If you're not being a slave to period I say why not use glass tile if you want to? Ebony stained floors and vanity is not really "slave to period" in my mind.

I used a combination of glass mosaic and subway tile in my "vintagey enough to not feel out of place in my 120 year old house but not period" kitchen and I took my inspiration from the NYC subways that combined mosaic with subway tiles. Here's a picture taken ca 1910 I think in columbus circle:

and here's my backsplash:

So I think if you want to do a glass mosaic it would look great and not too modern. That said I think you need either some kind of a bullnose or some kind of chair rail cap for the top of your subway tile if you are going to stop it partway up the wall. It doesn't have to be as elaborate as a chair rail but you need some kind of a glazed top edge. As far as I know, the pencil liner strips do not have a glazed top edge (but I don't know what lines you are looking at).

I love my glass tile accents in my children's bathroom against the white tile. It pops, but isn't too much. I also love texture and pattern in the same color - so white isn't a bad idea at all, AND you can always change the entire mood of the bath later on with new paint and towels, etc. I wouldn't do black, it just doesn't give you the options in the future or update enough, unless retro is what you are after. I think you need to decide on an exact feeling and then the style will flow from there. Good luck!

Thanks for the photo! Your kitchen looks great. I'm not necessarily being a slave to period, but I do want a look that will somewhat blend with the rest of the apartment (although I'm doing the kitchen at the same time, and I'm pretty much ignoring period in there). The rest of the apartment is very pre-war looking, with picture frame moldings and old fashioned doors, though that may be less obvious once the kitchen is done (I think my cabinets are original to the apartment, yikes!).

Anyway, you're right that I need to at least cap the tile with a bullnose piece, if not a chair rail. I just need to find the right color. I think I'm against black because the border is black now (the current tile is a strange green color - talk about being locked into a color scheme!)I've also ordered a bunch of mosaic samples so I will play around with them and see if something catches my eye. If I only tile to chest height, though, where do I place my accent strip? Decisions, decisions!

bio
I had similiar dilema in our 1930 dutch col master bath reno
used 1" white hex on the floor and 3x6" white subways for field
I did many a mock ups and searches to find an accent, border, chair rail and kept coming up short as I didn't want to be locked into a color -
In the end we didn't use any accent color for the tile - paint and accessories do that very well.

I'll post pics if you'd like

good luck

jejvtr, I'd love to see pics - bring it on! I may just cap the tile with white bullnose but I worry about it looking unfinished without a color border. Maybe it's because I've been living with a black border for so long...

How bout the bullnose being the same color as the tile?

Got a picture of a shower installation with white tile and glass mural - note the border at the top. I believe the designer used wall paper but paint with sponging would achieve a similar effect. I don't know how to post pictures, so here is a URL:
http://www.custom-tiles.com/field-tile-and-mural.htm

I wouldn't use a contrasting rail cap with white subways. I might do a liner in a contrasting color and then do a white cap.

The other thing is to do a liner in white of a different size (or with a textured tile) between the cap and the field.

Folks over at Waterworks have that down and a quick passby there, over to Walker Zanger (fairly near each other) to look at their concept boards should give you plenty of ideas.

Artistic, downtown also has tons of concept boards and installs and I'd swing by Country Floors, too. Perhaps you've been to some of those but I found I saw different things on return visits. Less overwhelming, especially for details.

I do favor a black pencil liner. It's classic. We had that in our apartment with hex floors but in the 60s it was changed to all white. Kinda blah for me.

Granted, this is marble but Country Floors put this tone-on-tone combo together for my friend's prewar and it has a great effect in a very modest size bath. They also did a great combo in the floor IMO. I took these for Bathrooms We Love, which is being compiled.

Good luck.

Rococo, I LOVE that bathroom! I think I'm going to do a shameless ripoff of that, except with white subways, a white rail cap, and mosaic accent strip in a blue/brown or green/blue combo, something like that. I love glass pencil liner too but unless I find one that costs less than the usual $10 per, I'll be sticking with mosaic. YAY!

I wouldn't use a contrasting rail cap with white subways. I might do a liner in a contrasting color and then do a white cap.

I agree. You don't want TOO much contrast.

It all depends on what you consider to be too much. I'm doing a black and white bath and I love borders, so I'm going for something with a little more graphic punch. I'm 90% certain I will be using a 1/2" black liner and a black chair rail separated by a 3" high embossed tile for a look kind of like this:

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I also have black porcelain sconces (not that style, the kind with turtle shades) and I'm planning on 1" hex floors with black accents (have not yet decided how those accents will go though). I was considering doing the white cap but it just seemed to lack oomph and when I surveyed friends for their opinion they unanimously preferred black for the chair rail in order to match my bold and sassy personality ;).

I also don't get that black isn't neutral... I can't think of a color I like that doesn't go with it. BUT I can understand wanting to go for a change when renovating your bathroom.

Here is one of my inspiration photos with a similar look to the marble above but with subways and ceramic crown.

Here is a link that might be useful: another option

Bionda -- you could of course do a black ceramic liner.

Thing is, in my area the black and white bathroom with subways and hex are kind of standard issue in these apartments. Lots of people have lived with that for a long time and want a change. They're ripping them out to increase retail value and putting in marble and glass tile (you may know this already).

Glass tile is huge. Our upstairs neighbors just sold their apartment for the highest price ever paid in this building. They had done a gorgeous kitchen reno with a glasstile backsplash and a matching insert glasstile rectangular medallion in the oak floor (Bill V). It was bright yellow (go figure) but really wonderful and I'm not easily impressed. Bingo.

Sounds like you have a good plan. Let me also throw out white irridescent glass tile as an border -- could be very sophisticated depending on the tile.

Wish you could see the bath above IRL. it is honestly dazzling and she found the oval tub on the pedestal like the one from WW for way less.

Lisa, I think for your house embossed tile is the way to go. It's very much of the period, not that it needs to be. I was on a tile site with some beautiful relief pieces today. No idea about cost though. Expect you're also familiar with Pratt and Larsen stuff though that's a bit more A&C.

Here is a link that might be useful: Interstyle

I've been living with weird green, black and white for 5 years, so I'm definitely ready for a switch. Plain black and white is pretty standard around here, so I don't think I want to go with that look, even though I do like it. Adding value to the apartment by doing something out of the ordinary is just a bonus :)

I LOVE glass tile, but it's a little bit of a budget buster, so I have to find a way to work it into the new bath on a smaller scale (the kitchen backsplash is going to be glass mosaic and I would put it floor to ceiling in the bathroom if I could afford it). I've got a bunch of 3/4x3/4 and 1x2 glass samples coming to me, so I can't wait to play around and create something for the accent strip in the bath.

Budge1, thanks for the inspiration photo - I love that!

Not retail, resale. Egad.

Agreed, the glass tile is tough on the budget, especially with a kitchen reno as well. Will look forward to seeing your final choices.

roco lovely bath!

bio here's the pics - no accent border bath

I think changing the color scheme when the time comes should be relatively easy

good luck!

Roccogirl, are those marble 1" that you used on the floor? How is the cleaning. I want it but I am afraid with 2 small children. Also, this will be a high usage bathroom downstairs. your thoughts?

jejvtr - Sorry to barge in. If you don't mind, what brand and exact color name tiles did you use? And what color grout? BEAUTIFUL bathroom.
Gardiner

Thanks Gardiner
field tile is Daltile - Rittenhouse square 3x6 subways - i think the color is artic white
Floor is a 1" hex porcelain - "no name" tile that I found at local dealer - then carrara marble shelving
grout is mapei silver

jejvtr, I love it! I had considered the hex floor for the period look but it's too similar to the current floor - I am really looking for a change. The subways look great though - thanks for the inspiration!

casa1 -- the marble is 1" and the borders 1/2", yes.

It's not my bath it belongs to a friend of mine. She has a teenage boy, now college age. No complaints.

Hard to comment about marble and high usage with small children. I have a friend who's an antique dealer with good furniture all over the house and small kids and it's no issue at all. Others wouldn't think of it IYKWIM.

I have a marble bath and it cleans up really easily with hot water. Ironically, I've had tiny bits of mildew on the grout and used a clorox bleach pen to get it off. No etching I can see when it was rinsed.

Some people talk about etching and think marble isn't practical. I disagree but I love the way marble looks as it ages.

If you want something that will stay new looking and be bulletproof then I'd investigate ceramic tile mosaic. With enough research I'm sure you could get the same look with ceramic tile and that should cost considerably less than marble.

thanks rococogurl, If I can get the price I want, I am going to go for it with the marble. I love how things looks when they age (I forever drag stuff along the wood floors with no cares at all while DH freaks about it)...so, I think no matter how the marble will end up, it will always look vintage!

jejvetr--can you tell me about the radiator? We will be replacing our 1920 monstrosity, and were looking at those in the wall things, but yours looks pretty good. (as does the rest of the bath...congrats on that.)

jejvtr, did you say 1" hex?

Uh oh. I got the 2 inch and now I'm worried. One of my main concerns is that the floor doesn't show the dirt and i know you've said yours doesn't. Now I'm wondering if the 2" will be harder to keep looking clean.

I just saw some 1" in stock at the place I got the wall tile -maybe I should switch?

casa1 -- So glad to find another marble lover.
These tile sources may be helpful. If I recall correctly, Maestro Mosiacs have favorable prices on marble mosaics.
Happy hunting!

chriskelly - funny you mention rad - that is the orig one w/the house 76yo steam rad - I looked at possible wall hung runtels - then the $$$$$$$$ got the better of me and convinced me I have both heat & towel warmer w/my nice old rad - some good paint will do the trick on many

Budge - yes 1" hex - 2" should do the trick if esp if you are using a gray grout - can't wait to see pics! how did the niche issue go?

I had a decision on weather to keep the original 1920's subway tile in my recently aquired bathroom or just tear it out and retile. I decided to restore the tile and repair the missing tiles, build up the damaged surface etc. Here are some photos:

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After restoration

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Nicely done, rodco! I love the vintage look and it's great you were able to restore the tile.

I see alot of accesories in those photos you just can't find anymore without alot of research!!

Very impressive!!