Walls
Bathrooms and tiles go together like bacon and eggs. Ceramic tiles are durable, easy to clean and come in a variety of colours, shapes and patterns. White tiles tend to be cheaper, and you can easily glam them up with a row of coloured border tiles. If you need to keep costs down, buy larger tiles - you'll need fewer of them to cover an area! Glass mosaic tiles are increasingly popular and give a wall a shimmery effect, but they are more expensive than plain ceramic tiles.


Money no object? Marble and polished limestone tiles must be the ultimate in bathroom luxury, but make sure the stone is properly sealed. For an ultra-sleek effect, try panels of colour-backed glass. Aussie Glass Benders of Minto, NSW, phone (02) 9820 3175, can supply coloured glass panels, made to order for your bathroom, for around $280 per square metre.

If tiles aren't your thing (admit it, you hate cleaning grout), then investigate waterproof wall panelling. The panels are made of solid plastic laminate cladding or masonite/fibre cement sheeting with a factory coating of polyurethane paint. They're available in a range of colours and patterns - even timber effects. Some resemble tiles or textured stucco. And absolutely no grouting to scrub!


Extending a tiled area right to the ceiling will make a small room appear larger, but can blow out your tile costs. Most of us end up with an area between the tiles and the ceiling, so what do you do with it? If you go cheap and cheerful with a coat of paint, remember that oil-based paints aren't recommended for walls directly over the bath, shower or behind the basin. Use water-based acrylic paint instead. The alternative to paint is wallpaper. Hang vinyl paper, which is coated with a water-resistant seal to cope with water splashes and condensation.

Floors
What goes underfoot is important in your bathroom. It has to be both water-resistant and non-slip.

Ceramic tiles are easily cleaned, hard-wearing and can fit most budgets. But they can be cold, noisy and slippery underfoot. Check with your supplier for tiles with slip-resistant finishes. Never use wall tiles as floor tiles - they're too thin. Ceramic tiles should be laid on solid floors rather than on timber, as timber joints will move and crack. We don't recommend terracotta tiles for bathrooms. Terracotta can absorb odours, so you'll be sorry the morning after a night on the tiles! (Use terracotta-lookalike ceramic tiles instead.)


Stone, slate and marble may be long-wearing, but they're cold, hard, heavy and expensive. They should be laid on a solid floor of a ground floor bathroom. Lightweight marble and slate slips are a less expensive option to the heavier slabs.

Terrazzo is a tough mixture of glass and stone chippings and concrete. It, too, needs to be laid on a solid floor.

Wood, is warm, smart, durable and can improve with age. Seal your floor with watertight yacht vanish and use a bath mat in front of areas that are doused with water. If you want a limed effect on your timber floor, paint the sanded boards with watered-down, low-sheen white acrylic and protect it with a matt varnish. If you want a timber look but don't have a solid timber floor, lay timber veneer boards to create a tongue-and-groove or parquet effect. These tough laminate veneers resist stains, sharp heels and cigarette burns.

Vinyl is attractively maintenance-free, stain-resistant and waterproof. It can masquerade as timber, brick, slate, marble, limestone and granite. Pattern inserts and decorative borders also give a contemporary look.

Rubber flooring comes as tiles, and is warm and comfortable underfoot. It's economical, sound absorbent and slip resistant.

Cork tiles are another warm, durable, inexpensive option. Tiles are sold in their natural state or with a PVC coating. Thorough sealing of the tiles makes them water resistant, but still use that bath mat.

Benchtops
Benchtops need to tolerate water, soap, alcohol from perfumes and aftershaves, toothpaste, cosmetics and acetone based liquids. Plastic laminate, tile, solid surface material, wood, marble and granite are popular bathroom benchtops.

Wood makes an attractive benchtop, but must be well sealed with polyurethane or marine vanish. Seal carefully around plumbing fixtures so that water doesn't seep through and rot the wood.


Plastic laminate (a stack of thin, plastic layers bonded under heat and pressure) is easy to clean and resists water and stains. It comes in a variety of colours, patterns and textures. The finishes range from high gloss to a mottled leather look. Our only warning is that it's flammable and, over time, the finish may wear thin.

Ceramic tiles make a durable benchtop finish. New grouts and sealants help alleviate the problems of trapped dirt and mildew.

Solid-surface material is available in white, beige, pastels and imitation stone. It's cast from acrylic resin, is easy to maintain and extremely durable. Fine sandpaper will repair minor burns and abrasions.

Marble stains easily and grease will affect granite if it's not sealed. 'Cultured' marble, which is made from marble chips and embedded into plastic, is less expensive than the solid version.

Marble looks beautiful, but needs to be properly sealed to prevent it getting stained.