On my monitor the paint color looks a little more washed out than I'd like with that rich, warm tile but as you said that's easy to change.

I think the tile looks fine. It sort of overall has a slightly handmade feel to it even though the edges are even. I'm probably not describing that right (sleep deprived new mom ;) ) but I think once it's grouted it's going to look great. You didn't mention what color grout you are intending but I would match the deco color as closely as possible, this way it will make that deco stripe seem more "monolithic" (you don't want to emphasize the lines between the tiles) and also bring out a bit of the brick pattern without being too overwhelming.

I think you're just suffering from staring at it too much and overthinking. The tile is GORGEOUS and something I would have loved to had if I had the budget for it but I had to go with a cheapie version. For the paint color I'd try to go with a deeper version of the deepest part of the glaze on the deco tiles.

If it bothers you, have him take them out. Bear in mind that, during the firing process, these pieces can and often DO get some warpage. The more expensive ones aren't quite as bad. I generally check them out before installation and cull any that are not acceptable. Some allowable variation should be expected. I would have him clean the grout out of the recesses a bit better, though. Slow isn't always bad, if the result is good.

Thank you for the comments! Congratulations on the new baby, kgwlisa! I remember those days of little sleep.

I bought "French vanilla" grout for the walls, to match the field tile, but I agree that the detail strip should be monolithic and I am going to run out and get a different grout to match the deco tiles tomorrow. Do you think I should use that color for the field tiles, too? I was hoping to minimize the grout lines.

I like your suggestion about the paint. It is very close to the main color of the deco tiles, but cooler. I think that if I matched the darker color in the deco tiles it would look better. I will look for another color tomorrow.

lazarususa, I wish I'd thought of checking the tiles before installation. I wonder whether I have enough to replace the worst ones? I did not buy a lot of extra; they are priced by the piece. There is no grout yet, and I am wondering what that is between the deco tiles.

It's just a bit of thinset showing through. As long as the joints don't actually have it coming up close to the top, the grouting will be OK.

I agree that the variations give it a bit of a "casual, handlaid" product. You might want to have him grout the areas of concern first before you decide to pull any of them out. Bear in mind that the grout will generally be a couple of shades lighter when dry...

I'm sorry, but I have to disagree with lazarus. ANY time I've dealt with handmade tile, it's been off sized, warped, and not even close to straight. Actually, from what I'm seeing in the pictures, it's some of the better hand made tile I've ever seen. That's supposed to be part of the beauty of hand made tiles-- its individualism-- that no two tiles are exactly alike. It makes for a terrific rustic material to work with, so long as your installer has the patience!! I did one project years ago that required absolutely no cutting. Each piece was made to size. It still took longer than most installations, trying to balance warped pieces, space out pieces to make them all appear lined up, even though pieces sitting right next to each other could be different in size by as much as 1/4". That's just the "nature of the beast".

Thanks, Bill. I probably should have asked for thicker grout lines in the detail tile. Does this look like a good tile installing job to you? It looks good to me, except that I wish I'd thought to ask him to center the subway tiles around the niche. Next time I'll know. Is it reasonable to take 3 days to do a 5' x 8' wall? I have NO idea.

Is it reasonable to take 3 days to do a 5' x 8' wall?

If the tile is as wacky as you say it is, then it might be. Let me put it this way. My personal best to date for one day was 1573 square feet in a 12 hour day, with someone supplying me. That was in a wide open mall, and everything was prepped, and it was all full tiles. I also did a project years ago where I was only setting three to four square feet a day, due to the intricacy of the installation.

It's very in fashion right now to have a contrasting grout with subway tiles but if you want to minimize the grout lines, then use the french vanilla. I have it both ways in my house - my kitchen has white subway tiles with white grout and my bathroom has white subway tiles with grey grout (I wanted to emphasize the pattern in there on the floor and wanted the walls to match) and I love both. It just depends on what YOU like but I would not use a lighter/contrasting grout on the deco strip. I have black trim tile in my bathroom and the light grey grout really pops the lines a LOT. I don't mind it in there but in your case it would be worth it to mask the deco from the field and apply a grout that will be closer in color to the deco so you don't emphasize the lines. I would do the line between the field tile and the deco with the darker grout because the lighter grout would emphasize any uneven edges of that listello.

I'm also talking from the point of view of someone who has been remodeling her bath since last thanksgiving and just wanting to get it done. If you DO have extra you should certainly identify the worst and replace them though, no reason to not take advantage of that "easy" fix if it's available to you. The extra pieces won't do you much good just sitting around ;). In that long shot there is only one "bad" one that stands out to me, the 4th from the left on the bottom. The rest look okay and will look even better once grouted. Grout just kind of pulls the whole thing together. It seems like such a minor detail but it really isn't.

Your color palate is gorgeous and warm, the decos are beautiful and rich looking. When the paint is as rich as the decos are I think you will be happy with the final product. You're just suffering from a bit of remodel fatigue and sick of looking at it all. I can't imagine you not loving it when it's all together.

The tile guy is working alone, and he draws lines and uses a level a lot. I think he is painting waterproofing on and I know he has to put on the "mud" that holds the tiles.

I think I do want to minimize the grout lines; in any case, I already have the French vanilla. I will look through the bead tiles and see whether the worst can be replaced.

I hope you're right, kgwlisa! I am sick of the whole project. I thought it would be easy - the room is only 7.5' x 5' and we had few choices to make - the layout was pretty much determined. But it took me 6 months to make all the decisions and order all the materials, now the renovation has been going on a month. Many days there are more decisions to be made, piddly detail things that are a pain to think about but which will drive me crazy if they aren't done right. I'm sorry yours has been going on so lont - are you doing it yourself?

Thank you all, again, for your comments. I could never have managed this project without this forum; I've started several threads when I needed help, and I've done many searches. I do just want this to be finished!

As others have mentioned, the band is handmade, so "it is what it is."

I think the tile setter is competent. Not great, but competent.

I think the layout could have been improved. Slivers in the wall corners and slivers at the niche? Adjustments could have been made. Trying to visually piece together the wall as a whole from your photos, had he shifted the entire subway layout on the lower wall about an 1-1/2" to the right (+/-) so the grout lines in the top row of subways were aligned with the grout lines in the upper part of the wall, it would get rid of the slivers in the corners and around the niche, and the subway layout would be pretty close to being balanced.

As to the "3 days to do a 5' by 8' wall"...there is a niche, niche installations slow things down. The handmade tiles can slow things down. The work is fairly clean. Three days is a long time for a 5' by 8' wall with that layout, but hey...I've seen worse done faster. And I've seen worse done slower.

As to the little dittys here and there, as has been mentioned proper grout selection can hide a lot of inconsistencies. A contrasting grout will highlight the tiles and any wayward grout lines. A grout that blends with the tile will blend the wall together.

Mongo