How to choose bathroom tiles: the complete Australian guide

Floor vs wall tiles — are they interchangeable?

In theory, no. In practice, most quality porcelain tiles can go on both floor and wall — but there are important exceptions.

Floor tiles must carry a slip resistance rating for wet areas. Wall tiles don't need one. This is the primary functional distinction. A wall tile used on a floor in a wet area is a safety risk.

Structurally, floor tiles need to be harder (higher PEI rating) to withstand foot traffic. Most wall tiles have a PEI rating of 0–2. Floor tiles should be PEI 3 or above for residential use.

The practical rule: If a porcelain tile is rated R10 or above and has a PEI rating of 3+, it can go on both floor and wall. A tile only rated for walls cannot safely go on a wet-area floor. Always check the product data sheet.

Using the same tile on both floor and wall is one of the most effective ways to make a bathroom feel larger and more cohesive — it removes the visual break at skirting level and creates an uninterrupted surface.

Slip ratings explained

Australia uses two slip rating systems: the R-rating (DIN 51130, from Germany) and the P-rating (AS 4586, the Australian standard). Both appear on tile data sheets.

For Australian bathrooms:Shower floors need R11 or P4 minimum. Main bathroom floors (outside the shower) need R10. Dry areas (ensuite corridors, bedroom) can use R9. When in doubt, go R10 — it's not appreciably rougher underfoot and gives you more flexibility.

What size tile is right for your bathroom?

The most persistent myth in bathroom design is that small bathrooms need small tiles. It's wrong. Fewer grout lines read as more space. Large format tiles (600×1200, 800×800) in a consistent colour typically make a small bathroom feel larger, not smaller.

That said, size choice has practical implications:

• Large format (600mm+): Requires a flatter substrate — the floor/wall must be within 3mm over 3 metres for large tiles to sit flat. Lippage (tiles not sitting flush) is more visible on large format. Needs a skilled installer.
• Medium format (300–600mm): The most versatile. Works on most substrates. The 300×600 and 600×600 are the most commonly tiled formats in Australian bathrooms.
• Small format (under 300mm): Mosaic, zellige, hexagon, subway. Adds visual texture and detail. More grout lines. Better for feature walls and areas where you want pattern rather than continuity.

The practical rule: If you want simplicity and a seamless look, go large format. If you want character and texture, go small format for at least one surface (typically the feature wall or shower nib).

Porcelain vs natural stone

This is the most common buying decision in the premium bathroom segment. Both are genuinely beautiful. The choice comes down to maintenance tolerance and budget.

Our recommendation: Use porcelain on the floor (maintenance and slip rating advantages), and consider natural stone for a feature wall or shower nib where the character reads best and maintenance is lower than a floor.

Finish: matte, polished, honed, or textured?

Finish affects how a tile looks, how easy it is to clean, and — critically — its slip resistance. The key finishes for bathrooms:

• Matte: The safest choice for floors — naturally slip-resistant, hides water marks and footprints, low-maintenance. The dominant finish in contemporary Australian bathrooms.
• Polished: Highly reflective, luxurious, makes small spaces feel larger. Not suitable for wet floors without an anti-slip treatment — slippery when wet. Best for feature walls, dry area floors, and large-format wall tiles.
• Honed: A mid-point — smoother than matte but not reflective like polished. The standard finish for natural stone (travertine, marble). Good slip resistance. Elegant and not clinical.
• Textured / lappato: A partial polish that catches light without being fully reflective. Better slip resistance than fully polished. The most common finish on large-format porcelain tiles.
• Satin / semi-matte: A soft sheen without reflectivity. Easy to clean, good for walls. Not commonly used on floors due to intermediate slip resistance.

Grout: colour, width, and type

Grout is the most underestimated design decision in any tiling job. A $150/m² tile with the wrong grout looks worse than a $60/m² tile with the right one.

Grout width

• 1–2mm: Rectified large-format porcelain. The most contemporary look. Minimises the grid.
• 3–5mm: Standard for most porcelain and ceramic. Subway tiles, medium-format floors.
• 5–10mm: Handmade tiles (zellige, terracotta) where size variation requires a wider joint.

Grout colour

Matching the grout to the tile creates a seamless, continuous surface — the grid almost disappears. Contrasting grout (e.g., charcoal on white subway) emphasises the tile layout pattern. Neither is wrong, but decide intentionally.

White grout in a bathroom floor will grrey over time with cleaning. Mid-tone grouts (warm grey, linen) are more forgiving. Epoxy grout is the most stain-resistant but requires a skilled tiler to apply cleanly.

Grout type

• Cement-based: The standard. Must be sealed in wet areas. Good for most bathroom applications.
• Epoxy: Waterproof, stain-resistant, requires no sealing. Best for shower floors, pool areas. Harder to apply — add 20% to tiler quote for epoxy grout jobs.

How much tile do you need?

The formula is simple. The application of it trips people up constantly.

The critical rule: Always over-order rather than under-order. Having spare tiles from the same batch is invaluable for repairs. A future repair tile from a different batch will almost certainly be a different shade. Most tile retailers (including us) allow returns on unopened boxes — so over-ordering has almost no downside.

Use our tile calculator to get a precise figure for your bathroom.

The most common bathroom tiling mistakes

1. 1
   Buying the exact measured area with no wastage

   You will run short. Cuts, breakages, and the need to keep spare tiles all require over-ordering. Minimum 10%, ideally 15% extra.

2. 2
   Not ordering a sample first

   Bathroom lighting (usually artificial, often warm) reads tile colour differently from a showroom or a screen. Always get physical samples before committing to a full order.

3. 3
   Using a wall tile on a wet-area floor

   Most wall tiles have no slip rating. A polished wall tile on a shower floor is a genuine safety risk. Always check the data sheet.

4. 4
   Not waterproofing before tiling

   Waterproofing is a separate trade in Australia and must be done before tiling. If your tiler skips it, water gets behind the tiles. Tile failure, mould, and structural damage follow. It's not optional.

5. 5
   Choosing white grout on dark floors

   Dark floor tiles with white grout will always show every scuff and mark between the tiles. Match the grout to the tile colour on floors.

6. 6
   Not accounting for grout joints in the tile layout

   A tile that's 600×600mm with a 3mm joint takes up 603×603mm of space. On a 3m wall that's 4.97 tiles — not 5. Layout planning that ignores joints often results in a 5mm sliver tile at one end of the wall.