5. Tile With Restraint

Unless you’re planning a wet room, you don’t need to cover every inch with tile, Ghaly says. Not only is tiling just part of the room cheaper, both in terms of labor and materials, but also it’s often more practical.

“The advantage of part-tiling is that the bathroom becomes much more flexible,” he says. “For example, you can paint the rest of the walls, which means the bathroom can be redesigned more easily in the future, using different colors.

“Hanging pictures on bathroom walls is also becoming popular, and part-tiling gives you this option,” he adds.

When it comes to tile prices, Ghaly says, ceramic tiles are generally cheaper. “Imitation tiles — marble-look, for example — can be inexpensive yet will give your bathroom a similar luxury look and feel like the real thing.”

Shop for bathroom tile on Houzz