That flooring is so bad! If the floor was really uneven they should have used a floor leveler but looks like just a bad install job to me.

Mrs. S has inspired me to share one of my favorite videos. You're the one that needs to get the stuck candy bar. Mrs. S is the guy telling you to give it some heat. The lady that walks in are the Houzzers cheering you on. https://youtu.be/7Bo1i435mP0

Wish you the best to get this resolved. Give it some heat!

The floor needs to be redone at the tiler's expense. Did you pay them already? At least in the photos, the tub looks okay, and the countertop back splash isn't a big deal. I'd concentrate on the floors. If you've already paid them and they refuse to fix it, you can tell them you will take them to small claims court with photos of the job. And then do it. It's very obvious they made mistakes.

Oh my gosh thank you Mrs. S for talking me off that ledge. Can you tell I was spiraling because I’m so mad at myself for not speaking up about the floor!!! Yes we stupidly paid the tile guys. We did tell our contractor that we weren’t totally happy with the tile work. Our contractor is a good guy, but just kind of shrugged the whole thing off as penny tile is “notoriously difficult to work with” but had anyone told me that I would have chosen a different tile! And that’s what gets me so bummed. It wasn’t penny tile at any expense for me. I will totally chose a different tile that’s easier to work with for cleaner lines. I just don’t see how either of them could stand by their work from that picture and maybe they just need to see it.

White tubs never perfectly match the white subways that everybody uses, so even if they did install the correct tub, you would see the difference. I think that you have done a good job with the colors and I would not repaint anything. I would not notice that your splash is 3” instead of 4” and yours looks fine.

As for your floor, hearing that you were going to see some lines, you could have known that this was a huge red flag, if you had hung out here during the planning stage. One way that you can use to work your way up to confronting problems with a ”professional” who wants you to agree with him in the future over something that is not right is to ask questions. When the tub was beige, not white, you could ask why there is a beige tub in your house when the contract specified white. (If it did not, you probably had to accept whatever tub they gave you.) That could lead to this statement from you, ”I am confused about that, since we specified white tub, sink sink, and toilet.” My boss at my first job taught me that ”confused” line line. it is one way to push someone to explain without getting more confrontational than you are comfortable with. Asking the builder to explain what he meant about being able to see lines between the tile sheets would have clarified the thing for you and given you the chance to ask, ”If I don’t want lines between the tile sheets, what are my options for tile? What tiles could be set so they look even?” You may not have been able to hire a better tile setter at that point in th job, but you may have been able to delay the tiling to get a tile that your guy was able to set more evenly. So, ask questions in order to get the conversation going toward finding solutions. Use the ”I’m confused” line when you want to avoid confrontation but need a better explanation for what has gone wrong. You may have gotten your white tub without being ”mean” about it. From there, it is only a few more steps to get to the point that you can say, ”take it out, it is not what is in our contract.”

Visit the Consumer Protection Agency at https://www.usa.gov/consumer-complaints.

File a complaint with the Better Business organization.

Contact your state’s Contractor Licensing Bureau and file another complaint. Some states require a tile setters license and others a General Contractors.

File a claim with your local Small Claims Court.

Make your demand for rectification verbally and via Registered letter. Keep track of all communications and opportunities where information should have been communicated.

Home reno/repair are one of the top 10 consumer complaints. And consumer agencies, believe many people never pursue their complaints.

Good luck! Sometimes you may get discouraged - just remember you are fighting for yourself and the next family that might get is ripped off!

What I've learned from our renovations is to stick aroud while the contractors are working and check in on the progress of your project. This way you can catch things (like the floor problem) before they get too far. Never be afraid to ask questions. This can end up saving a lot of stress and money.

Shasta, same here. With an install like that you have to be there to tell them to adjust while still wet/before grout. It can be tedious but needed to get the result. Leveller should have been used too. Can’t believe they are trying to say that as an excuse! Overall, like your bathroom!

how long ago was the floor tile installed? I totally agree with everyone that says to fight it. This does need to be re-done on the contractors dime. Everything else in the bath looks good. I might paint the crown to match the walls.

Sharon Fullen gave great advice on steps to take if your contractor won't come back and fix things. I'd start with the Better Business Bureau. Easy and costs $0 to open a case. You can file online. The BBB has no power to make a business do anything but businesses usually settle because they don't want a report on their record and some don't know that the BBB can't actually make them do anything lol.

If you get no joy from the BBB then I would move on to small claims. You represent yourself...don't let that scare you it's pretty low key; you, them, magistrate or judge, sitting in a room and talking about what happened...bring lots of pictures and start documenting dates you talked to the contractor and what was said. Worst case scenario you lose and are out the $50 or so bucks it costs to file/serve. Best case you win. You either will get all your money back or the contractor will have to re-do the floor. Be prepared to ask the judge for what you want.

Finally, if you don't get anywhere with the BBB or small claims I would go leave your honest reviews ALL OVER THE WEB with lots and lots of pictures to help future home owners pass up this contractor and rest peacefully at night knowing that you did what you could do and you fought the good fight.

Consider starting NOW by posting your honest reviews about the quality of tile work - even if you didn't stand your ground and insist they rip it up, the fact that they have rationalized the poor job speaks for itself. Internet reviews are pretty powerful tools these days. Include the statement that you are trying to get the contractor to remedy the install - assuming by now that you have at least asked for that - and you will amend your review with an outcome when there is one. If you picked him off a particular site, start there. If you got his name from a friend, let them know so they don't pass it on.

Be sure you are separating your concerns about the quality of the contractor's work from buyers remorse over decisions you made or details you didn't clarify. Those lines can become blurred when you're disappointed in the outcome overall. It sounds like you chose the paint colors, and if you don't have a contract that specifies a white tub from a particular manufacturer, and an identified source for the white subway tile, I think you have little grounds for a formal complain there. As with paint, all whites are not the same in porcelain finishes. That might be one of those hard life lessons.

I hate to suggest spending even more money, but I'm underwhelmed by the brown tones of your rug and towels with what appears on my monitor to be grey trim and shower curtain. Even if your typical style leans toward subdued colors, you might be cheered up in here with a contrasting color - seafoam green, teal, pumpkin? Bring home towels just to try - you can always take them back! If you like one, follow through with a different rug in here (or maybe not if they fix the floor!). You can lead the accent color back into your bedroom with a throw pillow, art, vase, frame, etc to tie the rooms together.

Good luck!

I am in the "looks good but the floor needs redoing" camp. This is a lovely renewal of a bathroom. Let's look at the overall look. Ignore the floor for now...I'm concentrating on the IMPRESSION of the bathroom.

Everything is subtle. Very subtle. The colours are lovely together. Very nice. Very subtle. This bathroom is the type of outfit a upper class mom would wear to an interview with a private school principal. Very sedate. Well pulled together. Not a HAIR out of place.

As beautifully coordinated as this bathroom is, there is NO pizazz. There's no Umph. There is nothing to CATCH your eye (ignore the floors!), let alone HOLD your gaze in fascination.

Even when wearing silk, pearls and cashmere, sometimes you've got to add in a Fascinator or a fantastic hat! Just to grab the attention.

For this bathroom, I might look at using the shower curtain as the place to add some colour. The gray curtain is the one thing that is clashing...just a snick. It would be my first 'do something else' project....again...ignore the floors, they will be redone.

Lovely work! Go ahead and find out what you want your Fascinator to be.

Thank you all for the great advice, truly. This was part of a whole house renovation and we were completely happy with all other tile work to the point where I figured it must have been my fault for choosing such a difficult tile for this one room, but no one raised any red flags about it before install including our contractor, tile installer and the tile sales person I worked with whose idea it was to use the dark grout (I feel like if she thought penny tile was guaranteed to be so unforgiving she definitely wouldn’t have done that). I’d simply seen penny tile in other bathrooms and just assumed it was like any other tile. Lesson learned. I have reached out to my contractor and he is following up with the tile guy. I can definitely switch out the shower curtain and towels, but just felt like I’d be putting lipstick on a pig at this point! Once the new tile is in (something other than this white penny tile/dark grout combo) I will hopefully be able to pull the overall design together with a fresh new look.

I think you need more black and maybe a black and taupe bold patterned shower curtain. Or some black and taupe striped towels.

If the floor was redone and you had some more bold graphics in there - it would be REALLY nice.

I think you need to think Celebrate rather than Hide. Find some curtains in a fabric that picks up the tone of your vanity/trim and adds a little modern pattern.

Pair of Thermal Insulated Grommet Top Curtains, Khaki, 80"w X 63"l · More Info

Martinique Gray Printed Cotton Curtain Single Panel, 50"x 108" · More Info

Or, once the floor is fixed and the giant rug is gone, find an accent color that can work for curtains, rugs, towels, and some bits of art. Green? Pink? :

Meridian Room Darkening Grommet Panels, 2PC, Green, 104"x96" · More Info

Bath Rug Cotton Solid Color Regency Pattern, Sage Green, 34"x21" · More Info

600 GSM Soho Collection Cotton 6 Pc Towel Set - Basil · More Info

"Lauren" Dobby Fabric Shower Curtain in Rose · More Info

Glamour Turkish Cotton 6-Piece Towel Set · More Info

100% Cotton 2 Piece Reversible Rug Set by Lavish Home, Rose · More Info

Good luck! I wish you a speedy trip to a bathroom you're excited about!