Egyptian Style Bathroom Tile Ideas – 10 Ways to Get the Pharaonic Look
Linking northeast Africa with the Middle East, Egypt is a country of ancient monuments, incredible landscapes and home of the world’s longest river, the Nile, along which 95% of its inhabitants reside.
The ancient Egyptians were skilled architects and their pyramids, temples and tombs remain among the most impressive man-made structures on earth.
Wealthy Egyptians loved to show off, and their wealth was displayed through beautifully constructed and intricately decorated buildings. Interiors were decorated with ornate patterns, bold colours and rich textures.
If you’re keen to create a bathroom that’s fit for a king or queen, keep reading to discover how you can capture the pharaonic style using carefully chosen tiles.
Image credit: @michaellland
Recommended Tile: Elgin Gloss
What is Egyptian style?
The history, colours and landscape of the country heavily influence the Egyptian interior style.
Ancient Egyptians used natural materials like stone and papyrus, glazed, decorative tiles and carvings to decorate their homes. Gold accents were popular, along with rich colours and more neutral shades, inspired by the sandy tones of the desert.
Tiles are an important feature of Egyptian decor and the first known example of decorative tiles was from the Step Pyramid of Djoser (2668-2649 BCE), where they were used to decorate the tomb walls.
Egyptian interior style can be opulent and luxurious, or more neutral and rustic in appearance. If you’re opting for strong accent colours, balance them out with softer, neutral-coloured tiles. You can also opt for entirely neutral bathroom tiles in shades of beige and ivory.
What kind of tiles should I choose for an Egyptian-style bathroom?
If you’re planning an Egyptian-inspired bathroom, these are the tiles we recommend:
- Natural stone, particularly limestone which Egypt is famous for
- Mosaic tiles in ceramic, glass or stone
- Richly coloured, glazed porcelain tiles
- Neutral-coloured tiles
- Tiles infused with gold leaf
- Decorative tiles including Islamic designs and tiles decorated with images of vegetation, inspired by the trees that fringe the Nile
Egyptian-style bathroom tile ideas
We’ve scoured the internet to bring you our pick of the most stylish Egyptian-style bathrooms and uncovered the tiles that will help you get the look:
Sacred squares and mosaics
Create a simple and sophisticated bathroom with square tile and mosaic-clad walls. The square shape was sacred to the ancient Egyptians’ who believed that the shape gathered and concentrated beneficial natural energies from the universe.
Whether square tiles gather beneficial energy or not, they’re perfect for creating a neutral backdrop in an Egyptian-inspired bathroom. Add patterned border tiles, decorative wallpaper and accessories like wall art, pots and carvings to get the Egyptian look.
Image credit: @jasonmowen
Recommended Tile: Elements Titanium Mosaic
Cool marble
One of the most luxurious-looking natural stones, marble was worshipped by the ancient Egyptians alongside gold. Found in the tombs of pharaohs, this precious stone is one of the best materials to use if you want to create a chic, hotel-style bathroom.
Marble is a naturally porous stone so will need to be sealed for use in a bathroom, it’s extremely tough and durable and if you want to create an exquisite Egyptian bathroom, we highly recommend it.
Image credit: @fady.rizkallah
Recommended Tile: Canaletto Gold Marble
Stone tiles
All the greatest Egyptian monuments and buildings are constructed from stone. Natural stone tiles are one of the best quality materials to tile your bathroom with and, although it’s not a cheap option, it will stand the test of time and can add value to your home.
Stone tiles are perfect for creating a chic and neutral-looking bathroom. We love the addition of the hieroglyph wallpaper in this stylish stone bathroom. If you can, use stone for the bathroom walls and floors for a fluid, cohesive look.
Image credit: @interiordesign.addicts
Recommended Tile: Canyon Porcelain
Vintage Islamic-style tiles
Beautifully decorated tiles are an important part of Egyptian interior design and Islamic-style tiles are a wonderful way to add an exotic touch to your bathroom. Decorative tiles have the most impact when used across small areas like splashbacks or shower enclosures. You can also feature a block of decorative tiles in a wall of plain tiles.
Image credit: @_stay_inside
Recommended Tile: Damask Series Decor 8
Scallop tiles
Inspired by the rolling waves of the sea, interlocking fan-shaped tiles are a key feature of Islamic design.
Perfect for creating interest on bathroom walls and floors, fish scale tiles can be laid with the point facing up or down and in a range of attractive patterns.
Image credit: @ctoctile
Recommended Tile: Mermaid Turchese
Gold tiles
Gold leaf was used to decorate the pharaoh’s luxurious rooms and to gild sarcophagi and it was a powerful symbol of wealth. Embrace the decadent pharaonic style and bring gold-leaf-infused tiles into your bathroom.
Gold tiles are an opulent choice, and they’ll work brilliantly alongside white, black, green and blue tiles.
Image credit: @no15bythestream
Mosaic tiles
Mosaic art was hugely popular in ancient Egyptian times. Found on everything from pots and glasses to villas and thrones, the resourceful Egyptians created their impressive mosaic artworks from glass, wood, metal and stones.
Mosaics are one of the most transformative tiles that you can use for a bathroom. Often made from different coloured glass, these miniature tiles will shimmer and shine, adding a magical touch to any bathroom.
Limestone tiles
The great pyramids were partially constructed of limestone, with the best quality, light-coloured limestone used to clad the sides of the pyramids, creating a beautiful light-reflective surface that helped the pyramids to shine and be seen for miles around.
Bring the beauty of the ancient pyramids into your bathroom with real limestone tiles. Limestone is perfect for creating an understated but luxurious-looking bathroom and it looks especially elegant when used on both the floors and walls.
Patterned tiles
Create a sub-tropical oasis in your bathroom with beautifully designed patterned tiles. There’s a growing range of patterned tiles with lush, leafy designs to choose from, or you can take it to the next level and decorate your bathroom with an exotic tiled mural panel.
Recommended Tile: Fern Floral Decor
Tiles with gold grout
If you’re opting for black or lapis-lazuli-coloured bathroom tiles, why not finish them with golden grout? Guaranteed to add a touch of Egyptian magic to your bathroom, gold grout will contrast beautifully with dark tiles and add a subtle, sophisticated elegance.
Recommended Tile: Rio Nero
Top tips for achieving the Egyptian look with tiles
Whether you want to gild your bathroom in gold tiles, create a more neutral and luxurious-looking bathroom with stone tiles or add pops of jewel-like colour, here are our tips for tiling your bathroom the Egyptian way:
Add texture – Texture is a key part of Egyptian interior design. You can introduce texture to bathroom walls and floors by choosing tiles in natural materials like stone, adding textured border tiles or opting for a relief tile pattern.
Go for bold colours – Add interest to your Egyptian-style bathroom by picking tiles in rich jewel tones. Blue, green, purple, red, black and gold are all great choices.
Or keep it neutral – As well as rich, bold colours, neutrals are a big feature of Egyptian-style bathrooms. Get the look with sophisticated limestone or marble tiles or opt for stone-effect porcelain for an equally luxurious look.
Introduce luxurious elements – The Egyptians love detail, add interest to bathroom walls and floors with shimmering glass mosaic tiles, lay fan-shaped tiles in gorgeous patterns or go for all out decadence with glittering gold-leaf tiles.
Atlas Ceramics has a wide range of natural stone tiles as well as a stunning selection of glass, patterned porcelain and plain tiles to choose from. Browse our selection yourself or call one of our experts for advice.