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

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

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.