13 Alternative Ways to Decorate Your Bathroom Without Using Tiles

Walls

The most budget-friendly way to decorate a bathroom is with plastic panels. They are easy to install, and you can lay the elements in any direction: vertically positioned ones optically raise the ceiling, making the room higher, and horizontally positioned ones expand the space.

The panels are not afraid of moisture and do not deform due to temperature changes. The walls do not need to be leveled before installation: the material will hide all the flaws. The panels can imitate clapboard, tiles, have a wood texture or a glossy shine.

A great solution for small bathrooms is seamless white elements: they visually increase the space, and the absence of patterns and designs makes the interior more stylish.

To decorate the bathroom in a more non-standard way, you should choose moisture-resistant wallpaper. They will cost less than tiles, and most beginners can handle gluing. The choice of wallpaper designs is very rich, and replacing them if necessary will not be difficult. Suitable for the bathroom:

• Washable vinyl wallpaper.
• Moisture-resistant liquid.
• Embossed fiberglass sheets that can be painted.

Wallpaper can be used to decorate an accent wall or the upper part of the wall where moisture does not penetrate. For additional protection, the wallpaper can be varnished. They cannot be glued in wet areas: on the inner surface of the shower stall and on the walls near the bathtub.

To save on bathroom finishing, designers often use moisture-resistant paint. The color range of this solution is much wider than that of tiles, and you can change the color of the walls without much difficulty.

Before the first application of the composition, the surface of the walls must be cleared of the old finish, treated with an antiseptic, leveled and primed.

To make the bathroom look more interesting, you can use different shades of paint. Acrylic, silicone and latex compounds will do.

Another budget, durable and environmentally friendly material for interior wall decoration in the bathroom is decorative plaster. It hides all small cracks well, is easy to apply and looks impressive. In addition, the plaster absorbs moisture, but protects the walls from pathogenic microflora. Before application, the surface should be waterproofed, leveled and primed.

The cheapest mixture is mineral, characterized by low plasticity. Acrylic is a little more expensive, but more elastic and durable. The most durable and high-quality decorative plaster is silicone, but its price is above average.

Wood tiling of the bathroom is an expensive process, since only elite wood species (oak, ash, Brazilian beech) can withstand long-term exposure to moisture. In dry areas, the use of natural material is acceptable, but requires careful treatment with stain and varnish.

If you like the industrial style, choose thin-walled facing brick or brick-like tiles (also called veneer) for the bathroom, which are ready for contact with water.

Floor

There are several optimal options for tiling the floor in the bathroom besides tiles. One of them is a self-leveling polyurethane floor. It is resistant to moisture and has no joints. To create a unique design, you can choose any pattern. Before pouring the floor, it is necessary to carefully prepare the base.

For imitation wood in the bathroom, moisture-resistant laminate of increased strength, impregnated with wax, which will protect the floor from mold accumulation, is suitable. The surface must be wiped immediately after water gets on it. Waterproof laminate does not absorb moisture and is more durable.

Wooden flooring is a more expensive material, but it has a pleasant texture and is environmentally friendly. Teak, larch, oak wood, as well as decking boards are suitable. Before laying, the floor must be leveled, waterproofed and primed. The parts are glued to the base with polyurethane glue, which serves as a sealant.

It is important that the boards are impregnated with compounds that increase water resistance (oil, stain, varnish). If installed and processed incorrectly, the wood may become deformed.

Linoleum is a material for the bathroom that, if installed correctly, will last about 15 years. You should choose a commercial type of linoleum with a non-slip surface. The texture of the coating can imitate wood or stone. The material must be laid on a level floor and the seams must be carefully sealed.

Ceiling

The most budget-friendly, but at the same time the least durable way to finish the ceiling in the bathroom is water-based paint. The emulsion for facade work, resistant to evaporation and temperature changes, will last the longest. Before painting, the surface is puttied, sanded and covered with a primer.

The ceiling can be made suspended – for this you will need moisture-resistant plasterboard and a frame made of metal profile. The advantage of this design is that it does not require preliminary leveling of the surface, although puttying of joints is necessary for finishing. Lighting can be built into the suspended ceiling.

Plastic panels and aluminum slats are a more budget-friendly way to finish the ceiling in the bathroom. They also require a frame. PVC panels and aluminum slats are not afraid of water, they are easy to care for.

Another modern and practical option for ceiling cladding is a vinyl-based sheet. Stretch ceilings are quickly installed, look laconic, have a variety of designs and gloss levels, and can also be fitted with built-in lighting. The canvas can withstand up to 100 liters of water in case of a flood at the neighbors above.

Those who want to decorate the ceiling with wood should choose boards made of spruce, teak, cedar or alder no thicker than 25 mm, impregnated with water-repellent compounds. A more competent choice for the bathroom would be a suspended ceiling, which will provide ventilation of the material.

A bathroom or toilet, completely tiled, deprives the room of coziness. The listed finishing methods will not only help save money, but also bring originality and completeness to the interior.