Bathroom Flooring Ideas

A subtle pattern can visually elongate a room. Here, black insets on the vintage-inspired floor tile play off the verticality of the beaded board and draw the eye toward the windows.

To add subtle interest to your bath design, consider including glass insets. In this bath full of vintage-inspired details, glass insets punctuate the limestone floor.

Flooring can be used as a uniting element for distinct areas. Here, the pale oak planks help retain the bath's overall sense of intimacy while offering visual continuity between two zones of the room.

A popular bathroom flooring trend is installing radiant heat that provides a welcome alternative to cold, hard surfaces. In this bath, radiant heat warms the limestone and mosaic tiles that adorn the floor.

Mosaic tiles are an easy way to customize your floors. Here, gold-tone marble tiles outline the shape of the room.

In an all-white bathroom, hardwood flooring can provide contrast and prevent the overall design from feeling too cold. In this bath, the simple white palette is warmed by reclaimed plank flooring.

To add vintage flair to a remodeled bath, make sure your floors -- whether reclaimed or new -- have an old-fashioned feel. In this bath, the mosaic-tile flooring plays off the nostalgic charm of the reproduction claw-foot tub.

Natural materials can add a masculine, earthy feel to baths. Here, dark slate flooring makes the crisp white tub and sink (not shown) pop. River stones are used in the shower and as a border around the freestanding tub to designate wet floor space.

For design continuity throughout your home, consider matching flooring or other major elements in all of your bathrooms. In this remodeled bath, the homeowners chose new, unglazed hexagonal mosaic tiles to match those used in the home's other baths.

For a rugged retreat, consider using natural materials like the earthy, textured slate used here.

Opulent marble flooring can reflect light to help illuminate a regal master bath. Here, marble floors and other surfaces help make the showstopping space appear much larger than it is.

A light, polished floor can effectively offset rich wood cabinets, making a strong design statement as in this master bath.

Light-colored marble creates the illusion of more space in a small bath. In this bath, carrara marble, chosen for its heat conduction, fits the white scheme and blankets the floor.

Use a classic, simple floor pattern to add texture to a vintage bathroom. This playful pattern gives the illusion of depth.

Mix a classic pattern with large tiles for a slightly formal look. This heated floor with variegated marble tiles arranged in a herringbone pattern serves as the bath's traction-conscious foundation.

Simply changing the angle at which tiles are laid can make a big design impact. To visually broaden the narrow corridor, these limestone field tiles were laid on the floor on the diagonal within a tile border.

To draw attention to the floor in a simply designed bath, lay small floor tiles like these that deserve a second look.

Architectural salvage yards are great suppliers of vintage flooring. Internet auction sites can turn up gems, too. Search under such listings as "architectural salvage," "demolition contractors," or "building materials." In this bath, vintage charm comes in the form of antique random-width wood flooring salvaged from a local barn.

Contrast floor tile with other bathroom surfaces to add interest. Here, translucent glass tiles calm the room and contrast with the white cabinetry.