How to paint bathroom tiles the easy way: ideas and steps
Tiles are the star material in bathrooms, whether the home is decades old or newly built. Over the years, though, they end up wearing on you. And the thought of ripping out the tiling, with all the building work that involves, puts anyone off. That’s why many people choose to renovate the bathroom without removing the tiles.
Painting bathroom tiles is the fastest, most affordable and most effective way to renovate a bathroom without building work, whether you have experience or not. With a good tile paint you can transform the space, modernise it and gain a greater sense of openness, without rubble.
In this article you have six ideas, the step by step, an indicative cost and the most common questions.
6 bathroom tile paint ideas
The bathroom is usually a small, sparsely decorated room, but renovating it without building work is possible thanks to tile paint. Here are six effective ways to do it.
Smartcover Tiles · tile paint
Applied directly over the tiling, no primer needed. Eleven colours, satin finish and water-resistant.
$95 · free shipping
See the paint1. Design a renovated bathroom by painting the tiles
Tiles are the most visible face of a bathroom and time takes its toll on them, so it is only natural to want to renew them.
Painting outdated tiles delivers a completely new look. Understated tones help create a minimalist bathroom, and if you add floating shelves or wicker baskets you will achieve a warm, cohesive atmosphere.
2. Bring back the light by painting the tiles white
White is one of the most widely used colours in interior design. Because it reflects light, it makes spaces feel visually larger and brighter.
If the bathroom has lost light, painting the tiles white rejuvenates it immediately and adds a greater sense of space, especially in small bathrooms. You can balance the room with black taps or colourful towels to counteract any cold feel. If yours is a bathroom with only a few square metres, we have a guide with ideas for renovating a small bathroom.
3. Combine colours for a bathroom with personality
Mixing colours lets you create contrasts, set apart areas such as the shower, or highlight the upper half of the wall in a different shade. Complete the look with textiles or shelves.
Two combinations that work well: white and black, for an elegant contrast; or green with earth tones, for a more natural feel.
4. Create a monochrome look
A monochrome style creates a sense of continuous space. You can use a single colour throughout the bathroom or different intensities within the same palette to achieve harmony and depth.
In interior design this technique is used to make small rooms feel larger, and also to visually pull together very large ones.
5. Make the grout lines visually disappear
Dark grout lines are one of the features that age a bathroom the most. When you paint the tiles, the grout lines blur, leaving a cleaner, more uniform surface.
This seamless effect helps the room feel larger and tidier.
6. Paint the tiles in small bathrooms
In small bathrooms, light colours add space and brightness. A built-in wooden unit or discreet accessories round off the look without overloading the room.
Neutral tones—whites, beiges, greys or soft earth shades—reflect more light and give the bathroom greater visual depth.
Important: this guide is for wall tiles. If what you want to renovate is the floor, you need a dedicated floor paint and a different step by step: how to paint the bathroom floor. And if the tiles you want to renovate are in the kitchen? They have their own guide: painting kitchen tiles.
Before and after painting bathroom tiles
The change after painting the tiles is striking: the grout lines fade visually and the bathroom gains continuity.
Before and after renovating the tiles
Renovation carried out by @nusihome
Transformation carried out by @s4girls
Before and after @jenshomejournal’s renovation
Result of the transformation carried out by @bland_design
How to paint bathroom tiles: step by step
Difficulty: medium, suitable for doing yourself. Working time: a weekend for a standard bathroom. Until you can use it normally: 7 days, which is how long the paint takes to reach its maximum resistance. Leave 8 hours between coats.
1. Clean, degrease and repair the surface
If the wall has cracks or chips, fill them first with putty using a spatula, and let it dry for the time stated by the manufacturer.
Next, clean the tiles thoroughly with soap and water to degrease them. A brush helps leave the grout lines clean. Remove any limescale with vinegar, rinse with water and dry with a clean cloth.
Cover the floor with plastic sheeting and protect the edges, sockets and switches.
2. Prime the tiles, only if your paint needs it
The primer improves the paint’s adhesion. Stir the product, pour it into the tray and load a brush to cover edges and corners. For the rest of the tiling, use a roller, loaded and wrung out first. Apply two coats, one in one direction and the second crosswise.
Once you have finished, remove the masking tape before it dries. Then let it dry for the time indicated by the manufacturer.
With Smartcover Tiles you skip this step: it adheres without any need for primer.
3. Apply the paint in two thin coats
Before painting, protect the tiling, sockets and switches again.
Open the can, stir until the mixture is smooth and pour it into the tray. Repeat the technique from the previous step: first the edges and corners with the brush, then the rest of the surface with the roller.
When the first coat is dry, apply a second one, alternating the direction: if the first was vertical, make this one horizontal. The important thing is to alternate the direction with each coat.
Two coats are generally enough, although depending on the original colour of the tiles you may need an extra one. With Smartcover Tiles, thanks to its covering power, two coats are all you need, whatever the original colour.
4. Respect drying and curing times
Between the first and second coats, respect the manufacturer’s drying time. Smartcover Tiles is touch-dry in around 30 minutes and it is best to leave 8 hours between coats.
Full curing depends on ambient conditions: allow around 7 days before putting the area back into full use.
How much does it cost to paint bathroom tiles?
Painting the tiles is the most economical way to renovate a bathroom: with a dedicated tile paint, the material starts at around $6 per m², and a tin of Smartcover Tiles costs $95. The comparison helps you decide: retiling means removing the current cladding, with building work, rubble and several days of labour; covering the tiles with microcement, the other no-building-work route, comes to $38–62 per m² of material depending on the square metres — and here you have the dedicated tile paint, no primer needed, in detail. If you are after a colour change with the minimum outlay, paint is the most direct route.
How to maintain painted tiles
Keeping painted tiles looking their best and extending their lifespan is easy with a few basic habits.
- Use gentle cleaners: neutral detergents and soft cloths or non-abrasive sponges. Avoid bleach, ammonia and metal scourers, which wear down the finish over time.
- Clean regularly: don’t wait for dirt to build up. Frequent cleaning prevents stubborn stains.
- Pay attention to humidity: although the paint is made for damp areas, it is advisable to ventilate the bathroom after showers to avoid excessive condensation.
- Check the most exposed areas: above all the washbasin and the shower. Spotting wear early lets you fix it without repainting all the tiling.
- Avoid knocks and hard scrapes: the finish is resistant, but a hard or sharp object can damage the surface.
- Refresh the grout lines if needed: if over time an area loses intensity, you can apply a new coat to that specific spot.
Frequently asked questions about painting bathroom tiles
What paint do I need to paint bathroom tiles?
You need a dedicated tile paint, formulated to adhere to ceramic surfaces such as tiles, stoneware or mosaic. Current formulas, like Smartcover Tiles, are applied directly without primer and get the job done with two thin coats.
How long does the paint last on tiles?
There is no single answer: durability depends on the preparation, on respecting the full curing time and on how the surface is treated. The manufacturer highlights a durable, non-yellowing finish with good chemical resistance. If an area wears over time, you can repaint that spot without redoing all the tiling.
Can I paint the shower tiles?
Yes. The Smartcover Tiles product page states that it withstands running water and can be applied on shower walls. Respect the full curing time, around 7 days, before using the shower normally again. For the shower tray or floor you need a dedicated floor paint.
Paint the tiles or cover them with microcement?
It depends on the result you are after. If you want to change the colour with the minimum outlay, paint is your option. If you would rather remove the grout lines completely and enjoy a seamless texture, the alternative is to apply microcement over the tiles without removing them.
For that option, the microcement kit for bathrooms is applied over the tiles without chipping them off; in cover tiles without building work you have paint and kits gathered together to compare.
Smartcover Tiles for painting tiles
To paint bathroom tiles easily and durably, it is essential to choose a paint designed specifically for this type of surface. Smartcover Tiles has a satin finish, high coverage, water resistance and is ready to use. It needs no primer and two coats give you the final finish. You can choose from 11 colours. If you are weighing up paint types, see our tile paint guide.
