35 Stunning Subway Tile Bathroom Ideas

Subway Tile and Wallpaper

Traditional subway tile bathroom designs are usually white, like the tiles lining the lower part of the wall behind this sink. But you can still easily incorporate color and bold patterns by lining the top half of the wall with wallpaper. Almost any color scheme will pair well with white!

Mixed Subway Tile Bathroom Design

Bright white subway tiles create a clean look for the shower in this bathroom. For visual interest, they’re offset by marble tiles on the floor and much smaller honeycomb tiles lining the wall behind the sink, creating contrast with the stark white. The warm brown vanity and framed mirror tie in the veining in the marble and hues in the backsplash.

Herringbone Shower Tile

Though the majority of the gray tile in this bathroom is placed in traditional subway tile rows, a section of the shower wall twists the pattern. The back wall has a section of tiles placed in a herringbone pattern, which draws the eye into the shower and adds a hint of interest and complexity to the gray subway tiles.

Black Bathroom Subway Tiles

Give subway tiles a whole new look by choosing black instead of traditional white. The dark-color tiles become a focal point in a bathroom with marble floors and counters, white trim, and gray walls.

Pair it With a Pattern

If subway tile bathroom ideas are sometimes a little too conventional for your taste, don't be afraid to pair them with patterned tile. In this bathroom, the shower subway tile takes a backseat to bold floor tiles stretching up the sides of the walls. When paired with a busy pattern, subway tile acts as a blank canvas to rest your eyes.

Shower Wall Tile

This bathroom has a unique arched ceiling with enough space for a bathtub and shower fixtures. White subway tile provides a neutral, stylish backdrop on the walls, allowing the gold fixtures and marble trim to stand out. Double showerheads add even more luxury to this open shower space, which has plenty of natural light thanks to a window overlooking a private backyard, eliminating the need for window coverings.

Classic Subway Tile Bathroom Design

Nothing is more classic than a black-and-white color scheme. Keep your subway tile looking crisp with bathroom fixtures and decor to match. Make white subway tiles stand out and act as a graphic element in your bathroom by lining them with black grout. The color change helps define each tile and ties them in with darker elements like black floor tiles and trim.

Showcase a Bathroom Mirror

Extend a white subway tile bathroom backsplash to the ceiling to draw attention to the mirror and vanity in your bathroom. Continuing the subway tile along the bottom half of the wall throughout the bathroom creates space for adding other elements along the top of the wall, like larger art prints.

Square Subway Tiles

Larger subway tiles will lend a more contemporary look to a bathroom while still retaining a sense of timelessness. Wide grout lines also add a distinguishing accent to the tile application, as does a specialty glaze or color. The tile in this bathroom embodies several of those traits, creating a memorable shower surround. In the light and airy bathroom, the bold structure of the tile design grounds the space, and the black grout coordinates with the bathroom countertop and floor.

Embrace Color

Explore tile finish and glazing options if you want the classic shape of subway tiles but don't want traditional white tiles. A greige finish on these glazed bathroom subway tiles adds a contemporary edge around a traditional freestanding tub. White tile on the bathroom floor keeps the room grounded and timeless.

Eclectic Bathroom Subway Tiles

Black grout makes the subway tiles lining this shower-tub combo stand out, and it also matches with other elements like the black ceiling and floor tiles. By leaving a gap around the window and allowing some of the black paint to show through, it also helps the subway tiles pop even more.

Modern Bathroom Subway Tiles

White subway tile bathroom walls with white grout will largely fade into the background, allowing other elements of the design to shine. However, updating to black grout makes the tiles stand out more, creating a modern look in this bathroom, especially paired with black tile floors and wood ceilings.

Farmhouse Bathroom Tile

Play with scale and shape in a farmhouse-inspired bathroom by pairing smaller subway tiles with large white paneled walls. The contrasting shapes draw attention to the subway tiles lining the shower while complementing the white counters and marble countertops.

Accent with Prints

The whimsical black and beige bathroom wallpaper with a dog pattern stands out immediately from the largely white color scheme. In this bathroom, the white subway tile is a supporting player. Its simplicity juxtaposes the eye-catching wallpaper and matches the white vanity and marble countertops, so the space showcases the dog-themed decor.

Subway Tile Backsplash

If you want to add a fun print to your bathroom without overwhelming it, create a large backsplash with subway tiles that cover two-thirds of the wall. A larger print wallpaper at the top adds color and style to the room without feeling cramped or overwhelming because of the large-scale print. The flamingo wallpaper is just enough of a design surprise to bring the all-white bathroom to life, and its unexpected pattern is a charming counterpoint to the traditional tiling and vanity.

Mix Tile Patterns

Break up a backsplash of white subway tile by adding a border of patterned tiles near the top. In this bathroom, the tiles added at the top of the backsplash match the bathroom floor tiles, creating consistency throughout the design. The vintage look of the marble top vanity with chrome supports and fixtures, along with the style of the medicine cabinet, work well with the timeless mosaic tile pattern of the border and floors.

Vertical Subway Tile Bathroom Shower

If you like the classic look of subway tiles but want to mix it up a little, consider placing the tiles in vertical rows instead of horizontal rows. This effect can help elongate the bathroom walls and create the illusion of higher ceilings while keeping a neutral, traditional palette and style. Black floor tile adds contrast that ties into the dark grout of the wall tile for added interest. The warm wood shower seat serves as a shelf for soaps and shampoo and softens the effect of the tiled walls and floors.

Bathroom Subway Tile Ideas

With contrasting colors, even plain white subway tile bathrooms can have a dramatic look. In this design, white tiles placed in the shower instantly stand out against black walls and a black ceiling, making the white even more brilliant and eye-catching.

Tiles for Glass Shower

A significant advantage of subway tile bathrooms is that they'll blend well with almost any design style or alternate type of tile. For example, this bathroom lines the shower with white subway tile to offset the back wall from the brown honeycomb tile lining the floor, ceiling, and built-in shelves. The shape of the herringbone floors echoes the rectangular subway tiles, so the pattern on the floor doesn't overwhelm.

Large-Scale Bathroom Subway Tiles

If you want the look of subway tiles but want to modernize them a little, consider picking a larger-scale tile. The subway tiles in this bathroom pair well with the blue patterned floor and create an opportunity to add a row of tiny accent tiles in the center of the wall.

Subway tiles are an affordable option for bathroom walls and surfaces, so using them for most of your tile application will yield a lower-cost project. The neutral color and pattern allow you to add accent tiles for color and impact.

Timeless Bathroom Tile

The walls of this bathroom are clad in traditionally dimensioned and colored subway tiles. The room gets a signature look thanks to a slightly tinted grout, which helps provide a smooth shift between the crisp white tile and the bold black on the shutters. A switch to hexagon tile on the floor keeps the black-and-white color scheme going but contrasts classic running bond subway tiles.

Subway Tile Shower Surround

Inherently simple, subway tiles make a statement when applied en masse. The shower surround in this bathroom is clad in subway tiles and matching white grout, creating an uninterrupted plane of white, with two convenient shower niches that take up little visual space. The reliable water resistance of properly installed tile also protects the walls of the shower from moisture damage.

Shiplap and Subway Tile Bathroom

White subway tiles meet up with white shiplap panels in this rustic farmhouse bathroom design. The size of the tiles and panels creates contrast while drawing attention to the corner where the large wood vanity sits. The vintage style of the vanity and attached mirror are contrasted by the more contemporary and unexpected style of the vessel sink. The small lamp is a cozy accent.

Wood Backsplash Accents

Added wood trim breaks up the simple subway tile backsplash in this space. This idea for a white subway tile bathroom backsplash has an extra edge thanks to the thin wood pieces between rows of tiles. The wood helps tie in the warm tones used throughout the rest of the bathroom, including the beige countertop and warm, creamy yellow walls.

Mixed Subway Tile Bathroom Ideas

Extended rows of blue and white subway tiles into the shower carry the design throughout the bathroom. The upper half of the shower walls switch to diamond-pattern white tiles, creating a bit of separation from the rest of the room and providing contrast to the blue and white stripes.

Marble Subway Tile

If you love the look of subway tile bathrooms but want a more refined look, consider using marble subway tiles rather than ceramic or porcelain. In this opulent shower retreat, marble subway tiles climb to the ceiling, accented with a thick border tile. Instead of relying on a thick grout line to add visual interest, variegated veining in the tiles draws attention to the walls and gives the tile a softer look. The beige shower seat pulls in the brown and tan colors from the subway and floor tile to warm the cool gray and white tones.

Bathroom Ceiling Tile

The A-frame shower in this bathroom takes centerstage, and lining it with white subway tiles allows its unique shape to shine. The neutral tiles don't distract from the shower's design, even while covering the walls and the sloped ceiling. The hexagon tiles on the floor add contrast with shape and color, and the marble countertops on the dual vanities pull the white subway tile into the rest of the room.

White Subway Tile Bathroom Ideas

Simple white subway tiles on this bathroom backsplash stand out from the black vanity and black and white hexagon mosaic tile design on the floor. A thin line of black tiles helps transition the subway tiles into larger white tiles that extend to the ceiling.

Elegant Bathroom Tile

For this elegant, large bathroom, white subway tiles are used as a neutral to offset the various design elements in the room. With marbled floors, columns, and patterned tiles all drawing attention, white subway tiles along the ceiling and back wall of the shower help ground all the different elements. The versatility and universal appeal of subway tile make it just as at home in highly stylized bathrooms as it is in simple ones,

Subway Tile Bathtub Surround

If your bathroom includes a separate bathtub and shower, use subway tiles to connect the two. This bathroom lines the outside of the tub and a small portion of the backsplash with white subway tiles that are carried through the shower for a cohesive, classic look. Subway tile is also easier to clean and care for than painted walls in a bathroom, where splashes and soap residue can damage drywall.

Multicolor Subway Tiles

Don’t limit yourself to just one color for subway tiles. This design blends white, blue, and shades of green to create an attractive, eye-catching pattern. When paired with light blue walls and a darker wood vanity, the effect is a subtle tropical oasis.

Blue Bathroom Tiles

Not all subway tiles have to be white. By using two tile colors, you can create a patterned bathroom backsplash that works for your decor. Alternating rows of white and light blue subway tiles tie in with the patterned wallpaper used in this bathroom and add an eye-catching element to the design. This small space makes a big design statement by combining diamond-shaped tiles with striped subway tile and wallpaper. But by keeping the colors muted and the pattern on the wallpaper understated, it's stunning instead of overwhelming.

Backsplash Subway Tile Ideas

Create a classic look with a white subway tile backsplash lining half the walls in your bathroom. Paired with pale pink walls, the overall effect is soft, calming, and a little rustic, thanks to the wood cabinets. Use towels as decorative items by being thoughtful about their details. Here, the grout lines of the subway tile are repeated in the trim of the towels for a subtle touch.

Striped Subway Tile Bathroom Walls

Update subway tiles to create a modern pattern in your bathroom by choosing two colors and lining the walls with alternating stripes. The navy and white tiles in this design create a high contrast on the walls, adding a graphic, modern look to the bathroom, where the all-black vanity adds impact and drama.

White Tile Backsplash

The white subway tiles used in this bathroom help break up the large print from the wallpaper and add a neutral counterpoint. Black tiles separate the subway tiles from the wallpaper, helping to tie in the colors used in the patterned tile floors.