10 Bathrooms with Stunning Floor Tiles and Where to Find Them

Here on the Sweeten blog, we aim to translate insight from NYC renovators and contractors into information you can use to make better decisions about improving your home. After a look at different styles and materials of bathroom wall tiles, we’re moving along to floor tile. While some tiles work on both the walls and the floors, floor tile has to provide grip to help with slippery post-tub steps. You can incorporate that grip by selecting floor tiles with varied texture or by choosing small shapes installed with grout seams. You can also play with the way that tiles are installed to create different patterns with identical materials. This week: we’ve rounded up ten dynamic and distinctive bathroom floor tiles from Sweeten renovation projects.

Straight Lay Patterns

Straight lay tiles are oriented in a straightforward grid with clean, simple lines. Monochromatic cubes and subway tiles tend to work best here – typically creating a more modern feel than the staggered alternative.

Sweeten Experts Lauren and Adam in the Upper East Side chose glazed deep cobalt blue terracotta floor tiles from Mosaic House to add variety and character to this contemporary all-white bath.

The shower floor of Mario and Joe’s bathroom in Clinton Hill minimizes slip with striated gray porcelain floor tiles from Ann Sacks.

Pinwheel Basket-Weave Patterns

Pinwheel basket-weave patterns are created with four rectangular tiles set in the shape of a square with one smaller square tile in the center that resemble the blades of a spinning pinwheel. This pattern signals vintage, old New York inspiration and typically incorporates black and white or marble variations.

Marissa in Prospect Heights went with era-appropriate black and white pinwheel basket-weave floor tiles lined with gray grout from Classic Tile & Marble Inc. to keep the floor spotless and to add more drama to her glamorous black and white color palette.

Allison and Jovito in Brooklyn chose decorative Carrara pinwheel basket-weave marble floor tiles from Lowe’s in this vintage-styled bath.

Hexagonal Honeycomb Patterns

Hexagonal tiles work beautifully in a natural honeycomb set. Repeating this same particular shape draws attention to the floor and lends itself well to both modern and traditional materials.

Robyn and Alejandro in Brooklyn’s Waterfront District chose noir travertine hexagonal mosaic floor tiles from The Tile Shop for the floor and tub wall, setting up contrast with the wall’s porcelain beveled subway tiles and Carrara marble.

Megan and Ryan on the Upper East Side opted for large 4” Carrara marble hexagonal floor tiles with a soft honed finish from Nemo Tile as the base for their new bathroom.

Geometric and Ornamental Patterns

From geometric prints to Moroccan-inspired design, colorful tiles with individual patterns become the center of attention when that pattern is repeated across a small space! Encaustic cement tiles are the most common material used to get this multicolor effect.

Inspired by M.C. Escher’s graphic art, Celeste in Park Slope centered her bathroom renovation on iconic marble geometric-patterned floor tiles from Walker Zanger in Facet Ash.

Ben and Therese in Brooklyn Heights selected Moroccan-inspired light blue and black cement floor tiles that add fun color and striking pattern play to an otherwise stark bath.

Pepper and Marshall in Washington Heights selected graceful rose and burgundy Citrus encaustic cement floor tiles from Amethyst Artisan in Manhattan’s design district.

In a second bathroom, Pepper and Marshall in Washington Heights chose retro green and yellow McQueen hexagonal encaustic cement floor tiles from Amethyst Artisan.

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