You must pick a tile— or there will be no floor.
update! see the finished bathroom!
I have spent the last two months scouring the world for a tile that was just a little bit more grey, a little less grey, a little bit shinier, just a little bit bigger, just a little less ugly, just seven degrees more appealing, a tiny bit different, almost this one, almost that one, this is nearly what I want…
The previous tile choice was simple. I knew exactly what I wanted.
2” Polished Carrara Hexagon:
I love it. It’s beautiful, and feels very authentic to the style of the house.
However. Small tile = lots of grout = makes me crazy.
My tendency is to pick things I love, and then hope that no one touches them. Like the white sofa. Which I sold to Paul as being “peaceful.” Then, as he watched me make not one, but two slipcovers for it, he said—yes, very peaceful.
So, even though I love the hex in the first bath, and as tempted as I was to use it for this bath, I reminded myself that this is a bathroom floor. Not an art installation.
I wanted something that I could scrub/sterilize. Not something that needed special care. Minimizing the grout was a huge part of that equation. It also ruled out real marble. Which I adore. But I do not want to be babying stone. I do not want to think about etching or sealing or discoloration. In fact, once this floor is in, I never want to think about it again.
Related Posts:
Marble lookalike tile I chose- Peronda Museum Tile.
List of all our bath fixtures- tile, toilet and other specifics.
November 14, 2012 @ 2:40 am
I love your floors! I am planning on doing this with my master bathroom floor as well. May I ask what brand and color grout you used?
November 14, 2012 @ 7:50 am
Hi! We got the tile in North Jersey… there are a lot of marble distributors up there, and we found it was cheaper than buying locally. It was about a two hour drive, just outside of NYC… but my husband had to go up there for work one day anyway and he just made a detour…
I’m assuming that’s not an option for you, but if it is, I can look up the warehouse we went to. I think I may have their business card somewhere.
Also, I’ve forgotten what color grout we used. We did this bathroom long before I started a blog or ever thought about how other people might find that information helpful. Sorry! I know that’s frustrating!
Good luck with your bath! I cannot tell you how happy I am to be finished!!
April 8, 2017 @ 10:16 pm
Hi- I live in NYC and would love the info for where you got your floor tile!
April 9, 2017 @ 10:32 am
Hey… I did look for the info, and could not find it! Sorry! It was a few years ago, before I started a blog and learned to keep track of all things for posterity!
July 13, 2013 @ 11:45 am
I despise grout! Currently I am attempting to redo our bathroom. Using. No. Grout. Bu daaamn that marble looks so luscious……
July 13, 2013 @ 12:46 pm
Grout = evil.
Next time, solid marble slab on floor.
July 28, 2013 @ 10:14 am
I love this floor. I am redoing my bathroom now and I would love to have a floor like this. Please explain, why is grout evil???
July 28, 2013 @ 3:57 pm
Well… grout is porous. So it cleaning it isn’t the same as cleaning a solid surface. It absorbs dirt, germs, awesome stuff like that… only reason I didn’t go with a hex tile… too much grout.
November 6, 2013 @ 12:52 pm
I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE(!) your tile saga! I am redoing a 1920 Craftsman bungalow. Okay, it was only supposed to be “cosmetic” but three years after ripping out the lathe and plaster (which was being held up mainly by seven layers of wallpaper in fifteen different patterns) I am at the point of trying to find tile for a main floor bath that I would like to have some relation to the period but don’t want to put in beadboard…
Your bath inspires me. Unfortunately, the things that inspire me about it are the very things that do not inspire the longsuffering boyfriend who has endured three years of looking at studs and insulation. Like the marble threshold, which I think is divine and would be even more divine if I could find a five-panel door with a window transom on top. You know, to put light in the much shortened hallway…
Anyhow, I have laughed and sighed and read, and put it away and come back for more. And I think at this point, I am using your bathroom as my “inspiration room.”
Just thought you’d want to know.
February 19, 2014 @ 9:10 pm
Could you give me details on the subway wall tiles? Size? Grout color?
July 16, 2016 @ 6:22 pm
Hi, I really love your bathroom tile selections. Can you let me know any details on the subway tile as well as the lower cove pieces? For example, who is the manufacturer.
Thank you!
July 29, 2016 @ 1:46 pm
LOVE!!!! I am looking to do something very similar (or exactly the same) in my new home, just curious, what are the dimensions of the hex tile? (1 inch, 2 inch, 3 inch)?
I have been looking at tile for what feels like an eternity and once I saw your bathroom I knew this was what I wanted! Thank you for the inspiration!!
July 29, 2016 @ 1:47 pm
Just kidding it’s 2 inches. How I missed that before is beyond me.
August 30, 2017 @ 11:56 pm
Hi! I am currently choosing the same marble hexagon tiles you chose. I just love them. I am having trouble picking a grout (argh!). Do you remember if you used a white or light grey grout? In part of the photo, it looks white, which makes me think it was white and then discolored a bit in certain areas. I actually like this look… I feel like the grey grout at the beginning looks a bit “stripey” and harsh. Thanks for your input! Your bathroom is beautiful.
March 27, 2018 @ 1:01 pm
What color grout did you use on the floor? Did you use white grout on the wall tile?
July 10, 2018 @ 2:50 pm
Hi,
Did you put the same floor into your shower tub? And what about the niches will you build all into the same color, subway tiles or the floor tiles?Thanks