Should You Choose Your Bathroom Paint Color or Tiles First? The Designers I Asked Have This Trick to Creating a Space That Flows Well

When renovating a bathroom, paint colors and tiles are the most important features that ultimately bring the space to life. But the question remains, what goes first, and does it really matter?

To get the best out of your modern bathroom ideas, you'll need to understand the dos and don'ts of design. That includes knowing what steps you need to take and in what order to create a seamless and timeless atmosphere in your home.

To help you decide whether to choose your bathroom paint color or tiles first, I consulted a few interior designers to understand their typical approach when designing this area of the home for their clients. Here's what they had to say about it.

What Should You Choose First?

Designing a bathroom is no easy feat, which is why understanding what works well for your space is a must. This understanding is key to cohesive design, and it includes knowing if bathroom color or bathroom tiles go first. And well, these designers seem to agree on one thing — step one: Tiles!

Peter Lynn, designer and founder of MALIN + LYNN, tells me, "We typically choose our tiles first, as the tiles typically cover the largest surface area of the bathroom and narrate the language of the rest of the room. Especially if the clients are looking for something with color, pattern, or texture, be it marble, terrazzo, or a stone effect tile.

Peter continues, "Once the tile is chosen, it's important for us to find a complementary paint color to suit (or pick out a specific color in the tile perhaps) to finish the rest of the space."

Peter Lynn

Prior to co-founding MALIN+LYNN, Peter worked for one of the Netherlands' top residential and urban planning practices, before moving back to the UK in 2013. He then spent seven years working at some of the leading high-end residential architecture practices in West London, including most recently Icon Architects in Fulham. During this period, he led over £10m of residential projects, gaining extensive experience managing everything required from inception to completion, coordinating between clients, builders, and suppliers. Peter's core strengths are building a strong personal relationship with his clients, balancing a concern for careful detail in both design and finish, and managing complex and fast-moving building projects. During the pandemic, Peter launched his own practice in 2020, with a focus on creating high-end and truly bespoke family homes in the South London area, where he now lives, before merging with Chelsie to create MALIN+LYNN, a design practice reaching a wider footprint within London.

As an example, Peter says, "within our Lansdowne House Project (pictured above), where the clients loved the drama of the terrazzo tile (we used a mix of light/dark to create zoning within the space). We then picked out paint colors to suit," explains Peter. "Tiling is always done prior to painting, to ensure no chipping or damage is caused to painted walls when laying and installing."

Tania Martins, director of interior design at The Up Studio, tells me, "High-quality tiles typically have fewer colors and finish options, and longer lead times. While paint has a much wider array of options for us to nail the perfect color pairing with the tile."

Tania says you should tile before you take on those paint ideas for your walls, "We typically have tile installation going into our projects before (or during) sheetrock installation. The painter will then protect it when painting."

Why? Well, she says, "We sequence it this way because the tile installation will determine the transition points to painted surfaces. Especially when tile is going on the floor, the contractor is going to want to install those in place as soon as they can."

Tania Martins

Tania’s passion for interiors is rooted in her love for hosting family and friends. Inspired by playful textures and unique furniture, her aesthetic draws from both modern and vintage styles. Her previous experience in construction management gives her a unique ability to collaborate closely with our multidisciplinary team and her keen communication skills allow her to connect with our clients. As a designer, Tania’s goal is to make homes feel livable – she is constantly questioning how her selections can enhance a family’s experience of their home. She is a proud daughter of immigrants, a yoga enthusiast, and a lover of travel.

How to Approach This Matter From a Design Standpoint?

So, what is the best way to approach this in modern interior design?

Well, Tania says, "The step is always just getting to know our clients. From there, we start with a design concept to set the overall design direction for a space."

She says this lays the groundwork for the tone and mood you are trying to capture. "From there, our team typically selects the tile to make sure it’s something our team and clients love, and paint color selection comes afterwards," she notes.

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Now, if you're looking to redesign or renovate your bathroom, keeping up with the latest bathroom trends is a must. So, give our guide a read to stay on track with all the hottest movements coming around this year.