8 Bathroom Flooring Trends for 2024

If you are renovating a bathroom then you are in the right place! Today I am sharing the top bathroom flooring trends for 2023.

Bathroom floors are so important, they are the foundation of the entire room. Choosing the right flooring is important, it sets the tone for the entire space. But because renovating bathrooms is expensive it’s important to choose the right flooring the first time.

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Bathroom Flooring Trends for 2023

To be completely honest bathroom flooring trends don’t change all that often. For the most part the timeless look seems to prevail. Honestly every now and then a major trend emerges, like modern farmhouse style, and it takes the world by storm.

You can go either way, go with the trends or stick to a timeless look. You can’t go wrong with either but just keep in mind kitchens and bathrooms sell houses and you don’t want to have to renovate very often. It’s costly and tiresome to be sure.

Waterproof Vinyl Floors

For about a decade now waterproof vinyl floors have taken the flooring world by storm! These are the products also known as Luxury Vinyl Plank (LVP) and Luxury Vinyl Tile (LVT).

Now many people have this idea that vinyl floors are bad or ugly, but these aren’t the vinyl floors our parents put in during the 70s and 80s. These products have come a long way since then!

Great things about vinyl planks and vinyl tiles:

Cost – they are inexpensive and most of the time about half the price of engineered hardwoods
Durability – they are waterproof (which makes them a great choice for basements, entryways, mudrooms, kitchens, and bathrooms) and hold up well to kids and pets
Easy to Install – most use a click and lock technique and require very few tools, perfect for the home DIY’er

If you are interested in a review by a homeowner check out this post from my friend Brittany at By Brittany Goldwyn

Here are some of my favorite choices:

Mosaic Tile

Mosaic tile is a classic design trend that has been around for decades and will continue to be around for decades to come. If you are going for a bathroom that has a timeless look then you can’t go wrong with a mosaic tile.

Mosaic tiles come in different sizes, shapes, materials, and colors all in a sheet for ease of installation. They can be porcelain, ceramic, natural stone, or glass and are usually in a pattern, but occasionally they are totally random.

Mosaic tiles are perfect for shower flooring because in order for water to drain the floor needs to be on a slope. Because mosaic tiles come in a sheet they are more pliable than a 6X12 tile and are easy to set on a slope.

Here are some of my favorite mosaic tiles:

Sheet Vinyl Bathroom Flooring

Now don’t turn your nose up at sheet vinyl! It has come a long way from the avocado greens and oranges of the 70s.

The best sheet vinyl to go with would be something that has a geometric pattern or mosaic look. Try to stay away from the ones that look like wood, they still don’t have the real wood look that is desirable.

Sheet vinyl is a great choice for bathrooms because it comes all in one piece. There is no grout to seal, no cracks where water can get through. It is completely waterproof and extremely low maintenance.

Here is some of my favorite choices for sheet vinyl:

Wood Look Tile

If you have a powder room where no one will be bathing then you can go with real wood but in a bathroom where there will be steam and people stepping out of a shower or tub you do not want real wood.

The best bet for a space like this if you want the look of real wood is to go with a wood look tile. These are so much better than sheet vinyl that looks like wood. Tile choices with a wood look have come a long way and are often hard to tell if it’s tile or real wood!

What’s great is the choices for these types of tile run the from dark woods to blonds and everything in between. Many times you can even match it to your existing hardwood floors for a seamless look.

Here are some of my favorite wood look tiles:

Geometric Tile

Geometric tiles come in many different shapes such as squares, rectangles, triangles, polygons, hexagons, pyramids, and diamonds. The tiles themselves are generally square with geometric shapes on the top.

This type of tile has been popular for a long time now. They are perfect for a modern farmhouse look which has been so popular for about 15 years.

Some of the most popular geometric tiles are black and white but you can also find them in stunning colors.

Here are some of my favorite geometric tiles:

Herringbone Flooring

Herringbone is a distinctive V shape pattern where one is stacked on top of the other. This pattern is often confused with the chevron pattern which is a V shape pattern that is right next to one another rather than stacked.

Herringbone is a very popular pattern and one that I simply love. I created a herringbone headboard for my bedroom and have been trying to use it in other parts of my home too.

This pattern is very popular in just about any design style. It’s a timeless classic pattern that looks good anywhere in your home.

Here are some of my favorite herringbone flooring choices:

Patterned Tile

Patterned tile is very similar to a geometric tile in it can have different shapes, colors, and patterns but they are of a repetitive nature and usually are not random in the least.

This type of tile has become very popular in modern farmhouse design. In this style patterned tile is typically used on floors and backsplashes.

What’s different and unique about patterned tiles is that you will see anywhere from two to twenty colors used in the tiles.

Here are some of my favorite patterned tiles:

Marble Look Tile

Marble is a gorgeous material and has a classic look that enhances any space. It also gives the look of something being expensive so can really elevate a room.

The negative thing about marble is it’s a natural stone and is very porous. I have marble countertops in my kitchen and am constantly dealing with water spots.

If you want the look of marble without the maintenance or cost there are certainly some great alternatives out there. There are porcelain stones that have the ceramic look. There are quartz options that look just like marble. There are some luxury vinyl tiles that gives the look.

The big thing to think about when choosing a marble look alternative is durability, ease of maintenance, and non-slip qualities.

Here are some of my favorite marble look alternatives:

Bathroom Flooring Guidelines

Always make sure you choose a product that is slip-resistant. Different tiles come in different finishes and you want to make sure you choose a product that is not smooth, you want a slightly textured surface to keep from falling when you get out of the tub or shower.

Always seal grout between tiles. Grout is very porous and water will get into the grout causing mold, mildew, and discoloration. If you put white grout down on your floors you will need to seal it often to keep it from turning black.

Porcelain/Ceramic vs. Natural Stone

Porcelain and ceramic are solid materials and a great choice for bathrooms. They are also easy to clean and therefore easy to maintain.

Natural stone is porous and therefore will absorb water. To prevent this you will need to seal the tiles regularly to keep them from absorbing water.

Porcelain and ceramics are also more inexpensive and installation costs are usually less so logically they make the most sense for flooring in bathrooms. While natural stones are so beautiful they are just more expensive and require more maintenance to keep up.

If you are okay with that then go for the natural stone. I just want to make sure you know what to expect with a natural product.

What to Avoid with Bathroom Flooring

The biggest thing you want to avoid in a bathroom is any flooring product that is slippery. We discussed that in the guidelines but I believe it warrants another mention. The last thing you need is to get out of the tub and slip, then hit your head on the tub or another hard surface.

Carpet is also another thing to avoid. I don’t know who thought that carpet was a good thing to put in bathrooms in the late 20th century but it should be banned! Carpet and carpet pads absorb water creating the perfect environment for mold to grow. I just cringe thinking about it.

Floating floors are something you want to think about avoiding as well. Many floor manufacturers promote floating floors in bathrooms but the truth is while the surface is waterproof the underside is not.

Water can slip down in the cracks between tiles and soak into the underneath of the tiles. This will cause the cork underside to rot and create an environment for mold and mildew. So always go for floors that are glued down.

Bathroom Flooring Trends Conclusion

I hope you have discovered something new and exciting for your bathroom floors. Choosing flooring can be a bit overwhelming so my goal today was to narrow down the prospects to what is not only trending in the world of home design but also give you some trendy but timeless options.

Good luck with your decisions and happy decorating!

Other Floor-Related Posts You Might Like:

This bathroom has gorgeous white marble floors, a white free standing tub under a window overlooking the ocean, a basket and a pouf sitting next to the tub.

Wendy Duffy

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As a licensed Real Estate Agent and an avid home decorator, I strive to give my clients the very best I can when it comes to staging, selling, and decorating their homes. I have lots of experience with paint color choices and love to DIY my home so I can have everything just the way I want it. I share my ideas and projects with the world in the hopes that I can help others have their homes just the way they want as well.