Using Mosaic Tile In Your Bathroom Design

Mosaic Tile as a Bathroom Design Element

Mosaic tile is an incredibly flexible material that can fit into a number of your home remodeling needs in the kitchen, the bathroom, and around the house. The reason it's so versatile is that it comes in a tremendous variety of colors, textures, styles, materials, and sizes to fit any home remodeling need.

View Our Portfolio Of Bathroom Remodeling Projects

It's an easy material to work with, typically coming in squares on rubber mesh backing, making a wet saw unnecessary. All you'll need to custom cut is a sharp pair of scissors. At Degnan Design Build Remodel, we often include mosaic tile into our Madison, Wisconsin bathroom designs. It' offers homeowners beauty, durability, and flexibility at an affordable price point.

Here are some tips and ideas you can use to incorporate mosaic tile into your bathroom remodeling and design.

Using Mosaic Tile in your Bathroom Remodeling Design — A vertical stripe of hexagonal mosaic tile wraps into the wall niche of this condominium shower in Madison, WI. It also uses the rectangle tiles vertically.

Make Your Small Bathroom Appear Larger With Mosaic Tile

The beauty of mosaic tile in the bath is the versatility it offers. One added benefit is that properly used, mosaic tile can help to give the illusion of space in a smaller bathroom. Mosaics can be used in any space, not matter how large or small and add style and personality to the room. Here are a few ideas.

• Use Vertical Patterns to Create A Wallpaper Effect

Mosaic tile is an easy to clean surface, perfect for the humidity found in the bathroom. Mosaic tile can be installed in small areas, like art, or can cover the wall to create a rich, wallpaper look. Use bold vertical patterns that draw the eye upwards to create the impression of a high ceiling.

• Large Patterns Can Create The Feeling Of Openness

This is an old interior designer's trick! Using large patterns keep the eyes moving, tricking them into thinking there is more space. Mosaic Tile offers a wide variety of patterns to choose from.

• Add A Mosaic Tile Border For A Bigger-Looking Room

Adding a mosaic border can not only give you more bang for your tile budget, it's a great way to add a designer touch to your bathroom and tie in other details in the space. It also allows you to smoothly transition from one material to another. A continuous design keeps your eye traveling from one design element to the next, while letting you cover a larger area with a less expensive tile choice.

• Try Stacking Rectangular Tiles Vertically

Consider using neutral colors like white, gray and beige. They're very adaptable and can be used to create a variety of looks. By stacking smaller rectangular mosaics vertically, it can help give the impression of more ceiling height.

Mosaic Tile For The Shower Floor

If you're considering using mosaic tile for the shower floor, look for certain characteristics like easy maintenance, some gripping feature like a texture, and stunning design. The most common materials choice for the shower floor is porcelain because it packs all three of these features.

Mosaic tile is the perfect type of tile for a shower floor, because it can easily adapt to the contours as the floor slopes toward the shower drain. The slope is nearly invisible when using mosaic tile. In comparison, when using large format tile on a shower floor, the tile often needs to be cut into smaller pieces, disrupting the pattern and adding extra grout lines.

Porcelain and ceramic offer homeowners a wide range of design possibilities like repeating patterns, and textures such as a basketweave effect. Repeating patterns are perfect for the bathroom since they are soothing and classic.

One material to avoid are glass mosaic tiles. While they offer a stunning design element, when used on the floor they can tend to get slippery. If you are considering glass, make sure to choose a textured surface, and make sure they are rated for use on a wet floor.

If you're looking for something a little more unique many homeowners are delighted with a pebble mosaic floor. They give the appearance of being hand placed, and the rough look is charming and rustic.

The fact is, mosaic tile is an excellent choice for the bathroom. Whether it's a stunning glass backsplash for the vanity, a rustic pebble stone mosaic in the shower stall, or a stunning detailed border encircling the entire space, mosaic tile can help you to create the perfect look for your bathroom, and can give the impression of space in a smaller bathroom.

This article was updated by Abe Degnan on 11/1/22.

If you're considering a bathroom remodeling in the Madison, Wisconsin area, give the experts at Degnan Design Build Remodel a call and let us show you the many benefits, and stunning beauty of incorporating mosaic tile into your bathroom design!

An Above the Garage Master Suite Addition Remodeling Project

We recently completed an addition for our clients, John and Amy, a professional couple with young children living in the Blooming Meadows neighborhood in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin.

Their home featured three bedrooms on the second floor. The existing master bedroom was outdated and impractical for modern living, and with three young children, two needed to share one of the two remaining bedrooms, and all three kids shared the second-floor bathroom. Another problem the family needed addressed was that John needed a private home office, and the one they currently had was a shared space that did not work well for his job.

Let's take a look at our creative solution for this young family!

A New Private Bathroom for the Adults!

One of the major elements on John and Amy's wish list was a private bathroom space just for them. They wanted plenty of space to get ready in the morning, away from the kids, and we delivered! The bathroom features a handcrafted Amish custom double vanity with a tower cabinet in alder wood, stained Carbon Gray. The contrasting Linnstone Quartz Calcutta pattern countertop brightens the space and ties in visually with the elegant tile work in the spacious walk-in shower. We added custom alder wood framed mirrors stained in the same Carbon Gray as the cabinets to complete the vanity. Over each of the mirrors, we installed Quoizel 2 light vanity fixtures to provide plenty of warm light.

In the shower, the 21st Century Tile 12x24 floor-to-ceiling tiles in Tivoli Silver give the room a bright and modern feel, and the low entry shower makes entering the shower safe and easy for the couple. We included a helpful niche in the shower for shampoo and other toiletries and, for contrast, used a beautiful hexagon mosaic accent tile. The glass doors give the space an open feel, making it bright and inviting. The Arbor Hills luxury vinyl plank flooring in timber adds a warm feel, giving the room a natural look with the benefit of waterproof LVP.

The Result

The final result of this second-floor master suite addition is a home that fits John, Amy, and the kid's needs and lifestyle perfectly. John now has the perfect private office space. Since John and Amy now have their private master suite, and each of the kids has their own bedroom giving them their own space to grow as they grow, their home is more comfortable and functional. And on the exterior, you can't even tell there's been an addition!

Are you considering an addition or other home improvement project? Let us help you design the perfect finished space! If you live in the Greater Madison area, call the experts at Degnan Design-Build-Remodel at (608) 846-5963. We can take your home to the next level of comfort, design, and function! Ready to learn more? We're always happy to answer your questions.