Thanks all. Hose Vixen -- I do love that little powder room, had I to do it over I might have been more creative with the tile work, but at that pooint i was still figuring out how to do all this stuff. The tumbled marble really does have a warm look and feel to it, much more so than the image conveys. I wanted to do the master with it but my wife thought it would be to hard to clean and that it would look to masculine. I lost that battle! Mongcot -- 1) Did you put a membrane (6-mil poly or lapped tar paper) between the Durock and the framing? I don't see anything int he photos. We did not put anything between the framing and the wall board. I had intended to, even boght the poly, but it just never happened. i also think it's overkill, we took off the existing original drywall and there were'nt even any water stains behind the areas that showed moisture damage. I did, however, fill all the voids with fiberglass insulation for sound proofing. The shower wall is against my sons room, before you could really hear the shower running, toilet flush and my little AM radio when i listen to the news in the morning. Now you hear almost nothing, glad I did that. With regards to your shower membrane, the 40-mil Oatey? 2) Did you install a deck mud preslope and then put the membrane over the preslope, or is the membrane flat on the subfloor and you did a deck mud preslope on top of the membrane? No preslope. 1/2" plywood floor, 1/4" Hardi Backer (may have been 1/2" and 1/2", don't really remember)then the memberane, then the mud. All the sloping was done in the mud. 3) Where the membrane goes over the curb, you nailed the membrane into the top of the curb. How did you attach the backer board to the inside edge of the curb? Nails or screws into the curb? You can see that the membrane only covers about one third of the curb. I added some wood shims (just enough to give the curb a very slight angle toward the shower) and mortered the HardiBacker curb top down and screwed it as well, trying to keep the screws out of the membreane line. There are new screws on the inside edge of the curb. I figured between the morter, the tile overlapping the curb on the ends and gravity, the curb isn't going anywhere! Oh, and give your helper a promotion! What, he has union representation now? We are a non-union home in a right to work state, meaning he can be fired without cause and with no recourse. He needs to walk a fine line, escpecially with a younger, more trainable staff member coming along soon!!!!!!

Who knew you could paint tile? (obviously several others besides me. LOL) Just back from the hardware store. Blue is going to be painted white. I'll prime the walls white, see how it looks. If I think I'll like it, I'll just paint white (Ive never had a white room) and accessorize with brighter colors. If I don't think I'll like the white, I'll prime grey over that and see what color strikes me when BM opens tomorrow. Mildred, I've got to get this room finished by tomorrow night, since I'm having company tuesday and then out of town for the rest of the week. We'll tear all the tile out in the spring, so as tempting as it is, no sense doing it twice. Thanks all for the advice...I had no idea. :/

Chispa, thanks for the reassurance. I definitely don't need a tub, but DH loves to take baths, so... I was originally really excited about the look of the tub under the windows, but I think I can make the slightly angled tub work. Any decorating ideas to make it look more balanced with the window on one side of tub and blank wall on the other?

The first photo the floor tiles look too beige with the walls on my monitor. The second photo I do not like the black diamond pieces with your wall tile. The third photo I do not like the dark grey tiles. I am sorry, I know what it is like to be under the gun time wise. I think a white tile that matches your wall is best (like Sina originally suggested is best). Definitely NOT anything marble - ask me how I know :( You have to get the right tile or you will always be unhappy. The tiler can come back another day and you can live without the shower a little longer. If it is the tiler pressuring you then pay him a little extra for an additional trip after you have the right tile. You will always be happy you did.