Bathroom Tile Installation Projects in Asheville

Bathrooms present unique challenges for tile installation. Constant moisture exposure, temperature fluctuations from showers and baths, and the need for slip-resistant surfaces all require specialized knowledge and careful execution. For more than five decades, Leicester Flooring has transformed bathrooms throughout Asheville and Western North Carolina with tile installations that combine beauty with the technical precision these wet environments demand.

The projects in this gallery represent real work completed by our installation team in homes across Buncombe County. These aren’t stock photos or idealized showroom displays. They’re actual bathrooms where families start and end their days, where proper waterproofing protects the structural integrity of homes, and where quality tile work delivers decades of reliable performance.

Modern Bathroom Tile Installations

Contemporary bathroom design emphasizes clean lines, minimal grout lines, and a spa-like atmosphere. Our modern bathroom projects showcase the materials and techniques that create these serene spaces.

Large-Format Porcelain Projects

Modern bathrooms increasingly feature large-format tile that reduces visual clutter and creates a seamless appearance. Browse installations using 12×24 porcelain planks on floors, 8×48 wood-look tile creating vertical interest on walls, and oversized square tiles (18×18, 24×24) for dramatic shower surrounds.

One recent Asheville project transformed a dated master bathroom with 12×24 gray porcelain tile laid in a running bond pattern on the floor and continued up the shower walls. The consistent tile size and minimal grout lines create a cohesive, contemporary look that makes the space feel larger and more luxurious. The homeowner chose a matte finish that provides slip resistance while maintaining the clean aesthetic modern design demands.

The technical challenge in large-format tile installations involves ensuring perfectly flat substrates since larger tiles reveal even minor imperfections. Our photos demonstrate the precise lippage control that keeps tile edges aligned and prevents the uneven surfaces that can occur with improper installation. This attention to detail separates professional tile installation from DIY attempts that often struggle with these technical requirements.

Minimalist Color Palettes

Modern bathroom tile installations typically embrace neutral color schemes that create calming environments. Projects showcase white and light gray tile for bright, airy spaces, charcoal and black tile for dramatic contemporary style, warm beige and taupe for softer modern aesthetics, and monochromatic schemes using varied tile sizes in a single color family.

The consistent color stories you see in these projects demonstrate how thoughtful material selection creates cohesive designs. Modern bathrooms avoid the busy patterns and multiple colors common in traditional spaces, instead using tile size variation and subtle texture to add visual interest within restrained color palettes.

Traditional Bathroom Tile Projects

Traditional bathroom design never goes out of style. Our portfolio includes numerous projects honoring classic approaches with timeless materials and layouts that will look appropriate for decades to come.

Classic Ceramic Tile Floors

Traditional bathrooms often feature smaller ceramic floor tiles that create familiar, comfortable spaces. Browse installations with 12×12 ceramic tile in neutral tones, classic mosaic patterns for vintage appeal, and bordered designs that define spaces within larger bathrooms.

A Montford bungalow restoration showcases white hexagon tile floors with black accent tiles creating a border pattern typical of the home’s 1920s construction. The homeowner wanted authentic period details, and our installation team carefully measured and cut tile to recreate the geometric border pattern that would have appeared in the original bathroom. This project demonstrates our ability to execute historical accuracy while incorporating modern waterproofing technology that protects the home’s structure.

The grout color selection in traditional installations affects the overall appearance significantly. White grout creates clean, defined tile edges that emphasize the geometry of the layout, while gray grout offers a softer, more forgiving appearance that hides minor staining over time. Our gallery shows examples of both approaches so you can see how this seemingly small decision affects the finished look.

Wainscot and Partial Wall Tile

Traditional bathrooms frequently incorporate tile wainscoting that protects walls from moisture while adding character. Projects feature 4×4 white tile to chair rail height, beadboard-look tile for cottage charm, and decorative borders defining the wainscot edge.

One West Asheville project uses white 4×4 tile extending 48 inches up the walls, topped with a pencil trim border. The painted walls above the tile add color while the ceramic wainscot provides durable, cleanable surfaces around the tub and sink areas. This cost-effective approach delivers traditional style without tiling every surface, a consideration for budget-conscious renovations.

Timeless Tub Surrounds

Traditional tub surrounds combine functionality with classic aesthetics. Gallery projects include three-wall alcove surrounds in white ceramic, decorative tile borders at shoulder height, and built-in soap niches that add convenience without compromising style.

The consistency of grout lines becomes especially visible in tub surrounds where vertical and horizontal lines intersect. Our installation photos demonstrate the precision required to maintain straight, even grout lines across large expanses of tile. This attention to detail prevents the wavy, uneven appearance that reveals poor workmanship and diminishes the quality of even expensive tile selections.

Farmhouse and Rustic Bathroom Styles

The farmhouse aesthetic combines vintage inspiration with modern comfort, creating bathrooms that feel both lived-in and freshly updated. Our farmhouse bathroom projects embrace natural materials and textural variety.

Shiplap and Wood-Look Tile Combinations

Farmhouse bathrooms often mix painted wood elements with durable tile. Projects showcase wood-look porcelain tile on floors, painted shiplap or beadboard on upper walls, and authentic materials creating warm, textured environments.

A recent Leicester renovation pairs wood-look porcelain plank tile in a weathered gray finish on the floor with painted wood paneling on the upper walls. The tile provides the moisture resistance bathroom floors require while delivering the warm, organic appearance that defines farmhouse style. The homeowner selected a textured tile surface that mimics reclaimed wood’s authentic feel underfoot.

Wood-look tile technology has advanced dramatically, with modern options capturing realistic wood grain, subtle color variation, and even distressed textures that look convincingly like aged lumber. The installations in our gallery demonstrate how effectively these tiles replicate authentic materials while offering tile’s superior durability and water resistance.

Vintage-Inspired Fixtures and Details

Farmhouse bathrooms succeed through careful attention to coordinated details. Projects pair vintage-style fixtures with appropriate tile selections, incorporate exposed plumbing for authentic industrial touches, and use mixed metals, creating collected-over-time aesthetics.

The tile selections you see in these projects complement rather than compete with the distinctive fixturesand farmhouse design features. Neutral tile colors allow statement pieces like clawfoot tubs or industrial-style vanities to take center stage, while textured tile surfaces add subtle interest without overwhelming the space.

Shower Tile Installation Expertise

Shower installations represent the most technically demanding bathroom tile work, requiring comprehensive waterproofing, proper slope for drainage, and attention to water management details that prevent costly moisture damage.

Walk-In Shower Transformations

Modern preferences favor curbless or low-curb walk-in showers that offer accessibility and contemporary style. Our gallery includes barrier-free showers with linear drains, glass-enclosed showers maximizing light and openness, and large-format tile creating seamless wet rooms.

One downtown Asheville condo features a frameless glass shower with 12×24 gray porcelain tile on walls and floor, with a linear drain positioned across the shower entrance. The installation required precise slope work to ensure water flows toward the drain from every direction while maintaining an even tile surface without noticeable pitch. This technical challenge demands experience with proper mortar bed techniques and understanding of how water behaves on tiled surfaces.

The waterproofing membrane installation, visible during construction but hidden in the finished shower, provides the critical protection that keeps water where it belongs. Our process includes complete waterproofing coverage on all shower surfaces, careful detailing around penetrations like valve stems and shower heads, and testing before tile installation to verify system integrity. This thorough approach prevents the moisture infiltration that causes expensive structural damage in homes across Western North Carolina’s humid climate.

Custom Shower Niches

Built-in niches provide convenient storage while showcasing installation craftsmanship. Projects feature single and multiple niches at convenient heights, waterproofed recesses that match the surrounding tile, and accent tile highlighting these functional details.

The precision cutting required around shower niches demonstrates installation skill since the tile must frame the opening with consistent grout lines while maintaining the overall pattern. Our photos show how proper planning positions niches to align with tile layouts rather than requiring excessive cutting and narrow tile pieces that compromise the professional appearance.

Shower Floor Options

Shower floors require slip-resistant surfaces that provide safe footing when wet. Gallery installations include small mosaic tile (1×1, 2×2 hexagon), textured porcelain designed for wet areas, and pebble tile offering organic texture and excellent traction.

A recent master bathroom renovation uses white hexagon mosaic tile on the shower floor, creating visual interest through size contrast with the larger wall tiles while providing the slip resistance safety requires. The consistent grout lines radiating from the drain demonstrate the careful layout planning that creates balanced, attractive shower floors rather than the awkward, pieced-together appearance that results from poor planning.

Bathroom Floor Tile Projects

Bathroom floors face moisture exposure, temperature changes from underfloor heating, and the challenge of coordinating with toilet flanges, vanity locations, and doorways. Our floor tile installations demonstrate solutions to these common challenges.

Porcelain Tile Floors

Porcelain’s durability and water resistance make it the most popular choice for bathroom floors. Browse installations with 12×12 porcelain in traditional layouts, wood-look planks (6×48, 8×48) creating contemporary appeal, and large-format tiles minimizing grout lines.

The consistent grout line width you notice in these installations requires careful tile selection since manufactured tile can vary slightly in size even within a single carton. Professional installers compensate for these variations using appropriate spacers and making small adjustments that maintain visual consistency. This attention to detail separates quality installations from amateur work, where uneven grout lines reveal inconsistent spacing.

Transition Details

Bathroom floors typically connect to other flooring materials in adjacent hallways or bedrooms. Gallery photos demonstrate smooth transitions between tile and hardwood, level changes managed with appropriate thresholds, and coordination with multiple flooring types in open layouts.

The technical challenge involves creating flush transitions that prevent tripping hazards while accommodating the different thicknesses of various flooring materials. Our installation team plans these transitions during the measurement phase, ensuring proper substrate height relationships before installation begins. This proactive approach prevents the awkward ramps or lips that occur when transition planning happens as an afterthought.

Technical Installation Details

Understanding what happens behind the finished surface helps you appreciate the quality that distinguishes professional installations from inadequate work that leads to callbacks and failures.

Waterproofing Systems

Every bathroom tile installation begins with comprehensive waterproofing that protects your home’s structure. Our process includes a liquid membrane on floors and lower walls, a sheet membrane at critical areas like corners, and complete encapsulation of wet areas.

The Schluter-Kerdi and similar waterproofing systems used in these projects provide reliable protection backed by industry-leading warranties. However, the system only performs as well as the installation quality. Our photos show proper overlaps, sealed penetrations, and complete coverage that prevents water from finding the gaps poor installations leave vulnerable to moisture intrusion.

Substrate Preparation

Tile performs only as well as the substrate supporting it. Gallery projects demonstrate proper cement board installation on walls, modified mortar beds on floors, and crack isolation membranes preventing damage from minor structural movement.

The time invested in proper substrate preparation doesn’t show in finished photos, but the long-term performance depends entirely on this foundational work. Our team removes inadequate existing substrates rather than attempting to install tile over questionable surfaces, a decision that protects your investment by preventing future failures.

Setting Techniques

The mortar application and tile setting process affects both immediate appearance and long-term performance. Projects showcase proper thinset coverage, ensuring full adhesion, consistent tile placement, maintaining pattern alignment, and lippage contro,l creating even surfaces.

The 95% coverage standard our installers achieve means virtually the entire tile back is bonded to the substrate, preventing hollow spots that can crack under impact. This attention to detail during installation prevents the common problem of tiles that sound hollow when tapped, a sign of inadequate mortar coverage that compromises longevity.

Before and After Transformations

The most dramatic gallery projects show complete bathroom renovations where tile selection and expert installation transform outdated, dysfunctional spaces into beautiful, efficient bathrooms that serve families well for decades.

1980s Bathroom Updates

Bathrooms from the 1980s and 1990s often feature small tiles, dated colors, and worn surfaces ready for replacement. Transformation projects include the removal of pink and blue ceramic tile, the replacement of tub/shower combinations with modern systems, and complete redesigns improving both aesthetics and functionality.

One West Asheville home’s bathroom renovation removed mauve 4×4 wall tile and almond fixtures, installing white subway tile with gray grout and contemporary fixtures that tripled the home’s appeal. The before photos show a dated but functional bathroom, while the after images reveal a fresh, timeless space that could have been installed yesterday or will still look appropriate 20 years from now.

These transformations often involve reconfiguring plumbing, updating electrical systems, and improving ventilation, along with the tile work. Our team coordinates with other trades to deliver complete renovations, though the tile installation often provides the most visible impact on the space’s transformation.

Small Bathroom Maximization

Small bathrooms present design challenges that strategic tile selection can address. Gallery projects demonstrate large-format tile making compact spaces feel larger, light colors reflecting available light, and continuous floor tile eliminating visual breaks that fragment small rooms.

A small guest bathroom in a historic Montford home uses 12×24 white porcelain tile installed vertically on walls to emphasize ceiling height, with the same tile on the floor creating visual continuity. The minimal grout lines and monochromatic scheme make the 5×7 bathroom feel more spacious than its actual dimensions suggest. Strategic tile choices and layouts can significantly impact perceived room size.

Accessibility Improvements

Bathroom renovations increasingly incorporate accessibility features that make spaces usable for all ages and abilities. Projects include curbless showers allowing walker or wheelchair access, grab bar backing built into shower walls, and slip-resistant tile throughout for safety.

A recent renovation for aging-in-place clients installed a zero-threshold shower with a built-in bench, handheld shower head, and strategically placed grab bars. The tile installation incorporates the structural backing these safety features require while maintaining an attractive appearance that doesn’t telegraph institutional design. This approach creates bathrooms that work for current accessibility needs while remaining attractive spaces that won’t stigmatize users or limit future resale appeal.

Customer Testimonials

“The Attention to Detail Was Impressive”

Elizabeth Gum shares: “We love the fact that these folks only sell American-made flooring. We will always support a company that supports our nation, as both of our sons are in the armed forces. The carpet was priced fairly, and the installation was quick and painless. We HIGHLY recommend Leicester Flooring.”

Schedule Your Bathroom Tile Consultation

Ready to transform your bathroom with beautiful, lasting tile installation? The first step is visiting one of our showrooms to discuss your project, see tile options in person, and schedule a free in-home measurement.

Contact us to schedule an appointment at our Asheville or Hendersonville showroom. Our design team will help you select a tile that fits your style preferences and budget, create a detailed installation plan, and provide transparent pricing with no hidden costs.

During your consultation, we’ll discuss your design vision, assess your space’s current condition, review tile options suited to bathroom environments, explain our installation process and timeline, and answer all your questions about materials and maintenance. Browse our complete tile gallery to explore additional project inspiration, or explore our comprehensive flooring services to learn about everything Leicester Flooring offers.