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Kitchen Backsplashes
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Subway Tile Picks Up Gray Grout
Heading into darker territory, subway tile offers a graphic new look for kitchens, bathrooms and more
I am a Brooklyn-based writer, who writes about all sorts of DIY ventures like cooking, crafts and decorating. When I'm not on assignment, I can be found dreaming up projects for my home, which I chronicle in my blog The Little House in the City (thelittlehouseinthecityblog.com).
I am a Brooklyn-based writer, who writes about all sorts of DIY ventures... More »
White 3-by-6-inch tiles, commonly known as subway tiles, are a staple of kitchen and bathroom design. It's no surprise that homeowners and designers both love this classic tile: It's affordable and uncontroversial — and best of all, it's usually in stock.
White subway tile is ever popular, but a style that has been gaining in popularity in recent years is to pair white subway tile with dark gray grout in a running-brick pattern. The resulting look defines the outlines of each tile, adding depth and interest to a space. The wider set the tiles are, the more pronounced the outline effect becomes and the bolder the look.
Gray grout is also a wise choice because it is easy to maintain, unlike white grout, which can easily yellow or stain. Here are 10 interiors with white subway tiles installed with gray grout. From kitchens to bathrooms to laundry rooms, it's a versatile look that would fit right into many homes.
White subway tile is ever popular, but a style that has been gaining in popularity in recent years is to pair white subway tile with dark gray grout in a running-brick pattern. The resulting look defines the outlines of each tile, adding depth and interest to a space. The wider set the tiles are, the more pronounced the outline effect becomes and the bolder the look.
Gray grout is also a wise choice because it is easy to maintain, unlike white grout, which can easily yellow or stain. Here are 10 interiors with white subway tiles installed with gray grout. From kitchens to bathrooms to laundry rooms, it's a versatile look that would fit right into many homes.
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In this cheerful, modern kitchen a backsplash is covered in white subway tile with gray grout. The tiles are fairly widely set, making the grout lines extra visible for graphic appeal.
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In this traditional kitchen by Taste Design, Inc., the subway tile extends from the backsplash up the walls. Paired with classic-looking cabinetry and a chef-grade range, the tile fits in perfectly with this room's sophisticated look.
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| Tile steps into center stage in this timeless kitchen designed by Rebekah Zaveloff. Here even the hood for the range is covered in subway tiles. The dark gray grout is in keeping with the room's many dark-hued accents. |
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| The design firm Gary M. Lane knows that white subway tile is a smart choice for a remodel of an older house. The look of these classic ceramics isn't tied to a particular period, so they look like they could have been there from the house's beginning. |
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| Floor-to-ceiling subway tile with gray grout is a fitting backdrop for this bathroom's large and dramatic glass shower stall. |
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Smith & Vansant Architects have tiled this shower-tub enclosure with off-white subway tiles on both the walls and the ceiling — a smart move for durability.
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This divided bath by Smith & Vansant Architects features white 3-by-6-inch tiles in both the sink area and the shower area, though each room has its own style of floor tile.
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The headquarters of Schoolhouse Electric proves that subway tiles and gray grout aren't just for the bathroom and kitchen. Here they're used in an office space that celebrates timeless and minimalist style.
Browse subway tile in the Products section
More:
How Grout Can Add to Your Design
Classic Subway Tiles Go Uptown
Contractor Tips: How to Install File Flawlessly
Browse subway tile in the Products section
More:
How Grout Can Add to Your Design
Classic Subway Tiles Go Uptown
Contractor Tips: How to Install File Flawlessly
Comments
Becky Harris Ah, I wish this had been "in" when my shower was tiled. I just spent a fortune having someone scrape the gross rusty red Atlanta water residue from my grout in my shower and reseal it all yesterday! Gray covers such a myriad of sins! Great ideabook :)
14 months ago · Like
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hopingtogetfit This just now "in"? We did this 6 years ago in our kitchen when building our new house.
14 months ago · Like
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coopsmom We also did this in our shower 5 years ago. My husband is a tilesetter, and hates having to clean white grout constantly.
14 months ago · Like
John Rogers Renovations, Inc. Here is a kitchen we did last year; it took me a while to convince a client to do grey with white subway and it looks great in this timeless award winning kitchen. 
14 months ago · Like
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fabulouslife There are other alternatives to white tile grout. This just looks old and dated to me.
14 months ago · Like
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zealart Perhaps I just spend too much time in the actual subway that this just looks dirty to me. I think a blue grout would be interesting.
14 months ago · Like
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Deborah Hall I used medium brown grout with bone colored subways in our house (c1927), both kitchen and powder room. It really does look like it might always have been there and I love the light subways juxtaposed with the marble and wood. 
14 months ago · Like
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feeny I used bone colored subway tiles with a grout color just one or two shades darker for a more subtle look in my kitchen. The slightly darker taupe of the grout is easier to keep clean than white, but doesn't outline the tiles quite so starkly as the gray.
14 months ago · Like
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Sue Levine Becky, I always dry my tiles before getting out of the shower. It is a pain but has kept away 99 percent of the red water stains which indeed is a pain here in Atlanta!
14 months ago · Like
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pattimac These are all lovely kitchens and bathrooms, but I personally do not like the darker grout, I agree that it would get 'old' soon. Perhaps not show the dirt, but looks dirty to begin with. I could see the white maybe with a navy. Or if it was a carrera marble 'subway tile' with a grey grout it might be more visually appealing.
14 months ago · Like
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woofwoof We did white subway in two bathrooms and light brown in another, with grout to match.....and I have to say, I'm glad we did it that way. The colored grout with white is just too "busy" looking for me. Makes me kinda dizzy.
14 months ago · Like
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rachwhetten I love subway tile! We just installed some in our bathroom remodel. Bone colored but we did a white/green grout that picked up the ice green paint color we put on the walls. It looks amazing - the warmth of the bone tile with the coolness of the grout and paint is totally balanced.
14 months ago · Like
Suellen Valetta We just did a reno of our master bath. I opted for cream beveled subway tile with 2 rows of smaller green subway tiles with a single top and bottom black edging. We used black stone grouted in black on the steam shower floor. I am happy I used a cream grout as it makes the border pop. 
14 months ago · Like
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getgrowing So explain to me how to seal tile grout so the look of white grout or any other colour for that matter, stays clean. We have tried to seal our new white subway tile but the sealer dripped everywhere, and is nasty to clean off, after 15 minutes. Grrrr.
14 months ago · Like
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portfauxlio I liked the look of subway tile but wanted something a little bit different. I found a "mottled" porcelain tile for my kitchen and added an accent strip with marble, glass and metallic 
14 months ago · Like
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mrsben I am not disputing the fact that it may hide the grime and in some cases make it more esthetically appealing, BUT.... truth be told, it doesn't make it any cleaner! :) To each their own!
14 months ago · Like
Moments of Art I really like the look. But I have to say, I think it has to be done carefully or it will look too busy. I still prefer the simple clean look of white grout with the white subway tile.
14 months ago · Like
Kara Findley Ugh, I'm so tired of seeing subway tiles everywhere! Can't wait until it goes out of style.
14 months ago · Like
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cottagepanze what color gray grout to use???? Mist or delorean gray????
14 months ago · Like
runningcreek We used small multi-colored glass tile subway style and it was hard to come up with a grout color to match all the different shades of glass.We chose a taupe colored grout. 
14 months ago · Like
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Casabella Interiors looks great and dramatic but......there is no room for error with the installation or the squareness of the walls - compared to color-matching the grout to the tile which tends to hide imperfections (especially in older homes where things may be uneven). As a designer - I have run into this before and double-check everything now before deciding on the grout color.
14 months ago · Like
ltbeck I just don't like it...it looks dirty. Like you'd want to say "it's supposed to look like that."
14 months ago · Like
pentalpha I'm French, from Montreal, and I love bistro style. It's gorgeous in a bistro style kitchen, in reasonable doses, with marble and/or butcher block. But, I'm sorry I can't help it, I know folks love it all over the walls, but to me, too much and it starts to look like, well, a subway, no matter what the grout color is.
7 months ago · Like
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Sandy_Ferguson Berrett I have always loved the look of white subway tile but to me the gray grout just looks like the grout WAS white but now is DIRTY.... so we used white grout for our recent kitchen job and are using a good sealer to keep the white grout white.
7 months ago · Like
kmkane123 Grey grout is a good idea, though it certainly can be overdone as it has been in most of these examples! Same outcome if you have a LOT of tiles (see examples) in which case, it can look rather busy, especially if you use the darker grey (or black) grout. You also must use good quality tiles. Cheaper tiles don't always have even edges, making your grout lines wavy. I experimented in my latest use of grey grout in my new bathroom, which has more tiled surface. I mixed 4 parts Bright White to 1 part Delorian Grey for a more "silver" and thus less pronounced look. I really like it!
4 months ago · Like
Beth Bathe We just finished a master bath in our 1891 Victorian. We used white subway tile with an alabaster (taupe) grout. I think it highlights the pattern and gives a great vintage feel 
3 months ago · Like
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bigplanet747 Beth Bathe - I love your bath! Very, very pretty. Simple, but interesting and inviting. Great job:)
3 months ago · Like
Ideabook published on March 15, 2012.
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