20 Stylish Ways to Use Subway Tile in Bathrooms

First used in the New York City subway system in 1904, these 3x6-inch bricks became a residential hit for the same reason they made sense in transit tunnels. Sleek, versatile and easy to clean, they’re a one-two punch of form and function. More than a century later, designers are once again deploying them to great effect. Take a spin with us through stylish bathrooms featuring iconic installations.

Houston designer Mary Patton went old school with her style nod for this evocative space and its subway-tile installation: It was inspired by NYC’s legendary Gramercy Park Hotel. “Lots of dark and moody features in the brass fixtures and paint color, but it still feels young and sophisticated,” she explains.

This industrial-chic California bath features framed technical drawings, a pair of vintage vanity lights, a no-nonsense wall-mounted sink and right-angled subway tile that turns the shower into a sneaky showstopper. Puzzling out this arrangement probably called for a few technical drawings of its own, but, oh, isn’t the effect worth the elbow grease?

This deliciously bonkers floral print and crisp black-tile-and-white-grout combo turns a teeny-tiny powder room into a jewel box. To pull off a pairing like this one, look for a pattern with a background that matches the tile of your choice and foreground images that approximate its scale.