How to Make a Mosaic Mural for Your Bathroom

Every room should have at least one stand-out feature that draws your eye. Whether that’s a beautiful roll top bathtub in the centre of a window, a fantastic patterned tile that frames your shower cubicle, or a single wall in a bold exciting colour, creating something that draws the eye as soon as you step in is a great way to add some drama and interest to your bathroom. One creative way you may not have thought of, however, is to create a mural out of mosaic tiles. Due to the naturally damp conditions in bathrooms, artwork is normally not an option but thankfully, you can still achieve the same effect by creating your own mural with mosaics.

A project like this can be as intricate or as straightforward as you would like it to be but we’d recommend starting with a fairly simple design if it’s your first go. Remember that tiles are much more permanent than artwork, so be sure to plan your project carefully and choose a design that you will not soon grow tired of. Read on as we take you through the steps required to create your own mosaic mural artwork for a standout feature that no one else will have!

Decide on a Design

Consider the rest of your home’s decor when deciding on a mural design. A traditional period property may benefit from a more traditional style of design like birds or florals, a 1930s home might take its inspiration from Art Deco design, a contemporary new build may look best with something graphic or abstract.

Do you like bold, bright colours? You’ll love using bright tiles in primary shades or high contrast colours. If you favour a more neutral design in your home, then consider a design that utilises a softer, more natural palette in pale natural colours like beige, white, browns, taupes or greys. Consider adding some glass mosaics or mirror mosaic tiles as well to add texture and depth to your design.

Look for inspiration on Pinterest to see what kinds of designs others have chosen and see what you are drawn to. You may want to create a Pinterest board of your favourites to refer to see what might look best in your home. Bear in mind the size of your mural as well. A large full wall mural will take more planning and time to create than a small splashback and certain designs will look better scaled larger or smaller.

Shop Your Materials

 

Once you’ve decided on your design, you may want to get some paper to the same scale as the wall you’re intending to place it on and sketch it out in full size. This will allow you to see how many tiles you’ll need for your project and allow you to start planning your colours and placement before they are placed more permanently on your wall.

 

 

Consider buying slightly more tiles than you’ll need (figure about 10% wastage). This way, if there are any issues, you will not be forced to stop half-way through because you have run out. Lay all your tiles on your paper design before you begin to make sure you are happy with the finished look.

 

Apply Your Adhesive

Once you are happy with the design and purchased all your materials and laid them out on your practice area, you can begin with applying small areas of adhesive to the wall. The adhesive you need will depend on the kind of tiles you are using so be sure to read the manufacturer’s instructions for adhesive recommendations. The table below provides some handy pointers for the type of adhesive you should use with different types of mosaic:

Create Your Design

Begin transferring the tiles from your design to the wall beginning from the top down, pressing the tiles into the mortar until the entire design is in place. If you’ve done all your planning beforehand, then this should be relatively easy as the hard work has already been done! Make sure your tiles are pressed evenly into the surface so that the vertical design is flat and even or consider using tile spacers so that the tiles are evenly placed throughout. 

Apply Your Grout and Clean

Be sure to remove any excess adhesive from between the tiles before grouting (it will show through the grout and spoil the end result if you don’t!). Next, allow the mortar to dry according to the manufacturer’s instructions and clean off any residual adhesive from the face of the tiles. Now grout the mosaic mural completely and wipe off any excess grout with a clean damp sponge. We recommend using Fila Tile & Stone Cleaner for a sparkling finish. Allow to dry completely according to the manufacturer’s instructions, et voila! You’ve just created a mosaic mural.

To download this rather useful guide as a PDF, just click the bar below:Download our handy guide to making a bathroom mosaic mural now and become the tile master you know you always could be!