Which tiles for our ensuite bathroom?

[FizzingWhizzbee]

I’m having a major wobble over my choice of tiles for our new ensuite bathroom.

At the moment, I have picked grey stone porcelain tiles, the same ones on the walls and the floor. They’re really lovely tiles, and very convincing stone effect.

The trouble is, I keep finding myself gazing at lovely photos of bathrooms done in metro tiles (either white with grey grout, or grey with white grout), and wondering whether I would prefer that. It would also mean I could have a wood/wood effect floor, which I think might feel warmer and friendlier than all grey stone.

DH wants to stick with the stone. His thinking is that, because our ensuite is very small, metro tile will look too busy. I’m worried that white tile, especially, might look a bit too ‘public convenience’. Then again, maybe all grey stone will feel too cave like?

What do you think, Mumsnet? All grey stone, or metro tile walls with a wood (effect) floor?

I agree that having a mix of wooden floors might look a bit warmer! Patterned tiles can also look really nice and add some character.

Metro tiles are pretty classic. Do you have a link to the grey tiles please?

I regretted not doing metro tiles in the main bathroom due to grout lines etc so took the large tile sensible option. So when we did our very small bathroom I went for it with dark grey grout and it looks fab. Due to dark colour I won't need to worry about dirty grout either. My DH was the same now he likes it.

great real home inspo here
www.tonsoftiles.co.uk/customer-photos

amy - yes, it's the wooden floor that really appeals to me, I think.

Kimlek - I didn't think I had, but I have just found one! It will be either these:
bathroomsbydesign.com/european-tiles-sphere-platinum-30x60-lappato-porcelain-rectified-tile.html
or these:
bathroomsbydesign.com/european-tiles-sphere-steel-30x60-lappato-porcelain-rectified-tile.html

I prefer the second ones, I think.

Titan thanks - that is really helpful! I'll check out that link.

Wow! Those metallic tiles are a VERY different look to metro. I don’t think I’d like them on the wall as well as on the floor.

They're nowhere near as metallic in real life, I promise - they just look like mid-grey stone.

But yes - the look will be radically different, which is why I am struggling with which to choose.

We have just had a new ensuite too and the feel your anxiety of choosing the right tiles.i went for white metro tile and patterned floor in the end!

Yes a radically different look. Which will flow best from the bedroom? The rest of the house? I think I’d go with the one that was most in keeping. Very difficult as they are so different.

@magicalmimi that could be my ensuite but i have bertie tiles on the floor :-)

Seeing yours had me leaning further towards metro, MagicalMimi - it is gorgeous! Ours will be fully tiled though, which is also a consideration.

I think it's the super-dark lines that make me worry about 'busy-ness', but I saw some images yesterday where the grout lines were both thinner and paler (though still very much grey for cleaning purposes!) and that looked great too.

I'm going back to look at the tile choices 'in the flesh' tomorrow - I'll keep you posted!

We had a bathroom that was white metro tiles with white grout around a shower over bath and as a splash back for basin etc. It looked good for many years and still good when we sold it so don’t be put off pale grout cleaning wise.

Update! I have made a decision, and I have chosen...

Neither. I've picked something else entirely

I've gone for a very pale, off-white but slightly mottled stone effect, which I will have in a really nice, irregular selection of sizes. I saw a display done in it yesterday and fell in love with it. The different sized tiles mean I get the extra interest I wanted from metro tiles, but without the 'busyness' that was worrying DH, and it will work really nicely with wood tiles on the floor, so it really feels like the best of both worlds. It will look much better with our bedroom (thanks to whoever suggested I consider that, it really helped), and will look really 'luxury' too - which I wanted.

I'll try and find some links to show you all - thanks so much for your input, everyone has been so helpful

Hmm - I can't find links to the actual tiles, or at least ones that have decent pictures. So here are some photos I took yesterday, one of the wall tiles and one of the wall and floor together.

I'm in love with this combo! So please say nice things

Those wall tiles are fab and will look good with ‘wooden floor’ tiles. Where are they from please? Do those floor tiles work in a shower area or do you need to have a shower tray?

Great choice !!

Following

@kimlek - sure, here are the links. Be warned though - the pictures are terrible. The wood one in particular looks totally black, when it absolutely isn't. And the white one is just an example, we'll be buying it in 3 different sizes to get the patchwork-type effect.

Wood: bathroomsbydesign.com/european-tiles-just-live-noce-scuro-16x100cm-matt-porcelain-rectified-tile.html
White: bathroomsbydesign.com/european-tiles-metropolitan-ivory-5x60cm-textured-porcelain-rectified-tile.html

Much nicer than metro tiles - which I think really will date badly and do unfortunately remind me of the shittier bits of one of the local Civic Centres which was done in them (vertically though) the last time they were in fashion and it's not aged gracefully as a design decision.

We have that kind of weathered wood look on the cabinets in our main bathroom and it's stunning against paler tiles - we've got a charcoal grey, almost black floor with sparkle bits in. The kids' ensuite though has glitzy mosaic tiles as a splashback behind the basin and every horrific piece of glittery unicorn related bathroom accessories you can find in stores in it - which is not an elegant and understated look (well it's an eternal war between one child who is obsessed with fucking unicorns and the other wanting to insert dinosaurs into the mix).

Well, the deed is done - I've paid the deposit, so there's no going back now! Eek!

We're getting the main bathroom done too at the same time, that's going to be natural stone colour throughout, and is much more straight forward. Our ensuite will be a lot of work, because we're moving the main items (to much more sensible locations), and doubling the size of the shower - but that does mean we have to move the door slightly, so our bedroom will be affected too.

My house is going to be a disaster zone while it's being done, but I am SO EXCITED!

I think dh is right. The stone sounds nice.