If you’re looking to liven up your space but don’t want to commit to painting your walls, try colored or patterned tiles. This is great for kitchens, bar areas, and bathrooms where colored walls can be super loud. Fun tiles add a nice, subtle touch. As much as we love subway tile for its goes-with-everything sensibility and timeless aesthetic, there’s nothing like a bold tile to liven up a space. Pack a punch in your kitchen, bathroom or entryway by adorning your walls — or floors — with bold tile. Whether it’s a gilt, Gatsby-style pattern underfoot or a turquoise mosaic backsplash, discover 15 ways to add pizzazz to your most hardworking space. Check it out some inspo and design tips below:

Horizontal wall paneling provides a place for the eye to rest and puts all the focus on the pretty patterned tile on the floor and tub. The geometric blue floral is refreshing and unexpected.

Photographer:Maxime Desbiens

Source:House & Home September 2019

Designer:Luke Havekes

Whimsical floor tile adds a playful touch to this Old World-inspired bathroom. The vibrant pastels — reminiscent of St. Tropez architecture — balance the warm natural wood on the vintage dresser-turned-vanity.

Photographer:Janis Nicolay

Source:House & Home Kitchens + Baths 2018

Designer:Ami McKay

An intricate accent wall in the shower creates an elegant focal point for this crisp white bathroom. A glass enclosure creates clear sight lines into the shower.

Photographer:Angus Fergusson

Source:House & Home April 2018

Designer:Sarah Keenlyside & Lindsay Konior

The backsplash becomes the pièce de résistance in this Japanese-style kitchen with white oak cabinetry. Deep turquoise mosaic tiles pop against the pale wood.

Photographer:André Rider

Source:House & Home December 2019

Designer:Richard Ouellette & Maxime Vandal

Dark terrazzo tile exudes sophistication in this high contrast shower, drawing the eye to the landscape outside. A brass shower head warms up the space.

Photographer:André Rider

Source:House & Home December 2019

Designer:Richard Ouellette & Maxime Vandal

In this feel-good blue kitchen, a fun pop of pattern frames the range, tying in the cabinetry’s soft blue shades. “It looks contemporary but fits with the age of the house,” says designer Jean Stéphane Beauchamp.

Photographer:Maxime Desbiens

Source:House & Home April 2019

Designer:Jean Stéphane Beauchamp

Source: House & Home