A New World of Bathroom Tile Choices

Stone tiles continue to be hot — with a twist, says Krashna. Manufactured stone that once looked contrived has made the leap — with technology's help — to perfection. GranitiFiandre's Geologica line is a manufactured stone with all of the drama but none of the drawbacks of the real thing. Made of all-natural ingredients, it's 30 percent harder than the real thing — which makes it work in your real life. The Rouge Languedoc color mimics marble quarried from the Aude region in France — a stunning red background veined with white.

Another, more striking, trend Kalmus sees is the use of a medley of tiles — both in shapes and materials.

"Many tile lines come in a variety of sizes that can be combined in innumerable ways. But you can also mix porcelain with glass or metal or natural stone. Glass adds sparkle in an otherwise matte look, and a dash of stainless or other metal does the same."

To help you add that sparkle, Daltile's Ahnzu line has metal tiles as well as ones with semi-precious stones — a little bling for the bathroom.