Which material is best for a shower wall?
Porcelain covers the widest range of looks for a shower wall and comes in large sizes. Glossy ceramic suits a classic or colorful shower, with small shapes that catch the light. Natural marble gives the most traditional, luxurious shower, and glass adds sparkle in a feature band or a full wall. The right material depends on the look you want, how large the shower is, and whether the walls should be plain or patterned.
Porcelain tile for shower walls
Porcelain tile for shower walls gives the look of stone without the variation from piece to piece, so a whole wall reads evenly. If the goal is a marble shower, Charme copies Calacatta and Statuario; for a spa feel, the Mood limestone looks run from pale Frost to deep Charcoal; for warmth, Trail travertine looks come in cross cut and vein cut; and for a modern room, Made.in concrete looks or Essence Montauk slate looks keep the wall quiet. Soul adds a soft fabric texture, and Vision a smooth resin face in both neutrals and bright colors. Most porcelain here comes from Landmark Ceramics, and more is in porcelain shower tile.
Are large porcelain tiles good for shower walls?
Large porcelain tiles give a shower wall a clean, modern look, because each joint is far from the next and a few panels can cover a whole wall from tub to ceiling. The largest panels here are 24x48, and most of the same porcelain lines also come in 12x24, so a shower can use the bigger panel on the back wall and the smaller one where the space is tight. For a printed statement wall, Deco XL puts large botanical patterns on 24x48 porcelain. Every tile in those two sizes is in 24x48 tiles and 12x24 tiles.
White, black and colored shower walls
White shower wall tile is the largest group, from Mood Frost and Explore Arctic White porcelain and Essence Montauk White slate look to Charme Evo Michelangelo marble look, Cotton Matte ceramic, and Carrara and Thassos marble. For a dark shower, Essence Montauk Black, Seattle Black, Nero Marquina marble and Absolute Black granite are all listed for shower walls. Color comes from glossy ceramic in shades such as Sage, Seafoam and Blush, and from Vision porcelain in Ocean Blue, Jade Green and other bright tones, which turn a plain shower into a feature.
Glossy and matte ceramic options
Ceramic tile for shower walls is where color and shape come in. Glossy ceramic colors such as Acorn, Blush, Caramel, Pearl, Sage and Seafoam come in subway, picket, chevron, hexagon and diamond shapes, so one color can run across several patterns on the same wall. Cotton Matte gives a soft white, and Obsidian Crackled has a crackled glaze for a handmade look.
Marble shower wall tile
Marble shower walls come mostly honed or polished, with a few tumbled pieces such as Nero Marquina. White marbles include Carrara, Calacatta Gold, Bella White, Thassos White Extra and Statuarietto, with Bardiglio Light in soft gray, Crema Marfil and Emperador Light in warm beige and brown, and Nero Marquina in black with white veining. Marble for shower walls also comes as mosaics, subway tile and wall decos in the same stones. More marble is in marble tile shower and marble tiles.
Granite, limestone and slate
Premium Absolute Black granite is listed for shower walls in polished, honed and flamed finishes, in 12x12, 12x24, 18x18 and 24x24, for a deep black shower wall. Limestone shower walls include Jerusalem Light and Paris, with Jerusalem Light also in waterjet patterns, and Brazilian Montauk is a honed slate in 12x24. Jerusalem Light also comes in 4x4 squares and small subway pieces, so the same limestone can run from field tile to trim. Honed slate and limestone give a quieter, matte wall, and a black granite or slate wall makes a strong backdrop for white fixtures and brass or black hardware.
Glass and mosaic tile
Glass tile for shower walls includes the Grecianisle and Santorini satin glass lines and polished glass hexagons in white, black, taupe and tan. Shower wall mosaic tile comes in glass, marble, porcelain and ceramic. More mosaics are in mosaic shower tiles and glass tiles.
