Mirror tiles in the bathroom: features, pros and cons, recommendations for choosing
For many people, the bathroom is more than just a shower room. Often this is the only place in the apartment where we can retire and relax after a hard day. Therefore, I want this place to be beautiful and cozy. Ceramic tiles are found in almost every bathroom, regardless of the type and size of the room. Only design, size and price differ. If you are not looking for standard "hackneyed" solutions, consider diversifying your bathroom interior and decorating it with mirror tiles.
Such a coating is usually made of glass with a mirror layer applied. Also in modern stores you can find plastic options for finishing tiles, but this material is considered less practical and least preferable for wet rooms.
Advantages and disadvantages of mirror tiles
This material has many advantages.
- Unusual design. Mirror tiles are not nearly as common in bathroom design as conventional ceramics, so this is a great way to transform a boring interior.
- Big choice. The consumer is offered a wide range of colors, a variety of shapes and sizes, which allows you to create an individual pattern.
- Durability. Due to some technological features of manufacturing, mirror tiles are durable and wear-resistant material. Unlike the classic mirror cloth, bathroom tiles can easily tolerate large temperature changes, are not afraid of acids, alkalis and other chemicals.
- Simple cleaning.The rules for caring for mirror tiles do not differ from ordinary mirrors.
- Suitable for small spaces. The mirror surface has the ability to visually expand the space, so this tile will look great even in a small bathroom.
- Simple styling process.
The main disadvantages of mirror tiles include the following factors.
- The fragility of the material. Glass, which is the basis of the decor, is a very fragile and capricious material. Therefore, during transportation, it is necessary to carefully pack each tile, and use special tools during installation.
- High price. This is due to the fact that high technologies and expensive components are used in the production of mirror tiles. All this ultimately affects the cost of production.
- In case of insufficient ventilation, the canvas may lose its original shine and fade over time. Therefore, in a bathroom with mirror tiles, it is necessary to install a good hood, and this will entail additional costs.
- The presence of certain skills when laying. Despite the fact that the process of laying mirror tiles itself practically does not differ from laying ordinary ceramics, it will still require some experience and utmost scrupulousness when working with this material.
Variety of shapes and design options
The peculiarity of mirror tiles is that there should not be too many of them. The smaller the tile size, the smaller the area covered by it should be. This is especially true for the most common tile shapes - square and rectangle. They can be used to compose complex geometric shapes such as a triangle, trapezoid, irregular polygon. They can be with a regular surface or with a facet, that is, with beveled edges. The last option in the compositions looks especially beautiful and unusual.
The front side of the tile may also have some design differences. Traditionally, this is a smooth, mirror-like surface. But some collections include tiles with a fancy finish - this may be some kind of drawing or inscription applied to the front side. The refracted surface looks very unusual, with the effect of broken glass. Also in stores there is a rounded decor - a circle or an ellipse. However, most buyers still prefer an even mirror surface of a regular square or rectangular shape.
It is much easier to lay such tiles, and it is much more common in stores.
As for the choice of colors, manufacturers also offer the entire color palette of the rainbow - from dark red and deep blue to pale lilac or matte yellow. These colors require a thorough design approach, as they are not suitable for every material.
The sizes of the tiles are also pleasing with their variety. From small tiles of a mosaic type with dimensions of 5 * 5 cm, a certain plot or figure is usually laid out. Larger briquettes such as 10 * 10 cm or 15 * 15 can be used to decorate a fragment of one of the walls. There are also sizes 20 * 20 cm, 30 * 30 and even 50 * 50 cm. Such tiles are suitable for completely cladding the surface.
Styling options
The most traditional use of mirror tiles in a bathroom is wall cladding in part or in whole. You can also create a mirrored ceiling in the bathroom. With this design, the room will not only appear taller, but will also become lighter due to the rays reflected in the ceiling from the lamp.
Designers advise against making all rooms mirrored. Firstly, it gets tired, and secondly, the mirror will impartially reflect not only all the advantages of your appearance, but also its shortcomings.
The best way to install mirror tiles is to match them with ceramic tiles of the same size. Traditional mirror cloth looks most advantageous in combination with white or black.
If the mirror has some other color, then here it is better to choose a pair either to match it, or to play in contrast.
The ageless staggered order of wall cladding is relevant to this day, when the mirror alternates with ceramics. Both square and rectangular briquettes are equally suitable here. The herringbone styling option also looks good, when the tiles are laid out at right angles to each other. Any size from medium to large is suitable for these options.
If you revet the corners of the walls in height with mirrored panels, this will increase the room both upward and in breadth.
A small mosaic with a facet looks very elegant if you lay it out along the perimeter of the main mirror in the bathroom. The rays of light will be refracted at the beveled edges and fill the entire room with iridescent tints. But it is not worth laying out large areas with small tiles, just as you should not lay the tiles joint to joint.
For information on how to make a panel of mirror tiles in the bathroom, see the video below.
