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What color bathroom grout should I use?

last year

last modified: last year

What grout color should we use for floors and wall in our very small NYC bathroom? I don't like dark grout - too busy, crowded, and industrial for us. We prefer a pre-war vintage look. However, I hate cleaning grout and the floor grout always turns dark anyway.

Do we do nearly black grout on the floor for cleanability even though I might not like the look? What grout for the walls? Do the floor and wall grouts need to match or relate? I think grout color can make or break a space but always ends up being an afterthought without enough written about it!

Floor = 1" arctic white hex Daltile

Tile = 3x6 off-white/ivory subway tile, halfway up all walls, full walls in shower, 1/16" pencil thin lines

Wall paint = Benjamin Moore Maritime White probably

All fixtures = Plain white tubs, sink, toilet with polished chrome faucet and handles.

Thanks.

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Comments (13)

PRO
HALLETT & Co.
last year
Watch the wall tile grout to the tile, floor tile could match or be a light neutral like the Irish cream
Olychick
last year
Can you post a pic with the grout samples next to the tiles and paint colors?
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With out showing your actual materials, I'll say stick to the marching color. There are different versions of the grout you can use. Post what you were planning to use.
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Kendrah
Original Author
last year
Sure, here they are together:
PRO
BeverlyFLADeziner
last year
That sink faucet is not the mate to that shower faucet.
Kendrah
Original Author
last year
The actual tub filler/faucet is a mate to the sink faucet, but for a few different reasons we chose a similar but not matching control. Same company, same traditional genre but your keen eyes are correct @BeverlyFLADeziner - they are not a mate.

What do you think about floor and wall grout Bev? I'd love your opinion. I want dark for the floor only because floor grout in my own experience turns dark anyway. I don't love the look, a bit too contemporary seeming, nor do I want dark grout for the subway tile.
Olychick
last year
I've used epoxy grout in 2 showers, light colors, and there is nothing that stains it. It's bomb proof. So if you are only using dark on the floor to avoid staining, explore epoxy with your tiler. Some tilers won't use it because it's more difficult. Some here will say it's overkill. I LOVE it; you can use anything to clean it, if needed, but it stays so clean that's hardly a worry.

Everyone's monitors are different, but it looks like the top 3 grout colors on the second picture would work. Have your tiler do a sample board, esp if you think you have to use dark. I picked a dark color for my last shower floor, but my tiler did a sample and I hated it. He kind of knew it wasn't what would look good and recommended Frost which was perfect. Light but not too white.
PRO
BeverlyFLADeziner
last year
I wouldn’t select a 1” Hex for the floor. Too much grout. I’d select a 2” Hex minimum
HU-983450074
last year
Hi
PRO
AiFL
last year
I’d go baked terra cotta to give a little twist to the very safe and staid choices you’ve made so far.
Kendrah
Original Author
last year
Just to clarify, the floor hex is the floor of the room. We will have a tub/shower not a walk in. Does the epoxy grout . you mentioned @olychick help prevent floors in a room from becoming darkened?

@BeverlyFLADeziner We are going with a 1" hex because it has a great anti-slip rating and it is more traditional looking. We are doing a lot to try to reduce fall risks in this bathroom.
eld6161
last year
I personally like to closely match grout to the tile. Usually it would be a little lighter, bot darker.

Can you do a sample board?
olychick
last year
Kendrah, I’ve had in a shower for 12 years and it looks brand new. I’ve only had it on the bathroom floor and shower of the other bath for less than a year, but expect it to behave the same.
Kendrah
Original Author
last year
After look closely, ok obsessively, at my grout samples and tile choices for the last day, I've decided the biscuit color hex was throwing things off and I will likely switch to an arctic white hex instead. I changed the pic above with the new flooring hex. The sample is 2" but we will be getting it in 1". Any thoughts now that the color has changed?

I'm also going to wait until the tile is installed to select a wall color. It is possible that Maritime White is too warm. It makes sense to wait and see it in the space next to the installed tile with the correct lighting fixtures.

New photo above of color wheel 0100 subway tile and arctic white hex. The old photo is below in the comments.

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