Thank you! Before this post I showed my choices to DH (I know.. I know) and he was like, shouldn't all the the tile be the same? So I needed a little reassurance that this was not too much for a small space. Actually mayflowers the inspiration photo you found was the starting pointing for this whole bathroom. Then I found that hex tile at a local tile store and I feel hard and fast in love! So all of the other decisions were made from there. I thought about incorporating a small hex marble for the mosaic instead of the squares, but I was not sure if that was too much hex. The shower tiles, I wanted to go larger than 3x6 to eliminate grout lines, but at the same time, I really did not want to add another element. The hex tile also comes in a 12x24 in a lighter gray color, but not sure if that would be better or not? I did not want to white tile because I want to go with darker grout. The mosaic will not run into the shower, because hubby is worried about the marble staying "nice" if in the shower. Traci- I am hoping the sparkle comes from the mosaic tile, the shiny fixtures, the mirror and the lighting. The lighting next to the mirror I envision to look sorta like this or pottery barn has something similar.

"As I am spending all this time in the tile stores I see/hear people pop in, seemingly for their first visits, look at the tile boards, debate 5-10 minutes, and then order tile!!!!! It is unreal! how can it be so simple for them!"-wow. I remember feeling so lost exhausted and tired in one of the huge stores in LA..and some woman came up to me and asked me "I'm so overwhelmed..can you help me pick something?" have no idea why she approached me..maybe because my jeans were in the laundry and I wore something nicer? lol. or maybe just out of desperation. because nobody's helping you in these huge places. I told her "I'm sorry I can't..I wish someone would help me))" It would be nice and interesting to help of course but I felt like dying between all these tiles and stones..like they're there to crush me or something. had to get myself out of that store asap. too huge, too overwhelming..nowhere to sit..i felt like i was going to faint. this poor lady probably felt the same way. I'm trying to think why it's so beautiful in the nature and sometimes so hard in the interiors-to marry some very different things. when it's about these finished hard surfaces. maybe because our variation is very pre-set? it's too much but too little, at the same time? I know I'm not making much sense..I'm just thinking aloud. The view out of your window really intrigues me. Maybe not just colors come into play but the overall feel? our walls etc are too plain too sleek..can't compete with the snow? Snow's white but also ever changing..has depth that's hard to get with tile..it's never really just white even though it's an icon for white..? (My DH also used the word "cave" a lot lol. )

Thanks all!! Sorry to have posted and disappeared (had overnight guests). It was really interesting to read through all the suggestions! I was somewhat amused by the split of "the counter is great, keep it" and "the counter is the worst, it's what needs to go!" I tend to agree that the counter is the worst. Ok, not the worst, but just a really bad faux stone Formica. It really is tiled in so changing it would be a challenge. It's nice to see others have had luck with paint! I don't mind the wood cabinet (the routed fronts aren't my favorite, but aren't terrible) and I'm not at all opposed to leaving it--it's pine (I think) not particle board. I appreciate the white mock up--i think you're right, it does wash out and sort of dull the bathroom. House was built in 1972. Everything was close to original when we moved in. Prior owners liked a traditional, semi-colonial style (Dutch colonial house). The bath has a tub, but is not used as a full bath (it's basically the downstairs powder room). I love some of the print shower curtains, but I'd rather the shower sort of disappear in the room and so I thought the white did that better. I love some of the dark wallpaper options as well, but in practice, I just don't think I'm a wallpaper girl. I definitely understand the need to maintain enough of the avocado/olive green (it is more tan than most avocado, but it's definitely in the green family) so that it looks intentional, and I have heard that the best way to minimize the look of a color can be to add more (perhaps muted, lighter, darker, etc). Hand towels with some green in them should help (thanks for the links), and maybe changing the art. Overall, I like a more clean/plain/minimal look. I'm glad that many of you like it as is, and it may get largely left alone if we can't figure out a good option to paint the countertop.

That rug looks perfect. Brings in the cream from the tile on the counter, the floor tile colors and your towels. The soap dispenser and bath mat are great touches too.