9 Clean and Simple Scandinavian Style Bathroom Tile Ideas
Famous for its mountain ranges, passion for coffee, Viking heritage and impeccable sense of style, Scandinavia includes the countries of Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Iceland and the Faroe Islands.
Although it’s relatively isolated, Scandinavia is said to be one of the happiest places to live in the world due to its incredible health system, low cost of living and beautiful, clean environment.
Scandinavia is also well known for its influential interior style; simple, elegant and uncluttered, it’s one of the most sought-after design styles, guaranteed to add a breath of fresh Nordic air to your home.
Image credit: @ola_melola
Recommended Tile: Dorset Bevelled White
What is Scandinavian style?
Light, bright, minimalist and sleek, Scandi interiors are always aesthetically pleasing.
With a focus on ‘less is more’, the Scandinavian style focuses on muted colours, wooden accents and making the most of natural light to create a clean, fresh and welcoming space.
Clean and simple doesn’t mean boring though, Scandi interiors are elegant and beautiful, using different textures, welcome pops of colour and plenty of natural greenery to enhance spaces.
How can I get the Scandi look in my bathroom?
If you’re keen to declutter and bring a clean, simple look into your bathroom, the right tiles can help you in your quest.
Look for tiles in neutral colours, the scandi colour palette includes cool and warmer neutrals like white, grey and beige, as well as hints of green, orange, blue and pink.
Tiles with subtle textures and patterns will add interest to your bathroom. Terrazzo tiles can also be an excellent choice in more minimalist-looking bathrooms. Wood plays a large part in Scandi-style interiors too, so it’s worth exploring the wide range of wood-effect porcelain tiles, they’ll add welcome warmth to a more minimal bathroom design.
When choosing your tiles, think along the lines of the Swedish philosophy lagom, which means just the right amount, not too little, or too much.
Scandinavian bathroom tile ideas
Sadly we’ve not been on a trip to Scandinavia, but we have scoured the world wide web to bring you some of the most beautiful, simply-styled Scandinavian bathrooms. Make like a Viking and invade that tired-looking bathroom now!
Use warm wood-effect tiles
Incorporating natural wood is a key feature in Scandinavian interiors. Lighter-coloured woods like pine, maple and ash are often used, helping to brighten rooms and add warmth.
These wood types also have a soft, subtle grain to help you to achieve a minimal look. Real wood and wet rooms aren’t the best match but there is an impressive range of wood-effect porcelain tiles to choose from. With printed textures derived from real wood planks, they look just like the real deal and you’ll have no issues with rotting or warping.
Image credit: @juzinterior
Recommended Tile: Naturae Wood Effect Forest
Choose tiles in neutral shades
One of the easiest ways to get an understated look in a bathroom is by using tiles in neutral shades. White, ivory, beige and grey will all work well together. You can opt for warmer or cooler neutrals depending on your preference.
Recommended Tile: Rio Beige
Keep it simple with all-white tiles
Timeless and always elegant, sticking to all-white wall and floor tiles in a bathroom is a great way to get the streamlined Scandi look.
You don’t have to stick to the same tiles for the walls and floors. You can mix and match most tile styles, especially if you’re keeping the same colour throughout the room. Opt for white wood-effect floor tiles or plain large-format tiles, or choose tiles with an interesting texture or shape to liven it up a little.
Image credit: @villaljungberg
Recommended Tile: Emilia Blanco
Add interest to a minimalist design scheme with terrazzo tiles
Although terrazzo tiles can be vibrant, they can also work wonders in more minimalist-style bathrooms. Stick to warm neutral shades and choose terrazzo tiles with smaller chips in neutral colours for the best effect.
Although terrazzo tiles are trending at the moment, they have been used for the past 500 years. The characteristic coloured chips can be made from other stones like marble, as well as porcelain, glass and pieces of shell.
Image credit: @plazainterior
Recommended Tile: Monarch Terrazzo Pearl
Inject a pop of colour
Whilst it’s true that Scandinavian interiors aren’t riots of colour, you can certainly introduce different hues into your bathroom design. You won’t want to deck the whole bathroom out in bright tiles but you can create a fantastic feature wall or interesting splashback, sticking to more neutral shades for the rest of the room.
Image credit: @bathroomtakeaway
Recommended Tile: Kesha Turchese
Add subtle interest with patterned floor tiles
Another way to add a little interest to a neutrally decorated room is by introducing patterns and tiles are the perfect way to do so.
Patterned floor tiles can lift a room to new heights and there are plenty of subtler patterns to choose from. Penny tiles, Victorian-style tiles and mosaics are all good options, plus you can create your own designs with these tile types.
Image credit: @ludleyinteriors
Recommended Tile: Damask Series Decor 14
Go for sauna-inspired style with wood-effect tiles
Invented by the Finns over 2000 years ago, saunas are a Scandinavian way of life. These wood-clad rooms filled with a fireplace, are about as cosy as it gets and lining your bathroom with wood-effect tiles is an excellent way to bring the Scandi-vibe into your home.
Keep everything else in the room to an absolute minimum to get the most authentic Scandinavian look.
Image credit: @ekbbmag
Recommended Tile: Woodlands Natural
Create a focal point with patterned wall tiles
One of the most effective ways to add detail to a bathroom is by using patterned tiles. It needn’t spoil the minimal, clean feeling of a Scandinavian-style bathroom, just pick tiles in neutral shades with subtler patterns and keep everything else low-key.
Image credit: @scandiathome
Recommended Tile: Canyon Porcelain
Glam it up with understated mosaics
Think of clean lines, subtle colours and uncluttered decor and mosaic tiles might not spring to mind, however, they can work brilliantly in more minimal spaces.
Stick to bright, neutral colours and use mosaic tiles in specific areas like a shower enclosure, splashback or feature wall for best effect. They’re perfect for achieving a textured look and will work well to break up large areas of tiles, especially in bigger bathrooms.
Image credit: @scandinterieur
Recommended Tile: Elements Titanium Porcelain Mosaic
How to get the Scandinavian look with tiles
Keep it simple
Simplicity is key when creating a Scandi-style bathroom. You can still pick from a huge range of tiles but it’s best to avoid bold colours, too much pattern and too many different tile types. Stick to a maximum of 2 or 3 different tile styles for the best effect. Wood-effect tiles are an excellent choice as they’ll sit beautifully next to most other tile styles.
Choose bright neutrals
Keeping it light and bright is an important part of Scandinavian-style interior design. Glossy tiles in white, cream, light grey or beige will help to bounce around the room and are a great choice if you have little to no natural light in your bathroom.
Add interest with texture, subtle colour and pattern
Add a twist to a clean, neutral bathroom design with beautifully textured or patterned tiles. Terrazzo, relief tiles and natural materials like stone are all excellent options.
Atlas Ceramics has a wide range of natural stone, porcelain and patterned tiles to help you get the minimal Scandinavian look in your bathroom. Browse our selection yourself or call one of our experts for advice.