Tiles look beautiful in a bathroom, but as a high-ticket item with costly professional installation, it isn’t the best option for everyone – especially for a smaller space.
Using luxury vinyl tile instead of stone, porcelain, or ceramic is a more affordable alternative. It’s easy to lay, suitable for DIY-ers, and costs significantly less compared to laying tiles in a bathroom.
See our favorite small bathroom flooring ideas using popular tile alternatives, like wood-look tiles and marble-effect luxury vinyl tiles.
What Colors Work Best For Smaller Bathrooms?
Using lighter colors in a small bathroom always makes the space appear bigger. Grays, whites, creams, and pastels bounce light around the room and highlight every corner, giving an illusion of more space.
However, using dark colors in a small bathroom is a growing trend. Provided you style them right, darker tiles can make a bathroom feel bigger.
Bold, block colors – think forest green, black, dark brown, navy blue, and even red or orange – create visual depth and contrast. This promotes a luxurious feel, with the darker colors offering a sense of vastness despite the smaller square footage.
Small Bathroom Flooring Ideas: Affordable Floor Tile Alternatives That Maximize Light & Space
Uncover our favorite small bathroom flooring options – and shop the look with our affordable tile alternatives for bathrooms using luxury vinyl tiles.
1. Terrazzo Tile Alternatives
Stemming from the Art Deco era, terrazzo floor tiles combine voguish style with old-fashioned charm.
In smaller bathrooms, the white space visually expands the floor, while the speckled elements create a subtle, yet poignant contrast.
2. Wood-Look Floor Tiles
Wood isn’t designed for a bathroom, but wood-look flooring offers the beauty of natural wood without the longevity concerns.
Wood – light or dark – has a unique coloring; it’s bright, neutral, and brings a sense of calm inside the home.
In smaller spaces, the warmth creates light and intimacy, which, when combined, creates its own sense of spaciousness.
3. Travertine-Look Vinyl Tiles
For small rooms, travertine-look vinyl tiles are another superb choice.
Available in white, cream, taupe, and off-white, the pale coloring offers a subtle shine that reflects light, while the brushed effect raises it towards the ceiling.
This creates an almost 3D-like appearance that expands floor space.
4. Gray Marble-Look Vinyl Tiles
Marble is always a favorite, but gray marble is even more divine.
With its exceptional ability to add luxury and luster to any bathroom, its use in smaller spaces is ideal.
Gray marble vinyl can be paired with painted walls, wall paneling, a block-colored tile, or even the same LVT.
5. Stone-Look Vinyl Tiles
Possessing the classic look, stone-look vinyl tiles mimic the natural appearance of real stone – even down to its embossed feel – without the heavy price tag or frequent-resealing hassle.
Stone-look vinyl is easy to lay over any surface; simply slice the floor with a Stanley blade and click it into place over your subfloor (we recommend laying vinyl underlay first).
6. Gray Luxury Vinyl Tiles
You don’t always have to adopt light or neutral tiles to add space to a bathroom.
Darker colors ooze a sense of luxury, and while they can bring the walls closer together, they can also blur the boundaries of a room, creating height and width to maximize space.
7. White Marble-Look Vinyl Tiles
Widely recognized for its classically veined surface, white marble vinyl tiles are unique in their ability to be paired with anything – from wood and block colors, to even marble itself.
Completely versatile and always light reflecting, marble vinyl tiles are a bright, visually appealing choice for small bathrooms.
FAQs
What is the Best Flooring For a Bathroom Besides Tile?
The best flooring for a bathroom that isn’t tile is luxury vinyl tile (also known as LVT or LVP for luxury vinyl planks). Luxury vinyl is a waterproof floor that can be used in high-humidity areas, like bathrooms and kitchens.
While it doesn’t possess the same beauty and shine as real bathroom tiles, it offers a comely appearance and comes with other benefits, including:
- It’s warmer and softer underfoot
- It’s cheaper to purchase and install
- It is easy to DIY, with integrated grout and sawless cuts
- An embossed surface mimics the feel of real stone
- It’s a quieter floor with more soundproofing
- It’s easy to clean, with no risk of grout stains
Read more about the benefits of luxury vinyl flooring.
Can Vinyl Plank Flooring Be Used in a Bathroom?
Yes, luxury vinyl plank flooring can be used in a bathroom. As a waterproof floor, it can be used around ceramic items (like sinks, cabinets, and toilets) and outside a bath or shower without issue.
It can also be used on bathroom walls, although wall paneling is often a more suitable, lightweight, and cheaper option (see the best flooring to pair with wall paneling).
Things to remember when considering luxury vinyl for a bathroom include:
- Check it’s a waterproof type of floor (see the manufacturer’s guide)
- Don’t use LVT or LVP inside a shower (like on shower walls or floors), as it won’t be able to withstand the constant water flow
- Consider using a suitable luxury vinyl underlayment to protect the subfloor from moisture
Read more about the best luxury vinyl for bathrooms.
What Flooring Looks Like Tile But Isn’t?
Luxury vinyl tiles (known as LVT) look similar to tiles, but aren’t made from stone, ceramic, or porcelain (popular tile materials). Vinyl is a waterproof floor that’s more affordable and easier to lay.
Vinyl tiles use EIB technology, which gives the surface a raised effect that mimics real stone tiles. It’s uncommon to use real stone tiles in bathrooms, as the humidity can wear away the surface (unless it’s routinely sealed and well cared for after showering).
Instead, most people use ceramic or porcelain, which often has a glossy or non-slip matte effect. Or they opt for luxury vinyl tiles, which mimic the surface of real stone tiles, without worrying about the extra maintenance.
What is the Best Underlayment For Vinyl Plank Flooring?
You can install modern luxury vinyl flooring over a subfloor without underlay – particularly if the planks have a pre-attached underlay.
However, for the softest, quietest, and most durable floor, it’s best to install underlay. Underlay protects floors against moisture damage, which is particularly beneficial when using luxury vinyl floors in bathrooms.
We recommend using cork, foam, felt, particle board, rubber, or plywood/OSB underlay beneath vinyl floors. Learn more about the best underlayment for vinyl flooring in different rooms.
Summary – Shop Luxury Vinyl Tiles Today
Luxury vinyl flooring is one of the best tile alternatives for bathrooms, kitchens, and other spaces around the home.
With good durability and a range of styles to choose from, it’s a great choice for smaller bathrooms or larger spaces.
Get inspired and shop our collection of luxury vinyl flooring (including tiles and planks) today. Or try our flooring visualizer to see what floors look best in your home!
