The Mistake That's Making Your Bold Bathroom Design Feel Off-Balance

As with any room in your home, it can be hard to know where to start when designing your bathroom. Once you nail the aesthetic for the space — whether you want to create the perfect spa-like atmosphere or layer in laid-back rustic decor — it's time to start laying down details to make it happen. But do you choose your paint color palette and wallpaper first, or should your flooring be at the top of your to-do list? The order in which you design may seem subjective, but generally, when you're planning a bold bathroom, failing to choose your tiles first can be a total mistake and cause the space to feel detached from the rest of your home.

Experts advise that starting from the ground up and choosing your flooring first protects against damage to walls. But it also creates a solid foundation and sets the scene for the rest of your design to follow. This can be especially crucial for bathrooms with a bold or edgy touch, where tile flooring, walls, and backsplashes play a critical role in lending visual interest and a focal point in the space. From there, it's easier to pair textures, wallpaper, and fixtures that elevate and balance, rather than overwhelm, the rest of your bathroom design.

When it comes to designing a bold bathroom, choosing flooring and other tiled features is important because it's one of the best ways to make a statement and a major influence in tying the overall look of a space together. Plus, because tile is permanent (and one of the bigger investments involved in updating the bathroom), if you find that you're not totally sold on the paint shades or wallpaper, those are easier to scrap so you can find a better option that makes for a more cohesive overall appearance. Aesthetically speaking, your flooring choice — whether you opt for patterned ceramic tiles or funky vinyl — takes away some of the struggle of choosing other elements in a daring design, like fixtures and decor.

As for finding the right flooring for your bathroom, you may refer to popular bathroom tile flooring trends to create a bold room, or you could opt for more timeless looks that will endure the changing trends. For example, hand-crafted Zellige mosaic tiles with bright, colorful patterns can give a bathroom a charming yet eclectic vibe. Classic checkerboard layouts complement a retro vibe while still appearing sophisticated, and marble delivers unique organic shapes and shades with every tile in high-end modern schemes. With the tile in place, you can assess its pattern and weight to find a paint color palette that complements and balances it so the bathroom doesn't feel too busy or disjointed. Whatever your style, choosing the tile first to anchor a bold layout will make the rest of the design process more fluid and flexible.