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Design Dilemma: Black Tile Enjoys Its Moment

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Bathroom trends come and go. A few years ago, vessel sinks and full cabinet vanities were the rage. Then sinks without vanities became the rage. Then undermounted sinks with leggy vanities came into vogue. And the trends keep coming…and going. When it comes to tile, there was a mosaic tile phase, a white subway tile phase and a large format tile phase.

This year, one of the most prominent trends has been a move to black tile. The look has several things going for it. For one, it’s still unexpected. In addition, black always carries an air of sophistication and drama. Plus, although black is unexpected, it is still a neutral color that is likely to maintain its credibility long after the trend has come and gone. In other words, you won’t feel the need to rip out the tile, the way you might with more offbeat color choices such as baby pink, mint green or burgundy.

Here are some of the more successful projects we’ve seen using black tile.

Below, a small bathroom uses black hexagonal floor tiles, very classic in feeling. What’s great about black tiles here is that they don’t show dirt the same way white tiles would. The rest of the room is white and fresh, giving this bathroom a timeless feeling that seems impervious to trends.

White subway tiles have had a good long run in decorating annals and they are unlikely to go out of style anytime soon. But those who want to add a different take to a classic style might consider subway tiles in black. The tile, when combined with sharply contrasting white grout, is a little bit funky and urban, as seen below:

And here:

When the grout is a little darker, as seen in the first photo of this post or in the photo below, the look is more classic and sophisticated:

And the clean classic look also extends to squared tiles. The grid has a modernist appeal that seems to work perfectly in mid-century modern interiors:

When black tiles are given a hexagonal shape on the wall, they exude “glam”.

Large format black tiles look very modern:

And small glossy black mosaic tiles look very sumptuous and expensive:

And sometimes it’s a matter of combining black tiles with a touch of another color for a unique and warm look:

And this:

What do you think? Will the black tile trend have legs?