Do cream metro tiles look OK in a bathroom?

[whataboutbob]

Just choosing tiles for our bathroom in the loft conversion. The toilet and sink are dead white. I was planning on off white/ cream metro tiles, but in practice will the 2 colours clash and would I be better off with pure white tiles? The bathroom is 1.5 m by 3 m. Thank you.

If you google "marble arch retro metro" you see a pic from tons of tiles - looks lovely I think!

There is a view that lots of white tiles look like a public convenience.

Although you can dress it with plenty of mats, towels and blinds in a strong colour.

i always think this about friend's bathroom. all that extra grout to de-mould too

Just spoken to a helpful lady at tons of tiles. She said trying to match white bathroom units and tile colour is dicey because there are so many whites, it'll likely look like it hasn't worked. Whereas using a cream tile looks less forced.
I won't be tiling the whole area, just the shower space and splashback. There'll be a band of green tiles running through the middle so i hope that'll prevent the public convenience look. Having said that, I like public conveniences.
Piglet John I am intrigued to know what decor you have in your bathroom?

Maybe bigger tiles but still in the brick pattern would look less public convenience?
It's what I'm doing in one of mine, hopefully with a proper colour above.

White and cream are both neutrals and very unlikely to "clash" in a way that you would notice whilst in the bathroom.

Sorry but I think all this "public convenience" stuff is just something people trot out. It's a traditional way of tiling from the days before plastic when tiles were the most durable way to finish a surface including underground stations, hospitals, schools, public toilets and homes.

When we did our bathroom replacing a horrid brown suite with a white one, my dad's comment was "you went for council-house white, then?". Tastes change but neutrals don't date. IMO metro tiles have a strong graphic look and properly ventilated bathrooms don't get mouldy. If you like the look, go for it.

Actually PJ you said white tiles look like a PC didn't you, not brick ones. people often say it about metro tiles too though.

mostly if you have lots of them

I actually like metro tiles but it looks as if having been quite fashionable they are falling out of favour.

I put a band of black metro tiles in between my shower tray and the white metro tiles. The tray is a completely different white to the tiles, but you don't notice because of the black ones and it looks great. I did three rows of black at the bottom and one more row further up the walls. Then I used black ones to make splash backs by the sinks.

Thanks everyone. I know what you mean about stuff going out of fashion PJ. You like something, not realising it's because visually it's everywhere. Then suddenly it can look so last decade, like blue and yellow rooms after the early 90s. I'm trying to avoid being a design fashion victim. As RaisingSteam says metro tiles are a traditional way of tiling, I love seeing them when I'm out and about eg in the underground. So I'm hoping they're a classic not a fad! Hope yours comes out good Cross. If I'm particularly happy with the final look I'll post a picture when it's all done.