Help me chose tiles for my bathroom

[Whoneedssleepanyway]

We are having a new shower room put in as part of our loft conversion, we have chosen the fittings but really struggling with wall and floor tiles.

We have gone for plain white sink, loo, shower cubicle with sliding door.

I really like the beige stone type tiles (travertine etc) but DH says he doesn't like these and thinks everyone has their bathrooms like this and also my friend told me these are really high maintenance to look after as they are porous.

DH likes the bevelled edge brick type tiles, he wants to go for these in a sage green colour, I am really unsure about this. these

No idea what to go for, when we looked round tile showroom there was just so much choice it was a bit overwhelming.

The only thing we agree on is we don't like the little mosaic type tiles.

What tiles do you have in your bathroom and do you love them?

I really love that sort of look Lulabella

here is alternate link <a class="break-all" href="http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?q=metro+sage+topps+tiles&um=1&hl=en&sa=N&biw=1280&bih=822&tbm=isch&tbnid=GplTm1z25iTy0M:&imgrefurl=www.toppstiles.co.uk/section99/page1/bathroom-wall-tiles/&docid=CDfLfXfD0Hll8M&imgurl=www.toppstiles.co.uk/s_range_images/m16_Bathroom_metro-sage-bathroom.jpg&w=210&h=149&ei=QuDET9jWOIzf8QPE_5mDCw&zoom=1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">here

I've just done three bathrooms in central(ish) London and choosing the tiles was a nightmare. After endless visits to endless stores, in desperation I ended up with the same beige 60x60 tiles in all three bathrooms - matt on floor, polished on walls... and still don't like them much. Plus the colour looks so different in my house compared to the showroom - more sludge than beige although they're defo the same tile.

I think we're overwhelmed with choice now - in fact, OH used to become visibly distressed anytime we entered hell, AKA the local tile shop.

Anyway, I love travertine, too, but was told it was dated but have you looked at porcelein fake travertine - think it's called travertino. I think it looks really nice and is less high maintanance than the real thing. That said, I've had limestone/natural stone in my last few bathrooms and they were incredibly easy to look after - provided they were sealed properly - not high maintanance at all. Good luck!

We're doing mainly large white tiles in our new shower room, with a stripe of these behind the shower, and a panel of them behind the loo and sink to give contrast against the white porcelain.
Could you do something similar with your metro tiles to break it up a bit?

Find a smaller, independent tile show room in your area (not Topps - too big and overwhelming and although some staff can be great others are pants) and ask for help. I found my both bathroom tiles by asking the chap in our local one (Marabese ceramics in Letchworth). He was fab. Suggested some beige/sludge big tiles for the ensuite (sound grim but have an amazing texture that is very soft and tactile looking - you think they are almost suede). I also had a vague idea of big tiles in a brick shape/pattern for the main bathroom and he suggested an amazing Italian one that was slightly bigger than metro but concave rather than bevelled. These look fab too.

For the ensuite in particular I just said "It is small, no natural light, I don't want white." and he took me instantly to the tiles I ended up with.

See if you can find any local recommendations.

And the alternative is to chose your flooring first - get a wild, mad vinyl or vinly tile and go from there. Cath Kidson? Feathers? That will help narrow down the focus. And also help you avoid the "OK tiles on the wall. Oh shit....wtf can we put on the floor to go with that...."

Try here for floor www.harveymaria.co.uk/

Oh and when we convert the loft and do the shower room up there I am definitely choosing the floor first. I want mad feathers or bubbles or multicoloured checkered tiles....

I shall go away now.

We have those metro tiles in our kitchen (pic on profile), if you want to see what they look like on an actual wall. I'm not sure they'd be that great all over the whole wall though. It'd probably be too much. You could do white metro tiles with the sage green for interest. That would probably be lovely. They look lovely against our white units.

Hi Whoneedssleepanyway
I've just been choosing tiles for our downstairs loo so I can empathise! I think colour and style is such a personal choice but I do wonder whether these metro style tiles will date quite quickly? I don't know but we've decided against them for that reason and gone for something more simple / classic. Also other reason is that with the metro style they are q small so there's more grout to clean!

One tip that I've picked up along the way is to try and go for floor and wall tiles of approximately the same size. Because our room is small, we're going for a rectangular tile in a mottled brown colour - 20x50cm on the floor - with white gloss tiles up to window height of approximately the same size. Then a small border around the edge of the same colour as the floor. We've gone with a local tile company which are better quality and better service.

I'm looking for a decent tile supplier near Leighton Buzzard and these guys seem to look ok with a decent website..
Venus Solutions on www.venussolutions.co.uk

Does anyone know if these guys are any good or any better local options?

Thanks!

I’m planning to have these in seagrass when I finally get round to retiling my bathroom

www.toppstiles.co.uk/range627/page1/attingham

I have those tiles madamejosephine - in our en-suite so large tiled walk in shower and splash back. I love them. Went for a mid grey grout and they’re still looking fab. Floor is sort of greyish article style vinyl boarding and walls in a chalky white.

Crappy photos pre-use.

They look fab, definitely on my to do list for this year!

This is my bathroom. Completely in love with it. The floor and wall tiles are from Fired Earth. Really easy to clean.
www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/415808978083289373/

They’re lovely tiles sus1s.