About Bathroom Flooring
Ask any real estate agent and they will tell you that the best way to increase the value of your home is to update either the bathroom or the kitchen. They’re the rooms in the home that see the most traffic, especially the bathroom.
Of course, the design and overall tone of any room start with your floor. It’s one of the biggest purchases you will make in any home update. To find the best flooring for bathrooms, you’ll want to consider your style and which looks will stand the test of time, should you decide to sell.
Types of Bathroom Flooring
Looking for the best flooring for bathrooms? The first thing you need to decide is what type of floor you’ll be using.
It used to be that tile and stone were virtually the only options designed to stand up to a full bathroom, but that is not the case anymore – not by a long shot.
Technological innovations have made it possible to choose just about any type of flooring for any application. Right now, there is a big surge in waterproof flooring, which you’ll see a lot of in this year’s trendiest bathroom floor ideas.
Waterproof Vinyl Bathroom Flooring
The stars of the waterproof flooring game: WPC and SPC vinyl bathroom flooring. This trend has been going for just about the last decade and only seems to be growing as we head into 2024.
WPC flooring has a core made of wood plastic composite that is 100% waterproof, a luxury vinyl print layer, and a thick, durable wear layer. WPC flooring is luxury vinyl amped up a few notches, dominating the world of waterproof flooring.
SPC, also known as rigid core vinyl, is the next level in waterproof vinyl flooring. SPC flooring has a core made from stone plastic composite, making for a tougher, sturdier core than WPC flooring.
Appearance-wise, there is no difference between rigid core vinyl and traditional WPC vinyl. Both options offer the trendiest, most realistic looks mimicking natural materials in the highest quality prints.
The big difference is construction. SPC rigid core flooring is traditionally thinner and even more durable. Additionally, rigid core planks are also better at hiding imperfect subfloors. If you are installing over tile or another unlevel surface, SPC is a great option that can save you some money in prep and installation without sacrificing style.
With waterproof vinyl, it’s the best of all worlds for your bathroom floor. Expect to see WPC and SPC bathroom flooring following all the hottest wood and stone trends, including marble, handscraped and distressed looks, large planks/tiles, and more.
Bathroom Tile
Tile is known for being durable, waterproof, and easy to clean – perfect for any room. Especially the bathroom. But with the surge in wood-look flooring options, is tile on its way out?
Not at all! Bathroom floor tile is still as trendy as it ever was. However, the trending bathroom floor tile looks have truly evolved over the last 5-10 years. You see, something technology has given us is the ability to achieve virtually any look with any type of flooring.
The wood-look tile bathroom flooring trend is super hot right now. Tile manufacturers are keeping up with the times and following the trends of contemporary wood and stone. This means you can have the sleek, current bathroom of your dreams with good ol’ dependable tile flooring.
Additionally, the classic marble look is still extremely popular, especially in high-end homes. However, homeowners are now achieving this look at half the price and with way less maintenance by using porcelain and ceramic tile that looks like traditional marble.
Waterproof Laminate Bathroom Flooring
While laminate is known as the original wood-look flooring, it wasn’t until recently that it started popping up in bathrooms. Previously, many people used it in other water-prone areas, like kitchens, but the bathroom? That was still off-limits.
That is until manufacturers developed a 100% waterproof laminate option. Yes, now, like vinyl, laminate has options that are fully waterproof and suitable for bathrooms, basements, kitchens, and more.
Available in looks and textures that effortlessly mimic gorgeous, trending hardwood looks, waterproof laminate can give your bathroom a trendy upgrade.
Sheet Vinyl Bathroom Flooring
A little different from vinyl planks, there’s sheet vinyl. It might sound a little out there, but with the latest advancements to sheet vinyl, it’s a viable option. Plus, because of its fun, unique patterns and low price point, it’s a hit for new homeowners.
Sheet vinyl used to be down-and-out of the flooring game because of its lack of durability. It was once known for peeling and it wouldn’t stay put after installation.
But that’s all changed.
Now, sheet vinyl is resistant to water and slipping. Plus it comes in beautiful patterns to give your bathroom a unique look.
Worried about a difficult installation? You’ll be glad to know that once you make the necessary cuts to your vinyl sheet, it’s as simple as rolling out the sheet and laying it flat. After that, the flooring will stay put under its wown eight.
Waterproof Bathroom Carpets and Rugs
Wait! I promise this will not be gross.
Remember the 1980s bathroom carpet? It was the worst. Soft and comforting, yes. But it would trap all the water from your showers and often develop a weird texture, or even worse, mold. Yuck!
But there was a reason people did that, right? The carpet is warm, soft, and comforting. It sure beats slipping on the wet tile when you get out of the shower.
Over the next few years, I expect to see this trend creep back in with the appearance of 100% waterproof carpet on the market. Yes – waterproof carpet!
Waterproof in general seems to be the trend over the last decade, which is great news for anyone looking to update their bathroom. Where homeowners were once limited by fear of water damage, they can now install just about any type of flooring in any room of the home.
Trending Bathroom Flooring Looks
In the past, there haven’t been many new or unexpected bathroom flooring looks. The same ol’ stone and stone-look bathroom floor tiles appeared in practically every bathroom in every home.
But now? The time has come for something different!
Now that there are a plethora of gorgeous, stylish wood-look and designer bathroom floor tiles and planks to choose from. Let’s take a look.
Wood-Look Bathroom Flooring
Solid hardwood flooring is expensive, finicky, and not ideal for areas where there will be a lot of moisture, like bathrooms, kitchens, and basements. While people would take the risk in an area like a kitchen, bathrooms just have too much water to make natural hardwood flooring a viable option.
Even laminate flooring hasn’t been an option for bathrooms until recently. While it offers a lower price point and, typically, lower maintenance than solid hardwood, it’s honestly no better of a bathroom flooring idea than hardwood.
Unless it’s waterproof! Waterproof laminate is new and awesome and trending!
Wood-look planks come in different types of flooring, such as laminate, WPC vinyl, and SPC vinyl. There are also wood-look ceramic and porcelain tiles. All of these flooring gems are perfect for the high demands of any bathroom.
With these new, durable, and waterproof wood looks, you can achieve any trending wood style in your bathroom, worry-free.
Marble-Look Bathroom Flooring
Although marble has always been a staple piece of many bathrooms, marble or marble-look flooring is a trend we can’t ignore. Many of the chicest homes showcase this gorgeous, timeless look.
So why has marble stood the test of time? That’s simple: it’s expensive. At least, traditional marble is expensive, and people love the expensive look. That’s the beauty of tiles that mimic marble: you get the gorgeous look, for a fraction of the cost.
Of course, with the influx in wood-look bathroom flooring, there was always a chance that marble bathroom tiles would become less popular. But, I think this is one of those floors that truly stands the test of time.
Stenciled Designer Tile Bathroom Flooring
While natural looks like wood and stone are trending in a big way, young homeowners are steering towards more intricate designs and modern looks.
When I say designer, I mean any looks that don’t resemble natural materials – shapes, intricate patterns, metallic looks, and designs in general. They can be so detailed that they look like they’ve been stenciled onto the floor.
Stenciled tiles are sometimes ceramic encaustic tiles, which are known for their beautiful, detailed designs. These designs look hand-crafted, which gives the bathroom floor a custom vibe, even when they’re not custom-made, making the floor look expensive, as well as impressive.
Popular styles range from geometrics to florals to old-world and Victorian. You can expect a bold, highly detailed style, with a lot of colors.
Bathroom Flooring Colors
In bathrooms, cool, bright colors are trending in a big way. While in kitchens, bedrooms, and living rooms you’ll see some warm, blonde wood looks making a splash, bathrooms are all about cool, calming tones.
Most bathrooms don’t have a lot of open space and dark colors can make them look crowded, compact, or even cave-like. That’s why you’ll see lots of brights and plenty of white.
Additionally, the bathroom is supposed to be calm and relaxing, like your own personal sanctuary. It’s where you go to get away from it all. That’s why cool tones continue to reign this year’s bathroom flooring trends.
Black and White Bathroom Flooring
This vintage look is resurfacing! Over the last several years, we’ve seen it mostly in the kitchen, but you will see black and white bathroom flooring ideas, as well.
In the kitchen, we typically see this in a retro checkerboard pattern, but in the bathroom, you’ll see much more fun, modern black and white tile patterns. Expect to see black and white subway tiles and floral designs in the bathrooms of many young homeowners over the next few years.
This is a nice, clean way to add design but still provide a neutral backdrop where you can use color in the rest of your decor.
Gray Bathroom Flooring
Gray flooring, particularly gray wood, has grown exponentially over the last decade. Although gray bathroom floor tiles, particularly in stone looks, are also quite popular.
Gray has quickly become the most popular trend, not just for flooring, but for home decor in general. Gray cabinets, gray doors, you name it. And every shade of gray is still hot and trendy in the bathroom. For your floors and decor.
In addition to looking chic and trendy, gray floors set the tone of a cool, contemporary bathroom. They, like white, give you a neutral backdrop for decorating in basically any color. Aquas, greens, bright bold colors, or even black and white classic tones – they will all go with your sleek gray flooring.
Cool Blue Bathroom Flooring
This is about as “extreme” as we get with this year’s bathroom flooring color trends. Most of these trends are neutral and understated, but a cool blue or gray-blue can add a nice color pop without going over the edge.
The gray-blue bathroom flooring trend is one of the more popular shades of blue as it’s more subdued and easier to complement the decor. More than likely the gray-blue color trend will last longer than brighter blues.
I mentioned that you want your bathroom to feel like your own personal spa. Something about the right shade of blue can make you feel almost like you’re at the ocean, offering a sense of calming and peace.
Blonde Wood Bathroom Flooring
As more homeowners embrace the light, airy feel in their home, you will see a huge resurgence in blonde wood bathroom floor tiles and planks. This light, breezy wood look can give your bathroom a look that somehow feels both classic and contemporary.
While most of this year’s trending colors are on the cooler end of the spectrum, blonde wood brings in a little warmth while maintaining a cool, relaxed feel.
The open, light, airy look is especially popular in modern bathrooms. Homeowners are now steering away from sharper, modern, industrial looks and trending towards an updated farmhouse style. Light floors are perfect for this!
Blonde floors make your bathroom feel larger and more open, especially if you use large planks. But we’ll get to that later on.
Bathroom Flooring Trends: Layout and Pattern
Patterned bathroom tile isn’t exactly a new concept. The bathroom is probably the one room in the home where the trend of patterns, funky layouts, and cool styles has remained constant. However, now this trend is moving to other rooms in the house and has become even more popular in the bathroom, and it’s still important to choose the right patterns.
The big layout and pattern trends this year throughout the home are chevron, herringbone, and mixed-width planks. But in the bathroom, you can get a little more creative. Let’s check it out.
Chevron and Herringbone Bathroom Flooring
First, let me clear up a little misconception. Chevron and herringbone mosaics are very similar, but each has its distinction. Chevron and Herringbone Bathroom Flooring
Chevron floors require flooring to be angled and come together to a point. Although, some ceramic tiles and vinyl tiles are even producing products with the chevron pattern in the tile itself.
Herringbone achieves a similar look by connecting two planks at a 90-degree angle as seen above. This layout makes a more narrow-angle, which makes a space look and feel larger.
For wood-look flooring planks, herringbone is much more accessible than chevron. As for bathroom tile, both patterns come as pre-assembled mosaics. So you can save time and money on bathroom flooring materials and installation.
Subway Tile Bathroom Flooring
Not just for backsplash anymore!
Previously, small, busy subway tiles were only used as wall tiles. However, over the last couple of years, we’ve seen a surge in subway tile bathroom floors.
When you imagine subway tiles, there are a few things that come to mind. You may imagine small, brick-like tiles or hundreds of penny rounds or even mini hexagons like pictured above. The subway tile look isn’t really about shape, but more about the size and aesthetic.
The small tiles create a fun vintage look in the bathroom that, with the right decor, can look incredibly charming.
Additionally, many small tiles will make your bathroom look smaller and feel busier. But if there’s anywhere they can work, it’s the bathroom, particularly as shower tile as they are slip-resistant.
Hexagon Bathroom Flooring
Hexagon tiles first gained popularity in the early 20th century, typically accompanied by subway wall tiles. They can provide a similar classic, vintage look to subway tile floors.
Small, mosaic hexagonal tiles make for a classic, yet fun bathroom floor. Large format hexagonal tiles, however, create a chic modern bathroom floor, especially if you add the right grout color with the tiles.
You’ll also see ultra-modern, almost futuristic looks over the next several years. Imagine super clean sharp lines, whites, blacks and grays, and very minimalist decor. That’s this new futuristic wave of hexagon bathroom floor tiles.
Wide Plank Bathroom Flooring
This is one trend you can expect to see every year in every style for the foreseeable future. Longer, wider planks make your bathroom look larger, more open, and less busy. Bathrooms tend to be smaller and more crowded and this is the best way to combat that.
The days of shorter, traditionally sized planks are over. Wide planks are becoming the new normal as they streamline the floor in every room.
Large Format Bathroom Tile Flooring
Contrasting the tiny little subway tiles, you will see plenty of the extreme opposite: extra-large tiles. This trend has been trending for quite some time with manufacturers continuing to create larger and larger individual tiles.
Wonder why they’re so popular? Large-format tiles, like long, wide planks, make your bathroom look bigger, especially if you choose a light color. Additionally, larger tiles = fewer grout lines. Win, win.
While square tiles are on their way out in other rooms of the home, this classic style will always stay relevant in the bathroom, and you’ll continue to see plenty of big, beautiful, marble bathroom floor tiles over the next several years.
Geometric Bathroom Flooring
“Geometric flooring” is a fairly open-ended term. It just means using different shapes to create eye-catching patterns. Luckily, 2024 is full of fun-shaped flooring to create a statement-making bathroom floor.
Common geometric shapes include:
✅ Hexagon: Created in both large and mosaic formats, hexagonal flooring is seen as modern and minimalistic with its clean, sharp lines.
✅ Fan: Fan tiles can look modern, retro, whimsical, or contemporary and create a dynamic statement as bathroom flooring.
✅ Round: Circular floor tiles are bringing some modern whimsy to your floors. Also known as penny rounds, these mosaic tiles are patterned with small coin-sized circles.
✅ Arabesque: For curly, intricate-shaped flooring, arabesque is the way to go. These tiles will make your bathroom the hit of the house with its dainty, unique shape.
✅ Triangle: Triangle shapes are versatile when it comes to flooring. They are easy to decorate around and add a subtle statement and flair to your bathroom.
✅ Diamond: For a more luxurious bathroom floor, diamond-shaped flooring will bring some personality without overpowering the rest of the room.
✅ The bathroom is the room in the house where you can get a little wild and creative without it interrupting the flow of your home. While some homeowners opt to carry their more traditional flooring into their bathroom for a cohesive look, many prefer to make a bold statement.
A major trend with any geometric tile flooring is pairing it with a cool grout color, accentuating the shape of the tile, and creating an eye-catching design. If you feel like getting crazy, this is the time and the place to do it.
Bathroom Flooring Trends: Texture and Finish
The bathroom is one of the only rooms in the home where (almost) anything goes as far as flooring texture. Scrapes, knots, real stone texture, smooth – you name it!
In terms of finish, there’s still a lot of variety, but people are starting to prefer less gloss and more authenticity and functionality.
Here’s a look at what we recommend.
Matte and Honed Bathroom Flooring Finishes
The days of glossy floor tile are coming to an end, at least for a while. Flatter, less reflective finishes are now the top pick for most people, and the reasons go beyond looks alone.
When the surface of a tile is ground and down to a honed finish, it becomes less slippery. That’s a huge plus for a bathroom, where the risk of slipping is already a bit higher than the rest of the home. Additionally, matte finishes are easier to maintain. Scuffs and scrapes are less noticeable when the surface isn’t shiny.
Even though the finish might be “dull,” matte finish bathroom floor tiles are anything but boring. Manufacturers are coming up with tons of creative matte styles, from stone-look and wood-look to tiles that look like fabric.
Smooth Bathroom Flooring
Smooth-textured bathroom floor tiles in white limestone always look beautiful in contemporary bathrooms. You’ll read a lot about texture. Knots, scrapes, brushes – everyone is talking about textured flooring. So, where does that leave smooth bathroom floors? Still quite popular!
The texture trend is most popular in wood and wood-look flooring. While these looks are trending in the bathroom, the smooth stone look is still going strong.
While a smooth floor may look flat and dated in other rooms, in the bathroom, it looks classic and expensive. This look tends to be one of the most timeless trends in bathroom flooring.
Handscraped Bathroom Flooring
Handscraped looks instantly make your bathroom look timeless and expensive as it features long, ingrained scrapes with high variation between planks, making each plank appear handcrafted, unique, and rare. These are perfect for a rustic, farmhouse-style bathroom with plenty of character.
Because handscraped floors look truly finished, they are trendy not just with younger homeowners but also with more established homeowners as well. Handscraped floors are almost guaranteed to amp up your home value.
You’ll see trendy hand-scraped wood looks in just about every waterproof flooring option – vinyl, tile, laminate, etc. Each floor has different advantages, so it’s really up to you to determine what meets your needs.
Wirebrushed Bathroom Flooring
Homeowners are loving weathered wirebrushed looks. Wirebrushed looks show subtle, intentional wire scratches, leaving the appearance of exposed wood on the surface. These imperfections are smoother and more consistent than hand-scraped or distressed looks.
This trendy look adds character to your floor without looking unfinished.
In the last few years, wirebrushed floors were the leading trend in textured flooring. However, moving forward, I anticipate that handscraped and distressed looks will knock them out of the running pretty quickly.
Distressed Bathroom Flooring
Distressed looks are often mistaken for hand-scraped. Distressed looks, however, look as though they’ve been through a lot of wear and tear. You can expect to see the appearance of scrapes, burns, knots, wormholes, and more, giving these floors an aged, antique look.
Setting the tone with a floor that looks almost historic instantly gives you an envy-inducing bathroom. Distressed floors make a great pairing with a classic clawfoot tub, stacked stone wall tiles, and any rustic decor.
General Textured and Non-Slip Bathroom Flooring
Not all textures are for the intention of the design. One popular choice in bathroom flooring is to add just a bit of texture to help avoid slipping and safety hazards.
This trend is more popular in homes where a simple slip can be a big deal. No one wants to be nervous to take a shower. Textured, non-slip bathroom tiles are great for the safety and resale of your home, and this extra precaution isn’t likely to change with the trends.
Other Helpful Bathroom Flooring Content
2025 Bathroom Flooring Trends: 20+ Updated Styles
Ask any real estate agent, and they will tell you that the best way to increase the value of your home is to update either the bathroom or the kitchen. They’re the rooms in the home that see the most traffic, especially the bathroom. But how do you keep your bathroom current? By keeping up with 2025 bathroom flooring trends.
Of course, the design and overall tone of any room start with your floor. It’s one of the biggest purchases you will make in any home update. To find the best flooring for bathrooms, you’ll want to consider your style and which looks will stand the test of time, should you decide to sell.
Best Bathroom Flooring Options
Researching flooring for the bathroom? You're in the right place. Your best bet for a durable, low-maintenance floor is a range of 100% waterproof bathroom flooring options such as waterproof core vinyl, or porcelain and ceramic tile. Water-resistant laminate is also a great option.
With so many flooring options to choose from, the task of finding the right floor for you can be a challenge. The good news is I’ve done the work for you! I’ve compiled a list of waterproof bathroom flooring ideas with pros and cons, and figured out what flooring might work best for your specific bathroom.