I like this tile design in the shower and was thinking I can do the ming brick pattern tile on the bottom with white subway on top and some ming pencil border up top. Any thoughts on how this would look? Another idea is to do all white subway with a thick ming tile border. I don't want to use ming marble tile on the floors. I would like to use some sort of porcelain tile for ease of cleaning and also since it is more budget friendly. Any suggestions other than the wood porcelain tile?

Thanks everyone for your comments. I decided yesterday to go with real marble for my master bathroom. In case it helps anyone who are in the same boat, here are my reasonings: 1) we live in our condo currently while our house is being built. Our condo has 2 full bathrooms with entirely marble floors, shower surround and countertops. We have been here for almost 5 years, never sealed or did anything different or special while using them (mostly out of ignorance. I never knew I had to treat marble any differently until I started buying tiles for my house). We have had guests use one often and cleaning lady clean our place. We use green products because we have kids and pets - no idea whether it is good for marble or not, but don't care at this point. We care more about our kids and pets. The marbles on the floor and counter (horizontal surfaces) are not in perfect condition, but I wouldn't say they are ruined by any means. I also know now that they can be refinished to look like new when I'm ready to sell our condo, so no big deal to me. The vertical surfaces (shower surround, walls, etc.) are still in fantastic condition. That's for 5 years with no sealing or special treatment. 2) After thinking about it, I think the amount of maintenance for marble is pretty hyped up, because of point #1. It's a bit unfair to expect to have no maintenance for any flooring you have, even porcelain. And as far as maintenance is concerned, sealing marble once a year is pretty miniscule as compared to other things related to the house. For example, your lawn need to be watered and mowed way more, but does that mean you shouldn't have a lawn or put in astroturf? My family and I are pretty laid-back and will not stress over etching or slight stains, because marble can be restored. So, if necessary, we will just restore it. However, seriously consider whether you will be stressed, and if you will, then maybe pass on marble. 3) The homes in my town are definitely still using marble in their baths, kitchens, foyer, etc., including the new constructions. So, really I think it's probably not that big of a deal to have it. People are still choosing it all the time. I have not had any concerns until I started tile shopping and reading about it online. Having marble in a home is a selling feature for homes in my area, not a decrement. It's highlighted in listings. Of course, I know not all buyers care for it and might even turn off ones who think it's high-maintenance, but it's not a concern at the moment. I like porcelain tiles for many reasons as well. I will be using it in my kid's bath (not faux marble-look, something more contemporary), and in other areas of my house. For me personally, I think having the look I want is more important. It's something that I have to use and look at every day, so if I'm not happy with the way something look, no amount of easy maintenance will make up for it.

I vote for floating, click, wood look, luxury vinyl plank. I especially like the style with knots and chatter marks. Lay it throughout the whole house, on the diagonal, with no thresh holds. That's what I did. I can clean the entire house in approximately five minutes with an electric leaf blower. Porcelain tile is more durable however it is more expensive to buy, more expensive to install, and more expensive to uninstall. Also, some tile is extremely slippery when wet whereas wood grain LVP is not slippery at all. Five years later I am happier than ever I chose grey driftwood luxury vinyl plank for a house with dogs, kids, beach sand, and lots of wet feet. If the house gets inundated from storm surge and ocean water gets inside, I can unclick the LVP, clean and dry the subfloor, and then reinstall the same LVP and it will look as good as new.

@joseph_corlett - Before calling someone else's viewpoint "Silly" you may have wanted to validate your position. It took me less than 1 minute to do a google search and find this abstract. "Abstract This study investigated the influence of flooring on subjective discomfort and fatigue during standing and on potentially related objective measures. Participants stood for 4 h on each of 7 flooring conditions while performing computer tasks. During the 3rd and 4th h, floor type had a significant effect on a number of subjective ratings, including lower-leg and lower-back discomfort/fatigue and 2 of 4 objective variables (center of pressure weight shift and lower-extremity skin temperature). In addition, lower-leg volumetric measurements showed tendencies toward greater lower-extremity swelling on uncomfortable floors. The hard floor and 1 floor mat condition consistently had the worst discomfort/fatigue and objective ratings. Significant relationships were noted between the affected subjective ratings and objective variables. In general, floor mats characterized by increased elasticity, decreased energy absorption, and increased stiffness resulted in less discomfort and fatigue. Thus flooring properties do affect low-back and lower-leg discomfort/fatigue."