29 Stunning Shower Tile Design Ideas for 2026
Nothing protects wet spaces with as much style as tile. Whether you love artisanal Zellige, sleek subway or beautifully textured designs, the right shower tile can invigorate your everyday. Read on for our top shower tile ideas to start bringing your dream space to life. Ready to start your reno? Schedule a free design consultation or visit your local Tile Shop for the tile, tools and expert advice you need to get started.
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Classic Checkerboard
This chic shower features Zellige Black and White Gloss tiles arranged in a traditional checkerboard pattern. Each artisanal tile is crafted, painted and glazed by hand using ancient techniques, giving it one-of-a-kind character—and taking the checkerboard look to a whole new level! Shop our wide selection of Zellige tile for more handmade designs, or explore our curated checkerboard pairings for more winning ideas.
Perfectly Imperfect Handmade-Look Tile
If you love the unique character of authentic handmade tile but want a little more consistency (or a more affordable price point), perfectly imperfect handmade-look tile might be the ideal choice for you. Designed with purposeful variations in surface texture and color, this tile brings charm to any space. Here, the undulating surface of the Splendor Blanco tile creates a soothing, serene retreat. We love how designer Coco and Jack extended the wall tile overhead to enhance the sense of height in this small shower.
Brick-Look Subway Tile
Embodying HGTV star’s signature city-chic style, the Alison Victoria Brick x Brick Petal tile combines a soft pastel palette with a rustic brick look. Designed by Alison herself, this space feels feminine with an edge. The realistic brick texture, paired with bold black mirror details and a dark cabinet, balances the pale pink tones of the tile and marble-top vanity. It’s a perfect example of how to coordinate your shower tile with the other elements in your main bathroom for an elevated, highly designed look. Shop this tile in all three colorways and explore more signature styles in our exclusive Alison Victoria designer collection.
Make a Point with Picket Tile
A modern twist on traditional subway tile, picket tile stacks in neat rows while creating dynamic straight and diagonal lines. This contemporary shower features Lanse Matte White and Black tile on adjoining walls for a stylish, color-blocked effect. Installed with matching grout, the look is subtle—but you could highlight the elongated hex shape by choosing a contrasting grout.
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Beautiful & In Budget
You don’t need to spend a fortune to create a stylish shower. With our extensive, expertly curated collection of tile under $7/sq. ft., you’ll find options that are both on-trend and budget-friendly. Here, Villa Cool Grey subway tile and Macula Matte marble-look tile (both just $6.29/sq. ft.) are paired to create an elegant, high-end look. Shop tiles under $7 for more affordably luxurious styles—from realistic wood looks to charming patterns.
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Textured Wood-Look Tile
Invigorate your senses with a raised, textured pattern, like the Violin Decor wood-look tile featured in this stylish shower. Its realistic woodgrain detail creates a natural, organic look, while the fluted design adds a tactile dimension. Paired with the lush sea tones of the Cool Blue tile, the result is a rich, biophilic (nature-inspired) design that both soothes and energizes.
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Equip Your Shower for Aging in Place
Incorporating tiled accessories such as corner shelves, niches and seats offers more than just style—these thoughtful design details can also help prepare your home for aging in place. Here, the Calacata Evora shower seat is designed to coordinate with the Calacata Evora marble throughout the shower, showing how seamlessly these accessories can be integrated into your design.
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Expressive Patterns
Nikki Chu’s eclectic, fashion-forward aesthetic is on full display in this contemporary shower. Featuring a hand-drawn arch motif in a soothing neutral, the Nikki Chu Zulu Cement tile—also available in Graphite (black) and Pumice (beige)—is installed in a zigzag layout, adding a dynamic sense of movement to the space. The coordinating Mrembo honed marble-look tile distinguishes the main bathroom while echoing the patterned tile’s color palette. For more globally inspired, high-end designs, explore our exclusive Nikki Chu designer collection.
Add a Tile Bench
A tiled shower bench is ideal if you have mobility needs, want a place to rest while enjoying your shower or need a step to make shaving your legs easier. As this gorgeous shower demonstrates, a bench can serve as both a design feature and a practical component. The Marradi Calacatta Emerald marble-look tile’s expressive green veining pairs perfectly with the Alison Victoria Gem marble mosaic tile, creating a bench that adds both function and style.
Choose a Bold Jewel Tone
For her kids’ bathroom, @semihandmade chose the bold Track Stack Navy Blue tile. The deep blue hue provides striking contrast to the pale pink painted walls, making the space feel both sophisticated and playful. The neatly stacked KitKat-shaped mosaic adds a sense of order without feeling too rigid. If you love this bright, jewel-toned look, shop our wide assortment of blue, green, purple and red tiles.
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Soothing Limestone
With soft lines, earthy tones and blended textures, the Legno tile featured in this tranquil shower evokes the opulence of a spa retreat. Available in a spectrum of captivating colors, the natural shade variations in limestone tile create an organic, textured appearance that can transform your shower into a luxurious escape. Shop our wide selection of limestone tile for more lush, soothing looks.
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Midcentury Modern
The classic earth tones and clean lines that define midcentury modern design keep this style feeling fresh even in the 21st century. Our new Stoneware collection from Fired Earth embodies the best of this enduring aesthetic with sleek subway tiles featuring speckled details reminiscent of midcentury pottery. This stylish shower showcases the tiles in all five colorways: Blue Mist, Indigo Spruce, Linen Brick, Powder White and Rainwashed. Whether you mix and match these iconic shades or choose a single colorway for your shower, this sophisticated style is sure to elevate your space.
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Get the Spa Treatment With Pebble Tile
Create a true spa experience with the beautifully textured Grey Pebble Small mosaic tile. Featuring raised, stone-shaped pieces, this mosaic tile not only provides extra traction to help prevent slipping but also offers a delightful foot massage as you shower.
Add a Shower Niche
Ditch clunky shower caddies and store your shampoo in style with a decorative and functional shower niche. Built into your shower wall, this tiled shelf can be as tall and wide as your space allows and is the perfect spot to showcase a decorative patterned or mosaic tile without overwhelming the room. Here, the Laura Park Cosmo Aegean Blue tile is featured in the niche, paired with the coordinating Laura Park Seaside Marble porcelain wall tile.
Show Your Stripes
Stripes are a fundamental design element that can enhance virtually any space, and you can create them using almost any two tile styles. This chic shower, designed by Timber Trails, features an elegant look with alternating stripes of Legno travertine and San Dona honed marble tiles. The long, thin lines wrap around all three walls, making the space feel wider. To create the illusion of height, try installing vertical stripes.
Layer With Trim
Like piping on a pillow or lace on a bedskirt, trim adds intentionality and style to your tile layout. This stunning shower features Signature Slate Blue trim details that accentuate the Signature Bianco Bevel tile design. The lines of pencil, London and skirting tiles add layers of visual interest to this simple design. Explore our exclusive Signature collection for more elevated basics in seven trending colorways, designed for mixing, matching and layering with each other or any other shower tile.
Add Traction With Mosaic Floor Tile
When you’re dealing with wet spaces, an anti-slip floor is essential. Mosaic tile has more grout lines than larger tiles, which adds grip, while a textured or matte surface provides additional traction underfoot. Here, the Shanxi Black Flamed granite tile features small squares with plenty of grout lines and a naturally textured surface, creating not only a lovely design but also an extra-safe shower space. Explore our wide selection of mosaic tile for a variety of stylish and safe options.
Go Green
The colors of nature, green and blue fill you with good vibes, making them perfect for energizing your morning routine. This lush shower features Look Oliva handmade-look subway tile installed in a herringbone pattern. The purposeful variation in the rich forest tones creates an undulating surface, which, combined with the zigzag pattern, adds dynamic movement throughout the shower and bathroom. We love how this vibrant tile pairs with the Laura Ashley Wexbord Fresh Green tile in the shower niches and the traditional wooden vanity.
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Bold and Bright Marble-Look Tile
Porcelain and ceramic marble-look tile offers the unique advantage of featuring striking, multi-colored veins not found in natural stone, all while providing the luxurious look of marble. Radiant shades of green, pink, blue and rich ochre, like in the Macchia Vecchia tile shown here, create a vibrant and ultra-luxe aesthetic that's durable and easy to maintain.
Elegant and Luxurious White Marble
Crisp white marble tile with subtle veining offers a classic yet modern look that infuses your shower with a soothing spa-like ambiance. This beautiful white marble shower, designed by HGTV star Alison Victoria, features the Volakas honed marble tile in a brick-lay pattern—a simple design that creates a luxurious space.
Neutral Patterns
Create a calming and interesting space with a soft neutral patterned tile, like the Annie Selke Floral Coconut Milk tile shown here. The fern frond pattern adds visual texture, while the muted color palette ensures a soothing sensory experience. Shop our full assortment of beige tile for more inviting patterns.
Tile Focal Point
Create a focal point in your shower with a tiled "picture frame" or tile stripe, like the one showcased in this shower using the Toris Bandes black-and-white patterned tile. We love how this geometric pattern contrasts with the Amazona Amendoa Wood Look tile. This effect can be achieved by pairing any patterned or mosaic tile with a trim border.
Grid Stack Subway Tile
Subway tile is a stylish and versatile design staple with endless layout capabilities. The grid stack, shown here using the Look Avio tile, is an often-underrepresented classic. The variation in horizontal and vertical layout adds interest and movement to this shower wall. For more ideas, make sure to check out our article on 6 classic subway tile layouts.
Stylish Shelving
Forget about clunky shower caddies; built-in shower shelving is a practical and stylish way to store your soap and shampoo. The long built-in shelf in this Volakas marble shower works well for this larger space, but a niche or corner shelf are perfect for any size shower.
Handmade-Look Tile
If you love the “perfectly imperfect” look of authentic handmade tile but want a more uniform (or budget friendly) option, consider handmade-look tile. The Cool Blue tile features the coloration and surface texture variations characteristic of handmade tiles, but at a fraction of the cost. This 12" x 24" tile also includes pre-scored grout joints for easy installation.
Curved Tile
Soften your tile design with a rounded edge. The curves found in penny rounds or unique shapes will provide gentle lines that calm the eye. Here, the scalloped edge of the Gem by Alison Victoria marble mosaic tile creates pleasing movement, while the deep green is complemented by the bold veining in the Marradi Calacatta Emerald marble-look tile in the shower niche.
Metallic-Look Tile
Sleek and chic, durable and rust-proof, metallic-look porcelain tile adds contemporary sophistication to your space. The Enredo Steel Dark Brown tile features a raised design with both glossy and matte finishes, creating a realistic steel look.
Jewel Tones
Sapphire blues, ruby reds and emerald greens continue to dazzle us with their bright, rich hues. If you love saturated color and shiny finishes, this gem of a trend is for you. Here, the Sawyer Emerald picket tile adds sparkle to this shower with alternating raised surfaces and a reflective glossy finish.
Pair Natural Stone With Marble-Look Tile
If your budget doesn't allow for all-over natural stone, consider mixing marble-look tile with the real thing. This stylish wet room, designed by West Bay Homes, features authentic Claros Silver travertine alongside Atlanta White marble-look wall tile, creating rich visual texture. For more ideas, make sure to check out our guide on how to achieve luxury tile design on a budget.