I realize that monochromatic bathrooms are popular these days, but I personally prefer the more colorful ones. This bathroom has been ripped down to the studs and it was interesting to see the more colorful elements from the past. The top layer - from the 1980s I guess - was the blandest. The room is pretty small, and will have lots of white, including a radiator. Golddust - I'm using Armstrong's Linorette, not sure of the color, but am leaning towards this blue: What color are you using? I may ask over at the Home Dec forum Does anyone have a source for colorful 4x4 aceent tile?

Ok, Rufinorox. Let's see what we can come up with... - Does your contractor friend have an account with a tile warehouse/dealer or do they know a tile sub with accounts that would be willing to pass his discount on to you? Some tile companies may have warehouse/showrooms in your area (Florida Tile has one in ours). Talk with the different designers/reps in the showrooms you go to--outline what you're looking for including budget and see what they recommend. This was the formula that worked for me--I went to too many tile places to count & in the end 2 of them were instrumental in pointing me in the direction that gave me the style & price point I was looking for. When you are with the right person, you will know it--they won't try to push you toward a different style or a higher price point or seemingly insult you with the very few plain boring options they present that you've already viewed at Lowe's. -A white or beige bathroom should help make things easier. I know you're also looking for a little wow factor-i.e. the glass tile border. So in this scenario, you will likely need to decide which is more important--a higher end tile with no border or a lower end tile with the border. Those glass tile sections are expensive as are listello tiles, bullnose tiles, chair rail etc. One thing you may want to consider is splitting those borders in 1/2 lengthwise--it will make for a skinnier accent, but you'll only need 1/2 as much to complete the job. - It will likely be considerably less expensive to only tile the shower surround & floor and just sheetrock behind the toilet & sink. Now if you're going for a period look in the house and the tile behind the toilet & sink is integral to that, I understand. Otherwise, the money could definitely be used elsewhere in the remodel. If the room is 5x8, then you're talking about roughly 70 additional sq ft to tile beyond the surround & floor--that's alot. - Budget sounds good. As it's you're only bath, you are likely going to want the remodel to go as quick as possible, while still getting as much bling & bang for your buck--I would want that too! Plus anyone who comes over to visit will likely be seeing your beautiful masterpiece!What have you set in stone so far that you cannot live without? Can you post brand & model & price you were quoted? Are you dealing with Lowe's for those, an online source or a plumbing distributor company? Are those retail prices or you were given contractor prices? Make sure you're getting the contractor prices especially if you're dealing with someone local. If you're not, then usually you can get them for the contractor price online. When you mention fixtures, I'm guessing you are talking about tub, toilet, sink/vanity & maybe faucets? So that puts you down to a budget of around $2K - $4K remaining for tile? -As far as tile brand, we had the best luck with Florida Tile as far as selection & price went. We were looking at their tile before we found out about their coprorate showroom/warehouse in our area. You may want to look at Pristine, Renaissance & Las Olas from them--cost efficient with a high end look (I can post pics if you would like). The first 2 were $2.00sqft for your basic tiles in multiple sizes and the Las Olas was being discontinued and was $1.72sqft. All come in varying shades of white, grey, beige & brown which would meet your criteria. The last tile pic you posted was actually very similar if not exactly what we wanted to go with in our son's bathroom. Like you are finding, the cost can be prohibitive. We ended up doing a combination of Florida Tile's Pristine 9x18 size set in a brick pattern in alabaster on the shower surround & Las Olas 13x13 tiles on the floor in a diagonal pattern in the Sea Oats color (diagonal setting with large tiles in a small room makes the space seem larger). I think it turned out just as nice if not nicer. We opted to go without the accent tile in the boys' baths even though we had fallen in love with one similar to the one you've chosen (ours was made up of squares though). DH made a good point that no one would be checking out the boys' baths & they won't be living here forever, so why spend the extra? In your case, with just the one bathroom, I think it would be money well spent. I hope this helps!

I would like to keep the comments on here constructive and courteous. Everyone may have a different opinion regarding colors, placement, etc. and I welcome it. That's makes this world great! I might like pink and someone may not. Neither is wrong, just different. Technical advice is different and more fact based (where is there a 'right' and 'wrong'). I don't appreciate @Anglphilia your rude comment regarding 'lipstick on a pig', etc. If that person likes those colors and layout, that's great for them. They are the ones to live there and enjoy it. There is nothing technically or structurally wrong it.

This is so helpful, everybody! I realize I should have specified that I have a 9' ceiling in the bathroom, so it's taller than either the length (almost 8') or width (almost 7') of the room. That's part of the reason I don't want to run tile all the way up to the ceiling. I think it would look overwhelmingly tall and out of proportion. House Vixen, I'm having trouble seeing what you're describing as running bond – unless you mean in the field tile itself. I do rather like that pattern used with square tiles. (I confess I'm getting a little tired of rectangular subway tile absolutely everywhere, which is not to say there aren't a lot of bathrooms that use it that are both period and gorgeous.) House Vixen, btw I love the baseboard+floor border further set off by red pencil liner in that yellow bath.