Unlike the other rooms at home, bathroom tiles should be approached from a more functional direction. Here's some designer's tips and advice on choosing bathroom tiles:

Firstly, not all tiling materials are suitable for the high moisture atmosphere of the bathroom. Natural stone such as marble is extremely sensitive to moisture. The porous nature traps moisture from the air and tends to crack from the humidity. Logically, laminate flooring is not really suitable for the bathroom floor. Wet laminate surfaces tend to be extremely slippery and can cause accidents at home.
Some of the more popular tile materials include porcelain, ceramics and natural stone. Understanding their characteristics help you make good choices. For example, porcelain tiles are fairly limited in design compared to ceramics and natural stone should only be selected if the owners are not worried about the high moisture affecting the tiles.

Tile size is also another consideration, especially for the shower area. Though bigger tiles are popular in contemporary bathroom designs, they won't work as well on the shower floor. The contractor will have a much harder task ensuring efficient drainage. As a result, water will pool on the floor of the bathroom. Ideally, the tile size should be about 12 inches by 12 inches. Large tiles work better on the walls since they create the illusion of a bigger bathroom.

When it comes to following trends, the design of the bathroom depends heavily on the overall concept of your home. Patterned tiles can be seen in most contemporary bathroom designs. Most of these tiles will immediately and dramatically affect the look of your bathroom but take care not to cover the entire room in them. Instead, tile part of the wall in an interesting design to create a feature wall. This would create a focal point that draws the eyes of guests and helps to anchor the overall look of the bathroom. A strip of brightly colored tiles place in the midst of bare walls can create a striking appeal that accentuates the structure of the room.

The future of bathrooms looks set to astound the homeowner. With a wider range of prints, patterns and materials, there is no limit to the design for your ideal bathroom.