• Your bathtub tile can blend into the room or create something unique.Bathroom image by Nikolay Okhitin from Fotolia.com
  
  If your old tile design is out of date, installing new tile with a new design can bring your bathroom and bathtub into the present. Bathtub tiles need to be waterproof, but this doesn't need to limit your tile option. You can find a waterproof bath tile in almost any substance from glass to metal to ceramic.
  
  

Checkerboard

• Create a checkerboard design to create an eye-popping bathtub surround look. Construct a checkerboard tile design using two bold colors, like red and orange, for a bright take on traditional tile style, or mix white tile with another color, like black or blue. If you like the checkerboard look but not the boldness, choose softer, muted colors instead, like earth tones or pastels.
  
  

One Color

• If you prefer a simple look, simplify your bathroom decor by using one color throughout the entire room. If you have white tiles and white wood everywhere else in the room, use white tile around the bathtub. If color's more your style, choose an earth-toned tile made from marble, slate or something else, and tile the entire room, including all the walls and the floor, to create a cozy cave-like effect.
  
  

Add Some Art

• If your bathroom is looking a little bland and visitors can see the tile around your tub, think about adding tile art to your bathtub surround. You can purchase tiles with everything from celebrity images to painted flowers on them from a variety of retail stores and home improvement stores. Place artistic tiles in a line or pattern, or create an abstract look by placing them randomly on the wall around your bathtub.