THE BEST-RATED TILE PAINTS FOR BATHROOMS & KITCHENS
Freshening up the look of the tiles in a bathroom or kitchen without spending an arm and a leg is possible thanks to the different systems, products and methods that allow all homeowners to renovate tiled walls and pavements.
But with a wealth of products available on the market, choosing the best one is often confusing and time-consuming.
Yet, you need not worry. Our expert team has tested and rated the most promising tile paints for bathrooms and kitchens in the UK. Check out our top picks to find the right product for your project.
OUR BEST PICK TILE PAINTS
Rust-Oleum Universal Gloss
Our best-rated product – a universal paint and primer for interior and exterior tile surfaces.
Low Cost Option
International Tile Paint
Great covering power and low price – two qualities of an outstanding tile paint.
Best Of The Rest
Rustins Quick Dry Step & Tile
A high-performance interior and exterior paint for tiles, bricks and concrete.
Ronseal One Coat Tile Paint
Very good quality tile paint – but it takes more than one coat to get a full coverage.
Blackfriar Brick & Tile Paint
Tough and durable self-cleaning paint for exterior and interior tiles and bricks.
POPULAR TILE COLOUR PALETTES
Bathroom and kitchen tiles come in a rainbow of colours and choosing them is often a matter of preference. But the size of the room, the exposure to light and the overall colour scheme in your interior also matter.
Timeless choices include neutral shades. White, beige, and cream are elegant and endless. Pairing them with other colours is easy, and these hues can easily boost the value of your property. In a traditional interior, for example, you can mix and match earthy tones of brown, khaki and cream either in the kitchen or in the bathroom.
Blue is a popular choice for the bathroom, while aqua or turquoise can also complement a kitchen when done right.
Yellow and green are two solar shades that stimulate the appetite. Pair them with white for a retro-chic look or with grey in a contemporary style kitchen.
Orange tiles look great in small bathrooms. This shade pairs with light green and beige. For a modern look, choose black but limit its use unless you have a large bathroom. Black and dark grey are two ideal choices in a modern kitchen too.
Purple is a contemporary colour that works wonders either in the kitchen or in the bathroom. Purples derived from a red are more suitable for the kitchen and match wonderfully with cream and beige.
Purples derived from a blue integrate successfully in a bathroom and pair with bold shades such as chartreuse or turquoise. To tone down purple’s aggressiveness, pair it with white or ivory.
Gold and silver are two other colours that pair well with stylish environments and dozens of neutral or dramatic shades.
Quick drying universal all-surface paint for interior and exterior use.
Positive consumer feedback led us to include this product in our testing. And we were surprised by its exceptional qualities. Presenting itself as a self-priming universal paint, Rust-Oleum All-Surface does exactly what it says on the tin.
The paint comes in 17 colours and three finishes. Tile-wise, we recommend the gloss finish which imitates the natural glaze of bathroom and kitchen mosaics. However, some colours are available in matt and satin finishes in case you want to completely revamp the look of your environments.
Aesthetics apart, the technical qualities of this product are outstanding. The paint is ideal to use directly on ceramic tiles, plastic, wood, masonry, laminates and even on ferrous and non-ferrous metals.
Solvent-based quick drying formula provides a tough and durable finish in only 8 hours. The product touch dries in two hours and can be recoated after 16 hours if necessary. A second coat is often required when making substantial colour changes, but many homeowners declared they felt a second coat was necessary for extra protection.
The double formula suitable for interior and exterior use is another feature we like. Once the tiles are painted, you can just use the leftover product for any DIY project in your home or garden.
Pros
• Thin consistency ensures a quick and easy application on bathroom and kitchen tiles – the product adheres to almost all surfaces without requiring a primer.
• Suitable to apply with a brush or roller, Rust-Oleum All-Surface has a great covering power. A litre of paint is enough for up to 9m².
• The product is supplied in 250ml and 750ml tins. The solvent-based formula can be thinned with 10% white spirit to prime bare surfaces before applying a regular coat.
• This paint covers slight surface imperfections, such as fine cracks, drying to a flawless high-sheen finish.
Cons
• The solvent-based formula is toxic and has a strong odour. Do not use this paint in a poorly ventilated environment.
• The colours dry to different shades, which is disappointing.
• Due to its thin consistency, the paint drips a lot. For the same reason, it also dries fast which means you’ll have to apply it quickly.
Waterproof and ultra-strong tile paint for glazed ceramic walls.
International Tile Paint is a budget-friendly yet high-quality product to consider if you don’t mind a scarce colour choice. In fact, the product comes in only three shades and a high-sheen finish that imitates the natural shine of glazed ceramic tiles.
More suitable for the bathroom than the kitchen, the product boasts a waterproof formula designed to protect your surfaces from moisture. An ultra-tough, scratch-resistant finish makes the paint ideal for the kitchen too, but International Tile Paint is not suitable to use near heat.
The use is limited to glazed ceramic wall tiles only. However, considering its price, the product offers exceptional value for money and is a great alternative to completely replacing your tiles.
Our favourite feature is the adherence. The product requires no primer, and this helps reduce redecoration costs. Coverage is also great. The product is supplied in 750ml tins and a tin is sufficient for up to 6m² of tiles.
Pros
• Oil-based formula boasts an exceptional covering power. A litre of paint covers up to 8m² and a coat is usually enough to provide correct coverage.
• Tough and scratch-resistant paint provides a protective coat to the old bathroom and kitchen tiles, hiding minor cracks.
• Exceptional viscosity makes the product easy to apply with a paintbrush or roller without leaving unflattering marks.
Cons
• Like all oil-based products, International Tile Paint is toxic and unsuitable to use in poorly ventilated spaces. The odour is almost unbearable.
• A scarce colour choice includes three neutral shades, though all hues dry to different nuances.
• The product is only suitable for glazed ceramic wall tiles. It cannot be applied on ceramic floors or worktops.
A quick drying paint for interior and exterior tiles. Special pigments ensure an outstanding opacity.
Another tile paint that we loved is Rustins Quick Dry Step & Tile. Ideal for tiled floors and walls, the product is suitable for all tiles except glazed or quarry, and it can be used on other materials including bricks and concrete.
The product has a hard wearing, durable, and weather resistant formula that makes it ideal for interior and exterior use. Apply it on tiled pavements and floors, brick walls and other surfaces that can benefit from a fresh coat of paint.
A slight drawback is the colour range. Step & Tile comes only in red and black. Both hues have an outstanding opacity due to special pigments and they both have a great coverage power. Two coats are usually sufficient and a litre of paint covers up to 14m².
Another thing we like is the choice. Whether you need a small quantity of paint for small retouches or a large amount for a bigger project, you can choose the right tin for you. The manufacturer supplies the product in 250ml, 500ml and 1L tins.
Pros
• Thin and quick drying formula ensures an easy application with a paintbrush or roller on interior and exterior surfaces.
• Ideal for stairs and floors, this tile paint dries to a durable and resistant finish.
• Water-based paint is safe to use in enclosed spaces and is environmentally friendly. The product has a good adherence on surfaces previously painted with oil-based paint.
• A gloss finish provides an elegant touch to the surface.
Cons
• The paint is unsuitable to use on glazed or quarry tiles; it also has a poor resistance to heat.
• We wouldn’t recommend this product for high-traffic areas. Even though it is a floor paint, it chips off easily.
Self-priming tile paint for bathrooms and kitchens.
Ronseal has made it onto our list thanks to its high quality, despite the misleading claims that advertise this product as a one-coat paint. It certainly takes more than one coat to get good results, but it’s well worth the effort.
Listed at an affordable price, the product is suitable to use on glazed tiles either in the kitchen or in the bathroom. A mould-resistant formula makes this paint ideal to use in high condensation areas, near the bathtub or shower.
We also like the self-priming formula. The product has a great adherence and requires no primer. It dries to a tough, durable finish and comes in 13 attractive shades that find their place in traditional and modern homes.
Other than tiles, the product is more versatile than expected and can also be used on baths, sinks, and cookers. Two coats are usually sufficient to achieve a good coverage and a litre of paint is enough for up to 8m² depending on the porosity of the surface.
Pros
• Great consistency makes it easy to apply the product with a paintbrush or roller. The paint is suitable to use in the kitchen and bathroom.
• Quick drying time helps finish the painting project faster. It takes approximately two hours for the paint to dry and it allows for a new coat after about four hours.
• Soft-sheen satin finish is tough and durable, providing a medium protection to your tiled walls. The paint is also available in a gloss finish.
Cons
• Obtaining a smooth finish is hard and requires a lot of sanding of the new coats until the desired look is achieved.
• The name of the paint is misleading. It takes more than one coat to get full coverage.
• Runny paint can drip all over the place and it’s hard to remove once set.
A solvent-based weather-resistant tile and brick paint for interior and exterior use.
Blackfriar Brick & Tile Paint is essentially an exterior roof tiles paint, and it comes in an attractive matt finish that complements all landscapes. Also suitable for brick and masonry, this product is ideal to use on exposed brick walls in the kitchen or bathroom, integrating with success into a distressed or post-industrial décor.
The product is tough, self-cleaning and weather-resistant. These qualities make it an ideal choice for high-traffic or high condensation areas; however, the product is incompatible with glazed and quarry tiles, is unsuitable to use on a tiled worktop and doesn’t pair well with tiled flooring or pavements either.
Applying the product is lengthy. In general, it takes two coats to get full coverage but the recoating time is roughly 16 hours in ideal conditions. We wouldn’t recommend painting on damp or cold days, but the drying time can be affected even by a slight change of the temperature.
One thing we definitely like is the coverage. A litre of paint covers up to 14m² and the product is supplied in 250ml and 500ml tins.
Pros
• Self-cleaning formula ensures a beautiful long-lasting finish. The product is also weather-resistant.
• The solvent-based product is tough and durable. The paint is ideal for roof tiles, masonry and bricks.
• While we recommend applying two coats of paint, one coat may be sufficient in most cases.
Cons
• The product is toxic and can’t be used in poorly ventilated spaces.
• This brick and tile paint is not formulated specifically for interior tiles and is incompatible with glazed wall tiles.
HOW TO PAINT INTERIOR TILES
MATERIALS
• Interior tile paint
• Primer
• Cleansers
• Caulk
• Sandpaper
• Masking tape
• Drop cloths
TOOLS
• Paintbrushes
• Roller
• Roller tray
• Caulking gun
• Putty knife
• Stepladder
DECORATING GUIDELINES
Step 1 – Clean the tiles
A fundamental step to obtaining long-lasting results is a thorough surface preparation. Wash all areas to be treated with a suitable degreaser for bathroom or kitchen. If you’re painting the kitchen tiles, pay particular attention to removing all grease and oil residues.
Tile paints have a poor adherence on dirty surfaces and they can easily peel off once dry.
After cleaning with a degreaser, rinse the area with clean water and let it dry completely before passing to the next step.
In the meantime, cover with masking tape all areas which are not to be painted, including any edges between the tiles and the furniture.
Step 2 – Prepare the tiles
Most tile paints available on the market are self-priming. However, there are practises that can improve coverage.
To improve grip, we recommend a light sanding of the whole area with fine sandpaper. Tile paint usually covers fine cracks, but larger cracks or holes have to be filled with caulk. Once repaired, remove excess caulk with a putty knife and level the surface with sanding paper.
Remove all dust from the walls with a vacuum cleaner or a dry rag. If the paint requires it, apply a primer and wait for it to dry as instructed.
Step 3 – Paint the tiles
On large surfaces, we recommend applying the product with a roller. However, a paintbrush is another great tool to consider if the project is small.
To achieve good results, paint one tile at a time, paying particular attention to the joints. If one coat is insufficient, wait for at least 24 hours between one coat and another. While painting, pay attention to any drips and clean or level the paint immediately, as it is hard to remove dry tile paint from the surface.
Once applied, leave the paint to dry for at least another 24 hours.