The Office addition construction is in motion and I am most excited about picking cement tiles for the new bathroom. I also used cement tiles in my Redmond, WA master bath remodel. Unfortunately, I cannot find the before picture but the after is spectacular! Using the cement tile on the back of the shower and then across behind the tub created symmetry while keeping cost and busyness down.
For the new bathroom that we are adding as part of the office expansion, I think I have landed on the pattern on the left but waiting on a few color samples to come as the standard color (cadet) is very grey and I envision something with more blue like the tile on the right to punch it up a bit. The bathroom below is a great inspiration shot; however, I think having the tiles on the floor is a bit too busy.
Cement Tile Tips:
- Style. Make sure the cement tile style matches the house. For example, the tile that I used in the Redmond bathroom has a farmhouse feel that would not be right in our current modern house where geometric patterns are more natural.
- Color pallet. Keep most other colors neutral. Let the cement tile be the star.
- Location. My favorite areas for cement tiles are kitchen and laundry backsplash, laundry and bathroom floors, fireplace surround, and bathroom showers.
- Cost. Expect to pay around $20/ft compared to $8-10/ft for porcelain. You can get porcelain tiles that mimic cement but they just are not the same primarily because of cement’s beautiful matte finish. I recommend managing the budget by selecting a small space where the tile will make a big impact (i.e. behind the vanity or bathroom floor) or shopping around to see if you can find a sale.
- Installation. Make sure your installer has worked with cement tiles before. They are thicker and heavier than standard tiles and can be somewhat uneven in size given handmade nature so the experience is important here.
- Samples. Finally, and most importantly, order a sample or a single box you can return if needed, to make sure that you love it in real life. The tile I am looking at looked waaaay more blue in the online images and it is quite grey in person.
Here are some amazing rooms with cement tile for inspiration followed by some of my favorite cement tiles for your consideration. Some of my favorite stores for cement tile are linked below if you want to browse more.
Cement Tile Inspiration – click to expand image
Cement Tile Favorites – click for more details