17 Subway Tile Bathroom Ideas for a Beautiful Bathroom

These gorgeous subway tile bathrooms prove that the humble subway tile can make any bathroom look amazing.

A few months ago when I redid our walk-in tile shower, I knew pretty much right away I wanted to use subway tile for the shower. I know that subway tile isn’t the most trendy, popular tile for showers right now. In fact, I very purposefully did not want to use the most trendy, popular tile.

As I’m writing this, every bathroom on TV and social media seems to have the same dark green or navy vertical stacked handmade tile. And it’s beautiful! But in a few months some other very specific tile will become the new hot thing and before long all those green and navy bathrooms will start to look ‘outdated’. When you choose materials that are very of the moment, they don’t always age well.

I’m a big believer in keeping the more permanent features of a room like flooring and tile more classic and neutral so that they look great for a very long time. Then you can bring in color and detail and more current design trends with paint and hardware and furniture – all things that can fairly easily and inexpensively be changed every few years.

And that’s why I’m a big fan of subway tile. It’s a classic and because it’s so neutral, there are lots of different ways to mix it up to create a beautiful bathroom.

Subway tile absolutely doesn’t have to be boring. Because it is so simple, small changes like using a different grout color or laying the tile in a different pattern can completely change the look of the tile.

I’ve gathered some of the most beautiful subway tile bathroom ideas to show just how versatile subway tile really can be. These bathrooms showcase how to use subway tile in all kinds of ways with different grout colors, different tile patterns, unique types of subway tile, and more.

What is subway tile?

Traditionally subway tiles are white rectangular ceramic or porcelain tiles laid horizontally in a brick pattern. They were first used in New York subway stations way back in 1904 because they were low-maintenance and easy-to-clean.

Today the term subway tile is still used for those original 3″x6″ white tiles, but the definition has also been expanded to include slightly larger or smaller tiles, longer rectangles, and even other colors and materials beyond the original white ceramic.

What makes subway tile the best

What I love the most about subway tile is that, while it’s had it’s moments of being super popular, it’s a classic. It’s been around for decades and it will continue to be around for decades.

So what gives it this staying power?

• It can look great with pretty much any decor style.
• The design is clean and simple.
• It’s super easy for even a DIY tiler to cut and install.
• It’s extremely affordable compared to other types of tile. Seriously, a classic 3″x6″ subway tile is only 15 cents. That puts it at around $1.50 per square foot. No other tile comes even close to that price.

Subway Tile Bathroom Ideas

There are so many different ways to use subway tile in a bathroom. These subway tile bathrooms can help make it a bit easier to choose the perfect grout color, tile placement, type of subway tile, and more.

You can also follow the links below each photo for lots more photos and details about each bathroom renovation.

Subway Tile Grout Options

Changing up the grout is one of the easiest ways to make a big change in the look of your bathroom. Any color can work with clean, white subway tile, but different grout colors give a different feel and also have different practical considerations.

Subway tile with gray grout

Light to medium gray grout is probably the most neutral look for subway tile. The gray grout contrasts enough with the tile to highlight the tile lines, but isn’t a design statement on it’s own.

Subway tile with black grout

Black grout with white subway tile has been fairly trendy over the past few years as modern farmhouse style took over. Even so, I wouldn’t say this is an overly trendy look since dark grout was also used with the original subway tile in the New York subway and has continued to be popular on and off ever since.

Tip: Keep in mind that black grout will really draw the eye to any imperfections in your tile installation, so it might not be ideal for first-timers.

Subway tile with white grout

White grout is a great choice if you really want your grout lines to almost disappear. White grout gives a super clean look, while allowing other parts of the room to be the focal point. In the shower pictured below, the white subway tile with white grout seamlessly blends in with the surrounding white walls.

Just keep in mind that white grout can be more difficult to keep clean so it may not be the best choice for areas that need to cleaned frequently. Shower walls are probably fine, but backsplashes may be an issue.

Subway Tile Patterns

There are also quite a few different ways to lay subway tile. Classic subway tiles are rectangles that are twice as long as they are high. This simple 2:1 ratio means that lots of different tile patterns can work well. Here are a few of the classics:

But you can make dozens of variations on these patterns by combining different patterns, adding borders, and mixing different sizes of tile. Just keep in mind that going super complex with your tile layout can sometimes take away from the timeless feel of subway tile.

Subway tile shower in a horizontal brick pattern

This is the most classic pattern of all – a horizontal brick layout, offset by 50%. When most people picture subway tile, this is what they picture. It may not be the most exciting layout, but it also will never be outdated.

Shower with horizontally stacked subway tile

This shower uses longer subway tile stacked horizontally. I love how this looks very current without being overly trendy.

Shower with vertically stacked subway tile

When you want to add a bit more color and personality to your shower, subway tile can also be the perfect thing to help complement and tone down other brighter colors. This bathroom has gorgeous deep green tile along the back wall but the side walls are more neutral white subway tile.

Horizontal subway tile with a vertical border

This shower is simple and classic, but the white and black tile border adds a nice graphic element. The combination of vertical subway tile and black pencil tile is a simple way to create a beautiful, inexpensive tile border.

Combining horizontal and vertical subway tile

This is a great example of how simple subway tiles can be combined to create all kinds of unique patterns. This pattern combines vertical stacked tiles with horizontal stripes for a more complex pattern. But since it’s put together using simple white tile, it doesn’t look overly complicated.

Where to use subway tile beyond the shower

I love a great subway tile shower, but the shower isn’t the only place in a bathroom that looks great tiled. Subway tiles aren’t usually thick enough to be used on floors, but there are plenty of other surfaces in a bathroom where they work perfectly and look beautiful.

Subway tile tub surround

When you have a built-in tub, it can be nice to give the tub surround a bit of an upgrade. This bathroom continues the white subway tile from the shower onto the walls around the tub as well as the front on the bathtub itself. It’s a nice touch and really gives the whole space a cohesive look.

Subway tile backsplash

Subway tile can also make an awesome backsplash behind your bathroom vanity. In this bathroom, the subway tile continues from the shower all the way around the vanity. It’s the perfect solution for practical reasons as well as aesthetics.

Subway tile half wall

Subway tile also makes a great half wall around a bathroom. It’s a simple way to make your bathroom look a lot more expensive for not a lot of money. In this bathroom, the tile half wall is the perfect balance to that beautiful graphic wallpaper.

Subway tile all over

Sometimes for a real spa look, it works best just to put subway tile everywhere – the shower, the tub, the walls. Because it’s such an affordable tile, this doesn’t have to be terribly expensive. In this bathroom, I love how the neutral tile really makes that gorgeous cedar ceiling pop!

Subway tile variations

I mentioned earlier that most subway tile is smooth white ceramic tile with a 2:1 ratio. But there are other types of subway tile as well. Some are a slightly different size or proportion. Some have a slightly different finish. And some maintain those classic proportions, but are made from an entirely different material.

Long, skinny subway tile

Probably the most common subway tile variation is the long, skinny tiles that have become more popular in recent years. The dimensions of these tiles are a bit reminiscent of wood plank flooring. They are usually a bit more expensive than the classic subway tile rectangles, but are still more affordable than most other tile options out there.

Wavy subway tile

Adding just a bit of texture to traditional subway tile has also become pretty popular. Some subway tiles have a beveled edge or a brick-like texture. The shower below has long subway tiles with a wavy surface. The rippled tiles reflect lots of light in a similar way to how moving water reflects light which can be really beautiful.

Marble subway tile

Even though traditional subway tile is white ceramic or porcelain tile, the term is used a bit more loosely these days. Often rectangular tile made in other materials is also called subway tile and by far the most popular of these is marble subway tile. Marble is also a very timeless material so pairing it with the classic proportions of subway tile only makes sense.

Marble subway tile floors

As I mentioned before, you really can’t use traditional subway tiles on floors because they are too thin. But if you are using marble subway tile, the floor is fair game! This Carrara marble subway tile is absolutely beautiful and the herringbone pattern is stunning.

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And now I think I’m more convinced than ever that subway tile really is the perfect tile. I’ve already used it in two different bathroom renovations and wouldn’t hesitate to use it again!