Thank you everyone for your comments! We did a couple sample layouts tonight based on your advice, and we’re going to do the charcoal in the shower floor. If I can’t find a good quartz/etc remnant for the curb, we’ll do the large hex cut in half - with the darker gray grout we’re considering for the floor, I think it will look better than the white grout example I posted. I just can’t believe they are finally starting to do real work in the master bath - so much is changing in the house as a whole, but this is our biggest single room project with all new materials and design elements. Exciting and terrifying all at once!

I cannot address the install question but we have a similar tile in our shower, and we really like it. 3+ years of shopping tile and this is the only one hubs liked. I was apprehensive for the reasons mentioned above but it has not been a problem. It hasn't been difficult to keep clean and only one of us actually squeegees. No one in our house can be bothered to wipe with a towel, lol. Our mastiff gets bathed in it once a week (he has terrible allergies). The shower gets cleaned afterwards w/ a soft sponge and mild dish soap. It only takes a few minutes. No mildew, etc. I agree that you will not like a darker grout. We matched to the tile and it just disappears. You won't lose any of the handmade effect of the tile by matching the grout. Up close our grout varies in thickness due to the nature of the tile edge. Good luck with your project!

Before installing tiles of that size, they need to be checked for warpage. Many tiles are not perfectly flat and when they are installed on a wall with strong overhead lighting, as in a shower, the light is very unforgiving and shows the slightest shadow where adjacent tiles aren't all in the same plane. The result is called lippage, and there are many threads about this in these forums by people who were unhappy with the appearance after the tiling was done. They simply assumed their tiles were flat and didn't realize there could be appearance problems if they weren't. Here are a couple of photos of lippage: The best way to see if your tiles have this problem is to take two of them and place them face-to-face. If there is any warping, you will be able to see daylight between them looking edge on. Also, they may rock slightly as you exert pressure on the backs with both hands at the various corners. You don't need to test all the tiles this way as you will detect if this is a characteristic problem with the specific tiles you have selected by trying half a dozen pairs. There are ways to at least partially overcome this, but only: if you know in advance; if you select the optimal pattern (stacked, not overlapping); and if you have a really competent tile installer who knows how to minimize the defects. But it's more work than simply having dead flat tiles in the first place and not having to compromise or worry.

Hi, Installing 4x12 white glossy subway tiles and white grout on shower walls. Want minimal grout - contractor says to install them with no spacers, just butt them up against each other. I thought you should always use spacers (1/16)? What's best way to install?