Aargh!! I hate my tiles!!

[OrtsandNoughts]

AIBU to get my tiles removed mid way through fitting? And not seem like I’m completely crazy?
I’m having my en-suite renovated. I’ve chosen a feature wall of Portuguese tiles which I love but found it hard to match up a plain tile for the rest of the walls. I’ve bought plain off-white rustic tiles which looked a good match as a sample. But now they’re on the wall, they’ve got a dark edging which makes them look dirty. This wasn’t apparent when I just had one or two as samples.

The tiler is halfway through and I really don’t think I like them. The tiler is due back tomorrow to finish the job.So what do I do?

1. Stop the job, get him to rip them off and find a replacement tile? This would add extra time and expense to a job that’s already taken ages and been over budget. Plus I’d look stupid!
2. Wait to see how they look finished (it’s not grouted yet and the sanitary ware isn’t in)
3. Accept I have terrible taste and suck it up.

Any advice welcome. Please be kind. I’ve not done anything of this magnitude before. It’s been my dream to change my en-suite for so long and to have it as my little sanctuary. But it’s been a nightmare (the company doing it have not been great and I can’t wait for it to be finished) I don’t think it’s even going to be worth all the upheaval it if I hate the end result. 😩
The first photo is the sample , the second is the tile on the wall.
To add insult to injury, my son says it looks like a gents public toilet which was not the look I was going for!!

It’s interesting that you describe the white in the Portuguese tiles as cream, because that isn’t how the photo you posted looks to me.

If you haven’t seen these tiles in person yet, can you do so before deciding on the shade of white for the other walls? I agree they are really lovely, so I would be concerned to get the background right.

They horrible, sorry replace and turn it into the sanctuary you deserve- it won’t be wasted money

I’ve just had one of my bathrooms refitted and wanted white tiles. To avoid the public toilet look I went for large textured tiles. I’m really pleased with them.

Don’t rip them off until you see what a section looks like grouted and how that completed section looks with your Portuguese tiles.

Youre panicking. Take a deep breath breath. Dont do something rash and remove them before you’ve seen what it will look like finished

If you don’t like them then tell the tiler to take them off. Assuming you can afford replacement tiles that you prefer and the added labour cost then at least you’ll get the bathroom you want.

I think a pale grout will help.

But it’s weird how the timer has put them up?? I’d have thought a horizontal brickwork pattern would be better, rather than vertical and just stacked on top of each other lol.

I think they should be horizontal too, they will look a lot better when they’ve been grouted though.

Dunno, but the tiles he's standing on definitely need regrouting!

Thank you for all your advice and support.
Update: The crack den tiles have been removed, the en-suite re-borded and plastered. Obviously this has cost more and the tiler was a bit miffed but overall they have been fine about it and just want me to be happy with the end result.
I’ve chosen pale cream brick bonded tiles in the shower cubicle, behind the toilet and as a splash back. This is because the Portuguese tiles are such an unusual size that nothing square matched up. The remainder of the en-suite will be painted a shade of white.
Tiles are arriving next Tuesday and all should be finished by Friday. I’ll post photos once done xx

They don’t look great, I agree. Hopefully you can exchange the remaining tiles for different ones

But now they’re on the wall, they’ve got a dark edging which makes them look dirty. This wasn’t apparent when I just had one or two as samples.

From that picture of the single tile, it does look ‘dirty’ round the edges so I’m not sure why it wasn’t apparent unless they sent you the wrong sample.

Can’t wait to see the finished results OP!

The tiles look fine to me and once the grout is in (make sure you choose a light one,) that they’ll look great. Choosing the right grout is just as important as choosing the tile. I had very dark grout put around my blue bathroom tiles and it looks fab.

I think we have those exact tiles in our bathroom, though laid horizontally, for exactly the same reason (to be the plain contrast with a patterned tile in the shower stall) and it works really well. Everyone admires them. Not a gents toilet vibe in site.

I think the difference, in our case, is that the patterned tiles (picture attached) are exactly the same shape as the plain tiles, and they don't have the bright white ground of your patterned tiles, their background colour is the same 'dirty' white, and the have the same 'dirty' edge. They look intended to go together. I think it's that which is making yours look 'wrong' -- the contrast between the bright white of the (lovely) Portuguese tiles and the colour of your plain tiles.

If the whole point of the plain tiles is to sit alongside and show off the Portuguese tiles, and you are going to take off the current plain ones, I'd either go with plain white tiles the same shape and size of your patterned ones, or match the blue.

ETA: You already did!

You don't start in corners and work out. What happens when you get to the next corner at the other end of the wall? Do you think tiles miraculously expand and contract to fit the exact size of the room? No, of course they don't, so if you start in one corner you don't end up with a full tile edging every corner.

You start laying tiles from the centre of the largest wall/floor so that firstly the corners on each side of the wall match and secondly because very few corners are actually square, very few walls are perfectly straight. If you tile out from the corners you are very unlikely to be able to get a perfect straight edge all the way up and the wonky tiling would then highlight this. You start with a straight centre line.

Good for you biting the bullet OP.

"crack Den tiles" really made me chuckle

I read your thread with interest as we've had decorating blip which took new materials and time to fix, but I'm glad we did.

Your tiles are lovely and totally in keeping. I think you have matched up the plain tile with the feature tile perfectly. And definitely not a gents toilet or crack den!
As you say , my tile dilemma came from trying to match two totally different styles of tiles. Hopefully I’ve resolved this now and will have a lovely looking bathroom like yours 😊

Thank you. It’s been reassuring to know others have been through the same experience and bit the bullet, as you say, and were happy in the end.
Renovations are stressful-I’m definitely completing my Grand Designs bingo card!! 😆

Any pics yet, @OrtsandNoughts ?

I have pics of the cream tiles that I replaced the crack den ones with. They are on the wall now and I’m really pleased with them 🤩 Thank god!! 🥲
I followed advice on here and only went for partial tiling. I think it looks better so thanks Mumsnetters 🙏
The Portuguese tiles are stuck in transit so only have half here. I’ve placed some of them up temporarily for effect as I’m now dying to see the final look. Desperate to get it finished but you can’t hurry the Portuguese 🤭
Will update again when whole en-suite is finished-whenever that maybe (by Christmas? 😱)

It’s going to look great. I’m working up to having two bathrooms refitted so I need all the inspiration I can get 💐 🚽

I know someone's who has just put those exact tiles in their kitchen but horizontally and honestly, they don't get better the more you have. 🥴

Totally agree with this.

Looks great with the new tiles OP! Looking forward to seeing it all finished!!

Thank you. It’s been stressful and I did find choosing my design/colour scheme hard. But there’s lots of inspiration out there-none more so than here! Good luck

Aah OP, lovely to see your bathroom coming together. Those new tiles look great with your Portuguese tiles - hope the rest arrive soon 🙏🙏🙏 I can’t wait to see the finished result!