Hex Tiles: Big and Bold in the Bath

We’ve seen sweet petite black and white hexagonal tiles on classic bathroom floors for more than 100 years. The patterns are familiar and much-loved, and are particularly popular in Victorian and Arts and Crafts-era homes — and in newer homes wanting to capture those classic looks. But bigger, bolder hex tiles are making waves in the bathroom these days, and they are not just sticking to the floor.

Until recently, we mostly knew hex tiles in a sweet black and white 1-inch pattern with flower details. They’ve been gracing the floors of classic bathrooms for more than a century, sometimes mixing with mint green and Pepto Bismol pink.


But then one day, hex tiles began a remarkable growth spurt. They swelled to 2, 3, then over 4 inches wide. Here they are at 4¼ inches. They still have the charming little flower pattern in contrasting black, but in an ironic postmodern way and with a light blue center.

Tile: B&W Tile


At 5 to 6 inches, plain white hex tiles have a clean and simple Scandinavian modern look. And designers no longer felt limited to the floor — they began covering the walls with them.


Then designers started to make these large tiles stand out more by using dark grout, kind of like accentuating eyes with eyeliner.


Next large hex tiles went dark, showing up in deep grays, smoky charcoals and moody blacks.

Tile: Tile & Stone Warehouse


The classic black and white pairing has taken on new patterns. Op Art-inspired geometric patterns bring strong graphics to a room. On this floor, sliced hexagons dance and play with the eye.


Large hex tiles are now available in a wide range of colors and in other materials: glass, cement, marble and more. On this wall, four-sided pie-slice shapes make up very large hexagons, creating a geometric spiderweb pattern in the bright blue glass.

Tile: Feza by Kale in Glossy Oil Blue


When the tile is arranged in lines, as on the floor here, interesting shapes emerge that you wouldn’t see if the tiles were all one color.


A colorful Beijing bathroom has an animated look thanks to this playful take on pixels.


In this Quebec bath, the black spreads across the walls and floor from the shower stall into the rest of the room, one 8-inch hex tile at a time.


This bathroom proves that standard classics are anything but mundane. The tile proportions and arrangement shake up what we’d expect from a typical chair rail and subway and hexagonal tiles. The floor hints that the tub was painted right where it sits now, without a drop cloth. White hexagonal-shaped droplets spill out beyond the area around it, breaking up the horizontal black and white lines.


Of course, hex tiles don’t just hang out in minimalist cabins outside of Copenhagen or avant-garde penthouses in Beijing. Large hex tiles have been making appearances in bathrooms of all styles, showing up in materials like luxe onyx …


… and concrete in a traditional earth color.

Tile: hexagon in Tuscan Mustard, Artobrick


In fact, large hex tiles fit into even the most traditional-style spaces. In this classic bathroom, 6-inch Carrara marble tiles create an updated look.

Are you considering large hex tiles at home? Do you think the classic geometry will keep it from going out of style?

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