Timeless Black and White Bathroom Floor Tile Ideas

Discover a variety of elegant and timeless black and white bathroom floor tile ideas to enhance your home decor. These designs range from classic checkerboard patterns to modern geometric styles, perfect for adding a sophisticated touch to your bathroom.

black and white bathroom floor tile ideas

Black and white is a classic color combination that looks great in almost any home design and never goes out of style. (Very important when you’re putting down tile since it’s more difficult to remove than most other flooring).

Which is why I decided to use it when I did my master bathroom makeover.

The only trouble is there were so many tile designs to choose from that I had a hard time deciding which one to use.

So I went looking for some pictures of black and white bathrooms to use as inspiration.

And now I’m sharing a few of my favorite rooms with timeless black and white floor tiles. Plus the sources for buying the tiles.

The best part? Most of these tiles are ceramic or porcelain so they’re not very expensive.

Note: Some of the images below are not mine and cannot be pinned due to their copyright restrictions.

1 | Checkered bathroom floor

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My very first thought when I was remodeling my bathroom was to go with a black and white checkered tile pattern, like this one from House Beautiful.

This black and white color combination has a timeless, classic look to it that works with many design styles.

You can add a clawfoot tub for a more traditional look.

Retro bathroom with checkered black and white floor tiles

Or pair it with glossy black walls and a white porcelain sink with stainless steel legs for a more art deco or retro feel.

To install it, all you need are white tiles* and black tiles* of the same size, and then alternate them on the floor.

Putting the tiles on the diagonal gives the room even more interest.

Or if you happen to have white tiles on your floor already, you could just paint every other one black to give the same effect for a lot less time and money.

2 | White tiles with black grout

The next one of my inspiration pictures was this bathroom in the Siam Hotel in Thailand. (If I ever make it to Thailand, I know where I’m staying!)

I love the idea of white subway tiles with black grout.

Although they use this on the walls, I think it would work just as well on the floor with larger white tiles.

The black and white tile border finishes off the edges. On the floor, I might use this idea to create a tile “area rug” design in front of the vanity.

You can create this border with mosaic tiles. Or use a patterned tile (like this one*) to create the same effect.

3 | Black and white Floral Bathroom floor

Floral patterned tiles (like the ones in this room) are another one of my favorite black and white bathroom floor tile ideas.

The pattern creates an interesting backdrop, and definitely adds some pizzazz to any room.

black and white clawfoot tub on a floral pattern black and white tile floor
©nazariykarkhut – stock.adobe.com

Clawfoot tubs are an excellent choice with this tile (especially if you have a small bathroom).

Since the tub sides don’t go all the way to the ground, you can see more of the floor pattern.

Notice that both rooms use black and white tubs. And keep the rest of the room fairly simple (like white subway tiles on the wall with white grout).

This ensures that the floor stands out but the room doesn’t feel too busy.

You can find tiles similar to the pictures above in a black on white* version as well as a white on black* option.

4 | Hexagon penny tiles

These hexagonal penny tiles, installed with a contrasting hexagonal pattern in black are another cool bathroom floor tile design.

If you create the pattern yourself, you can control how much black is added.

So if it looks a little too busy for your tastes, you could add black tiles on every other hexagon (or every third one).

To create a similar look, buy sheets of white mosaic hexagonal tiles* (which come with a mesh backing), and a few sheets of black hexagonal tiles*.

Then peel some of the white tiles off the backing to create the hexagonal pattern, glue the mosaic mesh down and put black tiles in the empty spaces to complete the pattern.

5 | Black and white hexagon floor

For a more retro feel, this white mosaic tile with a black floral pattern is just the thing.

And it’s less work than the last option since the tile comes with the pattern already created for you.

You can even choose how many flowers you want.

Get the light pattern* for just a few, or the heavy pattern* if you like more of a statement. (The picture above is the heavy pattern).

If you want a more a more modern bathroom, create an asymmetrical floral pattern with larger hexagon tiles.

These black* and white hexagonal tiles* are a little more expensive than some of the other options, but they do make a statement in the room.

6 | Geometric floor tiles

This beautiful geometric patterned floor provides an interesting base for the rest of this glam black and white bathroom. (I love those gold stools!)

These tiles* from Home Depot are a little smaller and not as polished as the ones in the picture above, but the graphic triangle design is very similar.

Rotate them when you install them so that the black triangles meet up with the white ones.

This black, white and gray tile* is another option that provides the same kind of impact on the floor with a slightly different pattern.

7 | Square inset tiles

Black square insets in a white tile bathroom floor

Another geometric flooring pattern that’s a little simpler to install than the last one is using small black square tiles at the corners of larger white ones.

Because it isn’t as busy, it works equally well in small bathrooms as large ones.

But having to manually cut each of the larger tiles to fit the inset tiles is a lot of work!

Fortunately, that’s not necessary.

Because these tiles* come with the black corner pieces already built in. So all you have to do is install the whole piece.

8 | Black outlined White tiles

And finally…this beautiful bathroom from Jamie Herzlinger was the main inspiration for my bathroom makeover.

I love the graphic design with the big white marble tiles and the black outline. (And that light fixture is to die for!)

To replicate this exactly, you would need to buy some large white marble tiles and then install a couple of rows of small black mosaic tiles between each one.

Glam bathroom with black and white marble floor tiles
©Michael – stock.adobe.com

Or get strips of black marble tiles to put down around each of the white tiles.

Which sounded like too much work to me.

Until I found some awesome 24″ black and white ceramic tiles that duplicate the look without requiring all the extra effort.

Art deco style bathroom with large white and black floor tiles

Here’s how it looks in my master bathroom remodel.

The tiles I used are no longer available but these 20″ black and white marble ones* are similar.

Frequently asked questions

Are black and white tile floors in style?

Yes. Black and white is a timeless color combination that never goes out of style. It also goes with most color schemes and design styles so it is easy to decorate around.

Can black and white floor tiles be used in small spaces?

Absolutely! Black and white tiles can create a sense of depth and space, making them ideal for smaller rooms. Choosing the right pattern and tile size is key to ensuring the space feels open and airy.

What are some popular black and white floor tile patterns?

Popular patterns include the classic checkerboard, herringbone, stripes, and various geometric shapes. These designs can range from traditional to contemporary, offering a versatile choice for different interior styles.

If you are thinking of re-doing your bathroom with black and white tile, I can highly recommend it! And hopefully, you have found some design ideas from these pictures to get going on your own makeover.

Other bathroom design ideas you might like

Have comments or questions on our black and white bathroom floor tile ideas? Tell us in the section below.


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The best black and white bathroom floor tiles

This post was originally published on May 30, 2017 but was updated with new content on February 3, 2024.


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One Comment

  1. Thank you so much for sharing this beautiful article and perfect ideas.