There is no real rule. You do want them to coordinate with one another in terms of relating to the overall look of the bathroom. But they can coordinate while being different materials (porcelain on the walls versus natural stone on the floor), different sizes (subways on the wall versus squares on the floor), and different patterns (running bond on the walls versus diagonal on the floor). The above is simply an example. Much of it can depend on the size of the room and the amount of tile to be used. Using the same tile everywhere in a large bathroom could look a bit too monochromatic and uninteresting. There would be no change in material or pattern to draw the eye from detail to detail as you look around the room. In modern or contemporary design that might be desirable; a slick, clean, uncluttered look. In a more traditional design it might simply be boring. Large format tile always lends itself well in modern styles. Mosaic can be implemented for a period look. Mosaic is busy given the many individual tiles, But it can be made to look "detailed and busy" by using a contrasting grout color. It can be made to look cleaner and slicker by using a grout color the same color as the tile. So there is no real right or wrong as a whole. Sometimes anything and everything can work, but often it's how it is implemented into the design. But you need a starting point. A design style, for example. Having an idea of what look you are trying to achieve will lead you through the selection process; tile material, tile color, tile size, layout pattern, grout color.

thanks! Hi Linelle, it's the wall colour that's got a green undertone to it. I like herbflavor's idea of the bluey white (I guess teal-y white if there is yellow in the formula?), although I have other blue things like curtains, textiles and plates that might add balance... I was thinking I would do a monochromatic yellow/caramel/white palette with the main elements. But when I cover up the walls with my hand and imagine the blue-y white, it looks really nice... Yes, I have a stainless fridge and stove. I have the BM paint deck. Is there a way to tell from the paint chips what colours are in the formula?

I ended up getting the red oak stairs and the white oak floor. Did white oak, no stain, water poly. Stained the stairs darker to make it look intentional. I might have been able to get away with keeping the red oak stairs natural, too, if the floor installers had been asked to, and they had looked for boards that were redder and installed them near the stairs. There were some boards that looked like red oak. Here's the thread and pics ... [https://www.houzz.com/discussions/red-oak-stairs-do-i-install-white-oak-floors-or-red-dsvw-vd~3697644[(https://www.houzz.com/discussions/red-oak-stairs-do-i-install-white-oak-floors-or-red-dsvw-vd~3697644) Make sure you read the part at the end about the nosing strip. That was a real oversight on my part. (I miss my stairs looking like that - they look cluttered now with the railings.)

we went white. yeah there is a black tv on top but the white really is fresh looking. and seems less of a dust magnet, no idea why that is... dust shows but you can clean it off, not just smear it around as always seems the way on black surfaces.