2026 interiors are all about taking inspiration from the natural world in our designs, and this is filtering through to tile trends for the year ahead with a focus on colours, materials and textures.
No tile has been left untouched with this years trends, and whether you’re picking out tiles for a kitchen backsplash or selecting a few finishes for a bathroom remodel, let these new trends inspire you.
2026 Tile Trends Set To Take Centre Stage
It’s abundantly clear that organic, earthy inspired interior design is hitting the top spots for design right now. We’re seeing this with a rise in artisan, organic tiles and glazed and gloss finishes from the likes of zellige and bejmat tiles.
Isabel Fernandez, Director at Quorn Stone comments: “The world of interiors is ever-evolving. As one style softens, another takes its place and often familiar favourites return with a renewed sense of charm. In 2026, we’ll see a move towards warm neutrals, earthy terracotta hues and glazed finishes that bring depth and character to the home. It marks a gentle shift away from cool minimalism, embracing a more natural and grounded aesthetic.”
I’ve enlisted the help of experts in the industry, along with my own insights into trends to bring you the very best of tiles for 2026.
1. Artisanal, Organic Tiles
One thing homeowners are craving is more unique and more personal elements in their homes. We’re blasted with noise from other homes on the daily through social media and TV, and that quest for a unique escape of our own is at the top of peoples wish lists this year.
Dorothy Weise, Interior Design Department Lead at Chapter said,“Designers and homeowners alike are moving away from sterile minimalism and leaning into warmth, craftsmanship, and textured detailing”.
Choosing artisan, organic tiles is a key trend for 2026. Dainty patterns and tiles with meaning that carry a story are weaving their ways into our bathrooms and beyond. Specifically leaning into tiles such as zellige tiles will deliver an organic feel whilst bringing a touch of imperfection to your interior that will tap into that inherent need for a link to the natural world.
These Ca’ Pietra Dyrham Dairy Ceramic tiles are a perfect example of how to embrace this loveable tile trend.
2. Tile Drenching
We’ve seen various forms of ‘drenching’ in our interiors over the last few years, more notably colour drenching which involves saturating an entire room with a singular colour. In a similar vein, tile drenching involves using one type of tile throughout your bathroom, usually through the walls and floor for a cohesive, seamless finish that’s uncomplicated and minimalist. If you’re scratching your head trying to combine 2 different types of tiles in your bathroom, step this way.
Kelly Edwards, Interior Design & Construction Specialist shared, “This year, we’re excited to see designers embrace the use of texture and varying colour when tile drenching. The Vessel Teal Hexagon Matte Tiles, for instance, have subtle tonal differences that create differentiation between each tile for more movement and life”.
“Not only is this a beautiful way to instantly elevate dull interiors, but it’s also a smart move. Tiles are excellent at protecting your walls from moisture, making tile drenching a practical and stylish choice for bathrooms and kitchens”.
Opting for larger format tiles like this is gaining popularity due to the minimal grout lines, delivering a more flawless finish and demanding less manintenance.
3. Earthier, Grounding Colours
This year is less about minimal neutrals, and more about colours that make us feel good to be around. The colour trends for 2026 embrace earthy, grounding colours from deep plums to comfortable greens.
Green is always a good idea on a tile, as it’s virtually one of the easiest colours on the eye. Lean into a softer sage green on a tile in rooms with minimal light, but up the stakes with a deep, forest green on a tile for a cosier, more cocooning feel.
“We’re also seeing deep, desaturated blues and greens that pair beautifully with dark metals and warm stones. Wall colours are moving away from crisp white toward soft hues that echo nature”, noted Dorothy.
With earthy inspired interiors on the rise, the inclusion of these colours in your tiles will help you to create a bang-on trend bathroom, but one that offers an utterly timeless look.
4. Cool Blues Are The New Neutral
Blues are versatile enough to be classed as neutrals these days, and they’re quickly becoming a go to colour for bathrooms and beyond when it comes to tile choices.
Dulux announced their 2026 colours of the year, a soothing trio of blues. The new shades include Dulux Free Groove™, Mellow Flow™ and Slow Swing™, a combination of ocean blues from soft and muted hues to deep depths of the ocean.
Heleen Van Gent, Creative Director at AkzoNobel’s Global Aesthetic Center said, “People around the world want to slow down and recharge their batteries. They want to feel in tune with others and celebrate kinship. They want to be bold, have fun and feel carefree. To reflect these moods, we’ve centred our colour stories around three different rhythms – Slow, Flow and Free, and chosen ‘Your space, your pace’ as our theme“.
Translate this into your tiles by leaning into a zellige style, these ceramic tiles are finished with a glossy glaze for a unique, rustic appearance. This is a lovely way to do it as the tiles celebrate imperfection and each carry a slight colour and texture variation which creates a really soothing and calming presence in a bathroom or kitchen.
5. Relief Tiles Are In
In 2025, we welcomed the textured tile trend into our homes, think fluted designs and kitkat style tiles that brought a tactile feel to our bathrooms. This year is no different, but we’re seeing a different array of textured designs that in some ways are more aesthetic and unique than the earlier fluted styles.
“There’s been a steep rise in customers exploring relief tiles. These are intricate, decorative tiles that embrace texture in the form of raised designs. Charming and opulent, they bring a look that’s anything but flat”.
“Our Tetuan Cotto White Tiles, for instance, are an increasingly popular choice as we head into the new year (as shown in the image below). The white gloss features a terracotta cut-out inspired by Moroccan design, with the raw texture lending a more rustic aesthetic to the repeat pattern“, shared Kelly.
Relief tiles are giving our bathrooms another opportunity to create a unique edge, combining both colour and texture for a tactile feel which our bathrooms are craving.
Using a relief tile such as this in a smaller accent area tends to work best, such as serving as a backsplash behind a vanity area.
6. Tiled Ceilings, Yes, Really
The ceiling, or the fifth wall as designers like to call it has been thrust into the spotlight in recent years. Often overlooked and painted in a bog standard bright white shade as a knee jerk reaction, their time has finally come.
Whilst colour drenching, wallpapering or painting the ceiling in an opposing shade has been on the rise, this year it’s all about the tiled ceiling in a bathroom to create a striking focal point, and why not?
“The concept uses wall tiles, like our Tin Decorative Zinc Tiles, to add texture and character above, particularly in alcoves and recesses. It’s a look that nods to the Victorian maximalist style, where every surface becomes an opportunity to make a bold design statement”, added Kelly.
As Kelly suggests, alcoves, shower enclosures and niches are great places to give this trend a try, giving the rest of the rooms ceiling some breathing space and balance in a paint shade, or cladding of your choice.
7. Borders & Tile Play
Exciting tile play is something that really gets me excited! Whilst selecting the right tiles is important, so is how you lay them out.
Like choosing artisan tiles, another way to create a completely unique space in your home is by getting creative with how you pair and layout tiles.
In recent years we have been seeing this with striped combinations, using two tiles from the same collection. Whether you add a border or intersperse some patterned tiles like shown in the below image, the possibilities are endless.
Whilst this is easy to achieve when playing around with a specific collection of tiles that offers varying colours, or perhaps sizes, you can play around with introducing tiles from outside a collection too, especially if you plan on creating a fun floor or ceiling border to house your tiles.
8. It’s All About The Gloss
I have a huge love affair with semi and full gloss tiles, and how our appetites have changed from the standard white matte subway tiles of years gone by.
Fernandez shared with us that zellige style tiles bring light play and artisan charm to bathrooms and splashbacks. Its their unique imperfections and slight difference in each tile which makes them visually enticing, no matter where you perceive them.
“The Tangier range of glossy, artisan tiles span a selection of seven shades emulating the feel of hand glazed Zellige tiles. Perfectly suited for kitchen splashbacks and bathroom wall tiles”, said Fernandez. Shown in sage green in the image below.
If you’re looking to up the style stakes in your bathroom, combining a mix of tiles is a lovely way to create a truly unique space. Introducing some glossy zellige tiles with large format tiles that carry a slight pattern is a lovely way to create a more artisanal look without your tile choices feeling monotonous.
9. Terracotta Revival
Terracotta returns this year with a modern twist; think herringbone, hexagon and glazed formats. “Terracotta is deeply nostalgic but incredibly versatile. It adds warmth and soul to any space,” Fernandez notes.
It’s undeniably earthy in nature and acts as a wonderful type of tile for a floor as it instantly grounds the space. “Rooted in nature, this colour choice feeds into the popularity of biophilic design. This is a concept that’s all about introducing natural elements into indoor spaces, bringing benefits such as boosting cognitive function and supporting mental well-being”, added Kelly.
Not sure what colours or tiles to pair with it? Terracotta is an earthy colour so naturally works well with any other colours that can be drawn from nature such as greens, browns, creams, reds and whites. It also acts as a beautiful complementary colour with shades such as blue and gold accents.
The Oliva Marron Hexagon tiles by Quorn Stone are featured in the bathroom below, beautifully done!
