skip to main content

Flooring Design Dilemma Bathrooms

Going insane: Matching white floor and wall tile (shower)???

3 years ago

I’ve spent the last six months and $150 on samples trying to find a basic white tile that comes in both a shower floor appropriate shape (e.g. hexagon, penny) and a shower wall appropriate shape (e.g. subway) to do a classic bathroom and have somehow come up empty!

Between Wayfair, Home Depot, Lowes, Floor & Decor, and The Tile Shoppe only one store (Tile Shoppe) carried a floor + wall line in the identical glaze/color and of course they had the matching samples in store but the floor tile was discontinued/zero stock.

No problem—I’ll just order a bunch of separate floor and wall tiles and surely two of them will be close if I acquire enough. Aren’t there really only a few “big tile” manufacturers behind all these product lines anyway? Apparently not... across 25 different tiles there are no two that match. This one is cool white, that one is warm. This one is super polished, that one less so. Even from across the room I easily see the differences.

Where am I going awry? I see images of properly matching white floor/wall bathrooms all over the place!

Featured Answer

kayozzy

3 years ago

The thin black tile they put in between each shape tile is hiding the differences. Should be perfectly fine if you do that as well. :-)

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (7)

eld6161
3 years ago
I went through the process of trying to match tiles. It’s very difficult. That is why it’s easier to find a tile that comes with coordinating tiles.
Carrie B
3 years ago
last modified: 3 years ago
I'm a fan of mixing whites. As long as they look good together, the different shades & finishes can add depth and interest - why would a creamy white not look good next to a bright white, a glossy next to a matte, etc? Plus, if one is on the floor and another on a wall, the light will hit them differently and the shades will look different (or similar) no matter what.
Related Discussions
Choosing tiles is tough -- did you match your floor and shower?
Q
Comments (22)
As for ease of cleaning in a kids' bathroom, I personally would go with a midtoned floor with midtoned grout and larger format tiles to minimize grout lines. Actually I think the lightness of the floor tile isn't as important as the grout. One of my quite fastidious friends with no kids really regrets the white grout on her white tile bathroom floor. The tile is ok to clean up but the grout shows all. I would not hesitate to choose a different (lighter) tile for the shower walls. I wouldn't paint the walls in the rest of my house gold to match the hardwood. In my powder we went with a concrete look light grey floor tile that was available in both polished and matte. The polished looked VERY different from the matte, so different that I'd hesitate to use them both in the same room. If I'm honest, the polished was the more beautiful but we went with the matte for safety's sake with the large format.
...See More
Does shower tile have to match floor tile?
Q
Comments (8)
thanks for the advice. The problem is that the tile has to co-ordinate with 3 baths and a kitchen. The kitchen has light grey concrete counters and white cabs., so I think a dark grey would work in all rooms. The problem is that both showers have a step up made of the casa del casa tile so the tiles would butt up against each other. The other thing I could do is I could afford to do the casa del casa each of the two baths to match the showers and then do grey in the half bath and kitchen. Would 2 baths with showers (upstairs) matching floor tiles (one grey/brown and one beige) and one bath and kitchen (downstairs) with matching tile look all right in a house with wood floors? The two baths are separated in different "wings" of the house, completely sepatate. That is four floor types...
...See More
Going insane trying to find plain jane tile
Q
Comments (13)
You can also try Wayfair.com which carries some Daltile product in the more popular lines (like Rittenhouse Square). Checking at the store for special orders is also a good idea. I also used the online chat with customer service at Homedepot.com to get information on one of those pesky items that kept showing up as "out of stock." My experience after going through much the same process was that matching whites across different lines is a nightmare (witness my "50 shades of white" guest bathroom which I have of necessity embraced as a work of art), but black is black. So although being able to buy most of what we need for the next project from Home Depot (Daltile field tile and trim) we are perfectly happy with half-inch black liners off the shelf at Lowes. Likewise black 2 x 6 bullnose was identical at both places, even from the lower-priced or store brand lines (and much cheaper).
...See More
White floor - am I insane?
Q
Comments (27)
We have red clay and some of that "jurassic" rock stuff, but will have likely artificial turf in the back yard (north side of house for dogs) and concrete and natural turf in the front / courtyard to minimize any real mud. If we're really working in the dirt / with the tractor, etc - we'll hose off either outside or in the shop. We're no shoes inside and we wipe all the dogs feet before them come in. Strongly leaning towards "wisdom". THANK YOU all
...See More
Sammy
3 years ago
I wish I could “like” @Carrie B’s comment a thousand times.
PRO
Beth H. :
3 years ago
last modified: 3 years ago
DalTile should have matching white glazes. check w/them and see their subways and hex tiles.

Tilebar.com often has matching white subways w/smaller mosaic sheets. you could try their site. Call and speak to Brittany over there. she can tell you.

the outside floor doesn't have to match the shower subway tile exactly. it's fine if they're a little off. It's like painting the walls one white, and doing the trim in another white. They still work.

White subway tiles do come in all sorts of white colors. I would suggest you get your floor tile first. take that white hex tile to an actual tile store and hold it up next to there white subway tile samples.

make sure the subways you buy have the matching bull nose tiles for the edges.

So get the floor first. (or, get the wall tiles first) and take them w/you to a tile store to match w/the other. If they're not exact, not a big deal!

make sure too, your light bulbs in the room aren't too warm. they will cast a yellowish hue on the white.
eld6161
3 years ago
Carrie, yes and no. Sometimes one can make the other look off. It takes a bit of an eye to to able to mix them just right.

For those not as experienced, why not find tiles in the same brand that coordinate?
Sarah W
3 years ago
I feel your pain. At the bottom of this article (link below) is helpful advice on how to put white tiles together. I have spent too many hours on selecting tiles for a whole house. I hope this helps- good luck! https://mariakillam.com/opera-singer-true-passion/

Related Stories

KITCHEN OF THE WEEK Kitchen of the Week: Graphic Floor Tiles Accent a White Kitchen

By Jeannie Matteucci

Walls come down to open up the room and create better traffic flow

TILE A Finishing Touch for Your Tile Walls and Floors

By Becky Harris

See how tile-edging trim adds graphic style to five bathrooms and kitchens

TILE New This Week: 4 Rooms With Black-and-White Tile Style

By Mitchell Parker

Use patterned black-and-white tile on floors and walls to bridge the gap between traditional and modern looks

BATHROOM DESIGN Bathrooms Awash in Black and White Tile

By Living Small: City & Small Space Consulting

Classic, affordable and widely available, this tile combination can veer modern, traditional or eclectic on a bathroom floor

BATHROOM DESIGN What to Use for the Shower Floor

By Debbie Snider

Feeling Good Underfoot: Shower Tiles, Mosaics, Teak Slats and Pebbles

KITCHEN BACKSPLASHES Love a White Backsplash but Not Subway Tile? Try One of These

By Erin Carlyle

If you want to go beyond the classic rectangle, consider these 11 white backsplash tile options

TRENDING NOW 11 of Our Most Popular New Powder Rooms — From White Tile to Wild

By Gwendolyn Purdom

Houzzers’ most-saved recent powder room photos showcase a spectrum of thoughtful wall treatments

BATHROOM MAKEOVERS Before and After: A New Tile Floor Unites a Divided Bath

By Allison McLeay

Walls come down to give this California bathroom a bright new look with boho touches

BATHROOM DESIGN Designer Trick: Take Your Shower Tile to the Ceiling

By Jennifer Bishop Design

Tile the whole wall in your shower to give your bath a light and lofty feel

TILE 5 Bathrooms Go Bold with Geometric Patterns on the Walls

By Morgan Province

Find out how designers used patterned tiles to make these bathrooms stand out

Sponsored

More Discussions

Help! Dilemma With Red Oak Hardwood Flooring

18

What type of oak is this?

8

Paradigm flooring?

0

Help - Hardwood floor mystery!

8

Not happy with floor.

2