Is Your Bathroom A Good Candidate For Tile Drenching? Here's What To Know

Designing bathrooms can be a fun experience. Since this space is small, and not out in the open, it gives you the freedom to mess around and try new designs and trends that you might otherwise not be brave enough to use in your home. One such trend is using the same tile across the entire bathroom. Similar to color drenching, tile drenching usually involves covering a room with the same material, including the floor and walls. There is more you need to know about tile drenching before you jump into this project, but the main reason to choose it is that, for some bathrooms, it can make a space look larger, and adds an eye-catching design without requiring as much decor or focus on patterns. However, while it may work for some bathrooms, it isn't ideal for all of them. 

One of the key indicators on if this trend will work for you is to look at your lighting. "A fully tiled room reflects light differently," Laura Lubin, the founder of Ellerslie Interiors, said when speaking with Real Simple. "Layering in soft, indirect lighting helps avoid a sterile feel." This can be an fix, since you can simply swap in softer lightbulbs. Of course, that does have the downside of potentially making your space too dark if you don't have enough ways to layer the light. You can also help reduce the glare and cold feeling by swapping out glossy tile for something more matte.

Another consideration is the size of your bathroom. A larger space can be nice, but it doesn't always work well for tile-drenching. This design tends to look best in smaller spaces. However, if you have a large bathroom and still want to try it out, consider using it only in your shower. This gives you the smaller area you need, and is somewhat contained.

If you are still unsure whether or not this trend will work in your space, take the time to really learn about best practices when it comes to how to color drench with tile. Sometimes, you may find that this trend will work after a few adjustments. Small changes to the gloss, grout, tile pattern, texture, and colors can all help. 

If you aren't sure where to start, take a look at the bathroom tile trends you don't want to skip in 2026, and see if any of those beautiful options will work for drenching your bathroom. The rest of the space can also help determine if this bold tile option is for you. It needs to have a counterbalance so it doesn't feel quite so overwhelming. Adding contrasting metallic hues for your knobs and finishings helps to catch the eye and break up the color. A bit of softness can also serve as a way to reduce the clinical feel, such as plants, fluffy towels, and rounded edges.