Thank you, elphalba and jacqueline5! I actually found a nice Calacatta matte porcelain tile made by Mission Stone & Tile in Chattanooga (see link below). If I think it's worth the hassle to have it delivered (it's only about 15 square feet), I will--"though my contractor and boyfriend are having a cow over this! As it's good enough for Gwyneth Paltrow... Well, we'll see! I'll report back. Otherwise, my search will continue for a matte porcelain Calacatta floor. I'm considering using the mosaic of the polished porcelain Calacatta, which isn't bad. But I'm worried it may be too busy. BTW, I had my heart set on a porcelain Calacatta mosaic with a honed finish. But from what I'm reading, honed on the floor can be just as slippery as polished. Anyway, thanks again. Will keep you posted. My renovation won't start till end of the year, most likely, so I still have some time to drive everyone around me crazy. Here is a link that might be useful: Mission Stone & Tile Calacatta Porcelain

Loooove the look of Calacatta Gold 2' Hex for my bathrooms. But i'm a little anal, so the upkeep and potential etching is a no go for me. Can anyone recommend a porcelain 'look alike'? I can't seem to find any subs in Gold 2" hex.... This is the look I'm trying to achieve. The floor is actually Ann Sacks Calacatta Borghini, but at $52/sf, there was no way. Calacatta Gold was the closest sub which was more reasonably priced (relatively speaking - HA!) Here is a link that might be useful: Calacatta

You should pick up a tile or two and soak test them. I would avoid the pebbles for the shower floor. I'm setting some I Marmi 1'x2' tile that is Calcutta Gold in appearance. Maybe this blog post will give you some inspiration. I Marmi Tile From italy: Tile Installation Tips

Thanks for your comments, all! (Pardon the lack of formatting, I've been typing this all on my phone!) ____________ Roarah: I think the marble-look hex option looks great! And the grey tile for herringbone is lovely too. I actually was set on doing a herringbone floor at first until it became more difficult to source a 3x20 or 4x24 length tile (I prefer a very long and lean look with a herringbone). Not sure if this will help you differentiate/decide between them, but the herringbone in that size feels a bit more modern to me, whereas the marble hex feels more classic/luxurious but I'm sure either choice will be beautiful on your floors! mrsshayne & grannysmith18: Thanks for sharing your experiences (I've been researching the heck out of those who've lived with penny tile floors to see if they ended up loving/hating them; interestingly, I found much more info on the black penny tile look but not a lot regarding white (except not to use white grout). Yeah, I think the amount of grout and worrying about it getting dirty is what's holding me back. Also, whether having such a large floor area of penny tile will be visually overwhelming instead of soothing and inviting. ____________ Latest Update: I actually returned the original 12x24 grey Porcelain (it was beautiful but was a bit rough in texture which I wasn't sure I wanted underfoot in the bathroom) and ended up buying a White Penny Porcelain mosaic with Mapei Flexcolor CQ Frost grout for the floors. However (>_<), I still can't help but have that nagging sense that this isn't the "right floor" yet... I realize I'm doing the penny or considering hex tiles because I feel like I owe it to the Victorian gods to be historically accurate but at the same time, if we could just have a smooth, one surface (minimal grout lines), white or light grey colored, easy to clean floor, I would. In other words, I feel like I'm trying to put in penny or smaller hex cause that's what it seems like I'm "supposed" to do, but I can tell that I don't actually love them (except for the marble hex which is out of our budget, since we have over 100 SF to tile) which is probably why I ruled them out in the first place, sigh. So I'm still in dilemma mode...but am thinking of choosing one of these really large format tiles from a local retailer (who offers bargain prices on bathroom fixtures and larger cement-look tile): https://goo.gl/photos/3wE9kcS3WPbp9sD18 Mainly, I'm reminded that my original goals for the bathroom were to make it whiter and brighter (maximize the minimal light), more spa-like, with some modern flair/finishes at a reasonable cost, though choosing the "right" tile seems like a decision that will never end until we finally get started on laying things down. Along with trying to choose a finish that a future buyer won't curse me for, the way I did when I saw the red terra cotta on the bathroom floor :P. ____________ I'll keep the thread updated with how things turn out (I really appreciate when others have done the same; it's neat to see people's considerations for why they did what they did and the incredible changes that can be made), just hope the bathroom doesn't turn out ugly (cause then I'll be less inclined to post :P!) Thanks for reading!