Recommended Tile Size for Small Bathrooms

Medium-Sized Tile

• Install medium-sized tile in a small bathroom if you want to encourage uniformity and simple design elements. Medium-sized tile measures approximately 4 inches by 4 inches and is installed with thin grout lines between each tile. The World Floor Covering Association reports that installation of small tiles requires more grout joints that can make a small bathroom floor appear too busy. Large bathroom tiles can make a small shower area and a bathroom floor appear disconnected. According to the site, "Scale plays an important role in giving a space an overall balance."

Large Uncut Tile

• Choose large 12-by-12-inch tiles if your bathtub and floor areas can accommodate uncut tiles that size. According to The Yorkshire Tile Company, a company with over 35 years of tile industry experience, if the majority of large tiles can be installed without having to cut them into smaller pieces to make them fit in your bathroom, the end result can be very impressive. Select large tile if your faucet, shower head and floor dimensions do not require you to cut the large tiles into smaller square, rectangular or triangular shapes to fit the space.

Small Tile without Contrasting Grout Lines

• Select small 1-by-1-inch tile for your small bathroom as long as you reduce the appearance of contrasting grout lines. Contrasting grout lines enhance the pattern in the tile and make it look like a checkerboard. A heavy pattern does not complement a small bathroom and often makes the room appear even smaller. Opt for light-colored small tile with matching grout if you want a room-expanding design. The Yorkshire Tile Company recommends that you consider the spacing between your sink, toilet, windows, doorway and shower before you select a tile size. If the spacing between fixtures is compact, small tiles may be the better option because they flow better than larger tiles.

Large Tile, Matching Grout Combination

• Opt for large tile with matching or similarly-colored grout for an open design. Select large 12-by-12-inch uncut tile in a natural earth tone or neutral color like white, tan or beige and apply the same color grout. This combination unifies the expansive nature of large tile with the room-expanding features of neutral light colors and completes the design with coordinating grout colors. The World Floor Covering Association states that using a larger size tile in a smaller room will visually increase the size of the space, and fewer grout lines will create a cleaner surface appearance.