Rustic Bathroom Tile Ideas – 10 ways to get the rugged, organic look
If you dream of a bathroom that reminds you of nature, is calm and relaxing and packed with charm, the rustic style is well worth exploring.
Easy to incorporate into both period and modern homes, the rustic style blends natural materials, subtle colours and plenty of charm to create a beautiful, relaxed retreat.
Keep reading to learn more about this popular style and find out how to get the organic rustic look in your bathroom.
Image credit: @myenglishcountrycottage
Recommended Tile: Natural Terracotta
What is rustic style?
Rustic style embraces all that is old, worn, natural and rugged. It’s a relaxed style that can be hard to pinpoint because there are so many variations on the theme. Whether you have an old country cottage, farmhouse, loft-style apartment or modern home, there are several ways to incorporate the natural rustic style into your abode.
What tiles can I use to get a rustic look in my bathroom?
Rustic style has a heavy focus on texture, think natural materials like wood, stone and exposed brick and beams. The rustic colour palette is inspired by nature and generally features neutrals like brown, beige, cream and white.
Tiles will play a huge part in helping you to create a rustic-style bathroom. You’re working to create an aged look so think about using wood-effect tiles with distressed textures, real stone or stone-effect tiles, natural terracotta, concrete-effect tiles and porcelain tiles with irregular textures.
You can also incorporate vintage-style patterned tiles, which will look striking next to natural materials and help to bring interest and a little colour into the room.
Rustic bathroom tile ideas
Whether you’re working with a feature-filled old house or have a modern blank canvas, it’s easy to get the rustic look with well-chosen tiles. From realistic wood-look replicas to natural stone and heavily textured tiles, scroll through our pick of the best rustic bathroom tile ideas:
Add warmth with wood-effect tiles
Wood is synonymous with rustic styling. Whether it’s on the floors or the walls, wood will instantly add character, depth, warmth and interest to any room. Real wood isn’t hugely practical in wet rooms, but you can choose from a wide range of ultra-realistic wood effect tiles.
Choose wood look tiles that look older and more distressed for the ultimate rustic feel.
Image credit: @grzedorinspiracje
Recommended Tile: Woodland Dark
Experiment with different tile textures
Rustic-style interiors are bursting with different textures which adds to their rugged charm. One of the best ways to introduce texture to a room is through the use of cleverly selected floor and wall tiles, especially in a bathroom where you’re usually working with smooth, clinical-looking sanitary ware and glass.
Add texture to floors with roughly surfaced tiles and bring interest to walls with zellige-style tiles in varying thicknesses.
Freestanding baths are wonderful for adding character to bathrooms, but if you have a standard bath, take advantage of the often overlooked panelled area and clad it with beautifully textured tiles. You can echo the tiles that you use for the splashback or floor, or choose a completely different tile.
Image credit: @indigokashmir
Try geometric mosaic tiles
Mosaic tiles are one of the oldest tile styles around. Favoured by the Romans and ancient Egyptians, these miniature tiles are perfect for adding character and rustic texture to floors and walls.
You’ll want to steer away from brightly coloured mosaic tiles if you’re after a rustic, natural look, instead, opt for tiles in natural materials like tumbled stone or marble, or choose ceramic mosaic tiles in soft, neutral shades.
Image credit: @junc2funkt
Recommended Tile: Ritz Hexagon Brumoso
Fit feature floor tiles
One of the most effective ways to get the rustic look is through nature-inspired materials and textures. If you’re looking for something a little different, why not try pebble mosaic tiles?
Real stones will provide a fantastic feeling underfoot, offer a practical non-slip surface and bring the feel of the outdoors in, in a way that few other tiles can.
Image credit: @kentuckylumber
Use natural materials
Rustic bathrooms are often stripped back to basics, letting the beauty of natural materials do the talking.
Splitface tiles are one of the most rustic tile styles. Cut from real stone, or made from porcelain, these tiles vary in size and thickness, creating a striking undulating surface.
Image credit: @jmillerconstructionllc
Recommended Tile: Cubics Grey
Go for retro metro tiles
There’s a place for metro tiles in every interior décor style and rustic is no exception. These extremely versatile tiles go perfectly alongside wood, stone and brick and are one of the most effective ways to bring understated style into a bathroom.
Opt for neutral shades and play around with the colour of the grout depending on the impact you wish the tiles to have.
Image credit: @maj_and_the_half_done_house
Recommended Tile: San Vincenzo White
Opt for rugged natural stone
Super durable, classic and always elegant, natural stone tiles are a perfect choice if you’re looking to create an organic-looking bathroom. Stone tiles will instantly create an aged, earthy feel and they’re one of the best options if you’re looking to create a rustic-style bathroom.
From the worn, rustic appearance of Egyptian limestone and natural slate to tumbled flagstones and timeless travertine, there is a shade and style of stone to suit every style. Because stone is porous, the tiles will need to be sealed, but once done, they’re a breeze to maintain.
Image credit: @luxury.chalets.collection
Recommended Tile: Casablanca
Keep it simple with concrete effect tiles
Bring it back to basics with rustic, concrete-effect tiles. Understated but ultra-stylish, these tiles are perfect for creating a modern, rustic look. Porcelain tiles are exceptionally durable, easy to clean and won’t stain or chip easily, making them a practical choice for bathroom and wet room floors and walls.
Image credit: @landhaus_liebelei
Recommended Tile: Concrete Beige
Choose natural terracotta tiles
Get the rustic Mediterranean look with durable and attractive terracotta tiles. These humble clay tiles have been used since ancient times and their popularity remains strong in homes throughout the world.
Terracotta tiles are a cheaper option than natural stone and you can choose from different-shaped tiles like the traditional squares and more modern hexagons. As clay tiles are porous they’ll need to be sealed for use in bathrooms.
Image credit: @c_rprojects
Recommended Tile: Handmade Terracotta
Create a brick-effect wall
If you’re lucky enough to have an exposed brick wall in your bathroom, then you’re already halfway to creating a rustic-looking bathroom and can choose tiles to complement these character-laden features.
If you don’t, and that’s most of us, you can use textured subway tiles to create a fabulously rustic brick effect wall.
Image credit: @river.home.deco
Recommended Tile: Rio Blanco
Top tips for getting the rustic look with tiles
- Pick rustic tiles like natural stone, stone or wood effect porcelain, terracotta and textured ceramic tiles.
- Stick to natural colours like brown, beige, vanilla and white for the best effect. You can add pops of colour with smaller areas of vintage-style tiles.
- Get creative with metro tiles and use them to make rustic-looking walls. You can do the same with wood and concrete effect tiles, creating distressed-style floors and walls.
Atlas Ceramics has a wide range of natural stone and porcelain wall and floor tiles to help you design a rustic-style bathroom. Browse our selection yourself or call one of our experts for advice.