How to Choose Bathroom & Shower Tile

Yes on shower walls, no on shower floors. Polished porcelain and marble-look tile are fine on vertical surfaces, where footing is not a concern. On the shower pan and bathroom floor, choose matte or textured finishes instead, because texture and extra grout joints add grip underfoot. ANVE carries matte, polished, glossy, and textured finishes, so you can pair polished walls with a matte mosaic pan.

Small mosaics grip better and follow the slope to the drain. A shower pan pitches toward the drain, and small tiles like 2-inch hexagons follow that curve without awkward cuts. More tiles also mean more grout joints under your feet, and every joint adds traction on a wet, soapy floor. ANVE stocks 13 hexagon mosaic and 10 2x2 square mosaic styles; choose a matte or textured finish for the pan.

Matte porcelain in a 12x24 or 24x24 format is the safest bathroom floor choice. Porcelain absorbs almost no water, and a matte finish keeps footing secure when the floor is damp. ANVE carries 40 styles in the 12x24 format and 14 in 24x24, in colors like White, Grey, and Beige, so matching floor to wall is straightforward.

Porcelain for floors and shower pans, either for walls. Porcelain is denser and absorbs less water, which is why the wet-area floor picks in this guide come from ANVE's 112 porcelain styles. Ceramic is lighter and easier on the budget, so it works well as bathroom wall tile and on tub surrounds, where water exposure is lighter. ANVE stocks about 25 ceramic styles, so you can compare both materials in Paramus.

Choose a porcelain slab when you want a near-seamless shower wall with almost no grout to maintain; ANVE's 12 slab styles reach 48x96 inches, so many showers need only a few panels per wall. Choose 12x24 or 24x48 tile when you want easier handling, more layout options, or a lower installed cost. Both come in marble-look designs and both take a polished finish well on walls.

Two approaches work: 3x12 or 4x12 subway tile for a classic look, or 24x48 large-format tile for fewer grout lines. ANVE carries 12 styles in 4x12, 10 in 3x12, and 30 in 24x48, including marble-look porcelain. Because a tub surround is a wall, polished and glossy finishes are both fine there, and both ceramic and porcelain hold up.

Minimize grout where you can. Porcelain slabs up to 48x96 inches and 24x48 large-format tile leave far fewer joints to scrub than small tile, and porcelain itself absorbs almost no water, so it wipes clean. Save mosaics for the shower pan, where the extra joints earn their keep as grip. Natural stone adds periodic sealing to the list; porcelain needs none.

Yes. ANVE's showroom at 129 E Route 4, Paramus, New Jersey 07652, in Bergen County, displays the tile range in full size, so you can stand a porcelain slab upright, lay a hexagon mosaic sheet flat, and compare matte against polished under real light. Bring your measurements, and the team will help you pair walls, pan, surround, and floor from more than 160 tile and slab styles by Maline Tile and the Anve Bath line.