The Unexpected 2020 Tile Trend That A Very Unlikely EHDer Is Putting In Her House…Plus An Ask The Audience

Happy Monday everybody! Design trends seem to be kind of an insane topic to talk about right now. “Trends, Jess? Did you forget the world is on fire?” I know, which is also why we haven’t really been talking about them because we simply weren’t seeing that many for obvious reasons. (Remember this post from back when we were young?) The only “trend” topics that have felt at all fitting are comfort and organization ones. BUT for the past couple of months, the desire for bold design and lots of color has been really picking up speed. It’s not the first time we’ve brought up that fact but today we are talking about it in a more permanent way…tile.

I am pretty shocked but equally delighted that “Rainbow Tile” seems to be a real, honest to goodness 2020 trend. If ever there was a year to bring a rainbow into our homes it’s this year. Now when I say rainbow, I don’t necessarily mean the classic 6 colors (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple). I more mean a handful of a variety of single-color tiles mixed up in a simple, fun pattern like Mandi of Vintage Revivals did in the photo above. It’s genius and cool and her laundry room was the catalyst for me realizing this was a trend and has been a big inspiration for my bathroom (more on that later). First, let’s dig into this trend some more.

If your first thought, “NOOOO way would I put that in my house,” I get that. But also I love how joyous it is and that has a lot of value to me (especially now). I personally love the one on the left because while it’s very playful it also looks pretty darn chic. Plus it also a refreshing break from the classic white tiled bathroom we’ve all seen more times than we can count. Please note that I still love a beautiful white bathroom:)

Now, this tile combo may be a bit more palatable for a lot of you. The colors are a little more “adult”:) And guess what?? The designer, Kim, won season 24 of Survivor! That’s just a fun fact but one absolutely worth mentioning. Anyway, this 400 sq ft. renovated guesthouse looks fresh and exciting. I also love the way she used the same pattern with smaller tiles on the shower floor. It adds just the right amount of visible interest in an already VERY interesting space. Another fun fact is that the tile, which covered the whole guesthouse, cost only $500. Pretty impressive.

So while I love the “random” colored tiles all mixed up, this beautiful ombre bathroom floor by Edwina Boase and Sophie Robinson is also a great option for those who like the idea but want a more uniformed design.

But don’t think that you need a million colors to create this look. Take Alex Boureau’s design in her family’s Mexico vacation home (I know. I am also trying to figure out how to become a family member). She used only four colors and it still makes a beautiful, exciting pattern that is a refreshing departure from the norm but also very in line with the country’s design aesthetic.

So yes, I have fallen victim to the magnetic pull of making my home more colorful. Historically I have been on the more #teamneutral when it comes to designing my own home. I’m not entirely opposed but for sure hesitant (here’s my home if you haven’t seen it). But like I said in this first post about my bathroom, I want to get kinda crazy. AND it’s probably no surprise to anyone that a checkered pattern is my all-time favorite (please see my living rug and art).

So I thought why not continue making my dad’s life hard and design a box to cover my off-centered, not that great medicine cabinet for him to build and for us to tile together (something I have always wanted to learn). This felt like a “fairly simple” and really exciting way to integrate this trend and make my bathroom look super unique. Thankfully he was just bored enough to say yes:) So before we get into the cover design let’s look over my overall plan again…

These are my inspiration photos. I want rust tones, lots of pattern and if I can, a slightly vintage feel. It’s very Spanish/French-inspired if you can’t already tell.

This is my current mood board so you can start to visualize and also help me decide on my tile design. Get ready because it’s going to be visually a lot and I need you to dream with me:)

Here’s my actual bathroom and the future location of the cover. The cover is going to completely go around the moulding, I’m going to pop off the mirror and obviously attach a new mirror to the face of the cover (right now I am looking at this one from Rejuvenation). Also, don’t worry I am replacing the towel rack:) This way the only damage to the walls are going to be the four to six holes I will need to attach it to the wall. Easy, peasy, ha.

The Medicine Cabinet Cover

But here she is in all of her untiled glory! She’s a big kid at 28″x34″ and face width at 4.25″ which is perfect for the 2″ tiles you will see below. Also, keep in mind that the font and sides will be tiled so like I said, it’s going to be a statement. Honestly, it may turn out horrible but luckily this project isn’t permanent if it all goes down the toilet. I also just really want to take a risk and break out of my shell a little. With that said drumroll please… here are the six designs I am highly considering:

The Design Options

I forgot to mention that these are all zellige tiles (like in Emily’s LA kitchen) so they have texture, depth, and are my favorite tiles in the world. I initially thought that I was going to go with option 1. But then I thought it was maybe too safe and I would regret it. Plus when I saw the rainbow trend coming in hot I thought, “Jess, add more color! Be bold!”. But I’m honestly not 100% sold on options 4 through 6. Maybe it’s my color choice? Maybe it’s because it’s on the computer? I don’t know but I would LOVE your thoughts.

So let me know what you think in the comments (while also being kind:)) But let’s also talk about this trend! Would you ever consider rainbow tile in your home? Are you also intrigued or is it just a hard no? See you in the comments.

Love you, mean it.

Opening Image Credit: Design and Photo by Vintage Revivals