Is Bigger Better in the Bath? Remodeling With Large Format Tile

Homeowners today have more choices for materials when remodeling than ever before. Thanks to modern manufacturing methods, materials that either wasn't available or weren't affordable for the average homeowner are on the market and changing design and décor standard more than ever!

One material that has gained popularity with both designers and homeowners is large format tile. Today, large format porcelain tile is affordable. With modern manufacturing techniques, it can look like the most expensive Carrara marble, natural stone, or even wood flooring at a fraction of the cost. In fact, large format porcelain is available in a wide range of colors, styles, and textures.

In the bathroom, where water splashes and spay are a major daily theme, large format porcelain is an excellent choice! It's especially perfect in the shower, thanks to its durability and water resistance. And since large format tiles mean fewer grout lines, it's easy to clean and looks simply amazing!

In this post, we're going to look at the advantages of using large format tile in your bathroom remodel.

Choosing the Right Size Large Format Tile For Your Bathroom Remodel

Using Large Format Tile in a Bathroom Remodel

Large format is considered to be anything larger than about 12 x 12-inches, and this is where luxury bathroom designs begin. Today, the choices of large format tiles have grown and offer a wide variety of size options. From wood planks in sizes like 6 x 24, or 6 x 36, to large squares, rectangles, and even slabs, there's a size to fit every design.

Choosing the right size large format tile comes down to the look and feel you're looking for in the space. For example, you want to choose a tile that is large enough to make your bathroom look spacious without overwhelming the space. You might choose to opt for a 12 x 24-inch tile, which looks great in most spaces. In a larger master bath, you can go even larger for a more modern and unified look.

Your designer can play around with ideas for layouts, including staggering in a classic jumbo subway pattern, installing tiles in vertical rows to add the perception of height, or in horizontal rows of alternating light and dark shades to create large stripes. Add accent tiles to bring definition to your design.

Another benefit of large format tile is that it requires fewer grout lines. If you're looking for a truly streamline and seamless look, match the tile and grout colors, and the result is a look with an uninterrupted grain pattern. It's a bold look that offers a high style, sophisticated look.

Often, however, there is a premium labor charge for large format tile. It takes more precise workmanship to lay the tile flat and even. Very small imperfections in the flatness of a floor or wall will telegraph to the edge alignments of large format tile, and so the cost to install it properly will take into consideration the additional prep work needed to install it as perfectly as possible.

Finishing The Look: Combining Tile Sizes

light colored large format tile with small dark tile in niche

While many designers are creating looks that use large format porcelain tile to seamlessly flow from the floor up the walls in the shower surround, creating a luxuriously elegant look, it's another option to balance the extra-large tile of the shower walls by incorporating small and midsize tile into the overall design.

A popular look utilizes small glass mosaic tile in strategic areas like behind the tub, as a vanity backsplash or in a cubby, or on shelving in the shower. It's a great way to break up your design's visual plane and create interesting focal points in the space.

If a midsize fits your design better, consider using a plank size or a 4 X 4 or smaller wet-application tile as the flooring throughout the bathroom and shower floor. This can help to add the perception of length, visually stretching every inch of the room.

Large-format tiles and clear glass shower doors can enhance your shower's beauty and unify your look by creating an open line of sight. This can make the bathroom appear larger and show off the tile details in your shower. Consider taking the opportunity to design an artistic feature wall, or if your shower is equipped with the latest body jets, a clear glass shower door can show off those too!

The Bottom Line...

Large-format tile is trending because of its remarkable versatility and extraordinary design. The archetype of the trend, the natural stone slab, is the peak of luxury. However, natural stone is porous and requires periodic sealing.

Stone is also often not the best choice in the bathroom and can be cost-prohibitive. That's why large format tile like porcelain slab is affordable, and thanks to modern manufacturing, can provide stone-slab looking tile that is so realistic they're difficult to distinguish from the real thing.

If you're looking for a material that is durable, flexible, beautiful, water-resistant, and can help you achieve the bathroom design you've been dreaming of, consider large-format tile!

If you live in the greater Madison, Wisconsin area and are considering a bathroom remodeling project with large format tile, give the award-winning design team at Degnan Design-Build-Remodel a call at (608) 846-5963. We can help you make the right large format tile choice to meet your needs and fit your budget. Contact us to schedule a free no-obligation consultation to discuss your project.

This article was updated by Abe Degnan on 9/14/2022.

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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.