Mosaic tiles for bathrooms and kitchens

1. Mosaic bathroom and kitchen tiles

There is a huge range of mosaic bathroom tiles available, so you’re bound to be able to find the most colourful, imaginative, and innovative solution for your own home. Mosaic tiles are also becoming increasingly popular for the kitchen. The world of mosaic tiles is characterised by a multitude of colours, shades, designs, and, last but not least, materials from which they are made. It’s a world with endless possibilities – for example, a coloured glass mosaic creates a translucent beauty, a subtle glint, and adds freshness, while using stone ceramic tiles for a mosaic gives a classy, sophisticated look to any space.

1.1. Mosaic tiles throughout history

History tells us that there has always been a connection between ceramics and mosaics. Ceramic tiles were used skilfully by ancient civilizations to create complex mosaics, the remains of which take our breath away to this day. Since they require great skill, knowledge, and experience, but also great stamina from whoever is placing them, mosaic tiles were initially used only as a decorative element in public buildings and villas of the wealthy. However, today, of course, many, many centuries later, we now have them in our bathrooms and kitchens. This has been made possible by modern technology, by simplifying the work process and by making the tiles more resistant and durable.

2. Why choose mosaic tiles?

Mosaic tiles in the kitchen or bathroom are perfect for anyone who is feeling even slightly daring or loves originality. They stand out for their unique, minimalist, and miniature look. You can express your own creativity through them, using the colours and shapes to come up with any number of unique designs for the bathroom or kitchen.

The advantages of mosaic tiles are that you can cover curved or uneven surfaces, which standard tiles cannot, and they are suitable for covering any floor or wall substrate. Mosaic tiles are also great for the bathroom because every time you walk in, you will feel like a patrician at the Roman baths.

3. Mosaic tiles in the bathroom

It’s a fact that these tiles add an air of luxury and rarity to any space thanks to their miniature size and the optical illusion they create. You can use mosaic tiles to decorate an entire space, creating one or more mosaics and even combining them with standard, larger format tiles, brightening the whole room and bringing it to life. The unwritten rule is that mosaics are placed in those areas that deserve to be accented - for example, a wall with a shower, the area around the bathtub, or around the sink. The use of these tiles in other rooms has become so popular over the years that they are now readily available in any tile showroom.

3.1. Disadvantages of mosaic tiles in the bathroom

It is recommended that mosaic tiles are not laid on bathroom floors. The reason for this is very simple. Since the tiles are so tiny, the gaps between them are large and so much dirt and grime will accumulate in them that it’ll be practically impossible to keep the grouting clean. If you still want mosaic tiles in such places (say, on the floor in the shower), we strongly recommend you lay the tiles in such a way that they align with the joints, i.e. slightly sunken. This will minimise the difference in height between the tile and the grouting, making cleaning much easier. We also suggest opting for darker grout for such surfaces as discolouration over time due to damage, dirt, and grime will be less noticeable.

In the same way, we don’t recommend stone mosaic tiles for the floor due to the exposure to various abrasive and acidic cleaning products. For bathrooms, ceramic and glass mosaic tiles or a combination are best.

4. Mosaic tiles in the kitchen

Mosaic tiles are increasingly being used in the kitchen although they are a relatively new trend, only becoming popular in recent years. They are mainly used for walls and are usually placed in such a way so as to form an eye-catching focal point, which again takes us back to past civilizations. Less often, tiles are used to form mosaics on countertops. However, as with mosaic tiles in the bathroom, the sheer quantity of grout will make the day-to-day cleaning of the worktop difficult and laborious. In the kitchen, this is actually even more of a problem because the kitchen counter is in almost constant use, so it must be constantly cleaned. Oil, grease, pieces of food, crumbs, and the like will keep getting spilt or staining the tiles on the countertop or getting into the joints between them, meaning cleaning it will be a real challenge. If you do decide to go for this inarguably incredibly elegant, striking countertop design, follow the tips we talked about for mosaic tiles on bathroom floors.

5. Mosaic tiles – price per m2

Mosaic tiles cost slightly more than ordinary, standard dimension tiles and there is also a little more work when it comes to actually laying them. The price of mosaic tiles for the bathroom and kitchen is certainly affected by various factors: size, material, colours, textures, shape, and the like. Bearing in mind that you will pay approximately NGN3,000 - NGN5,000/m2 for standard ceramic tiles measuring 30x30 cm, the price for average mosaic tiles starts at NGN8,500/m2, which is the same as the price of large format ceramic tiles (80x80 cm or 30x100 cm).

As with any tiles, mosaic tiles for the bathroom and kitchen can differ significantly in price. You will find tiles costing NGN10,000/m2, but they can be even more expensive. It is important to remember that when tiles cost over NGN15,000/m2, you are in fact usually only paying for the brand name rather than the actual quality. Therefore, before you buy, consider all the available options and be sure to visit several showrooms.