'Tile drenching': The statement-making interiors trend to try in 2025
'Tile drenching' is the latest maximalist interiors trend to have on your radar for 2025.
Inspired by colour drenching, where a single shade dominates the room, tile drenching is a design technique that involves encasing a room from floor to ceiling in tiles. It creates a striking aesthetic, especially ideal for utilitarian spaces like bathrooms in your home.
But what exactly is tile drenching, and how can you get the look?
Here's everything you need to know…
What is tile drenching?
Tile drenching extends tiles beyond the usual splashback or floor covering, using them across multiple surfaces for a seamless, immersive look.
Whether it's a shower enclosure that continues its tiling onto the ceiling or a kitchen where the worktops and walls are finished with a single tile, the aim is to create a sense of cohesion and visual flow.
"Tiles are far more than simply practical; they are a decorative tool to be used as you would paint and wallpaper," explains Alaina Binks, Style and Interiors Editor at Country Living.
"There's scope to mix and layer patterns and colours as well as playing with tile size and orientation (think a simple shift in the direction of metro tiles used all over to define floor and wall areas)."
Tile drenching: 4 ways to nail the look
Tile drenching is bold but surprisingly easy to incorporate. "Stick to the simple design rule of a limited colour palette to create cohesion for success using solid colours or even the busiest combination of patterns," says Alaina.
Opt for a single tile in different finishes – Many tile ranges offer matte, gloss, and textured versions. Mixing these subtly prevents the space from feeling flat.
Experiment with tile placement – Laying metro tiles vertically on walls but horizontally on floors creates a subtle contrast without disrupting the flow.
Keep grout in mind – Colour-matched grout enhances the drenching effect while contrasting grout can define patterns.
Embrace different tones and patterns — For those who prefer a softer look, mixing up the tones within the same colour family adds depth without being overpowering. For something a bit bolder, you can play with patterns or even opt for the same colour overall if you're looking for a strong colour impact.
A simple room refresher
With so many varieties of tiles available, you'll be spoilt for choice when making this trend sing in your space. From handmade terracotta to bold graphic ceramics — there's no limit to how this trend can be tailored to different interior styles, depending on your taste. Whether you're drawn to rustic charm or sleek modernism, tile drenching is a versatile, future-proof way to refresh your home.
Tile drenching is also practical and durable, ideal for moisture-prone areas like kitchens and bathrooms. The trend aligns with the growing demand for low-maintenance, high-impact design solutions that allow homeowners to create stylish, long-lasting spaces.
Bathroom tile ideas: mixed patterns
This bathroom mixes patterns in a very country cottage manner – placing striped wallpaper together with checkered floor tiles in a contrast that feels playful and bright. Never be put off by the idea of wallpaper bubbling in a steamy bathroom – it is more resilient than you may think. Just be sure to use water-resistant materials in those areas likely to be splashed.
Pictured: Senator Bath without Feet at BC Designs
Bathroom tile ideas: texture
This bathroom chooses texture over colour – a reasonable design decision in a room intended for indulgence and relaxation. High-gloss fish scale wall tiles mix surprisingly well with a matte marble here, plus tiling the inside of your shower cubicle and reserving marble for the trim is a great cost-saving exercise.
Pictured: Panelling in Elgin™ No.20 at Mylands
Bathroom tile ideas: vintage
Modern blush pink wall tiles take on a vintage feel when paired with cream wood, mismatched accessories, and sweet floral wallpaper. We will forever be fans of putting an accent chair in a bathroom to make it feel welcoming, and lived-in. Plus it doubles as a handy place to keep a towel or a book nearby whilst you enjoy a soak.
Pictured: Country Living Artisan Peony Blush Ceramic Wall Tile at Homebase
Bathroom tile ideas: neutrals
To create a serene bathroom sanctuary, neutrals alongside natural materials should be your go to. Strong contrasts in colour or pattern aren't needed to make bathroom tiles stand out – just the interesting herringbone pattern and textured surface here is plenty.
Pictured: Walls in Threadneedle™ No.262 at Mylands
Bathroom tile ideas: retro
This bathroom uses a few well-selected features to create a retro design scheme – the powdery pink and blue colour palette, as well as the clever black break in the tiling, the rattan mirror, and of course that fabulous sherbet pink Burlington basin helps too.
Pictured: Oska Powder Pink Matt Porcelain at Mandarin Stone
Bathroom tile ideas: reclaimed
This Bolonia design from Bert & May was inspired by the intricate pattern on a reclaimed tile. When paired with the faded colour way, and the natural imperfections of a handmade piece, this splash back looks like the kind of fabulous discovery most home renovators can only dream of.
Pictured: Pink Bolonia Tile at Bert & May
Bathroom tile ideas: floor to ceiling pattern
A clever bathroom effect that would be so easy to replicate. We love this bold use of green and white stripe that blends seamlessly from floor to wall – a great choice for a cloakroom or small bathroom.
Pictured: Green Alalpardo Porcelain Tile at Bert & May
Bathroom tile ideas: feature flooring
Standout floor tiling can add a brilliant touch of character to an otherwise plain space. The chalky, plaster effect walls make a great compliment here, so too does the choice of a dark wood sink unit – a lighter wood could look washed out next to the more saturated colours in the floor tiles.
Pictured: Basin Mixer at Drummonds
Bathroom tile ideas: rustic
Bathrooms can on occasion look too sterile and clinical, which tends not to suit a country home. There are some useful tricks here that counter it, namely the rustic cupboard door, accents of wood, exposed bulb pendant light (although a vintage chandelier would work just as well,) and the chalky, encaustic effect on the floor tiles.
Pictured: Country Living Starry Skies Peacock Tile at Homebase
Bathroom tile ideas: Moroccan
There is a natural richness to Moroccan-inspired motifs, even when used in a cooler colour palette like blue or green. These kinds of tiles invite warming woods and rattans, antiqued brass or chrome details, and work especially well in bathrooms with plenty of natural light.
Pictured: Blue Bolonia Tile at Bert & May
Bathroom tile ideas: 70's style
This fabulous bathroom embraces 70's styling head on, with a lot of red-toned wood and geometric tiles. A bathroom is a great place to decorate thematically – they are usually small spaces, and we spend less time in them than the main living areas in our home, so going big and bold on a theme is less of a risk.
Pictured: Walls in The Boltons™ No.28 at Mylands
Bathroom tile ideas: feature wall
Get creative with your bathroom tiles, and think beyond the usual two-tone. This is a clever way to introduce art into a bathroom – and totally splash-proof.
Pictured: Bath painted in Pavilion Blue No.252 at Farrow & Ball
Bathroom tile ideas: white tiles
If you are more inclined to decorate with a plain white tile, but don't want anything too stark or clinical, there are certain design features you can look out for - opt for something with rough and rounded edges, a rippled surface, or cracked glaze. Imperfections are your friend in this instance.
Pictured: Country Living Artisan Winter Sky Ceramic Wall Tile at Homebase
Bathroom tile ideas: colour blocking
This clever tiling effect would be utterly effortless to recreate in your own bathroom. Mandarin Stone have used a single tile design in four pale colours to create an interesting colour block feature.
Pictured: Gelato Matt Ceramic Tiles at Mandarin Stone
Bathroom tile ideas: tiled area rug
This is one of our favourite bathroom tile effects on our list. Create a tiled area rug to sit neatly under a free-standing bath, or simply at the centre of your bathroom. As you can see in this bathroom, all of the pattern can be concentrated in a small area, and the rest of the space left relatively plain.
Pictured: Reclaimed Tiles collection at Berty & May
Bathroom tile ideas: tiled fireplace effect
An interesting way to tackle an unused fireplace – here, it has become a small feature wall filled with classic navy kit kat tiles that frame a freestanding bathtub.
Pictured: Country Living Artisan French Navy Ceramic Wall Tile, and Starry Skies Indigo Blue Porcelain Tile, both at Homebase
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