Bill - those are great - exactly the kind of thing I was thinking about. I know you've heard it before, but you really do lovely work - thanks for posting!

Positano-- Sorry this is a little late-- I didn't see your reply when you posted it. But in answer to it, you might want to read a thread that Stacey posted over at "that other tile forum" (GW won't let me post the name for some reason or a link) called Help solve MYSTERY? Marble tile shower floor always "wet" in some areas?. To this day, I still don't know what caused the problem, nor does anyone else, no matter WHAT they (Artistic Tile) say. No one can prove to me what the problem was, and every possibility that's been suggested, I can tear apart technically speaking. Even one of the top forensic experts in the country (Dave Gobis) got in on this, and couldn't come up with a definitive answer. One thing I DO know for sure, though. I was skeptical about sealing the floor to start with, and after it was sealed, moisture had trouble excaping the stone, and it stayed dark in areas. After I tore it up and redid it, Stacey left it unsealed, and she's had no discoloration problems (or any others, that I know about!) since.

You could go with a solid shower pan. in a nice matching gray or a white. In your space it might work wonderfully depending on the layout. I have a 3x5' cast iron shower pan in a very light gray. they come in 4x3' too. Or get a solid surface manufactured one to meet your needs. In my 5' long pan, I used french shower doors, so I only drilled into the side walls for mounting. I love my french doors, both open and swing both in and out. http://www.us.kohler.com/us/browse/bathroom-showering-Shower-Bases/_/N-2d8r

I have basketweave tiles in my bathroom - floor and shower floor as they are NOT slippery at all because of the grout. I love my floors :-). I absolutely didn't want anything slippery when I remodeled as I had 12" x 12" vinyl tiles in my pre-remodel bathroom and any bit of damp made them slippery. I rented an apartment during my remodel and the shower had 12" x 12" marble tiles in the shower and on the bathroom floor. I considered that to be the bathroom of death because it was so slippery that I was afraid to move my feet while showering and had to make sure I never touched the surface of the floor after a shower. Since you are rightfully concerned with safety do not neglect GRAB BARS. These need to be installed when you are constructing the bathroom as they have to be attached to the studs for safety so they don't pull out when used. They have styles now that aren't institutional looking - mine are oiled rubbed bronze to match the rest of my fixtures. I really like having that extra bit of security even though the shower floor itself is NOT slippery with the small marble tiles.