8 Portuguese Style Bathroom Tile Ideas
Known as the country of tiles, Portugal borders Spain and the Atlantic Ocean. One of the world’s most popular holiday destinations (and one of the best places to retire) Portugal is famed for its footballers, custard tarts, cork production, amazing surf and distinctive blue and white tiles.
Like many European countries, Portugal has a varied landscape with a mountainous interior, a rocky north coast and the tourist magnet, sandy-beached Algarve region in the south.
Portugal is steeped in history and known for the ‘Age of Discovery’, where new islands such as the Canaries and Azores were discovered and vital trade routes established.
Portugal is known as the country of tiles. Image credit: @coastalalgarve
Recommended Tile: Waxman Rustic Heritage
What is Portuguese style?
Portuguese style is bold, colourful and maximalist.
The influence of a range of artistic styles means Portuguese architecture is varied. From Baroque, Gothic and Rococo to more contemporary designs, Portugal boasts castles, towers, monasteries, palaces and distinctive colourful houses.
Portuguese interior style is bright and lively. Tiles are a huge part of Portuguese design, both inside and out, so much so that it’s forbidden to demolish the tile-clad buildings in Lisbon.
Recommended Tile: Emilia Cherry
What tiles should I choose for a Portuguese style bathroom?
The traditional blue and white Azulejo tiles date from the 14th century and were used to decorate buildings from churches and monuments to simpler townhouses. If you visit Portugal you will see these beautiful tiles everywhere.
The King of Portugal was so enamoured by the colourful Spanish tiles on a trip to Seville that he brought several back with him to decorate the walls of the Palace of Sintra.
When choosing tiles for a Portuguese style bathroom, consider:
- Beautifully patterned tiles in blue and white. You can opt for ornate designs or go for more geometric style patterns.
- Decorative multicoloured tiles
- Mosaic tiles in ceramic, glass or stone
- Richly coloured, glazed porcelain tiles, especially in shades of blue, red and ochre
- Terracotta tiles
Recommended Tile: Waxman Grace Blue
Portuguese style bathroom tile ideas
From characteristic blue and white tiles to more rustic terracotta and jewel-coloured tiles, bring a piece of Portugal to your bathroom and be inspired by our pick of Portuguese-style tiled bathrooms:
Blue and white patterned tiles
The classic, handpainted blue and white tiles can be found everywhere in Portugal.
One of the easiest ways to add Mediterranean style to your bathroom is by using patterned blue and white tiles. You can opt for hand-painted designs, go for geometric style patterns or create an attractive patchwork effect with different patterns in the same colourway.
Image credit: @thewhitearrow
Recommended Tile: Diagonal Blue
Decorative tile panel
If you love the idea of bringing Portuguese-inspired colour and character into your bathroom but don’t want to add a full wall of tiles, creating a decorative tiled panel within a wall of plain tiles is an effective solution.
You can add a matching tiled splashback or create a feature floor with the same tiles for added impact.
Image credit: @homify
Recommended Tile: Provenza Deco
Patterned floor tiles
Adding a floor of patterned tiles is one of the most effective ways to transform a bathroom. Keep the rest of the bathroom light and bright and let the floor tiles have centre stage.
If your bathroom is on the small side, choosing tiles with large repeating patterns can be a savvy move. As well as looking fantastic, they’ll help the room to feel bigger.
Border tiles
Another effective way to bring colour into a bathroom is by using border tiles. Use coloured or patterned tiles to frame the area behind a mirror, to add interest to plain white walls or as an attractive alternative to tile edging.
You can create your own tile designs and it’s an excellent option if you want to include more expensive patterned tiles in your scheme whilst on a budget.
Image credit: @filipa_de_abreu
Recommended Tile: Arabesque Stone
Colourful tiles
Portuguese interior style is often bright and colourful and it’s easy to embody the cheerful Mediterranean vibe by choosing brightly coloured patterned tiles for your bathroom.
How much of the room you choose to tile is up to you, but for the best effect, it’s good to balance out areas of pattern with large areas of bright, neutral colour. Patterned walls and plain floors or walls half-tiled with patterned and plain tiles are great options.
Image credit: @vintagedouro
Recommended Tile: Damask Series Decor 8
Relief tiles
Although the Portuguese style is colourful, it can also favour a more neutral approach. Although you won’t find the stark minimalism that you would in scandi-style bathrooms in Portuguese-inspired interiors, you can keep it a little simpler by steering away from coloured tiles and using tiles with embossed designs to add interest instead.
Image credit: @originalstyleuk
Recommended Tile: Vinaros Moon White Textured
Traditional terracotta tiles
There’s always a place for traditional terracotta tiles in Mediterranean-style bathrooms. If you prefer an earthier colour palette, rustic terracotta tiles are a fantastic choice, they’re durable, timeless and attractive.
Terracotta tiles will also go with all other tile colours so you can combine them with colourful tiles or stick to more neutral shades.
Image credit: @astrosoundscapes
Recommended Tile: Handmade Terracotta
Green tiles
One of the main colours of the Portuguese flag, green is said to symbolise hope for the future. Green is one of the freshest colours for a bathroom and it’s a perfect choice for transforming a tired bathroom.
Opt for irregularly surfaced, zellige-style tiles or choose patterned tiles with green elements to get the Mediterranean look.
Image credit: @apartmenttherapy
Recommended Tile: Kesha Bottiglia
How to get the Portuguese look with tiles
Whether you prefer your tiles in Algarve-inspired shades of ochre and blue, bold patterns or delicate hand-painted designs, these are the things to consider when choosing tiles for a Portuguese-style bathroom:
Colour – If you’re introducing a Portuguese theme to your bathroom, you’ll likely be considering blue and white tiles. You can also pick from a range of multicoloured patterns and colours inspired by the country such as red, yellow, green and orange.
Pattern – Portugal is famous for its handpainted azulejo tiles and, if you walk the streets of Lisbon and many other towns, you’ll see the characteristic tiles decorating all types of buildings. If you prefer a simpler or more modern design with the same aesthetic, you can choose more geometric-style repeating patterns to create a similar effect.
Design – If you’re bringing bold tiles into your bathroom, you can use them in several different ways. Add a full feature wall, tile a splashback, fill a wall with half-patterned tiles and half-plain tiles, create borders or insert attractive panels alongside plain tiles.
Atlas Ceramics has a wide range of blue and white tiles as well as coloured porcelain, terracotta and patterned tiles to choose from. Browse our selection yourself or call one of our experts for advice.