Has he grouted the tile? It looks like there are some joints that don't have any grout. That should help some if he hasn't done it. If he has, then YES, it's a pretty rough tile job.

Hi, hasn't been grouted yet. I'm wondering if I should let him grout it or have it redone by a tile professional?

So the person that set the tile is not a pro? If you are going to use dark grout its not gonna look good, light colored grout maybe.... I just looked again, get a pro to redo.

No no no NOT OK!! That bit over the corner of the fireplace is terrrrrrible.

No, it's not even and then added little cuts to make up for it being misaligned.

Definitely have someone to do it properly.

the top pic shows how he stuck in extra pieces and screwed up the pattern. he did it out of order, got messed up and had to improvise. badly.

look closely. its bad. as are his cuts. this is unacceptable and i would not pay him.

if doing the hearth, try and get a solid edging piece like below

He also messed the pattern on both sides of the hearth. Below the strip just outside of the fire box it goes down 2 tiles and then back up.

Complete disaster.

Thank you all for solidifying what I believed to be true. I will have it redone for sure.

If you're going to have it redone, select another tile. That tile looks like bathroom tile and is very difficult to set. Use solid stone slabs for a more simple classic look.

Diana, this was one of my inspiration photos. Here is what mine looks like from afar:

Still think it should change? Thanks!

I actually like the tile you chose...the installation quality, of course, not so much. ;)

There is something else that’s not quite right, though, and that’s the stained wood piece sitting on the mantel. There’s a redundancy there.

But I like the overall feeling of the room (or what I can see of it, anyway!)

Edit: I’ve changed my mind regarding the tile choice and agree with Dana that slabs would be better, but it’s for practical/functional reasons rather than a purely aesthetic one. Even though you’re using gas logs, the illusion is that it’s a traditional wood-burning fireplace, where logs can and do spill out onto the hearth. And it’s for that reason I think slabs would be a better choice. (FWIW I have a wood burning fireplace with marble surround and hearth, and if the hearth had been marble mosaic tile instead of a thick slab, I’d have several broken/missing tiles!)

Thanks, Sammy. We liked the beam to tie in with the wood components in our new kitchen. Any suggestions on how to make it not look redundant? Thanks!

The easiest thing to do would be to replace the beam with a stained piece closer in thickness to the mantel shelf in your inspiration pic (and your kitchen shelves, actually!) That’s where the problem lies, IMO, with the thickness.

This is closest thing I can find that illustrates my idea (I’ll keep looking, though!):

Too many lines. Get rid of that tile and the shiplap. Brick would look far better there. The whole house needs additional warmth that natural warm tones materials bring. Like brick, and brass, and wood.

Can't stand that tile.

I really like the tile and plan to keep it, just have it redone. Above are two more pictures we based our design on. We will bring in warmth in the furniture and fabrics in the room.

Thank you skmom. It has definitely been a learning experience on our part. Just looking forward to having everything done (correctly) so we can stop worrying about it all.

I'm actually installing this tile in our bathroom right now and while i am not an experienced tile setter i still would not have laid the tiles down like that because once you see two tiles laid side by side when it should it have been offset, you will never unsee the flaw. I feel like it should be corrected.

If you like it, you like it. I will disagree, even after seeing your inspiration photos.

Total amateur job. Did you pay amateur or "PRO" price? And just because somebody is a "contractor" doesn't make them a "PRO".

Let him finish before you judge it. If you don't like it then have him redo it.

Just a bit of warning. I used marble tile around my fireplace, and when an ember fell out of the fire box, it left a burn mark on my marble tile hearth. I took to keeping a sheet of aluminum foil over the hearth to protect from burning embers.

Look what I just found on another [Houzz dilemma[(https://www.houzz.com/discussions/how-to-add-interest-to-living-room-wall-with-fireplace-dsvw-vd~5330655?n=26):

I like your tile a lot (especially when it's so far back you can't see the mistakes).

I do have to side with Sammy about considering reducing the thickness of the mantel shelf if you can.