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Remodeling Design Dilemma Bathrooms

White Subway Tile for Bathtub Surround with Mosaic Border Strip?

4 years ago

last modified: 4 years ago

Hi everyone, I would love your opinon on a bathroom remodel project. Below is a photo of a 3x12" ceramic subway tile a client is considering. It would go as a surround with white grout around a standard size bathtub in a smaller size bathroom.

Would you do anything to give the white subway tile more "sparkle" such as incorporating a mosaic border strip in the middle? If so, do you have examples of what would you do? Or would you keep just subway tile with nothing at all?

It would be a for a rental property, so not looking for anything fancy. Something that will make it look clean, simple & attract higher end tenants.

Should this be jazzed up further to give it some more glamour? Obviously white is classic, but if anything can be done that will still look timeless and not go out of style years from now...

Would love your thoughts!

Featured Answer

tozmo1

4 years ago

No to the mosaic border strip. Looks really dated to me. Classic would be keeping the white tile as is.

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Comments (14)

AJCN
4 years ago
Mosaic strips look dated to me unless they are done exactly like Karen Rose’s shower.
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I think a transition of some sort between different materials usually results in a better looking wall than no transition, much of that depends on how similar or dissimilar the adjacent materials will be. A small pencil or some other liner can help the eye and the brain more easily move across the wall, and it often sets accentuates the components of the wall instead of having them muddle one another. While there are things I like and prefer, we don't always see things the same. Glass next to glass might transition just fine, glass next to ceramic might look better with a liner. Color transitions can be a different animal, to me "it depends" on the materials and the colors. Transition pieces can also help when adjacent materials are of a different thickness. They can also help when they are different sizes or set in different patterns. It really is in the eye of the beholder. But what I've found is that as in your case, if "it doesn't look right", then the homeowner knows that something else is needed in the design, but they just don't know how to make the leap. This may sound silly, but you want transitions to look planned and not haphazard, and the material acting as the transition piece should be subservient to the other materials. Meaning it should compliment them, not dominate them. The best I can offer is to "work on it" and get something that is appealing to you. As to the ceiling, if the planned pattern seems too "matchy" or not "matchy enough" then sometimes it can help to take a different path. Herringbone for a subway, or a diagonal for a square or rectangular tiles, etc. Ambiguously, Mongo
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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
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AJCN
4 years ago
We did 3x12 white subway tile in a 1/3 offset in one standalone shower. In a tub/shower we did 3x12 white subway tile in a stacked pattern. In another we did 3x6 white subway in a brick pattern. IMO Mapei grout in the color “frost” looks better than white.
User
4 years ago
The client is asking you? And you can’t give them guidance? And you list yourself as a Pro? What’s wrong with that picture? You might want to delete your account. Things like this stay on the internet forever and it shows you in a pretty bad light that you can’t do the job they hired you to do.
PRO
User
Original Author
4 years ago
last modified: 4 years ago
@AJCN -- thanks for the tip on the Frost grout! Will definitely consider.

@GreenDesigns - someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning, eh? Take it easy there buddy. We are not home interior design "pros". We sell decorative table linens that we help design in India and import to USA. I was posting regarding a one off request from someone regarding something which we typically don't do asking us for some feedback since we are not interior designers. Thus, I posted on Houzz asking for experience and respectful feedback from professionals (something you lack) that are IN the home design space (as we are NOT). Thanks for the education on the Internet... really needed that. Instead of critizing others, you should re-evaluate your own Houzz profile and your web presence. Your logo isn't very appealing, to say the least...
Jacqui Naud
4 years ago
We had our guest bath tiled in white matte subway tile with gray grout. We had the niche inset tiled in a marble and black patterned tile. It’s very simple and classic.
artemis_ma
4 years ago
last modified: 4 years ago
Banarsi, I for one really appreciate pros in a field who are able to ask for viewpoints outside of their general range. It means if I were needing to hire one, we could actually TALK together.

Continue doing what you do.

At any rate, in this case, instead of mosaic, maybe an upper border strip or trim in some complementary color? Tile, but a bullnose edge?
Marta
4 years ago
We have a marble trim with white subway tiles. This bathroom was redone a few years ago, doesn’t look dated (yet?)...
PRO
User
Original Author
4 years ago
Marta, artemis_ma -- I like that suggestion! Looks great, I will check at different border options.
PRO
Skippack Tile & Stone
4 years ago
If your client likes a border, they should do it; it's not something that would wreck the design. Select a mosaic that can be 3" wide. Glass is available in plenty of interpretations, select something with minimal color, and it will give the space a bit of personality.
PRO
Debbi Washburn
4 years ago
If it is a rental property what about doing a nice larger tile ( 12 x 24 ) - less grout lines

Just a thought... I dislike subway tile.... alot! lol
acm
4 years ago
Depends a bit on the rest of the room -- you could do an inset or an edging if it coordinated with, say, the same tile in the back of a shower niche, or on the shower floor. I wouldn't do one in a vacuum, for its own sake.
Janie Gibbs-BRING SOPHIE BACK
4 years ago
Jacqui Naud

LOVE!

My hubby FREAKED at the idea of the idea of the black patterned tile as a design.

Thankfully, I talked him into the grey grout for our matte subway tile.
User
4 years ago
last modified: 4 years ago
I'm personally a fan of choosing one kind of simple tile for the surround, no contrast border or mosaic accents. if the bathroom needs more color, it can be added with colorful towels, rugs, art, etc.

a simple tile design is classic, not plain. it's so easy/cheap to swap out accessories.

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