All the pics I have, are of bathroms where I've tiled ALL the walls to the same point. But after tomorrow, I'll be able to show you one. I'm about to do a bathroom where outside of the tubenclosure, the only wall that will get tile is the one with the toilet and vanity on it.

No photos--yet, but in years gone by it was a GIVEN to tile behind toilets for practical reasons. Growing up in a 900 ft. frame, 2 BR/1 bath, post WWII house, we had tile on all bath walls to high wainscot level. Even the most modest house had it.

Years of trying to clean off of drywall (or not) the kinds of splashes you get around a toilet are the practical reason. Didn't they do that in older homes where you live? Around here I could show you LOTS of them! Stopped doing it here so builders could reduce their costs mostly.

Bill V. will handle the aesthetic response.

Thanks bj and bill. I'll check tomorrow for your photos.

My home is 100+ years old. This is the very first time I have ever done any remodeling, replacement tile yes, but this bathroom was gutted completely, due to poor original design & construction. It had been drywalled & tiled over, badly, with plain white 4 x 4 tile, on the floors, ceilings and walls.

The other two bathrooms have the same tiles on the walls, both to 3/4 height. The kitchen counter and backsplash are also the same tile. That can't be normal...

So we want to do this one right. Is bullnose tile customary around a frameless shower? We were told no by a contractor we know, dh says yes. Would the bullnose be used around the tile on the wall behind the toilet? Thanks again for any guidance, much obliged.

Sorry it took a couple of days, but here they are:

Interesting thread and lovely tile job Bill.

I have a similar configuration in my bathroom (shower, not bath though) but vanity & toilet in same position.

If you'd been the homeowner here Bill, would you have chosen any differently - ie tiling to ceiling, or tiling to same height up the wall or do you think this is the best layout?

I keep coming back to this thread to see if anyone else has asked "why would you NOT tile behind the toilet if the rest of the walls were tile?" Don't have a lot of space to get a good picture but the entire bottom half of the walls in the bathroom were tiled. I just thought it was a given that the wall behind the toilet would be too. DH has yet to caulk between the floor and wall.
Monica

If you'd been the homeowner here Bill, would you have chosen any differently - ie tiling to ceiling, or tiling to same height up the wall or do you think this is the best layout?

There are 3 things I'd do differently, if it were my home. First, I'd have done the wainscot on the right side wall as well. it might just be the slight touch of OCD that I have, but that room looks unbalanced to me. Secondly, I would've used ANYTHING other than that mustard yellow paint!! It just doesn't go with the blue glass. Third, I would've taken the tub enclosure tile to the ceiling. It's not really necessary, but again, to me it looks to me like we ran out of tile and made the best of it. But that's me. Everyone has their own tastes.

Thanks again Bill! You've been a big help.
We only tiled the shower, all the way from the base to the ceiling, and the floor. Same tile,w/ bullnose around the shower. Then dh used a travertine tile (thicker than ours, but nearly identical) as the baseboard. No tile anywhere else, because, as someone said, where do you stop? I'll try to get pics tomorrow.

Good stuff. Quick question. I'm putting slate on the wall behind my vanity and toilet and wondering if I should use cement board or drywall for this? Ideas? Thanks!