WAYS TO STACK TILES

HOW TO MAKE BASIC TILE LOOK EXPENSIVE

The shower is often the statement piece of a bathroom—and it can also be one of the most expensive elements to design. Because you won’t want to replace tile in a few years, I try to avoid choices so trendy they may quickly make the bathroom feel dated.

Instead, I choose a few timeless, coordinating tiles and make them interesting through pattern, scale, placement, and texture. A simple tile can feel completely different when it’s stacked vertically, paired with a contrasting border, used in a niche, or combined with a smaller mosaic on the shower floor.

You don’t necessarily need a trendy tile to create an interesting shower. Sometimes it’s how you use the tile—not the tile itself—that makes the statement.

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Creating your dream shower doesn’t have to be complicated. Start by finding a shower design or configuration that catches your eye—one that fits both your personal style and the size of your space. Think of it as your inspiration rather than something you need to copy exactly.

From there, the fun begins. Choose three or four tiles that work beautifully together, mixing color, texture, size, and pattern. By using those tiles in different areas of the shower, you can create a look that feels interesting and custom without becoming overly trendy or expensive.

USING PENCIL AND BEVELED TILE TO BREAK UP THE LINES

Think About Long-Term Maintenance

One important factor that’s easy to overlook when designing a shower is how much grout you’ll have to maintain.

I learned this one from experience. I once had a shower with lots of small tiles and what felt like miles of grout lines. Over time, moisture became a problem, tiles began pushing outward, and mold developed. I had to scrub with bleach and seal the grout—and eventually learned that a properly waterproofed shower is just as important as the tile you see on the surface.

That experience changed the way I design showers. Today, I prefer larger-format tiles for the main shower walls, which means fewer grout lines and much easier maintenance. I’ll still use smaller or mosaic tiles where they make sense—on the shower floor, inside a niche, or as an accent—but I’m much more selective about where I use them. I would still use a subway - but a larger format, not too skinny.

The lesson: fewer grout lines = less maintenance. And beautiful tile is only as good as the waterproofing system behind it.

SIMPLICITY SMALL ACCENT ON THE BOTTOM.