"My contractor used mastic everywhere he installed new tile for me--kitchen floor, foyer, etc. Is it okay in these areas since they aren't generally wet, or is this still a no no? " Laila, it depends. On your substrate and the size of the tile used. Substrate: Some manufacturers restrict the type of material that you can spread mastic on. Example, many prohibit OSB and chip board types of subfloors or underlayments. Tile size: Mastic cures by drying, so it needs exposure to a certain amount of free air. Some restrict the size of the tile you can install on floors and walls. Floors size is usually more restrictive due to the weight of walking on the tile. If the mastic can't see enough air the mastic can remain soft. One mastic I've used has I a maximum of 6" square tiles on floors and 10" square on walls. Another manufacturer restricts tile to 12". Some prohibit setting natural stone tile on floors with mastic. So within the entire family of mastics, each manufacturer may have their own limitations due to how they formulate their specific products.

We have a sloped ceiling in a bathroom we recently renovated. I took the tile up the the lower side of the slope. This is how it turned out. I like having the higher ceiling in the shower.

Sunfeather, Make sure this tile pro you are familiar with realizes that removing and replace tile in a shower usually means completely re-building the shower. I've heard pros on here sometimes say Schulter Kerdi can be repaired in spots, but I don't know if that's really feasible, even if you have that particular waterproofing system. Generally to change the tile, the shower has to be demoed all the way back to the studs, the waterproofing redone and then build back from there. If you hate the shower tile and are prepared for the thousands it takes to rebuild a shower, then go for it. But don't do a lipstick job. A lipstick job will give you more problems and headaches (and mold and leaks) than leaving the shower completely alone. It's usually an all-or-nothing decision. Either don't remove any tile, or re-build the whole thing. That said, you could do everything else on your wish list (flooring, vanity, sink, lighting, toilet, mirror, fixtures, paint, etc.) and leave the shower decision for later, as you continue to save up for a possible shower rebuild. Rather than design around the current shower tiles, figure out what color scheme and materials you would prefer, and do that. Later down the road you could do the shower. If your new materials are fairly neutral so that they somewhat coordinate with the current shower; then your decision (and expense) can be pushed further down the road. I did this with 3 upstairs bathrooms in my house. I changed everything except for the tub/shower combos. Years later, I rebuilt the 2 tub/shower combos and converted 1 to a shower-only. With that phase we didn't touch anything from the previous semi-remodel. Our reason was 2-fold: budget, and I hadn't yet met a tile pro I trusted to truly waterproof these 3 upstairs bathrooms and I didn't want to risk it til I found a real pro.

It sounds like you’ve received some good advice re: polishing your tiles. I’m just posting a comment to let you know how beautiful your glass tile looks! I actually have this tile saved as one of my options for the wall over my vanity behind my mirrors. Q - is there any natural light in your bathroom? If so, would you mind taking a photo during the day so I can see how the tile looks with natural light? I would really appreciate it. Also - and I apologize if this seems like a strange question - did you pick out the tile or did a female? I’m asking this question in order to prove a point with my significant other. I own my house (no mortgage) - so, when we decided to live together, I didn’t want to sell it and buy something else with a mortgage. However, I originally built this house with my ex-husband - so, I’m remodeling MANY rooms in order to make it “new” (even though my ex didn’t really give much input into the house when we built it - and I only shared this house with my ex for about 4 years - quite awhile ago). I am trying to be considerate by not making anything “too feminine” - this tile seems like a good choice for that. My significant other didn’t say that the tile is too feminine - but I‘m not exactly sure whether he believes that or not! I definitely don’t think it’s feminine - I think it’s an attractive option for my accent wall. His suggestions have been simply TOO BORING! I don’t want a sterile looking all gray/white/black bathroom. I do want to be considerate - but it still is my house so . . . LOL! One other Q - what did you choose for your vanity/wall paint/flooring? Thanks!