I think the staggered is more modern, like 1960s onward (and off and on again). The stacked isn't very trendy right now but I'm sure it'll be back again. What I wouldn't want is to have one stacked (wall) and one staggered (floor). Maybe it won't matter because the floor tiles will be so large and marble isn't meant to look like a pattern.

But the floor tiles will have to be staggered because they are so large. Maybe the 18" will be okay, but generally, big tiles aren't flat enough to do a stacked pattern like you're picturing.

I feel like the stacked reminds me of the 80s and early 90s (but it's been done for a long time), and while it is still a traditional tile method, I think it might look dated (not in the timeframe you want) in the space. What you are calling staggered is more like a running bond, which is also a traditional pattern, but somehow (to me [IMO only]) I still think it looks current. I think the kicker for me is the tiled face of the tub, in the inspiration pic, and since that won't be the case with your clawfoot, this might not be an issue. The stacked is how my original 1920s bath is done, and the corners are all curved tile and I have a horizontal pencil inset under the first course of tiles.

Here in Detroit, we have a LOT of original bathrooms for the early 20th century. All are square tile , not subway. Most are 6x6, not 4x4, and all are stacked. Here is what I found in 15 minutes in current houses for sale.

My 1960 bathrooms were stacked 4x4 but seeing it definitely reminds me of the 50's and 60's and not earlier.

"But the floor tiles will have to be staggered because they are so large. Maybe the 18" will be okay, but generally, big tiles aren't flat enough to do a stacked pattern like you're picturing."

That is exactly backwards. When tiles aren't flat, a stacked pattern is best.

It seems that you are getting stuck on the words, since you don't know what traditional is. You only like something if it's traditional, but you don't know what that means. So if someone told you something was traditional, then you would like it. And if they told you it wasn't, then you wouldn't like it. So forget the words and do what you actually like better.

If you really want a more period design you need to change things. Use 6x6 tile for the wall, pick a line that offers good trim options. The floor size is not appropriate, mosaics are best, but if you want a larger tile nothing larger than a 12x12. Now, on the shower surround, how will they fit in your period design? They're contemporary as it gets, why are you not using tile there?

Original 1937 tile in my bathroom; 4 " stacked with basketweave floor tiles. I'm putting 4"sq white tile backsplash in my kitchen reno as well, in homage to the house. but Ill go staggered in the kitchen.

Danette your bathroom is lovely! We had the lovely peachy-brown of 1060's fame, lol. I dreamed it was just like yours!

Thank you tremendously for helpful guidance refreshing my memory of "traditional" time period tile!!!

Thank you Fori, Ch47gunnergirl, Nancy in Mich, Cyndy: your comments and photos were very helpful! It was very reassuring! I can calmly and confidently proceed with a STACKED 4x4 white tile. Ohhh Relief!

Danette: Your bathroom is To-Die-for-Gorgeous! I just love tile work!

NancyinMich: For some time, I have been reading your very informative and helpful write-ups about Solid-Surface showers. Thank you for educating others and sharing your research and experiences. My husband is a Physical Therapist and we hope to add an ADA shower in our master bath remodel. As my aging parents and disabled sister, live near us. Thank you for your helpful ADA info.

Catbuilder: Thank you for your inspiration to go-with-my-gut and "do what I like". My fickle problem was... I forgot what I liked... and I panicked when our tiler-friend wanted to come next week. Crazy I know...

So Long story made short:

My 11 yr old son, has had chronic GI complications since birth - I've been distracted with his medical emergencies. Now that we are ready to proceed with "the bathroom plan". I'm so sleep deprived and I began doubting my own instincts... I looked at my bathroom remodel notes: "To stack 4x4 tile." And I suddenly thought it looked odd. Maybe due to overexposure to subway 3x6 tile. I just needed a refresher course on historic America tile. Thank you everyone for the visual field trip of American bathrooms.

I planned the bathroom remodel 2 years ago, when we bought the house. We refinished the tub, got the sink, bought the wall tile, and I wrote down my bathroom plan. But... then I got lost in the sea of, searching for and researching: 1) floor tile and 2) shower surfaces. I need Low-Maintance, easy to clean, boy-friendly & farm-friendly flooring and shower.

+ We will in the South. Moisture is a chronic enemy. I'm so weary of scrubbing shower tile grout and mosaic floor grout, with a tooth brush. So we choose a solid surface shower. I very committed to a solid surface shower, despite the period-clash.

+ We will on a hobby farm, surrounded by staining, red-clay soil.

+ I have a house full of homeschooling sons.

So now "opening the can of Worms" my problem with the Tile Floor: Cpartist and Skippack, You are absolutely correct the large tile, currently trendy marble-type tile, is far from being historically correct! It was just a grab-at-straws to finish up this bathroom. I was going to use large marble-like tile, in my contemporary master bath remodel and I was just taking the easy way out. But I'm not completely at peace with the flooring in this main bathroom. It IS a clash of styles. <sigh> It just seemed to be the only floor tile I didn't hate. I have always liked marble - but I do strongly dislike that marble is currently-all-the-rage, which means, it will soon be out-dated...

In my previous house of 18 years, we installed a gorgeous white mosaic floor, using "stain-free" grout. It was my pride and joy. I loved staring at the historic tile floor. However... I still spent years scrubbing 100s of grout lines to remove dirt, grim & skin slough and boy-life... And the "stain-free" grout, was not stain-free!

Also even 1 hair or lint, on white tile was always an eye sore. It needed daily vacuuming, and especially before company arrived. I'd hoped the gray and white 'marble-look' would disguise hair and lint. With ADHD in the family, I didn't want to go with dark grout with white tile. Nor the black and white mosaics.

I worry about cracking of tile grout, in mosaic floor tile. I was hoping, larger tile would give me less cracking, and less grout lines to scrub. I do love mosaics... just not the maintenance.

I am open to suggestions.

Having studied in Europe, I was hoping large Marble tile, was slightly timeless. However current trends, could toy with my concept.

Maybe take a break from the staggered vs stacked issue for a bit and consider beadboard (I believe there are moisture resistant products). Notice the larger format marble/marble-look tile on the floor...

Organic cook, I completely understand wanting to keep (somewhat) period-correct, but still maintain your sanity! I am also wanting a solid surface master bath shower. Have you thought at all about a vinyl plank or tile for flooring? I'm stuck too in the planning stages for a future master bath addition. My house is 1920s, divided ell-style home, 2-1/2 story. I feel like all I am reading is that people want tile or marble floors in master baths, but I'm afraid of tile cracking/weight, and upkeep. [I live in a flood plain, the house was built on a filled-in swamp with a high water table, and we still get settling issues due to a recent addition along with the ground the house sits on, lol] I was planning on waterproof beadboard run halfway up the walls instead of tile like elunia posted, I had that in my last house, and really liked that it was easy to clean. With ADA req. be sure to leave enough turning room, ect. My mom had a home built that was supposed to be ADA-friendly, and the bathroom barely met any requirements, and the shower, while no threshold, wasn't built appropriately to keep the water from splashing all over the floor beyond the shower. My mom made it work for my grandma, but it would not have been anything grandma could have maneuvered through on her own.

I've confirmed my decision to use the 4x4 stacked tile on the walls. And I couldn't get past my hesitation with the marble large format tiles. Needing to stick with the 1920s vintage complete look. Thus we've decided to use 4x4" white Foor tile with white grout, laid on diagonally. Or even 6x6" white floor tile. But now.... I can't find floor tile. We have American Olean the 4x4" wall tile and "Shelf Rail" in Ice White (color #25). Now we've hit a wall with floor tile.

I know mosaic flooring is very time period authentic. However I prefer the larger tile 4x4" used during this the early 1900s as well (or even a later dated, 6x6").

White 2" mosaic will be my absolute last resort... I've just dread the increased number of grout lines..... a doomed relationship with toothbrush, more staining over the next 20 years, and potential cracking. I long for solid surfaces... (The function of vinyl flooring is so easy, when children, sons & pets are involved. Or course vinyl has It is toxic fumes, is not long term, and doesn't have the timeless beauty of tiled floors.)

My husband really wants to tile the floor tomorrow.... He has a contractor friend willing to tile it. And we have family arriving from Europe next week. But I don't mind stalling on the project and sharing 1 shower, to insure we make good decisions that we can live with for the next 20 years.

I still love this bathroom, remodel. I can't locate the company that made this floor tile.

Another Question: If I have white grout on the walls with white tile, can I get away with light gray grout with white tile on the floor? Since it will darken & end up "grimy" after a few years. Or will the 2 different grout colors: A) be too busy? B) Too contemporary? Should I just wait until the white floor grout darkens with time & life?

It will be the main bathroom (guest & teen sons).

A high traffic bathroom with white floor tile??

I thought you had already learned that lesson when you said:

In my previous house of 18 years, we installed a gorgeous white mosaic floor, using "stain-free" grout. It was my pride and joy. I loved staring at the historic tile floor. However... I still spent years scrubbing 100s of grout lines to remove dirt, grim & skin slough and boy-life... And the "stain-free" grout, was not stain-free!...Also even 1 hair or lint, on white tile was always an eye sore. It needed daily vacuuming...

No, do not use wall tile on your floor!

Wall tile may not be fired at a high enough temperature to withstand being on the floor, or may be a softer quality of clay. The slip factor is also important, and bath mats may not be in the place you need them in an emergency situation.

Yes, you may use a different color of grout on the floor than the one you use on the wall.

Why not look at gray tile for the floor? All white can look sterile, institutional, and boring.

porcelain, ceramic or cement tile (doesn't have to be a mosaic) will all work

here they've used the 4x4 on the floor in a stacked pattern, and vertical subways

I like those last 4 x 4s on the floor, Beth. But they are not the pure white glazed tiles, they have some variation in color and shading. And they are not paired with identical wall tiles. I don't think that using the same 4 x 4s on both will work well. It will look like the homeowner found a sale and either bought too many or could not find the funds or the imagination to do a different floor.

Organic Cook, how about using a large format hex tile on the floor, like the ones in the green and black bath and the white baths just above? It has a nod toward the vintage, by going hex on the floor, with a foot in the modern by not doing mosaic tile. They come in 8 inch size (maybe larger), so will decrease the number of grout lines in comparison with the vintage mosaics. You could look at a nice tile with some variegation, like the 4 x 4 floor above has. You could look for a color that is related to whatever the floor color is in the hall, so that the floor color flows between the rooms. If the hall has a wood floor, look for a tile that has about the same amount of color as the two tiles in the last bathroom in Beth's post above mine. Not a wood-look tile, but a glazed or color-body tile that has tones that tie into the hall flooring. Another idea would be to go back to your original choice of gray and white. Here are two 10" hex tiles from Tile Bar that would look good with white wall tiles.

This one looks like it may be beige, which would go with some wood floors.

This one is at Home Depot and is more expensive. $15.95/sq ft.

Wayfair has this Carrara-look hex on sale. They show it with dark grout, too. $7.51 sq ft. I can't get an image saved to my computer, so I can't post it.

I also think there is a difference with 4x4 historical tiles with a rectified (flat) edge and the nowaday common ones that are slightly pillowy/soft edge.