Placement of contrast/accent tiles in tub/shower surround etc.
Bathroomers, talk to me about (and show me pictures of) where you've used bands or trims of accent colors in tiling your bathroom, especially if you've used a fairly plan field tile or a large area of one color and small amounts of another. I'm having trouble mentally conjuring all the possible layouts. I found these pics in hunting around Houzz – NOT the colors I would use, but interesting because they're '20s-style baths, using the same style tub I am planning to use:
I was especially intrigued by the placement of the thin band of black tile to sort of make a feature of the shower rod in this pic, and I like the idea of a solid band framing hex tiles on the floor in the earlier pic.
I also visited an open house this weekend and snapped this pic of an original late-20s bath with a palette more like something I'd actually use:
But I need to see additional inspiring examples, especially for tub-shower combos. Thanks!
Comments (29)
maddybeagle
6 years agoRelated Discussions
Could really really use some tub surround advice
Comments (14)Yes! I love our gray porcelain 12" x 12" tile. It's imported Italian tile: Granitogres from Casalgrande (distributed by Daltile) in an oddly named color they call "Arizona," I believe. But it's a very hue-neutral gray--no brown or beige tones in it at all, contrary to its "earthy sounding" name. It's a beautiful, concrete-looking color with flecks of grays and white. Very modern-looking. If we're successful in matching the grout color, it'll look like a continuous, concrete-like floor from a distance. And, yes, I was initially attracted to solid-surface materials for the same reasons. Low-maintenance! It's a tough call, but I'm so happy with the Granitogres porcelain. I'm not a big fan of grout lines either, but we're jumping through hoops to match the tile color as closely as possible in the grout to achieve our desired aesthetic effect. If your heart's set on solid-surface, then by all means, get it. But, I think you have enough of an idea of what you want that you're likely to be pleased with whatever material on which you finally decide. Good luck!...See MoreFiberglass or tile tub surround DIY??
Comments (19)I just recently had to make that same decision...and I went with a Sterling tub and 3 pc surround in my 1930 home. Main reasons: 1. Tile was there before (c.1966) and caused a water leak that caused a quite large piece of plaster to fall from my kitchen ceiling...granted they didn't install tile back with a good backer board. 2. I had to get rid of the 1966 cast iron tub...it was not in good enough condition to keep. 3. I wanted a larger soaking tub...my cast iron was small! The Sterling tub is 18" tall and very wide...and has arm rests. 4. This was the hall bath. In a master bath, I would probably have gone with a tile surround. 5. My budget on this bathroom was small....as the kitchen is coming up in January and that's where I want to put my $ So far, I love my Sterling tub/surround. And since I mainly take showers, my plumber raised the water controls up about a foot or so. I never would have thought to do that....but it's GREAT. Even my 11 year old son mentioned how he likes it better higher. Here is a picture below. KOMPY...See MoreWhat's the Ultimate cost of DIY tile tub/shower surround?
Comments (8)Just curious...how'd you come up with 31 sqft for tiling to the ceiling? For a typical tub surround: -poly sheeting: $10 -Half-inch thick Tile backer board, 4 sheets: $60 -Roll of mesh alkali-resistant tape: $7.50 -Tile: Name your price. Say $5 a foot for grins, for 60sqft it's $300. -One bag highly modified thinset $30 -One bag Grout $15 -Caulk $15 So materials, rounding way up, about $150 not counting the tile. Tools? -Stapler to staple up the poly sheet to the studs. -Utility knife and blades: You can score and cut the tile backer board like Hardiebacker with a utility knife. You can even cut holes with a utility knife, score the perimeter with the knife and pop out the center with a hammer. -Stapler to staple up the poly sheet to the studs. Hammer/nails: to nail up the backer board. You could use screws, but you'd need a drill with driver bit. To cut the tile: The box stores will do it for you on a per cut basis. I have no idea what they charge. For for basic tile you can use a score and snap cutter. They can be had for $25-$50. Or you can buy a cheap wetsaw at the box stores for $50. Or buy one on craigslist then resell it when you are done. So...$50 let;s say. Always good to have tile nippers, $20. Have your plumbing fall on grout lines instead of in the middle of a tile and you can nip a hole instead of having to drill a hole. To mix and spread the thinset: -bucket -margin trowel: $7.50 Yup. To hand mix the thinset and grout. The thinset, mix maybe a third of a bag at a time. Pace yourself. Or you can buy a paddle if you have a low-speed drill that has the torque to spin it. -notched trowel: $5, 1/4" x 1/4" to spread the thinset. To Grout: -Grout float: $10 -Grout Sponges: 2- or 3-multi-pack for $5 Basic hand tools, about $50. Add $50 for a tile cutter, so total tools is about $100. Materials: $150 Tile: $300 @ $5 a ft Tools: $100 Total, about $550 Rough guess....See MoreTub surround - replace or embrace?
Comments (18)Thanks, all. I really appreciate hearing so many outside opinions. This is our forever home, which is why I'm struggling so much with this decision. We're going room by room, slowly over time, and making this house our home. So my thought is we might as well make it exactly how we want it this first time around because we won't be touching it again for probably 15 years. But I don't want to damage the tub either or drive my husband crazy, so I'm still at a standstill with the decision...and thus the project. I walk in there like twice a day and just stare and think, stare and think. It should NOT be this hard! monicakm - here's a link to the tile. http://www.lowes.com/ProductDisplay?langId=-1&storeId=10151&catalogId=10051&fromStore=true&partNumber=399387-34692-G8CC15...See More
roarah
6 years agolast modified: 6 years agoThere is a cap along the top row of tile. My tile around the shower is higher than it is in the rest of the room. The black accent goes around the whole room.
maddybeagle thanked roarah
cpartist
6 years agoOk Roarah, I'm officially, madly in love with your bathroom now!
Love Maddybeagle's first and last examples too but then again, I'm a sucker for a colorful bathroom and am almost regretting not doing so in my guest bath. (Although the walls will be painted a dark red. Does that count? LOL)
Here's my upstairs bath. Walls are daltile. Outside the shower is a black chair rail tile and around the shower is a bull nose tile in black. I stopped the liner at the spot where the shower door will be.
Here's a pic showing the bullnose going along the ceiling.
maddybeagle thanked cpartistmaddybeagle
6 years agocpartist
6 years agolast modified: 6 years agomaddybeagle
6 years agoHere is my current thinking about tile palette, btw: cream field tile with just a bit of yellow (Pratt & Larson R128), two adjacent greens (R136 and R137) as trims and accents, and the matte deep blue (C340), which is a little more in the slate-denim range than it appears here, as the main floor tile, probably in small hexes, maybe solid or maybe with other colors mixed in, definitely with a band of green around the perimeter.
maddybeagle
6 years agolast modified: 6 years agomaddybeagle
6 years agocpartist, my tub will end up being placed adjacent to the door to the room exactly as in this photo – except if I use a 2-sided/apron tub, I wouldn't have the knee wall at the near end. But I'd prefer to have the tile height for the tub surround relate to the height of the door, rather than going all the way up to the ceiling as in this pic, which seems clumsy.
Bungalow bathroom · More Infocpartist
6 years agolast modified: 6 years agocpartist
6 years agolast modified: 6 years agomaddybeagle
6 years ago
House Vixen
6 years agolast modified: 6 years agoHi MB --
Love the working color palette and glad the Bow tub works for you. And some great examples I'll be stealing.
Trade ya:
my Vintage baths (pinterest board)
and Vintage-inspired baths board
plus a few I already have uploaded here
I love this one not merely for the shark fin but because the triangles are frequently seen and while the cuts will cost you with labor I really think you can get a charming vintage look with JUST a 4x4 and 3x6 design (plus bullnose) and skip the pricey deco liners. Note that I dearly love pricey deco liners, ha!
Photos for forum threads · More InfoPre-shower, I'm guessing...I like the pencil liner there and you could either just go field til you cap it or potentially do another ($$) liner up near the top. Note the running bond for the base.
Muted yellow green field (called "avocado" by some tile sources, different from · More Infomaddybeagle thanked House Vixenmaddybeagle
6 years agocpartist
6 years ago
PROCreative Ceramic & Marble/ Bill Vincent
6 years agomaddybeagle thanked Creative Ceramic & Marble/ Bill Vincentskitt
6 years agoHouse Vixen
6 years agolast modified: 6 years agoSkitt, is there any chance you could take the tile all the way up if the ceiling's only 7 feet? Definitely authentic, if less typical.
As with the liners, there's typical and there's more unusual!
Classic 90 degree turn, tile ends before ceiling (but note running bond):
Photos for forum threads · More InfoStacked 4x4 but stepping a little outside with that terra liner butted up against the black, which marks the top of the shower's lowered ceiling:
Photos for forum threads · More InfoFour (!) placements of deco liner total (triple in shower, double elsewhere) and full-on basketweave for the field pattern:
Photos for forum threads · More Infomaddybeagle
6 years agoHouse Vixen
6 years agolast modified: 6 years agomaddybeagle
6 years agolast modified: 6 years agomaddybeagle
6 years agoHouse Vixen, re large hex vs mosaic, how insanely great is this from one of your Pinterest boards?
skitt
6 years agomaddybeagle
6 years agoLyndee Lee
6 years ago
roarah