Bathroom remodel help

6 years ago

So we just purchased our first home. Kitchen is already recently updated so our biggest issue is remodeling the bathroom and finish the basement. I'll save on labor costs since I'm doing the work myself. My wife and I have been to quite a few tile shops plenty of times. We just can't seem to figure out what to do in the shower.

We plan to gut the whole bathroom and start fresh. We recently did choose a travertine tile and put our order in since the tile was only on sale until the end of this month and it was selling quick.

We looked at hundreds of pictures and like most bathrooms but can't decide on our own. Here is a picture of the old nasty bathroom we plan to remodel: https://imgur.com/a/iNl4g

Bathroom is 7'x5' and plan to just have a walk in shower instead of a tub shower combo.

This is the tile that we ordered recently for the floor, looks a little different in person maybe a little lighter. https://www.tileshop.com/product/capadocia+walnut+brushed+filled+12+x+24+in.do?sortby=ourPicks&from=Search

I'm having a hard time trying to visualize how our shower could look and was hoping to get some help possibly on designs or even tiles that may look good in the shower. Any help on any look for the bathroom would be greatly appreciated, size of tile, way they should be laid etc.

Also this tile was shown to us by the sales person at the tile shop also for the shower wall https://www.tileshop.com/product/imperial+beige+ceramic+wall+tile+-+8+x+20+in..do?sortby=ourPicks&from=Search

and this was the shower floor (looks lighter online)https://www.tileshop.com/product/multi+tumbled+travertine+mosaic+tile+-+2+x+2+in.+.do?sortby=ourPicks&from=Search

also the accents https://www.tileshop.com/product/west+hampton+blend+stone+mosaic+tile+-+12+x+12+in..do?from=Search&cx=0

There is also bullnose and pencil to add around the accents that we looked at

Just not sure I'm sold on it and again can't visualize that stuff together and the pattern of the layout.

Feel like I'm stressing more over it than having fun with it

Featured Answer

User

6 years ago

Three different tiles are difficult to coordinate. You don't want to overdo it because the room is small.

The floor is nice. It puts you into a warm color palette, not gray, blue or pure white. I do not like the other tiles that the tile shop selected to go with it. It reminds me of a public restroom I went into where the walls and floors were tiled in similar stone-like orange/cream/tan tile. I felt like I was trapped in the Grand Canyon. It was like that New Hamburg basement in your Ideabook, but worse. I know a lot of people like that look but it's too Fred Flintstone for me. I think stone needs the relief of a plain porcelain tile.

I like the look of the shower floor tile, but travertine shower floors are a big no no from what I've read here. I would look for a porcelain mosaic with a travertine look in a chocolate brown or a solid chocolate 2" ceramic square. I'd use the cream color from the floor in a low-sheen porcelain tile on the shower walls. I wouldn't repeat the 12 x 24 of the floor, so I might think about a 12" square. I see you have a photo of one in your Ideabook. A touch of the chocolate floor tile might be nice brought up to the shower walls to line a shower niche or run vertically through the shower controls instead of the ubiquitous horizontal line marching around the shower.

Here's an idea that could be modified to work with a 12" ceramic square and a travertine mosaic. The mosaic here is glass, but I think you want to avoid any modern touches. The diamond is nice as it's traditional.

What are your plans for the sink?

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Comments (10)

roarah
6 years ago
last modified: 6 years ago
I have unusual tastes so I never give advice on combos for it is a very personal thing. However, I will give form advice and I strongly advise not to use any natural stone on a shower floor when there are so many great looking and functioning porcelain tiles available. Stone is a roll of the dice in how it functions, wears and looks after use.
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morz8 - Washington Coast
6 years ago
Oh wow, I do agree that bath needs a redo ;0) Although a little better maintenance by the formers users might have saved it, not made it so urgent.

I can't advise you on colors not knowing you, my own taste runs to light, bright, and most of all for baths - easy to keep very clean. Please rethink your travertine shower floor, or at least research further so you know what to expect from it after actual use.
B L
Original Author
6 years ago
I appreciate the feedback. I will definitely take the advice and stay away from the travertine floor and check around for something else that looks like travertine possibly.

We haven't had any plans for a sink yet, thinking maybe a darker wood cabinet (something smaller to fit) and probably just choose a counter top to go with everything else.

I think the 12x24 tile would be too big for a shower in that size of a room but then again I can't even decide on anything since I can't see it lol. I also wasn't sure how I felt about a 12x12 tile but shown in that picture it looks nice with the diamond pattern. I wasn't sure about the 3 different styles and agree its very tough to coordinate, another reason why I'm having so much trouble.

This is a lot more tough than I thought it would be
PRO
Creative Tile Eastern CT
6 years ago
Stay away from travertine in a wet area period. Walls or floors. Large tile that looks like travertine in a 32 x 60 shower no problem.
numbersjunkie
6 years ago
I agree with the above comments about staying away from natural stone. There are many great looking porcelains these days that can mimic that look if you like it. I would go somewhere else other the The Tile Shop to shop. At least in my area, the Tile Shop has a lot of natural stone products, not so much in porcelain. And they usually don't have different formats or trim pieces available for their porcelains which makes coordinating difficult. Best Tile is a better option if there are any near you. Or locally owned places. They can help you find a qualified contractor too.

Another suggestion would be to look at the Houzz photos to get an idea of what style appeals to you, and take those photos to the store with you.
Najeebah
6 years ago
Here are all the pics posted in the links above.

Here is a picture of the old nasty bathroom we plan to remodel

This is the tile that we ordered recently for the floor, looks a little different in person maybe a little lighter.

this tile was shown to us by the sales person at the tile shop also for the shower wall

this was the shower floor (looks lighter online)

also the accents
Najeebah
6 years ago
I agree; no travertine. Look for a porcelain tile. Its a small space so you don't want too many competing elements. Either one tile for both, the wall and floor. Alternatively, a slightly darker one for the floor can work, and you can continue it up the wall opposite the door too. Get one tile for the floor, (shower and the rest off the bathroom) not two.
Najeebah
6 years ago
Also, with these dimensions, a closed shower is better. You could incorporate a seat as well.

Here's an idea. You'd have to check out the dimensions around the toilet though

Shower seat for 800mm, 100mm of a higher ledge for toiletries. Then continue this ledge outside the shower, have a wall hung toilet against it, and a vessel sink above
User
6 years ago
last modified: 6 years ago
This is a lot more tough than I thought it would be.

So true! With my kitchen remodel, choosing materials wasn't too difficult, but we are on our third serious attempt at trying to remodel our master bath. We haven't been able to coordinate the floor and countertop because of limited choices so we moved on to other projects. Fortunately I've learned a lot from thinking about bathrooms for three years.

If you want to limit your materials, you could do a Kohler cast iron shower pan. Gardenwebbers who have them love them. They come 60" x 30" and also 32" and 34". They look nice with tiled walls, and it would give you more options for using a patterned tile on the shower walls because you won't have to coordinate the shower floor tile with the shower wall. You'd just need to work with the travertine floor and the shower wall and a possible accent tile.

Here's a web photo of the Kohler Bellweather cast iron pan with 12" square tiles.

I didn't find a great representative Houzz photo of the Kohler pans,
but I did come across this photo to show you how a touch of a dark
color looks very nice on white tile. If your shower walls are white tile, I would do a chocolate brown accent to bring the color of the travertine floor up to the white. This shower has a white Kohler shower pan. You can see it by clicking on the photo and looking at other views of this bathroom. You could still use a brown accent tile on the walls if you tile your shower floor in a brown mosaic. I'm recommending you bring the brown into the shower in whatever way possible--floor, wall tile, or accent.