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?

Clearly I've messed up with my tile choice, nothing I can do about that unfortunately until I can afford to change it. I can argue for them to change the grout because it was their mistake but apart from that I'm stuck with it. I'm so upset!

For the herringbone, the white grouting makes the wall look more wow and more bling, whereas the grey grouting is a bit more understated, so in fact is more elegant. So the choice on the herringbone depends on the effect you are after. I prefer with the grey.

For the white tiles, if you switched to white grout, they would recede into the background (so any concerns you had over choosing the wrong type of tile would recede too).

@TilingTiles

Clearly I've messed up with my tile choice, nothing I can do about that unfortunately until I can afford to change it. I can argue for them to change the grout because it was their mistake but apart from that I'm stuck with it. I'm so upset!

I am sure you are, OP, it's awful when you have a picture in your mind of how something will look and it doesn't. You could try changing the grout it may make it feel more liveable with for you.

The feature diagonal tiled wall is so lovely so you've got something right!

Personally, I would have chosen the same size tiles for the floor and other walls so it ran seamlessly, or had different non-tiled flooring that was one clear expanse, which would make the feature wall really stand out, there are too many changes of sizes and mis-matched joints which does unfortunately detract from the feature wall.

@TedGlenn

For the herringbone, the white grouting makes the wall look more wow and more bling, whereas the grey grouting is a bit more understated, so in fact is more elegant. So the choice on the herringbone depends on the effect you are after. I prefer with the grey.

For the white tiles, if you switched to white grout, they would recede into the background (so any concerns you had over choosing the wrong type of tile would recede too).

This completely - you haven’t messed up OP, I would prefer white grout on the white tiles but either way it still looks lovely.

That's how I pictured it with the white grout. I think it looks really good. I think if the white tiles also had white grout, you wouldn't notice the lines from the wall to the floor tiles quite so much.

My family have just seen it and say it looks like public toilets or camp showers and it's all I can see now. Everyone likes the herringbone but not the rest. I don't know whether to push for white grout for the white tiles or whether it's just the wrong tile?

@TilingTiles honestly I think it’s both. At this stage I’d be inclined to suck up cost of removing the tiles you don’t like an starting again.

I’d be inclined to run the herringbone wound both short ends of the bath and then paint the rest of the bathroom. There’s no reason to tile the entire bathroom and that could be quite cost effective.

I’d push for the white grout as a first alternative - you need a blank canvas to show off the lovely herringbone, whereas the dark grout is highlighting the horizontal lines which doesn’t look right against the diagonal herringbone imo

I love the herringbone!

As much as I like the white tiles with the dark grout that makes it a feature and the two are competing with each other. White grout would give you fully white walls and then the herringbone is the stand alone feature.

As Pegasus said I too would run the herringbone round the side of the bath, and paint the rest.

I would use a bath panel the same colour as the sink unit. What shower screen do you have?

Your original feel was correct, white grout will make the white tiles a flat plain rather than a pattern. If you need reassurance screen shot and colour it in

I've changed my mind with all the extra photos you've posted. I now do think there is too much going on. It's a bit busy.

Personally I think I'd choose the herringbone feature wall, match it on the bath panel but with no tiles on the other walls, just white painted walls. But this is because I hate how dirty white grout gets with time.

However as the tiles are already up I think I would re grout in white - this should be a free correction as you asked for this, the fitter did not do as you asked. Then if you're not happy with it you could pay to remove all tiles and have tile free white walls?

[quote PegasusReturns]@TilingTiles honestly I think it’s both. At this stage I’d be inclined to suck up cost of removing the tiles you don’t like an starting again.

I’d be inclined to run the herringbone wound both short ends of the bath and then paint the rest of the bathroom. There’s no reason to tile the entire bathroom and that could be quite cost effective.[/quote]
Yes this is a great solution. Those herringbone tiles are gorgeous, great choice but the white tiles don't really go sorry.

Also, like PP have said, I would not be happy with the way they've laid the tiles in the corner of the shower or where the wall joins the floor. Maybe that would give you some room to negotiate with them to remove the tiles and get the walls painted instead?

@TilingTiles

My family have just seen it and say it looks like public toilets or camp showers and it's all I can see now. Everyone likes the herringbone but not the rest. I don't know whether to push for white grout for the white tiles or whether it's just the wrong tile?

It really doesn't look like public toilets or camp showers.

If it was me I would get the whole thing regrouted in white at their cost, and I would buy the matching wooden bath panel to the sink rather than have even more tiling.

@TheGoodEnoughWife

I love the herringbone!

As much as I like the white tiles with the dark grout that makes it a feature and the two are competing with each other. White grout would give you fully white walls and then the herringbone is the stand alone feature.

I agree with this.

The white alone with black grout looks nice. The herringbone alone is lovely. But the two look too busy and fussy together in my opinion. And it doesn’t matter what it looks like - if you asked for white grout that’s what you should have got and it’s at the tiler’s expense to get it to what you asked for. Surprised at the white grout complaints - never had any issues with it discolouring.

I like the dark grouting but the spacing is awful. Did you specify you wanted them in perfect rows like that?

The en-suite looks far, far better.

Shouldn't the white tiles be in a brick effect pattern like this?

@Bluesheep8

Shouldn't the white tiles be in a brick effect pattern like this?

No, definitely not. That’s a dated, traditional look the OP is not going for. The tiles in rows are right, it’s just the grey grout that is problematic. It should look like a uniform white wall so as not to clash with the feature wall.

I'm going to contact them and ask for white grout. I sort of want to ask for them to retile it completely and lay them like this, but I think the tile I chose is too white and clinical and won't look like that anyway? At the very least they need to change the grout too. The herringbone, the stark white and dark grout walls and then the indigo vanity, indigo towels etc the whole room will be fighting for attention and just look awful.

If you want to ask them to retile it completely then you would have to buy new tiles anyway so might as well buy the ones in the last photo.

It wouldn't be possible to reuse your current tiles, it would be a case of hacking them off the wall and making good the wall before tiling again. Even if you did get them off the wall in one piece it would take forever to get the cement and grout off them and you would have to buy loads more as so many of them have been cut.

They do need to change the whole thing to white grout at their expense.

Yep I've just sent over the proof that I specified white grout and a request for it to be changed if possible and if it's not possible to re-grout and it is a retile job then to phone me so I can make some changes before they re-order. Hopefully even though the tiles aren't quite right just the white grout would be enough for them to take a back seat and let the herringbone wall, blue vanity and towels etc be the features.

Yes the white tiles in that last photo look way better, the feature wall really stands out as the feature it is, although I think your herringbone feature wall is far nicer.

I think that looks lovely and will long term definitely be lower maintenance. The herringbone looks absolutely stunning 🤩