This is such a great thread!! I really like the idea of vertical subways and then accent glass tiles running vertically in the shower to simulate the waterfall (I saw metalic ones this way in a video on the HGTV site). I have a small city bathroom so not much room to play with. My mind in dancing around this idea but if I did that then the only 'wow' would be that one vertical stripe within the shower. (All four walls will be tiled since the moisture situation makes this the only real choice so that leaves painting the walls outside the shower not an option.) If I go the traditional horizontal subway tile route with an accent strip all around the whole bathroom then the 'wow' is everywhere but the overall looks isn't as modern as I'd like. I really like the modernness of the vertical layout but how can I incorporate the glass tiles elsewhere besides the one vertical stripe in the shower? Anyone have any creative ideas?

kgwlisa, that's exactly what I was worried about - all those cut edges. If Bill V were my tile guy, I wouldn't hesitate, but... Anyway, I think we could afford to use that tile as a field tile, but that's a LOT of green - not sure I want to use that much of such a vibrant color. As for the idea of going modern in the bath, I've thought about it, but the rest of the apartment is definitely pre-war looking and I have no plans to renovate it anytime soon, if ever. There's something I love about period-feeling baths anyway, so I think we're going to stick with that (even if BF doesn't like the English-telephone-looking tub filler/handheld, LOL!). BTW, does anyone know anything about Elements of Design fixtures? They have a ton of really beautiful period fixtures but I'm concerned about buying crap... Here's a snapshot of some tile that I taped to the bathroom wall to try to get an idea of what my original wood-look floor/white subways/glass accent might look like: I know it's a terrible picture, and unfortunately the colors aren't really true, but I really like the blue-green tiles on the right with the faux wood and white (they're much bluer in real life). They look great with chrome fixtures, too. I think I'm going to go ahead with this color combo - I just need to decide whether to use the glass tiles in mini-subway size or 1x1s. I'm also going to browse a bit more this weekend to see if I can find something similar in a ceramic tile. Wish me luck!

@zinfanatic, looking for something similar! What'd you decide??

Bee and a few others here have done beveled porcelain arabesque tile from Mission Stone and Tile. I placed an order for the same tile for my sister's house last month (40 feet of it!) and it was on-sale at the time so it made for an even better deal. I love the look of it and can't wait to see it installed. Here's a few example threads: http://ths.gardenweb.com/discussions/2691246/pic-heavy-beveled-arabesque-is-being-install  http://ths.gardenweb.com/discussions/2506106/beekeepers-wife-question-about-your-kitchen With regards to what would work better for you - I'd suggest posting some pictures of your space, cabinet color, granite, etc along with what "feeling/style" you are going for and people will chime in