Calacatta tile from Home Depot matches real slab perfectly!

10 years ago

Hi!

We are doing a forced remodel of our master bath due to a flood. It has not been a happy experience. However, due to the wonderful info generously shared on this forum, I think the new bathroom will be even more beautiful than the last!

This picture is of my bathroom elements. Slab: real Calacatta Oro countertop and shower curb material. Tile is 18x18 porcelain floor and walls from Home Depot! Accent tile is Mother of Pearl from Builder Elements. Com. The little tile is a biscuit tile to represent the color of the claw foot tub, toilet and sinks.

I can not thank this forum enough especially Kali2024 and beekeeperswife for sharing their enthusiasm and experience with Calacatta Porcelain tile. I found my dream slab today and because I paid less than $2 sf for my floor and wall tile from HD and the amazing price from Builder Elements on the MOP, I can afford my real calacatta slab counter!

Just had to share. Will post updates as soon as the tile guy starts installing and my granite guys start fabricating.

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jacqueline5
Original Author

10 years ago

We are not quite done but I will post my progress photos. So... The tile from Home Depot... what can I say? The tile is beautiful, and I still love it. It is slippery, I will always have rug runners down in front of the shower. Caveat: it was a HUGE PITA for my tile guy to lay. The tiles are not quite square rendering my request for the floor to be laid on the diagonal impossible. Straight course was also impossible. We ended up laying it with staggered grout lines - the only way to hide the fact that each tile was out of true. I also had to go to a private tile shop for the matching trim pieces and mosaics. HD ordered them in twice for me and they were scratched, chipped and all around unacceptable - both times. My tile guy said it is true the big boxes get the seconds.

All and all, I would do it again but I would spend the money and just buy directly from our local tile store to ensure the quality. Oh except for one thing, the Venetian polished marble pencil liner from HD is gorgeous and far more affordable than anywhere else I found. Each piece came individually wrapped (imagine the mess of peeling off plastic and cardboard from 75lf!). I honestly think its Calacatta, it's white with gray and occasional gold veins - matches the real slab calacatta perfectly!

I will post in the gallery when we are done but in the meantime here are a few in-progress photos.

Comments (37)

rubyclaire
10 years ago
Wow - really pretty! Cannot wait to see the finished room - keep us posted.
lotteryticket
10 years ago
I love the mother of pearl. Nice choices!
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Thank you for the picture and suggestion jacqueline5. Your bathroom looks like it will be lovely. Please post pictures when the project is complete. Actually I have looked at the Home Depot Greecian as well as the Lowes White Venatino tile. We actually used the Lowes marble in our master bathroom last year for the threshold, shower sills and niche trim. It was a great deal and worked perfectly. http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/load/bath/msg0318035216653.html These white marbles from china must have a reputation for crumbling and breaking because we had to have the shower sills cut lengthwise and our local fabricator told us the same thing and wouldn't guarantee anything...but luckily they didn't break. However, the Lowes and Home Depot marble don't seem to be working for us this time. It may be just the lots they have in stock right now but I think it is actually the Calacatta marble I am working with and the fact that I am not breaking it up like you did with the shell tile, but rather putting one right up against the other. The Calacatta tile we purchased for the master bath had more muted greys in it and the Lowes white marble worked with it. The Calacatta for our hall bath I actually think is a higher grade Italian Calacatta. It is a very creamy white with stricking taupe veins with a green undertone. The Home Depot tile and Lowes tile is not as creamy (more crystalized) and not the right white color tone. I am going to keep checking HD & Lowes, but will probably have to order (either online or from a store) accent tile sight unseen. I hate to do it but I have found nobody local who stocks calacatta trim tile.
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Hi Everyone, Thank you all for your very wonderful and positive postings! I've appreciated your suggestions too! Yes, it is a wonder when I wake up and see it in the morning sun, and yes, we finally are getting some sun up here in the NW - it's been a long winter! You all have made me feel better about spending the extra money for this material. We had no idea when we picked it that it was 4 to 5 times the cost of Carrara material only! But, my husband and I both knew we had found a special lot and when we received the pricing back, he was the one to say -"we need to go for it!" In his mind, he felt we would be crazy to spend less money and think about what was missing (what could have been) every time we walk into the kitchen. 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jrueter
10 years ago
Wonderful!!! Looking forward to seeing your progress.
8mpg
10 years ago
Is this tile on clearance or something? Shows $26/tile online.
jacqueline5
Original Author
10 years ago
Thank you for your kind words! 8mpg, $26 is for a case of 6 each 18x18 tiles.
writersblock (9b/10a)
10 years ago
Wow, it looks great, and I'm jealous. HD won't even ship that tile to our area. :(
8mpg
10 years ago
Thanks for the reply.. The fiance has been wanting a white shower and this may just be the ticket.
jacqueline5
Original Author
10 years ago
Writersblock, I had to drive 2 1/2 hours to find the tile. A search on the HD website said there was none in my area so I started inputting in zip codes for all my family members and friends across California and even to Reno, NV. Have you called MSI directly? They call the tile Pierta Calacatta but its exactly the same. They're very nice, I couldn't find the trim pieces and they directed me to another tile supplier about an hour away that will order for me. MSI
http://www.msistone.com/porcelain-pietra/calacatta/

It is also available online, their price is a bit higher than HD, but still seriously affordable *and* they sell the mosaic and bull nose trim pieces. Disclaimer: I know absolutely nothing about their reputation. Check online for reviews, etc.
http://www.tile-stones.com/Calacatta-Porcelain-12x24-18x18-Polished-_p_1183.html

One more thing. This tile is bloody heavy! One case of six tiles weighs 58lbs. We had to divide up my order into the back of my husbands full size 4wd pick-up and my 4x4 SUV to get it all home. So, plan for the weight if transporting it yourself.

Tile guy comes Monday to hot mop and start prepping to build the shower eeeek!
writersblock (9b/10a)
10 years ago
Thanks very much, jacqueline5. Wow, you went to a lot of trouble to get it, but I'm sure your bathroom is going to be great.
blackchamois
10 years ago
Can't wait to see it!
blackchamois
10 years ago
Can't wait to see it!
embemis
10 years ago
Beautiful! Can't wait to see pictures!
firstmmo
10 years ago
So this is porcelain tile, not real marble right? It looks like it goes perfectly! I am very intrigued. My master bath has Calacatta slabs and I too am looking for flooring....must troll the HD site and see if I can get a case to compare against my slabs. Do they make the tiles different enough so that they look real?
petepie
10 years ago
I found a couple of good calacatta porcelain lookalikes. American olean mirasol, daltile florentine (glazed ceramic not porcelain though) and marazzi timeless (creamier base color, more brown in the veining). I was looking for shower floor so was focused on the small mosaics with a honed finish,and all looked pretty good. Not sure how they would look in a wall of larger format size. I went with the mirasol and like it. Good white background, not grey like Carrara.
sixkeys
10 years ago
Wow, it looks beautiful together! Thanks for the tip - I am going to look at these tiles for my bathroom too.
jacqueline5
Original Author
10 years ago
It looks like every sixth tile is a repeat. With the size (18x18) if we spin the repeats I don't think we'll be able to tell.

The good news: my local Home Depot flooring department was willing to special order the matching 2x2 mosaics for the shower floor and bullnose trim! So, if your local store doesn't carry it, go sit with the flooring guys, they were terrific! (I like sticking with HD because I can order extra to ensure we have plenty and unlike most tile places, they accept returns and do not charge restocking fees).

The bit of bad (very bad!) news: The matching bullnose trim pieces and 2x2 mosaic for the shower floor came in Monday. Thank God I insisted on opening the cardboard boxes to see, I was excited and not at all suspicious. To my horror, the mosaics were all chipped, some sheets were dirty and the plastic protective sheets were scratched up or torn off - like they had been sitting at a dirty job site and then returned. The case of 50 pcs of bullnose trim was shattered. Every. Single. Piece. I have no idea how it happened everything was wrapped up in molded styrofoam. Plus, the bullnose wasn't even the right tile! The trim was made of ceramic, thinner than my porcelain and the printing was pixilated - horrible. The sweet young man from HD was super apologetic and helpful. He got right on the phone and found that MSI had indeed shipped the wrong bullnose and he reordered the mosaic with a note to request attention to quality and packing.

I'm keeping my fingers crossed the next shipment from MSI comes in perfect. However, if this doesn't work out I think I'll bite the bullet and buy Calacatta Pencil liner to trim out the whole bathroom and splurge on the real deal on the shower floor. After all, I saved a fortune using porcelain for the bathrrom floor, shower walls and wainscot - right?
jacqueline5
Original Author
10 years ago
Update... The second shipment of trim and mosaics came in to Home Depot. The mosaics were obvious seconds, there were chips along the sides of the individual mosaic tiles and two scratches that ran the length of every 12x12 sheet (i ordered 50). They looked horrible. The bullnose trim is ceramic, not porcelain, the glaze is wavy, has pits in spots and the print is extremely pixelated - unacceptable. I sent the whole order back. Sigh. I guess the stories of manufacturers sending seconds to the big boxes are true.

So, we drove down to Dave's Tile City in Yuba City, CA (super nice folks!). They confirmed the manufacturer sends a different quality to big boxes than to them. I placed another order, 50sf mosaic and 50pcs bullnose trim. The mosaic came in in perfect condition but slightly pixelated compared to the 18x18 tile. The trim is ceramic not porcelain, and although better quality than what HD received the print is pixelated. She told me to take it home and look at it in my bathroom and if I still hate it I can return it.

The bullnose trim is going back.

The mosaic kinda bugs me but I'm wondering once I get all the other elements in with the grout, etc. if I'll notice. I really want to be able to scrub my shower floor without the worry of etching and scratching.

I'm going to talk to our tile guy about a solution for the bullnose trim. I'm thinking we can line the top and sides of the shower edges in marble pencil liner but what to do about the raw edges of the shower curb?

I'm really tired of sleeping with my bathtub next to my bed!
momoffournc
10 years ago
Hi All!

I too am planning to use porcelain marble like tile on master bath floor. I've been stalking GW for months & we finally are about to pull the trigger on our master redo.

Jacqueline5 how did the 18x18 HD Calcatta tile turn out? I found some in my area and wondered if you'd give an update? Is it slippery? The cof is .5 wet so I'm thinking it should have a higher cof dry, but can't find it listed. We will use a shower rug & there's no bath.

Would love to see pictures!

I looked at Lowes and thought theirs was too pixelated-can't wait to see the tile at HD.
jacqueline5
Original Author
10 years ago
Shower
jacqueline5
Original Author
10 years ago
I need to mop!
This is looking at the claw foot tub nook.
We ended up using slab Calacatta on the shower curb.
jacqueline5
Original Author
10 years ago
Counter
xc60
10 years ago
Wow, wow, wow!!! Looks gorgeous, thanks for the update.:) Your tile guy did a great job.
momoffournc
10 years ago
Thanks jacqueline5.

Your bathroom is gorgeous! I appreciate the update and honesty about the tile. I'm going to look at HD, but may also look at other tile stores to see their porcelain marble. I'm not sure who will carry the MS international stone in my area.

I really appreciate your advice & love your remodel.
enduring
10 years ago
Looking beautiful. What color wall paint is that you have, that is shown off so well at your vanity?
badgergal
10 years ago
Your bathroom is beautiful.
Just in case others want to know, contrary to what a previous poster says Daltiles Florentine Carrara is a porcelain tile. It comes in various sizes with the option of matte or glossy finish in some of the sizes. There are also mosaic and trim pieces available.

My DD is about to start a bathroom remodel and she is using the Daltile Florentine in Carrara. Her tiler thought it was great tile.
My Daughter is using 24x24 tiles on the floor and 12x24 stacked vertically for the tub/shower walls. She is using the matte for both walls and floors. I will post pictures when the project is completed

There is a daltile Marissa Carrara tile on HD's website that is a ceramic tile. It is not the same tile their Florentine Carrara.
Below is a link to the Daltile product page. Hope it works.

Edited to say: oops I didn't realize when I first posted that the the other poster and the OP were talking about Calcutta not Carrara.

Here is a link that might be useful: Florentine Carrara

This post was edited by badgergal on Fri, Jan 31, 14 at 18:00
raehelen
10 years ago
Wow! Beautiful! I think it is serendipity that you couldn't lay them on the diagonal. With the striping in the 'marble', you definitely get the diagonal effect. It might actually have been lost otherwise!
jacqueline5
Original Author
10 years ago
enduring,

The wall paint is Ben Moore Revere Pewter. Thank you for the compliment! I've been unsure if I like it. The big window faces West and the small window North, in my light Revere Pewter has a (surprising) olive green undertone. I was expecting a gorgeous greige like the images on Houzz. (Thats what I get for painting at night by the light of one puny light bulb). I've decided to wait until all the mirrors, glass, tub and decor are in before I change it.
enduring
10 years ago
Jacqueline5, thanks for posting the color. I thought it might be Revere Pewter. I was going to RP with my bathroom but thought it might read too dark, in my low light. So I was going to use it in a sitting room, but decided against it and used something else. I actually have a gallon on hand. I dislike the color I ended up using. I am thinking of using the gallon of RP I have to paint up a sample board, and see how it looks in there. The sitting room has a fair amount of west light. I don't know what's going on, but I keep seeing pink in my colors and I was afraid that the Revere Pewter would have a pink cast too. I'm glad to hear you say that it is olive. I love green and blues.

Your counter is beautifully installed. Is it 2cm? It looks like it is at the sink. If it is they did a terrific outer edge. The edge must have been mitered, right? I see the section of the stone from where the counter was taken. I love it.
sixkeys
10 years ago
Thanks for sharing pictures and info Jacqueline5 - you have a gorgeous bathroom!!!
adh673
10 years ago
It's looking great! Are these the MOP tiles you got?
2mm thickness 4/5x4/5 inch Mother of Pearl Tile - Pearl shell tile - pearl tile - shell tile mosaic, kitchen tile backsplash PEM0047
cathie2029
10 years ago
Jacqueline: glad you love it it is gorgeous! I would like to point out that the way the tile is cut in the factory looks like there's more tile patterns and i noticed that they also flipped the pattern on some tiles so there's more variety in the cuts vs all other brands- and dont forget that you cannot see the screen (printing process) on it
momoffournc
10 years ago
Jacqueline--your bathroom has been my inspiration. Love it! It's absolutely beautiful!

We've got our floor and wall tile and I was curious about the bullnose. Did you use the calacatta pietra bullnose on your shower edges or do you have another suggestion?

Thanks
edwardsfarm6
8 years ago
Hi jacqueline5! I see it has been awhile since you posted about the bathrrom remodel. Would you mind sharing how the floor tiles are holding up & how you are liking them in the bathroom?

We purchased these same 18x18 tiles from our local HD about two years ago when we purchased our farmhouse & are just about ready to use them for our bathroom remodel.

There are only two reviews on HD website...One is great & the other isn't.

Thank you in advance! Your bathroom is breathtakingly beautiful!
abick2
8 years ago
I was wondering the same thing about how the tile is holding up? I too purchase it from HD, but now I am very nervous after reading negative reviews online about the tile color changing and not being able to clean the tile without removing the pattern itself. I would greatly appreciate feedback about the quality of this tile.
muddy04
7 years ago
any updates on this renovation, it's lovely
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Donna Walker, Artist
6 years ago
I know this is an old thread, but Jacqueline5- How are you liking the porcelain tile? Your bathroom is gorgeous. I am considering buying the Pietra Calacatta Porcelain in 2"x2" for our new shower floor, and am wondering if you still love it? I found a place online, Walls and TIle, so not going through HD. Our shower is very small, only 3'x3' so I am not needing a lot. It looks beautiful, but I haven't seen it in person.

Calacatta tile from Home Depot matches real slab perfectly!

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