Design

Top Tiles

  • This opulent main bathroom in a Camps Bay villa was recently upgraded by Daniela Gottschalk and Debbie Verreyne of interior design fi rm Tinzeltown, and sports gleaming blue-black marble tiles, plus a pair of chic mirrors by Block & Chisel. tinzeltown.com | blockandchisel.co.za
    This opulent main bathroom in a Camps Bay villa was recently upgraded by Daniela Gottschalk and Debbie Verreyne of interior design fi rm Tinzeltown, and sports gleaming blue-black marble tiles, plus a pair of chic mirrors by Block & Chisel. tinzeltown.com | blockandchisel.co.za|
  • Dreaming of a chic monochrome bathroom that features a contemporary take on classic Moorish tile patterns? Look no further than Decobella’s striking Savona Elma design, with its distinctive, distressed/vintage look – just one of the options in the brand’s huge range of black and black-and-white tiles. Combine it with Duravit’s elegant Starck 1 freestanding basin, which also includes built-in storage with integrated interior lighting, and was created for Duravit by French designer Philippe Starck. decobella.co.za | duravit.com
    Dreaming of a chic monochrome bathroom that features a contemporary take on classic Moorish tile patterns? Look no further than Decobella’s striking Savona Elma design, with its distinctive, distressed/vintage look – just one of the options in the brand’s huge range of black and black-and-white tiles. Combine it with Duravit’s elegant Starck 1 freestanding basin, which also includes built-in storage with integrated interior lighting, and was created for Duravit by French designer Philippe Starck. decobella.co.za | duravit.com|
  • At the 200-year-old Herehuis, the revamped original manor house at Bosjes that is now the farm’s guesthouse, interior designer Liam Mooney used tiles in this bathroom to create a fresh and fabulous take on the basketweave design. A reference to traditional Cape Dutch riempie chairs, the design is a recurring theme on the estate. bosjes.co.za | liammooney.co.za
    Top Tiles|

Gorgeous to look at, and practical to boot, tiles have always been a top pick for bathroom – and these days, they’re available in a brilliant array of textures and colours.

COMPLIED BY VISI PHOTOS Elsa Young/La Grange Interiors, Supplied, Francis Dzikowski/OTTO/v2comnewswire (New York Apartment), Warren HeaTH/Bureaux (Mossel Bay House), Paris Brummer (Camps Bay Villa)

The Essential Elements

Tiles have long been a great choice for bathrooms because of their hard- wearing and easy-to-clean qualities – but somewhere along the line, the rather ubiquitous use of glossy 20cm squares or beige rectangles with white grouting meant they weren’t always seen as the most appealing from an aesthetic point of view. Over the past few years, however, that’s all changed. Tiles are now beautiful and versatile as well as practical, making them the ideal bathroom material pick.

Bathroom tile trends 2025 – The combination of stacked rectangular tiles in complementary shades separated by a wainscoting-height shelf in chic black makes for a very contemporary take on the classic bathroom look. Plus, that practical built-in shelf is perfect for both informal storage and display purposes. Available from Ceramica, the Soho tiles by Decobella are seen here in Taupe and Ivory. Meir makes similar cross-handle taps and bath spouts.
The combination of stacked rectangular tiles in complementary shades separated by a wainscoting-height shelf in chic black makes for a very contemporary take on the classic bathroom look. Plus, that practical built-in shelf is perfect for both informal storage and display purposes. Available from Ceramica, the Soho tiles by Decobella are seen here in Taupe and Ivory. Meir makes similar cross-handle taps and bath spouts. ceramica.co.za | decobella.co.za | meirsa.co.za

The current trends in tiles are so wide-ranging that you’re sure to find something that appeals to you among them. As seen on these pages, from wood-effect, stone-effect and the latest concrete-effect finishes to swathes of colour – or colour-blocking – created using sheets of mosaic, the possibilities are endless when it comes to both texture and colour.

Bathroom tile trends 2025 _ This bathroom uses two very different surface finishes – a classic penny tile on the walls, and a textured terrazzo floor tile – to create a contrasting visual effect. Penny tiles are widely available, including from Italtile, while polished terrazzo tiles in various sizes are available from Stiles. The black Capri heated towel rail is by Jeeves.
This bathroom uses two very different surface finishes – a classic penny tile on the walls, and a textured terrazzo floor tile – to create a contrasting visual effect. Penny tiles are widely available, including from Italtile, while polished terrazzo tiles in various sizes are available from Stiles. The black Capri heated towel rail is by Jeeves. italtile.co.za | stiles.co.za | jeeves.co.za

Also worth noting is the plethora of boutique tile studios that have sprung up locally. If you’re looking for a truly special tile to form the focal point of your bathroom, check out the current offerings from Wolkberg Casting Studios, Veelvlak, Akashic Tiles and Rialheim.

Bathroom tile trends 2025 – Designed by Sumari Krige of La Grange Interiors, this elegant bathroom is a masterclass in the use of texture and, as Sumari puts it, “incorporating contemporary finishes with accents of rustic tones and textures”. Fine-grained terrazzo wall tiles are combined with panels of fluted glass (the latter conveniently also allowing natural light into the compact space while creating a measure of privacy) for a striking and moody visual effect.
Designed by Sumari Krige of La Grange Interiors, this elegant bathroom is a masterclass in the use of texture and, as Sumari puts it, “incorporating contemporary finishes with accents of rustic tones and textures”. Fine-grained terrazzo
wall tiles are combined with panels of fluted glass (the latter conveniently also allowing natural light into the compact space while creating a measure of privacy) for a striking and moody visual effect. lagrangeinteriors.co.za

Using well-established tile shapes in eye-catching patterns is also big right now: think a classic subway tile laid vertically rather than in the more conventional horizontal manner, or herringbone tiled walls and floors. KitKat tiles, old-school penny tiles and large-format tiles all work well in the right context too, especially when combined with other types of tiles (or natural materials such as stone or glass) to create textural and visual contrast. This is an area where advice from an expert will be especially valuable, so consider consulting an interior designer or specialist tiling store before making your final selection.

Make a Plan

“Ensure you have a designer, to assist with the placement of fittings,” says director of Victorian Bathrooms Jonathan Goodale. “Water supply and waste are very particular, so plotting them correctly in your space is vital, especially for the plumber to work from.”

Bathroom tile trends 2025 – A brilliant blue-on-blue bathroom in a family home in Brooklyn, New York, recently updated by Barker Associates Architecture Office, uses a combination of zellige and concrete tiles. The tiles are from artisan makers Clé, and the striking brushed gold Loft basin tapware is by Watermark.
A brilliant blue-on-blue bathroom in a family home in Brooklyn, New York, recently updated by Barker Associates Architecture Office, uses a combination of zellige and concrete tiles. The tiles are from artisan makers Clé, and the striking brushed gold Loft basin tapware is by Watermark. baaostudio.com | cletile.com | watermark-designs.com

His other key piece of advice? “Make sure you have a good plumber. I have seen stunning products installed shockingly. So many plumbers ignore the installation guides and assume they know better, then when it all goes wrong, we (the supplier) are blamed. All that headache can be avoided by having a competent plumber.”

Bathroom tile trends 2025 – Tones of blue reflecting the sky and the sea were selected by architect Yvette van Zyl for this bathroom in her Mossel Bay home, which is designed in “wet room” style with floor-to-ceiling mosaic tiles from Douglas Jones.
Tones of blue reflecting the sky and the sea were selected by architect Yvette van Zyl for this bathroom in her Mossel Bay home, which is designed in “wet room” style with floor-to-ceiling mosaic tiles from Douglas Jones. douglasjones.co.za

Overall, planning a bathroom is a complex undertaking. Asked by international sanitaryware manufacturers Duravit for her step-by-step approach, Ulrike Fantoli-Senn of leading prefab home-building company WeberHaus recommends the following process.

  1. Do an honest requirements analysis. Do you really need the bathtub, or do you prefer to shower?
  2. Be flexible about your idea. The most beautiful bathroom ideas can fail due to structural circumstances or prevailing standards. Keep an open mind.
  3. Stay decisive about the floor plan. It defines the entire project and cannot be fundamentally changed. Be realistic!
  4. Trust your expert consultant. You don’t build or renovate a bathroom every day, but the experts do.
  5. Think about tomorrow, today. A bathroom that meets your requirements today and in the future will support you in a wide range of life circumstances. A multigenerational, accessible bathroom design today ensures that you’ll be able to live independently and autonomously later.
  6. Follow trends with proven staying power. A bathroom is built to have a useful lifespan of about 20 years – which means not every current fad is worth following.
  7. Consider what is always “current”. For Ulrike, a timeless and classic design is the central factor – and she makes sure to instil this idea into everyone involved in the construction or renovation project. victorianbathrooms.co.za | duravit.com | weberhaus.co.uk

Go Bold

“I’m seeing bold patterns on bathroom tiles, and textured tiles too, which is a trend I love. Some even feel like velvet,” says Bilala Mabuza, founder and creative director at Cocoon Lifestyle, of tile trends. As the entirely different bathroom spaces on these pages demonstrate, whether you’re keen to transform your shower into a slice of sunshine or create artfully patterned monochrome eff ects, the right tile to help you realise your chosen look is definitely out there.

Bathroom tile trends 2025 – Renovated by Shakespeare Gordon Studio and situated in Brooklyn, New York, this family home now includes a bathroom – complete with a happiness-inducing yellow shower space – tucked into what used to be the loft . Smart design details to note here include the niche to keep toiletries on hand, the rail that has your towel ready and waiting just where you need it, and the practical built-in bench.
Renovated by Shakespeare Gordon Studio and situated in Brooklyn, New York, this family home now includes a bathroom – complete with a happiness-inducing yellow shower space – tucked into what used to be the loft . Smart design details to note here include the niche to keep toiletries on hand, the rail that has your towel ready and waiting just where you need it, and the practical built-in bench. sg.studio

A word of warning in terms of falling in love with a look you see online: as with every element of an interior decor scheme, it’s important to see the bathroom finishes and fixtures you have your eye on in person before taking the plunge and placing an order. “I always advise my clients to touch and feel the product they are interested in purchasing,” says Kirsten Stigling, interior designer at Lavo Bathroom Concepts. “Going to showrooms to touch and try products will give you a better sense of the product quality and proportions, which you don’t get with online purchases. Everybody is different, with unique requirements – which makes lying in bathtubs and sitting on toilets essential before making a purchase.” cocoonlifestyle.co.za | lavo.co.za

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