Bathroom tiles done wrong. Opinions? *pics*

[TilingTiles]

They've done my bathroom wrong, the feature herringbone wall looks as I hoped but the white tiles are supposed to have white grout. We have a separate en suite and WC that are half tiled, with the small metro tiles which have dark grout but I didn't want it on 3 fully tiled walls in my bathroom so went for larger tiles in here with white tiles.

My partner thinks it looks better this way and to leave it, I want to ask them to change it to what I asked for. Opinions?

@Gemma2019

I prefer the herringbone with the white grout too.

Are you sure your DH didn't go behind your back and tell the tilers to use dark grout? It's strange that they would just do this.

The other bathrooms had dark grout so I think that's where the confusion has come from. They did all 3 with dark grout not just the 2 I requested.

I think it’s the rectangular tiles, with the dark grouting - to me, it looks as though the walls with different tiles are equally feature walls and fighting for attention. It’s maybe because of the sheer amount of coloured grout with the rectangular tiles? Imagine the rectangular tiles were square - you’d lose a lot of dark grout, which I think would simplify the overall look, and allow the herringbone tiles to really stand out as a feature? As the tiles are already in place, I think paler grout, not necessarily white, would definitely allow the herringbone tiled wall to stand out as the feature.

Hope that makes sense?

Re. staining/soap scum/mould etc. yes, the existing dark grout will hide a lot, but a paler grout will look better IMO. Keep the bathroom well- ventilated, dust/vac the non-wet area grout lines once every two months minimum and use a dish brush specifically on the wet area grout lines once a month minimum to stop build up (I’d give the wet area tiles a full spray/scrub down once every two weeks minimum).

I think white grout would look better, but either way tying in those two very different styles is not going to be easy.

I’d also be absolutely raging at the way they have put the cut tiles in the corner. They should have had full tiles there and worked out.

Have I been looking at Excel for too long or does it look a bit like a spreadsheet with the dark grout?

Yeah they should have started with whole tiles in the corner. That looks a bit odd.
I like both tiling styles, just don't think they work well together.
I'm currently planning my bathroom, I feel your pain as I can't tell what difference these little details might make till its done.

I believe with herringbone you're meant to start tiling from the middle of the wall so its symmetrical. I'm happy with the tiling, its the grout I have issue with. The more I look at the pic I gave them the more I prefer the herringbone and white tiles with white grout

@WeAreTheHeroes

The grey grout ties the two different types of tiling together imho.

This 100%

I don't like the dark grout at all. White would have been much better.

They don't mean the herringbone......they mean the white tiles and the way they're cut in the corner.

Oh right, yep that looks crap and white grout would hide that! Another reason to change..

The tiles simply don't match. To tie them in better, you need white grout on the herringbone and the larger white tiles which will also bring out the colour of the herringbone.

I've spent a very, very long time getting my bathroom right and I think you already know it's not what you want.

I much prefer the dark grout.

Sorry, and apologies for this - I am not sure what is "standard" these days but what I can't get over in the pic you have shown us where you can see the bath and the floor is the floor tile join does not match up with the wall tile join. I realise this may be impossible to do as the two types of tiles are differing sizes but is this normal? That would do my head in personally. I have a friend who has the same in her bathroom and its all I can focus on.

Yep not reverting the herringbone it’s the white tiles in the corner.

Personally I really don’t like the white with the dark grout. I think you want the herringbone to be the feature so it would have made more sense to keep the other tiles as minimalist as possible. So I’m voting white.

Having said that I certainly don’t think it looks terrible, it works but it’s just not pleasing to my eye.

The thing is if you’ve got the dark grout in there now it’s gonna be a hell of a job to change it so you’re probably going to have to learn to love it.

Which you probably will once it’s all finished!

I’d def tile the bath using the herringbone style

user27424799642256 I agree with everything you have said in your post. It's not the grout it's the tiles, the size is wrong and for me the colour is also wrong, it does as you say look like money ran out. Sorry, OP, I know it's not what you want to hear but imo the white tiles cheapen, distract and ruin the effect of the lovely herringbone tiles.

Problem is OP if you don't like it now you are never going to like it, it will always irritate you, can you afford to change it?

The grout is good- the bathroom is unfinished so it won't look perfect yet! Go for herringbone on the bath panel

White grout would be much better IMO. Honestly you can just scrub it if it gets dirty. I’d stick my heals in and change it.

Sorry, and apologies for this - I am not sure what is "standard" these days but what I can't get over in the pic you have shown us where you can see the bath and the floor is the floor tile join does not match up with the wall tile join. I realise this may be impossible to do as the two types of tiles are differing sizes but is this normal? That would do my head in personally. I have a friend who has the same in her bathroom and its all I can focus on.

Would drive me mad as well, different sizes of tile and no joints that flow in one straight line, it looks messy and amateurish to me although I can see the reasons for it I don't like it.

sigh I do see where you are coming from, and I would be annoyed in your shoes (not what you asked for). It’s probably not worth the hassle to re-do it though. It actually looks pretty great (like other PP I think it’s the white tile itself that’s the issue, not the grout, and I personally don’t like rectangular tiles being fitted like that (I prefer brick bond).

In our old house we had the ‘wrong’ colour grout in the kitchen. It did bug me, constantly, but so many people complimented them. I would try and live with it tbh.

Whilst you're all here.. we are having a tiled bath panel too, the white tiles or the herringbone for that?

How practical are tiled bath panels? Are they likely to be damaged if the bath panel needs to come off to fix a leak, repair or replace a pop up waste, or fix another plumbing problem under the bath? If you choose the herringbone tiles for the panel and have them laid as herringbone how good will all the cut tiles look along the four edges of the panel? Will the grout be difficult to keep clean?

I liked the grey on the feature wall until I saw it with the white. It makes them stand out a lot more.

I thought I was going a bit mad after all the comments on the white tiles at first as I really don't think it works. Ignoring the grout issue, the tiles are far too small. I do think white would look better too. I have only ever had discolouration issues from grout directly around the bath tub, the rest is still white, it's been there for at least 10 years and I am not very good at cleaning

If get it changed now before you put anything else in. If they have gone against what you asked, it will have to be at their expense. If you leave it, you're accepting okay.

The feature wall is gorgeous.
Agree re grout. White is dated and impractical

Another one saying that white grout gets very grubby very quickly and is a bastard to keep clean. Also, I agree that the grey grout brings the two walls together stylistically.