The Timeless Beauty of Cream Bathroom Tiles
It’s time to rid your mind of any outdated notions you have about cream bathroom tiles. Even though in the past cream décor in bathrooms was sometimes uninspired and dull, all that has changed. Nowadays cream tiles are helping convert bathrooms into spa-like refuges in the home.
The great advantage of cream bathroom tiles is that the colour has a universal appeal. There is a luxurious warmth to cream that is visually rich adding character to bathroom designs. What’s more, cream is a classic colour that never ages nor goes out of style. The secret lies in its versatility. Cream is equally suited to creating a traditional Victorian-style bathroom as it is to a stylish contemporary bathroom. Cream adds dimension and freshness to bathroom décor no matter what the size. And with the range of finishes, patterns and dimensions available today cream tiles offer one of the most versatile colour palettes in bathroom décor.
Join us on our exploration of cream bathroom tiles and find out more about this timeless way to create stylish and modern bathroom décor.
The Colour Cream and its Variations
We sometimes confuse a range of colours that are generally categorised under the cream family in the UK. All these subtle variations in shade help create different effects in bathroom décor, especially when it comes to tiles. Both floor tiles and wall tiles add a special quality to cream thanks to the way light is reflected by hard surfaces. Through this article, we will feature bathrooms with cream tiles that include all of the following variations of cream:
- Off-White: a softer, more neutral version of white that is less stark. Normally off-white has tinges of grey, brown or yellow that add a warmer quality. Off-white has a slightly murky look that resembles bone.
- Beige: when brown is added to white you get beige. The name comes from the French language word for undyed or natural wool. The darker and lighter shades of beige range from earthy to fawn and sandy tones.
- Cream: unlike beige cream has a yellow tint, that provides a more vibrant visual effect. The colour evokes the sensation of dairy produce like creamy buttermilk and whipped milk transformed into butter. Cream is the pastel shade of yellow.
- Ivory: add a touch or yellow or pink to white to achieve ivory. The colour sits between white and beige and gets its name from elephant’s tusks and teeth. It has a subtle natural glow that differentiates it from white.
- Magnolia: this colour used to be ubiquitous in UK bathrooms, the neutral and warm shade with a yellow undertone is instantly recognisable. It is making a comeback thanks to its creamy white colour that goes with everything, especially white.
How to Use Cream Bathroom Tiles
You can colour saturate the bathroom using the cream palette, unlike most other colours. The same colour can be used on bathroom walls and floors without overpowering the décor. That is explained by the reflective qualities of beige and off-white combined with its innate warmth. The trick with the cream bathrooms colour scheme is to add texture and layers.
There are a lot of colour variations to choose from, and they can be combined to create the illusion of depth. Natural materials such as timber, terracotta, rattan, leather and untreated fabrics always look good against cream. They are the perfect tools for accessorising and layering a bathroom space to add visual interest without overdoing it.
Similarly, there is a marked difference between matt and gloss finish ceramic tiles. Not to mention the rougher more jagged effect of split-tiles. You can afford to be more playful with these textures when you keep them in the same warm neutral shade, such as cream, ivory or magnolia.
Aged Clay Nature 120×270 cm
Aged Clay Nature 120×120 cm
Cream Bathroom Floor Tiles
Among the great advantages of cream tiles for bathroom floors are their natural warmth alongside their easy maintenance. We already associate the ground with earthy and sandy shades in the UK so there is something visually appealing about cream floor tiles. Far from being boring or dull, these beige floor tiles elevate bathroom décor starting from the ground up.
#01. Natural Stone: the natural world is filled with cream-coloured stone, including some types of marble, sandstone, travertine, limestone or granite. Stone effect bathroom floor tiles capture the organic beauty of these rocks that formed beneath the earth’s surface over millions of years.
#02. Pattern: combine wall tiles with cream-coloured patterned floor tiles to create visual interest as well as practical advantages in bathroom maintenance. If the predominant colour is cream the floor tiles will provide a neutral décor that works with a variety of wall tiles.
#03 Timber and cream: cream bathroom tiles complement the beauty of wood in a highly unique way. Choose either light colour or darker wood tones for elements of furniture such as storage units beneath a vanity unit, accessories or even timber panelling.
Cream Bathroom Wall Tiles
The beauty of a neutral bathroom décor is the freedom it provides for choosing everything else including sanitary fittings, furniture, and other accessories. Although grey has been trending for a number of years now, cream, magnolia and beige wall tiles have never gone away. Cream offers a versatility on bathrooms walls that is unmatched (except perhaps by grey) but manages to be always warm.
#01. Add Light: beige bathroom tiles are a great way to liven up a dark space with little natural light. Wall tiles in lighter shades of cream and ivory especially bounce any available light, whether it be natural or artificial around the space.
#02. Neutral Backdrop: bold colour choices for sanitary ware and furniture really stand out against a cream background. As long as the design maintains a balance between neutral and bold elements.
#03. Texture: three-dimensional cream tiles on bathrooms walls add a whole new perception of the space. The play of light and shade brings nuance and visual interest. These textured tiles bring cream into the 21st century.
Cream Bathroom Ideas
The hard-wearing and hygienic qualities of tiles are a no-brainer in bathroom décor. Cream, beige and ivory tiles are especially suited to bathroom décor because they reflect the light but are equally warm. Nevertheless, a cream-tiled bathroom can be so much more when a little thought is put into the overall design scheme. The following cream bathroom decorating ideas will elevate the décor to resemble a home spa. Somewhere that will reinvigorate and relax both the body and mind.
1.0 Mix & match beige textures
Add a feature panel within the saturated beige colour palette in the bathroom to add visual interest. Choose a textured tile, a panel of mosaic or split tiles in a slightly different shade of cream, magnolia, or off-white. The subtle differences in colour and texture help define a shower enclosure or vanity unit within the bathroom configuration in an elegant but restrained manner.
2.0 Combine cream with another colour
The beige colour palette can be elevated with a hint of extra colour. Soft greys, cool greens and blues are the natural bedfellows of ivory and off-white in bathrooms. Alternatively, add pops of bold colour for bathroom accessories such as toiletries and soft furnishings like towels and drapes.
3.0 Faucets, furniture and fittings
When it comes to faucets and metal accessories in the beige bathroom bold is better. Black taps make a statement while brass and copper add a reflective lustre that is perfectly framed by beige. Similarly, a black metal structure for the shower enclosure looks effortlessly stylish when paired with ivory or magnolia tiling.
4.0 Planting and accessories
For anyone with green fingers cream bathrooms are the perfect environment to let loose. Not only do most plants thrive in the light that is reflected by off-white colours but the verdant green really pops. Choose varieties of potted plants that thrive in humid settings. And don’t forget that clay or terracotta-coloured planters add even more zing.
5.0 Artificial and natural lighting
With just a simple lighting scheme you can radically alter the perception of the cream bathroom. Avoid cold temperature lighting for the general background light, warm lighting brings out the best in ivory bathroom tiles. Combine with a cooler light for the bathroom mirror and any other task lighting required.
6.0 Wood and cream
Whether it be timber effect floor tiles or timber cladding on bathroom walls cream and wood belong together. Both radiate a warmth that no other colour and material combinations can match. Decorative timber storage ladders for towels, side stools or timber cabinets are elevated by cream bathroom tiles.
Rediscover the beauty of cream bathroom tiles
To fully appreciate the beauty and warmth of cream tiles in bathroom décor we recommend making an appointment at your nearest Porcelanosa showroom. Only then will you fully appreciate the qualities of this versatile, relaxing and comforting colour. Cream and its numerous variations represent a reliable and sophisticated investment. If you have any specific queries about the content of this article, just drop us a line and we’ll get back to you.
