Tiles and surfaces are generally thought of as functional only insofar as they provide a friendly material
interface between a wall or object and the room around them. There is no reason why they can not also work in other ways too, saving space as needed with addable shelves.
As these images suggest, these shelf tiles by Per B?ckstr?m can add some color and texture to a space in addition to their more functional contributions to a bathroom or living space.
However, for a more modest look there is also a variant that comes in simple metal and can be arrayed in regular patterns or to create interesting compositions as shown here.