4 Types of Vintage Tiles for Your Bathroom Remodel

Putting vintage tiles in a new luxury bathroom is an amazing way to achieve that retro feel without compromising your dedication to brand new, high-end craftsmanship in your interior design. Beautiful ceramics can make all the difference to your finished bathroom remodel. But they don’t have to be new tiles! A quick search on eBay or Etsy will quickly show you that there are some stunning antique tiles out there to perfectly complement your new fixtures and fittings.

Fat lava Tile from GoodTimesSPAIN

Fat Lava Tiles

Fat lava is a style of artisanal, post-war pottery that emerged in West Germany in the late 1940s and became incredibly popular in the 1960s and 1970s. Its re-appearance in high-end interior design over the past few years demonstrates the perennial allure of the mid-century modern style. And – oh, lucky you – there are still lots of stunning fat lava tiles out there to be had for your bathroom, thanks to the sheer volume that were originally produced by the likes of Bay Carstens, Ubelacker, Jopeko, Otto and Roth. But fat lava ceramics are becoming rarer, so now is the time to find them.



Art Nouveau Wine Leaves Tiles

Art Nouveau Majolica Tiles 

Majolica is a type of tin-glazed tile that dates back to fourteenth century Spain. When Italian potters first began to craft them, they referred to them as maiolica but British producers in the mid-nineteenth century anglicised the name to majolica and the name stuck to describe both types. Some of the most stunning examples of majolica tiles are undoubtedly those of the English Art Nouveau style, which emerged at the Great Exhibition of 1951 in Stoke-on-Trent – one of the most popular producers being Minton & Co. Finding original majolica tiles is harder than ever, today, so expect to pay a pretty penny if you do want them for the feature wall of your beautiful statement shower.

A star is born: Scintilla Tile collection from Walls and Floor

Spanish King’s Star Tiles

So sought after are original Spanish encaustic star tiles for the bathroom that certain discerning producers have started manufacturing distressed, pre-worn, but brand-new replicas of this classic ceramic design. The shabby chic culture of re-using old fixtures, fittings and furnishings just doesn’t exist in Spain in the same way that it does in other countries, so vintage examples in useable condition are incredibly hard to come by. If you do find them, however, they will instantly bring an opulent, antique feel to your bathroom, especially on the bathroom floor (though they’re equally popular as a wall tile).

Miradouro Class Ceramic Tile collection

Azulejo Tiles 

The stunning, hand-painted, tin-glazed designs of Portuguese and Spanish azulejo ceramics have come to define the Mediterranean style. Originating from the Islamic Hispano-Moresque style of thirteenth century Spain, azulejo tiles found their manufacturing hub in Seville in the sixteenth century and have remained popular throughout the centuries. What this means is that antique examples are plentiful. However, the older they are, the more expensive they are. Expect to pay upwards of £1,000 for a single fifteenth century tile to use as a decorative statement on your bathroom wall. Might want to make sure you’re 100% happy with your bathroom design choice, too, as you probably won’t ever be able to remodel in there again without deeply offending your archaeologist, historian, artist and architect pals.

Can you reuse old tiles?

Sadly, it’s rarely possible to re-use old bathroom tiles because the mortar used to stick them to the wall or floor is very difficult to separate from the tile itself. So, it will be almost impossible to get an even surface using second-hand tiles that have previously been adhered to a surface.

If you want to remodel your bathroom using old tiles, it’s important that you look for those with a flat back, unspoilt by mortar or other tile adhesive. We’re talking deadstock or tiles second-hand tiles that have never been used before. You can find them. As we say, the internet is full of them, so antique hunting for them online will be a huge voyage of discovery and should give you tons of decorative ideas for you new bathroom. Happy hunting!

Looking for something else to read? Check out our article on Boho Interior Design.

Main image: ICREATE