The minimum should be 6 feet from the base. I prefer at least 6 and a half to 7 feet. Some people like to go all the way to the ceiling. Much depends on your taste, how tall the shower head is, and whether you want extra protection from mold (or potential splashes on the paint, that could eventually cause problems).

Greg

Oh maybe I should clarify. We have a seperate tile shower, so Im just asking about wall tile in the other areas.

In one bathroom we went 3 feet. the other bathroom all the way to the ceiling (throughout the bathroom including the shower). The shorter is more classic, the full height looks more modern.

We went with 38" and capped with a trim tile to look like a chair rail.

While you'll see answers anywhere from 36" to 72", the norm is usually between 42" and 52", depending on where your vanity, mirror (or hutch), and electrical switches and outlets fall. You want to make sure that especially the electrical face plates fall either all on, or all off the FIELD tile (It can't have any raised tiles like chair rail or raised pencil liners falling underneath the plates, either).

I found upon doing some demo that a wooden chair rail (utility rail?) was run at 42 inch height. I put my tile chair rail at that height and it looks very natural. It doesn't interfere with the medicine cabinet, which nestles in just above the chair rail.
Casey

To from our

Wo

I did marble tile to 48" in powder room. It's the perfect height for a backsplash behind sink, luxe looking (and easy to wipe down) around toilet. Plus, that height kept the very $$$ wallpaper we hung above the marble safely away from splashing water. However, shorter people might not like having a mirror start at four feet, especially for a bathroom where you perform your daily grooming routine.

This is a 2009 post.

DO you have a recommendation that is more in line with the times? I've just started wondering the same thing as those above...

Glad to see this resurrected as it has been my question lately too!

I personally like 48"

Any updates on this since we are in 2020? What is the trend now on tile all eat around bathroom walls?