and splashbacks. Chevron is similar, except the ends of each tile are cut on an angle so they meet in a clean point. Either can be laid with standard rectangular tiles, or with ready-made mosaic sheets such as our Micro Herringbone marble mosaics or Pietranova Chevrons. For more ideas, see our patterned bathroom floor tile ideas.
10. Timber-look tiles
Timber-look porcelain brings the warmth of wood into a bathroom without the swelling, warping or sealing real timber would need in a wet area. Browse our timber-look tiles, or read our guide to timber-look tiles for bathrooms on the Sunshine Coast.
Choosing the right bathroom tiles
Tiles do an important job in a bathroom — protecting the walls and floor from water — but they also set the look of the room you start every day in. If you’re torn between the real thing and a look-alike, our guide to natural stone vs porcelain for a coastal home may help.
Whether you’re renovating or building on the Sunshine Coast, it pays to see and feel tiles before you decide. Visit Natural Tile & Bathrooms in Coolum Beach — supplying designer tiles since 2011 — or get in touch.
