10bac10- I’m so flattered that you like my basket weave. Dimensions are below. It’s marble tile. In my opinion, using marble is not a decision to be made lightly. There are many posts in Houzz which essentially say ”Stop! Dont use marble!” But , a good friend has had a similar marble in her shower for over 10 years, with not a trace of issue. She takes special care with it and uses specific products in her shower. i don’t have marble anywhere else in my home. My basket weave is 4 feet high and 2 feet wide and bordered with a neutral colored but slightly veined pencil trim which blends with the basket weave and which I think helps to frame the basket weave. (See photo; color may not show accurately due to my crummy camera). The veins shown in the enlarged photo aren’t visible from a distance and are a subtle accent even when seen close- up. Both trim and basket weave are marble. My large and plainer wall tile is not marble. Because the basket weave is marble , I tried to avoid using it on the floor - but it looked unbalanced to me when I only had it on the wall. Again, as noted above, a friend has similar marble and has had no etching, starbursts, etc.,,that marble can get To achieve this, she uses only ph balanced shampoos, conditioners , cleansers, and soap in her shower. I do the same. I wipe down both floor and wall tile after each shower - to speed the drying process- and run a ceiling fan. I squeegee the shower door after showering, It has a special coating to repel water spots and it works beautifully. All my shower tile has been sealed and will need resealing periodically, I don’t find any of this effort a challenge but maybe that’s because I really enjoy having this bathroom after living with a truly awful one for many, many years.

When it comes to a rain showerhead - I think it really comes down to context. Lots of opinions here either way but the details nobody has mentioned matter. If you have both a wall mounted normal shower head and a ceiling mounted rain showerhead - this seems like the best way to go because you have the option of either or depending on your mood, need or partner situation. And if you can operate both simultaneously or independently, even better. As someone who is buying a new home, the rain shower is an optional upgrade in my situation. With the necessary plumbing done up front for the ceiling mount, it's much easier than trying to do simple future remodel upgrade in this regard because the likelihood of having to tear apart tile / cut through walls / drywall. I think the other half of the equation is how good the rain showerhead itself is. There are so many different one's on the market in all shapes and sizes, along with quality of design push water through effectively, and/or with adjustability - that can make or break how someone may feel about one. I'd wager you're going to truly appreciate it more by spending the extra to go with a rain shower head on the high end, but still having your standard shower head there as an option since I think there is a good hybrid use case for having both if you can swing it.

Agree with what Mizlizzie wrote. I try to keep the bottom of the rainhead a minimum of 7' above the tiled floor. You can mix drop arms. Most are universal 1/2" thread. Generic finishes like Chrome are pretty much universal, you can mix and match from most any manufacturer. If you have a designer-type finish then sure, it makes sense to stay with within one manufacturer's product line.

Your contractor bought the wrong thing. That is not how you design an installation with multiple outputs. You have a single valve that switches between the multiple uses. You also need to get the thermostatic valve, not pressure balancing. It is not going to have the capacity for a fast tub fill either because what you want is usually done in a shower only situation. Not a tub shower. Your professional supply house can help you sort this out. It is unprofessional, to say the least, to tell you to go buy things when you don't have a clue as to what is needed. But, he doesn't either. A rain shower in a tub is asking for trouble. Water damage and splashing everywhere. Which is why the proper waterproofing Sophie is asking about is so important. As well as the doors to contain the water. Tile and grout are not waterproof. Neither is cement board. You need a separate step. Your posts contain some red flag questionable descriptions of work that need to be resolved before you let your contractor touch anything else. You need to examine your contractor much closer.