It's a big job - installing bathroom shower tile. Part of the fun is in designing the tile pattern - tile patterns for shower remodeling can be as simple or as elaborate as your personality prefers. Everything is up for grabs - whether it be the tile size, the colors hues and complexions - textures and depth. All of these factors have a huge impact on the appeal of a newly tiled bathroom shower.

Some Guidelines to get us started:

Color selection is obviously important. Using a light color tiles helps hide the soap scum and calcium mineral deposits that build up over time in every shower stall. If you cover most of the shower area in lighter shade tiles and accent with darker colored tiles and you can benefit from this handy bit of knowledge. Even if you use darker colors for the walls, you can still use light colors on the floor.

Smaller tile sizes in the 1x1 to 4x4 size range help act as a natural anti-slip / fall mat. That's a nice safety feature and it comes for free when using smaller tiles. Again, use larger tiles on the walls if you wish, but try to work in this free safety feature into your shower tile floor if you can.

Grout color should match the tile colors. Not a perfect match, but a color that blends and compliments the tile. If you really want to make a bold statement you can flip this guideline on its head and use contrasting colors. This can draw attention away from the nice expensive tile, or it can highlight the tile. Choose wisely if you go this route.

Take magazines, including their book compilation publications for example. These are available at any book store and even some hardware stores. They showcase many incredible ideas and examples that are sure to inspire any bathroom remodeler. But these publications also tend to feature only large space areas that are lavish and extravagant - bathrooms larger than most peoples living rooms - that's not very practical for those of us who live in the real world.

Websites and blogs that journal peoples remodeling projects including designing the tile patterns for shower stall remodeling projects are like peaking into your neighbors bathroom shower without getting arrested. People love to post pictures of their projects, and you can learn a lot from them too.

Showrooms are another great place for inspiration. They can advise you on the different types of tiles, accent pieces, and finishing pieces. For example, sometimes you find that perfect tile, but it doesn't have any finishing trim pieces - it can all get a little confusing, so it helps when there's knowledgeable staff to guide you. But showrooms can be very limited in the number of examples they feature because each display requires expensive floor space.

So what design guidelines can inspire the imagination without limiting your ideas with showroom examples? Well one thing to consider is your preference in patterns. Do you prefer orderly, symmetrical, patterns or more free form flowing pattern shapes? Natural unfinished, or a shiny finished look. Start there - your basic preferences for form, fit and finish. A clear understanding of your expectations up front prevents regrets later on.

Designing awesome tile patterns for shower remodeling projects is as simple as keeping an open mind - but sticking to what you like.

1. Take the pictures and magazines you have and start sketching some ideas together - you don't need to be an artist, the quality of the sketches doesn't matter, it's the ideas you get down on paper that are important.

2. Brainstorm ideas like you might have done in school. No idea is a dumb idea. Write or sketch like crazy. Burn through as many pages in a notebook you can with pattern ideas that fit your likes. Symmetrical or free flowing, it doesn't matter. Accent lines, or 1x1 or 1x2 inch patterns - everything is on the table for consideration.

3. By the time you're done brainstorming tile pattern ideas, should have loads of sketch pages. Start separating your best pages from the ones you don't like as much.

4. When you're ready to go shopping for your tile, make sure your favorite choice have finishing and trim pieces available. You know, bullnose and quarter round pieces that make a finished job look so good.

5. Select your accent pieces.

Lets talk about tile accent pieces a little. You can go with accents that contrast yet compliment the larger tile work - for example dark accent on light tiles. Or you can go with clear glass accents that match your tile. These are great for adding tremendous depth and dimension to your masterpiece.

6. Non matching accents - there are so many different accent tiles available, you can really go crazy and let your personality shine. Some companies even make stainless steel accent tiles.

Let your imagination run free with the possibilities available to you. Take the tile patterns for shower stalls you've seen in showrooms and magazines, and think about how you can change and combine ideas to make new tile pattern ideas. Once you get on a roll, the ideas will start pouring in. And you'll have a one-of-a-kind tile pattern that's sure to impress everyone you show it to.