No More Basic Shower Tile: Erin Napier's Unique Idea Beautifies Any Bathroom

Shower tiles tend to be, well, a little on the bland side. Sure, there are options such as large or small tiles, light or dark colors, or somewhere in between. For the most part, though, the tile within a shower stall tends to be square or rectangular. When choosing the best tile for shower walls, why stick with something basic when you could have a little more fun with it? In Season 5, Episode 9 of HGTV's "Home Town," Erin Napier shows off a shower makeover using fish scale or mermaid tail tile as an accent. These curved, scalloped tiles fit together in a way that's similar to the appearance of scales on a fish. It's a playful look that works incredibly well in a bathroom, since water and bathrooms go together like water and fish. Napier said she wanted to create a look for the house that would feel like a Key West Victorian. "Floridian little elements like fish scale... I think that kind of does it, you know?" Napier says during the show.

A fish scale design could come in handy for even a mini makeover in a bathroom, like with an outdated shower tile trend that needs to go. Use these scalloped tiles to replace small mosaic tiles along one area of a shower wall or even as a back splash for the bathroom sink.  

In Erin Napier's bathroom renovation project on "Home Town," the fish scale tiles cover an indented area within the shower stall where soaps and shampoos are stored rather than the entire stall. The rest of the shower wall tiles are white marble. For a variation, the mermaid-inspired tiles could be used on a shower floor, on one shower wall, or on an accent wall such as behind a toilet or sink. 

The beauty of these tiles is that they come in an array of colors, too. You could stick with whatever color scheme you're using for other tiled elements in the bathroom or go aquatic with various shades of aqua, blue, or turquoise. If you'd like them to be more fish-inspired, they could even be orange like carp or goldfish; really, the only limits are the ones you set in place for the visual vibes you're creating in the space. Some scallop-shaped tiles also come with slight color variations on each sheet for a more whimsical touch. There's no need to go colorful, either. If you prefer classic black or white, there are fish scale tiles in those hues, too. Black shower tile really makes a statement.

In Mediterranean homes, these tiles are often used on kitchen back splashes and on spaces above countertops, so there's no need to limit them to the bathroom.