Modern Marble-Look Tile Layout

12 days ago

Hi Houzzers. We are just finishing a bathroom and aesthetic is super modern and clean. Without consulting my designer or me, our traditional-inspired contractor instructed his tile guy to lay each 24 x 24 piece of tile with direction of veining to be same in each placement. See pic1 where all veining is going Northeast. I think this looks AWFUL as I think that if you are going for a marble look but clearly cannot achieve the actual look of one large piece then you must vary each piece so it appears intentional. The way he did it makes it just seem like we aimed for a full wall of marble but failed. I’m not sure I explained this well but can y’all please tell me if my gut is correct and if so, why? Designer is out of town so I need to do this one on my own. See Pic1 for current bathroom wall and additional pics for my inspo pics. Thx!!

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Comments (8)

PRO
Diana Bier Interiors, LLC
12 days ago
You are correct--it's supposed to be set randomly. (There's another post on this very topic today.)

It doesn't look like it's totally finished, so I'd have him change it the way it looks in your inspiration photos.
millworkman
12 days ago
last modified: 12 days ago
" so I'd have him change it the way it looks in your inspiration photos. "

Just be certain that when the waterproofing system gets compromised it gets repaired. What is the waterproofing system behind the tile? Also what is going on with the those two cutouts with no cement board, taped joints or waterproofing? They look very sketchy to me and would give me serious concerns about the overall waterproofing system used.
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It really depends on the tile and the pattern repeat. My tile guy laid out my 24 x 24 shower wall tiles on the floor first so we could come up with a pleasing layout. Mine mostly go in one direction. It is similar to a puzzle and laying them out takes time, but well worth it for a result you will be happy with for years to come.
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Thinset at that thickness for your application with a breathable stone install cures in less than 30 days with a thinbed shower pan like you have . It should have initially been given a full cure prior to introducing water(after grouting). There is also rapid set thinsets that cure faster and theres also the wrong type of adhesive such as mastic or PRE mixed bucket grade glues. we dont know what you have. Dont be fooled by misinformation from some novice sales people on here about 2 months. If you want to verify if you have a grading/pooling issue as the cause. you stop using the shower. For at least a handful of days and perhaps put a dehumidifier in the shower to fully dry it out. it will either dry out and clear up or not. only time will tell. Since you have a thinbed pan you arent hurting anything(unless theres a pan leak not verified ) and best get used to it. The only other issue could be poor application of the wrong type sealer in that particular spot also not hurting anything. You chose a fickle material for a shower floor. and now reap the rewards. and you never clarified the flood testing process which is the only way to catch and correct a poor shower pan install before leaving a client with a wet mess like you may have...
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Where are you located? Here in CA tile showrooms are not completely closed. They will make a one-on-one appointment and let you in to look and get some samples, with everyone wearing masks. Many companies are also good about mailing samples. I requested a sample from Porcelanosa last week and they mailed it immediately and I got it 3 days later. The problem with the marble look tile samples is that they are cut from the larger tiles and the colors you see in your sample could be the main color in the tile or a very very tiny part of the whole color scheme. You can also look for online photos of the samples you get, to see the actual patterns when installed in a whole room. There is a wide variety in the overall look of marble-look tiles, ranging from very grey/blue to very beige, so I would not want to commit to something from a tiny sample. Can you wait to finish the project?
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Michelle NJ
Original Author
12 days ago
The cutouts are recessed medicine cabinets. Still concerning??
dani_m08
12 days ago
I think millworkman was concerned that the cutouts were shower niches = why he had serious concerns re: waterproofing.

What I don’t understand re: tile layout (besides for it looking odd all leaning same direction) is why did he use the EXACT same veining pattern pieces right next to each other instead of mixing them up? Or - at least flipping the way it’s installed (I guess that would ruin the vein direction he decided to do).

Your tile has much less veining than in your inspirational photos - however, my tile installer specifically discussed veining and shades of color of my genuine Carrrara tiles re: how I wanted it to look when installed. I had already culled out pieces I didn’t like + put them in piles so they’d be ready for him to install - but he didn’t know that.

I would think that the installer would ask what ”look” you wanted when installing this type of tile. I would think that he’s installed a TON of it over the past few years - and I assume that the homeowners each preferred a certain ”look” - although, there are some people who wouldn’t really care (I’m the opposite!)
Monique
12 days ago
The big issue is the tile choice. There are not enough faces to it to truly achieve random. There are too many repeats of the same exact pattern, because there is a low face count.
millworkman
12 days ago
" The cutouts are recessed medicine cabinets. Still concerning?? "

Yes, dani is correct, my thoughts were this was a shower. Now looking closer I can see that it is not. So no, not a concern.
PRO
Debbi Washburn
12 days ago
It would have been nice to have been staggered more. I don't think it is horrible though. Once the vanity , med cabs and lights go in, it might not be so glaring. Right now it is all you have to look at.

Tried to mock it up.

Good luck with whatever you decide.
chispa
12 days ago
I think the problem is that this particular tile has too few pattern faces. I always pay more for tiles that have more pattern faces and give you less repeated tiles.

I did my marble-look porcelain tiles with the veining going in the same direction. One of my guest bathrooms ...

Modern Marble-Look Tile Layout

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Diana Bier Interiors, LLC

millworkman

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Michelle NJ
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dani_m08

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millworkman

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Modern Marble-Look Tile Layout

Comments (8)

Diana Bier Interiors, LLC

millworkman

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Michelle NJOriginal Author

dani_m08

Monique

millworkman

Debbi Washburn

chispa

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Michelle NJ
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