Victorian bathroom tiles Adelaide are an elegant classic choice that adds a sense of timeless charm. Their versatility allows anyone who creates the ultimate luxurious atmosphere to achieve this look – from simple designs to complex floral patterns.
Original encaustic tiles may be challenging, but modern reproductions are readily available to ease your budget. They can be used on walls and floors or as feature walls to break up an otherwise monotonous space.
Patterned Tiles
Victorian aristocrats were known for displaying their wealth through fashion and style, from gentleman’s top hats to satin corsets. A great way to do so in their homes was by adding traditional floor or wall tiles featuring intricate designs or patterns.
Use checkerboard patterns or intricate floral patterns to add 19th Cen19th-century character to your bathroom, pairing with half-wall panelling in heritage colours and a rolltop bathtub for an instant Downton Abbey feel.
For a more subtle style, opt for subway tiles in soft green, stunning blue and soothing cream hues – or perhaps mosaic feature panels can offer another solution if bold patterns don’t appeal.
Mosaic Tiles
Victorian-era “encaustic” tiles, commonly called encaustic tiles, were traditionally created using layers of coloured clay layered together – an expensive technique only accessible to wealthy classes.
With industrialisation and wages increasing, more Victorian households could afford these cost-effective geometric tiles.
Mosaic tiles can create stunning focal points on walls and floors by bordering intricate tile patterns, flowing around corners or providing tailored framed areas to be infilled with chequerboard patterns. Combining this style with timeless black-and-white, jewel-bright colours like emerald green for a breathtaking aesthetic marries historic elegance with contemporary lightness.
Darker Tiles
Victorian bathroom tiles Adelaide featured intricate patterns with thick borders to stand out on bathroom floors. Crafted by layering different coloured clays, encaustic style tiles carried an exorbitant price tag and were only seen in homes of wealth at that time.
Modern apartments and penthouses can still benefit from decorating their walls and floors with beautiful Victorian tiles, adding character and life to their kitchen or enhancing worktop spaces.
Victorian tiles pair beautifully with simple design styles and complement a warm copper sink. Additionally, they can look incredibly stunning paired with some gothic crown moulding for an eye-catching effect. However, ensure the colours remain muted to stay true to the period; natural earth tones like brown are best chosen here to complete the product.
Pedestal Basins
Victorian bathroom tiles Adelaide are an iconic British design feature that still looks beautiful in contemporary homes. Their elegant appearance works exceptionally well in bathrooms with premium space, making an impressionful statement in a small area. Although not ideal for free-standing baths, Victorian tiles shine when combined with pedestal basins.
Dark Victorian tiles are an easy way to achieve an old-world aesthetic in the bathroom. Opt for deep green or dramatic blue to complete this timeless style, and complete the look with a traditional dado border for maximum impact.
Geometric patterns have long been a hallmark of Victorian tiles, yet their origin may not be immediately evident. They have created timeless geometric designs synonymous with Victorian tile style by developing patterns that allowed them to tessellate without using multiple coloured clays.
The best thing about Victorian-style bathroom tiles is that they can be as ornate and detailed as you want them to be. The earliest Victorian designs used intricate prints, including flora and fauna, as well as geometric patterns, stripes, and damasks. The Victorian era also saw the rise of more colourful tiles, often using what was known as “encaustic” designs, which included smaller tesserae in a mix of colours and patterns.
Few design styles are as regal and elegant as the Victorian style. It may not seem very comforting to pull this style into your bathroom remodel, but with the right elements and handmade tile, a Victorian-inspired space can be a stunning combination of sophistication, function, and timeless beauty. From decadent wallpaper to timeless mosaic tile designs, here are eight bathrooms that bring the Victorian era into modern times with swoon-worthy features you’ll want to try in your own home.