9 Transformational Turkish Style Bathroom Tile Ideas
Spanning two continents and bursting with ancient buildings, bustling bazaars and delectable delicacies, Turkey is one of the world’s most visited destinations.
Turkey is a country of unbeatable culture and contrast, from the Armenian Highlands to the cities of Istanbul, Marmaris and Bodrum and the incredible Cesme peninsula.
Along with its famous architecture, Turkish tea and delicious kebaps, Turkey is well known for its ornate and luxurious interior designs and furnishings. From the intricate designs of the hand-knotted Turkish wool rugs to the opulently decorated hammams, the Turkish style is bold and vibrant.
The mid-1500s saw the production of the first intricately detailed Iznik tiles. These ornate tiles were initially used to decorate the exterior of Ottoman buildings, before making their way into homes. These expensive, handmade tiles are highly sought after with their bright colours and intricate designs.
What is Turkish interior style?
Turkish style is influenced by its rich heritage, particularly the Ottoman era where the designs depicting beautifully coloured florals, radiating petals and leaves emerged.
It’s a look rich in colour and vibrancy, inspired by Ottoman and Byzantine styles. Modern Turkish interiors expertly blend historical designs with more modern styles to create a look that’s exotic, warm and luxurious.
The Turkish colour palette is both neutral and colourful, where earthy shades mingle with rich blues reds, greens and golds.
Turkish style bathroom tile ideas
Be inspired by the heavenly hammams and colourful Turkish bazaars and inject colour and character into your bathroom with well-chosen tiles. Scroll through our pick of tastefully decorated Turkish bathrooms and bring the feel of this magical country into your home.
Magnificent marble
With its versatility, beauty and timeless elegance, marble is always a good idea. Perfect if
you want to create a more subtly styled Turkish bathroom, look for marble tiles in different
shapes and sizes to create texture and interest.
Recreate This Look: Elgin Gloss
Blue and white tiles
The colours most often painted on traditional Turkish Iznik tiles, blue and white are the perfect choice for a chic, Mediterranean-themed bathroom. Look for tiles with bold repeating patterns, delicate handpainted designs and more modern, geometric styles to get the look.
Style patterned tiles with neutral walls and floors to increase their impact. You can choose matching border tiles for the perfect finish.
Multicoloured tiles
With its varied landscapes and busy markets, Turkey is a riot of colour. You don’t have to include every colour in your bathroom scheme to get the Turkish look. You can choose a couple of strong colours or combine earthier tones to spectacular effect.
This bathroom amalgamates white floor tiles, blue border tiles and three different wall tile colours to create a fresh-looking, spa zone. It’s a look you can recreate in your bathroom; go for varied shades of travertine or marble wall tiles, or choose different coloured porcelain tiles.
Mosaic tiles
One of the oldest tile types, mosaic tiles are also one of the most versatile. Perfectly suited to bathrooms you can choose from porcelain, glass, metal, shell or natural stone mosaics and create your own Turkish-inspired patterns and borders.
Mosaic tiles work well in all sizes of bathroom and you can use them exclusively for a slick, spa-like look, or combine them with other tiles.
Gorgeous green tiles
Create your own Turkish delight with an emerald green tiled bathroom. The colour of nature and the Ottoman flag, green tiles are perfect for refreshing a tired bathroom and rich, jewel-toned shades will breathe new life into even the smallest rooms.
Mix it up with eclectic patterns and borders or colour block with walls of forest-coloured tiles.
Mosaic floor tiles
Mosaic tiles are often used on walls but they’re a perfect flooring solution and, if you’re feeling creative, are one of the best ways to create a unique design.
Be inspired by Byzantine mosaic designs and create a Turkish-inspired work of art. Look for tiles with different textures and add a luxurious element with scatterings of gold and mother- of-pearl.
Fish scale tiles
The trend for fish scale tiles has boomed in recent years but these tiles, inspired by the movement of the sea, have been used for centuries.
Scallop tiles will slot well into modern and more traditional Turkish design schemes and you can choose from a range of materials, from porcelain and glass to metal and stone.
Recreate This Look: Mermaid Turchese
Marble and travertine tiles
With its natural variations, durability and luxurious qualities, it’s hard to beat the beauty of natural stone. If you’re struggling to choose between marble and travertine, why not combine the two?
Travertine is a type of limestone but its distinctive veins give it a marble-like appearance and it’ll sit beautifully next to marbles of different colours.
Sleek white tiles
If you want to add a Turkish twist to your bathroom but favour more neutral decoration, white tiles make the perfect backdrop. You can add areas of beautifully decorative tiles, create splashes of colour with borders or splashbacks and use carefully curated coloured accessories.
Opt for sleek, large-format floor tiles and textured wall tiles, wave textures and zellige tiles are great choices.
Top tips for achieving the Turkish look with tiles
Whether you want to recreate the vibrant feel of the bazaars and beaches or create a sleeker, more subtle-looking Turkish-style bathroom, consider the following when choosing your tiles:
Colour – The Turkish colour palette is a varied one, the key colours are red, green, blue and
gold which are often paired with white, beige and other neutrals.
Pattern – Look for tiles with handpainted patterns for a traditional Turkish look. Search for
tiles with floral designs or go for geometric prints for a more modern look. You can also
create patterns using miniature mosaic tiles.
Mix old and new – If you’ve inherited a bathroom with neutral stone, all-white or terracotta
tiles, you can liven it up with a few new colourful or patterned tiles, Just replacing splashback
tiles or tiling a feature wall can transform a bathroom without breaking the bank.
Atlas Ceramics has a wide range of natural stone, porcelain and patterned tiles to help you
get the Turkish look in your bathroom. Browse our selection yourself or call one of our
experts for advice.