Gray tiles in the bathroom interior
The bathroom is traditionally finished with white ceramic tiles. But a relatively unconventional option like gray bathroom tiles can also be good. You just need to carefully approach its selection and apply it correctly.
Features and Styles
Gray paint compares favorably with many other tones for its versatility. It has the following advantages:
- the ability to use in any style;
- excellent compatibility with most other colors;
- strict and noble effect.
From a physical point of view, gray is not a color at all. In the design tradition, it is referred to as achromatic colors. The lack of coloristic load fully meets the canons of minimalistic design. In the bathroom of a minimalist format, the use of tiles that differ in texture, geometric configuration and size is allowed. Large tiles and "hog" are the most popular.
Important: the seams are rubbed with a composition that exactly matched the tone of the surrounding material, which allows you to create the feeling of a monolithic surface.
When a room is decorated in the spirit of a loft style, stone or concrete finishes are preferable. Imitation of metal is also a good option.
If the design of only one type of tiles seems boring and uninteresting, you can combine this material with a white "hog", brick fragments or steel products.
When the room is decorated in the style of Art Deco or modern classics, imitation of stone will work better than metal. Designers recommend using smoky colors that look more respectable. Gray tiles can form an elegant, laconic setting, highlighting stylistic nuances favorably. They will harmoniously fit into any kind of country style. However, they will look best in a Provence setting and in a rustic setting.
Combinations
Many people have a question: is it possible to combine gray tiles with blocks of other tones. Usually, this interest is associated with the widespread belief that pure gray finishes are unnecessarily gloomy and can be very harmful when decorating a room. But this view is fundamentally wrong. After all, you can simply use the "game" of various shades of the main color, of which there are a lot. A room in which the gray color is diluted with cream or beige notes will look cozy in any case.
To make the room brighter, "shine", use white plumbing, glass elements (especially small mirrors). Furniture is also advised to use white tones. But, in addition to color combinations, you can use gray tiles with variations in texture and dimensions. The bathroom looks very attractive, part of the walls of which is covered with large tiles, and the other part - with mosaics.
But that doesn't mean you can ignore the benefits of combining gray and colored tiles, or gray display and walls painted in different colors.
Gray tiles are perfectly combined with peach and apricot, with light green and pink shades, with lavender color. The addition of beige makes the room warmer, while the blue and green inclusions will lower the visual temperature. Juicy orange, yellow and red tones together with gray will help to make the atmosphere more energetic and eliminate the depressive effect. Blue supplements will provide emotional relaxation and awaken imagination. The gray-violet setting is striking and sensual even more than many pure concentrated colors.
By mixing gray and yellow colors, it is easy to achieve a cheerful "sunny" effect. However, it is worth observing an indispensable rule - the introduction of yellow should be dosed. But the gray-brown combination can be used only as a last resort. Particular care must be taken in relation to the combination of gray and dark brown paints. Together they will look too gloomy.
Stylish options and solutions
Light gray colors, provided they are not darker than steel gray, are versatile. These colors externally expand the space and therefore can be used even in a modest bathroom. Such combinations are especially good in Scandinavian and classic French interiors. Dark gray tiles are appreciated, of course, not for their ability to narrow the space, but for the formation of a "chamber", home environment. This result is achieved with moderate use of dark gray blocks.
Experienced designers often resort to using a luscious base color on an accent wall. Other surfaces are designed in white or pastel colors. This composition ideally meets the requirements of the modernist style. Light gray and white "are friends" very closely. But in order to avoid excessive boredom, psychologists and designers suggest looking at other combinations - with sea, sand flowers, lavender.
Determining the role of gray tiles in bathroom design, one cannot ignore such an aspect as the difference between matte and glossy varieties. Matte material is predominantly placed on the floor, as its roughness will make the room safer. Even when moistened, matte tiles will not slip.
Important: just in case, it is worth laying out the lower part of the walls from the same material.
Glossy blocks have the following features:
- immediately make the room brighter;
- consistently look brighter and richer;
- easier to wash and clean;
- may have a greater variety of tones and patterns.
Wall tiles in the interior of a small bathroom should be chosen even more carefully than usual. After all, the slightest mistake leads to a visual narrowing of space and dramatically spoils the sensations. But you need to remember that large format tiles in the bathroom are quite acceptable. Professional designers know that the bias against such blocks is based only on meaningless stereotypes.
But in order for a large gray tile to look attractive, it should be used rationally.
Full cladding of the entire wall is not recommended. It would be more correct to create a vertical stripe by running it in the center of the wall. But on the floor, large ceramic tiles are contraindicated, since they will have to be cut there. In a rectangular bathroom, it is advised to use a tile of 0.2x0.3 m, in a square one - 0.2x0.2 m. To make the gray tile more interesting, you can diversify it using the following solutions:
- tile with a pronounced relief;
- contrasting mosaic;
- elements with a pattern (separately from each other or as part of large decorative stripes);
- curbs.
Design connoisseurs point out that the main part of the room should be covered with light gray tiles. Dark gray tones are used for floors or at the bottom of walls. In extreme cases, narrow, darker stripes are allowed in the middle. To simplify the choice, it is worth giving preference to ready-made collections that are already initially composed of coordinated elements. Experts also suggest focusing on combining such types of tiles as:
- small mosaic;
- medium rectangular;
- large in the shape of a square.
If you want to choose the most saturated shades of gray, then preferences should fall, first of all, on such colors as:
- anthracite;
- graphite;
- wet asphalt.
How to create a bathroom interior, as well as what to combine with gray tiles, see the video.