Unsellable Houses Unveils A Chic Way To Take Bathroom Walls From Basic To Beautiful

Sisters Leslie Davis and Lyndsay Lamb are known for transforming houses from drab to fab on their HGTV series Unsellable Houses. In Season 4, Episode 4, the team tackled a dated rambler that was listed for sale "as-is," with a hideously dated master ensuite featuring bubblegum pink laminate countertops. Yikes! 

But, Lamb had a trick up her sleeve: With limited time and a limited budget, she made a big impact in this little bathroom by adding a floor-to-ceiling vertical tile accent wall. She selected an earthy, textured tile to pull together a boho-inspired look, but a vertical tile accent wall can also enhance a chic, modern bathroom or bring life to a cool, ocean-themed water closet with beachy vibes. Depending on your aesthetic, your colorways, and your budget, you can choose a style of tile for an accent wall in your refurbished bathroom, following this trend from the Unsellable Houses team.

Leslie Davis and Lyndsay Lamb transformed a dated '80s bathroom by converting one wall into an accent wall with textured tiles. The pair used the Shibusa Series from Arizona Tile, a bamboo-inspired tile, in a dark tone. This type of textured tile is a great alternative to wood panels in a bathroom. Porcelain and ceramic tiles have lots of benefits. Wood-textured ceramic or porcelain tiles can have the same vibe as natural wood, that cozy feeling of a Nordic spa or sauna, but they do not require the same upkeep as wood. The team from Unsellable Houses used a dark-colored tile with a pop of white grout.

There are lots of other options for wood-textured ceramic tiles as well. You can choose from the Bambusa line of Italian tile sold by Tile America. This series includes traditional rectangular tiles as well as parquet-style imitations and mosaic tiles for a variety of creative and luxurious options. TileDaily also sells a bamboo-texture porcelain tile in five natural shades.

To mimic Davis and Lamb's look, go for narrow vertical tile strips with grout or thin-set mortar in a contrasting color for a bit of pop. Finish off the look with some potted plants to enhance the natural aura.

If the wood-texture look is not what you're going for, but you love the vertical tile design created by the Unsellable Houses team, try tiles that add a pop of unexpected color. Choose a bright, bold color to offset your fixtures, countertops, and hardware. For example: a cool teal tile will look great with equally soft silver fixtures and a black marble countertop, while a warm pink tile will play the perfect counterpart to a brass faucet. 

You can even mix-and-match tile colors, going for a tonal mix of reds and pinks, or choose a mosaic tile to create a fun, festive Mediterranean look. The great thing about working with narrow vertical tiles is that the scale of the tile is so small, it allows the color or design you choose to really pop when you step back, making for a major impact! Don't be afraid to choose a bold bathroom color scheme and run with it — that's what an accent wall is all about!