Thank you so much to everyone for the advice. That's what I was afraid of...too many elements. It's an older home and I want to keep the "charm" of an older space. I was planning to use honed black granite for the counter tops. It's going to primarily function as a kid's bathroom. I am using the antique brick in a few other areas of the house. I recognize the riskiness here, but was hoping it would come across with a charm that is original to the home. The antique brick blends better with the other elements in the home than the carrara does. I'm still not sure how to bring it all together. I know that the white porcelain is timeless. Will the carrara/black and white bath be outdated, considering it's been such a popular choice the last couple of years? What about the subway tiles? [Traditional Bathroom[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/traditional-bathroom-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_712~s_2107) by New York Architects & Designers Jane Kim Design [Eclectic Bathroom[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/eclectic-bathroom-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_712~s_2104) by New York Architects & Designers Jane Kim Design This post was edited by TXBluebonnet11 on Fri, Jun 21, 13 at 4:04

Oh I didn't think about cleaning the carrara... is it really that difficult? Ugh... I love the hex border idea. I thought about an area rug, but I'm nervous about getting the spacing wrong without the tub in place. Or having real rugs overlap with the tile one. I'm also nervous about putting them around the tub in case the tub goes in place and they are off centered or something. I have OCD fears ;) Thank you for showing me photos of your lovely bathroom shanghaimom! Any suggestions for a backspash? I'm thinking about a blue-ish wall color too. This bathroom is so pretty:

Thanks everyone for your comments. I decided yesterday to go with real marble for my master bathroom. In case it helps anyone who are in the same boat, here are my reasonings: 1) we live in our condo currently while our house is being built. Our condo has 2 full bathrooms with entirely marble floors, shower surround and countertops. We have been here for almost 5 years, never sealed or did anything different or special while using them (mostly out of ignorance. I never knew I had to treat marble any differently until I started buying tiles for my house). We have had guests use one often and cleaning lady clean our place. We use green products because we have kids and pets - no idea whether it is good for marble or not, but don't care at this point. We care more about our kids and pets. The marbles on the floor and counter (horizontal surfaces) are not in perfect condition, but I wouldn't say they are ruined by any means. I also know now that they can be refinished to look like new when I'm ready to sell our condo, so no big deal to me. The vertical surfaces (shower surround, walls, etc.) are still in fantastic condition. That's for 5 years with no sealing or special treatment. 2) After thinking about it, I think the amount of maintenance for marble is pretty hyped up, because of point #1. It's a bit unfair to expect to have no maintenance for any flooring you have, even porcelain. And as far as maintenance is concerned, sealing marble once a year is pretty miniscule as compared to other things related to the house. For example, your lawn need to be watered and mowed way more, but does that mean you shouldn't have a lawn or put in astroturf? My family and I are pretty laid-back and will not stress over etching or slight stains, because marble can be restored. So, if necessary, we will just restore it. However, seriously consider whether you will be stressed, and if you will, then maybe pass on marble. 3) The homes in my town are definitely still using marble in their baths, kitchens, foyer, etc., including the new constructions. So, really I think it's probably not that big of a deal to have it. People are still choosing it all the time. I have not had any concerns until I started tile shopping and reading about it online. Having marble in a home is a selling feature for homes in my area, not a decrement. It's highlighted in listings. Of course, I know not all buyers care for it and might even turn off ones who think it's high-maintenance, but it's not a concern at the moment. I like porcelain tiles for many reasons as well. I will be using it in my kid's bath (not faux marble-look, something more contemporary), and in other areas of my house. For me personally, I think having the look I want is more important. It's something that I have to use and look at every day, so if I'm not happy with the way something look, no amount of easy maintenance will make up for it.

Jan, maybe I am using the term border inaccurately? The way my walls and vanities flow, the "border" I speak of will serve as a backsplash, continue (same wall) to the tub area, freestanding, and hence the wainscot height (with wall tile under it). That area flows to the shower with 45 degree angles (3 windows), where I want to continue the "border" and tiles. The tile does NOT look like it goes with the slab in my above pics, but it does very well, as dos the hex tile. Think your underlying idea is shower and floors should match? Or maybe I AM using the term border correctly, in which case you don't like. :-) If so, trim ideas? TY!