There are some very nice tile selections that pretty realistically mimic the appearance of Calacatta marble which you could use for your shower and bath floor. I would suggest using something like that to limit the upkeep and risk of staining. You do still have to deal with grout, but I would recommend a power grout. Then you would need to come up with a countertop - I personally would go with granite.

Thank you Deborah! I think I probably will go with tile after all my research and your comment. It is much appreciated.

I believe you should choose all of your materials at one time...this is the surest way to not make mistakes when doing your remodel. So, select the items you most love first then choose the rest of the items that will compliment your first selections...it is a building process and when you are done...then you buy and get it all in before you begin the actual work...of demo...this is also a sure way of getting the remodel done quickly without too much down time. Remember if you are making a new cabinet or vanity...this needs to be part of the process in selections and it must be a part of the purchasing before you begin demo...it should be ready for installation.

Thank you Vickie. That makes a lot of sense. I am still trying to decide whether or not I can justify all new cabinetry or if I should give my existing cabinetry a facelift. It's just a tract home and I am already playing catch up with my value after taking a huge beating along with everyone else.

Hi---if maintenance is an issue when it comes to natural stone, then definitely choose a plain, or faux stone, in a ceramic or porcelain tile. You can get a fabulous look at a fraction of the price---do splurge on the finishing touches such as trim and accent pieces---these are eye candy! Hope this is helpful. Good Luck!
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I,too, AM getting ready to remodel a master bath and love the look of Carrara marble, but don't want high maintenance. These replies give me a lot of ideas. Are there any thoughts for a complimentary tile floor? I like the looks of a Carrara basket weave, but, again, I fear that it may be high maintenance. Is there a complimentary floor that won't show ever stray hair or other dirt in a white bathroom?

Natalie, THANK YOU so much for the pictures, SUPER helpful and great advice! Beverett1, when will you start your project?

I hope to start in the next six months. I have been working on the floor plan, but I have put it away to work on the tile (walls, floors), cabinets, countertops, and shower. I want to revisit the floor plan with fresh eyes. Then I will work on the fixtures, lighting, and mirrors. I want most of the decisions made ahead of time so I can deal with the surprises. My husband picked out the Carrara marble which is beautiful, but as I age, I don't want to "baby" my surfaces.

That is exciting! We actually just today found a contractor we really liked and came highly recommended. FINALLY!! I am thrilled to finally move past this hurdle. I agree beverett1, the older I get, the less I like the idea of having to baby ANYTHING! :)

Marble bathrooms are so gorgeous! However, I have Bianco Venatino Carrara marble everywhere in my bathroom and I'll be honest with you it is high maintenance. For a marble shower, you need to have it regularly sealed with a penetrating stone sealer and squeegee the walls and dry the floors daily. If you don't, water sitting on marble could oxidize and cause it to rust. Caustic bathroom cleaners--which are all of them--will etch your tiles. You have to use a specific cleaner for stone tiles. For germs, the only cleaner that seem to not react with marble is Lysol in the pink spray bottle. Best of luck!
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Clay, thanks for sharing your personal experience with us. You are right that the marble bathrooms are beautiful, but it seems that the beauty requires some dedicated maintenance. I hope that there are some other materials out there which are easier to maintain, but can also bring to life a gorgeous white bathroom. It is hard for me to find tile locally other than the big box stores which have limited options. I hope to go out of town next week to a couple of tile specific stores.

Clay, YOU have just helped me bury the idea once and for all with any idea of real marble. I am just NOT that dedicated to maintenance. THANK YOU for you helpful and detailed post. Okay, so I guess I really need to move on with my research and see what bright, light HOPEFULLY beautiful imitations are out there.

randimoser,
Check out this web site http://victoriaelizabethbarnes.com/tile-martyr-2/ This person selected a porcelain tile which she says mimics the marble. This might be a starting point for us. We can't be the only ones seeking a marble alternative!

THANKS beverett1! Checking it out now! Hoping I can find it locally.

randimoser,
I have been shopping for tile everywhere. After seeing how pretty the marble looking porcelain tile can be, I have decided to use it on the walls instead of the floor. Here is what I have selected for my master bath. The large marble looking tile is for the walls, the gray mingled porcelain tile for the floors, the penny tiles for the shower floor, and the spotted gray quartz for the counter top. The floor and penny tiles both have different shades of gray in the tiles which the camera doesn't pick up well. I hope this will help/inspire you. Good luck!

LOVE IT! Beverett1!! WHERE did you find that awesome looking porcelain? I haven't found anything that good. Would love to see if I can find it locally here in the SF Bay Area in California. THANK YOU for sharing the photos! I had my carrara subway installed in my kitchen last week and I love it!! I broke down and bought a pre-finished carrara marble countertop for my vanity because I just didn't love ANY of the manmade material and I ONLY paid $400. I will just have to be a bit careful I suppose. I would NEVER do it in a kitchen though, I'm too chicken. Would love to see your bathroom when it is finished.

Just to clarify. I had the subway installed as my backsplash and the vanity is for my master bath.

I know you will love the Carrara. It is so beautiful and you really got a bargain with the vanity top. Local tile folks say that if you just keep the marble sealed that it will resist stains. They said that they have a marble tile sealer which lasts for 15 years. But, I had a bad marble experience. I have a shiny black marble dining table which was etched with OJ. I had to have it professionally buffed out which was expensive. I now have a glass over the black marble top so this won't happen again. Hence, my reluctance to deal with marble. But the white marble may not as hard to maintain as the shiny black marble.

Here is the info on my materials. I'm in NC and I found the tile at Best Tile. They have multiple stores on the east coast, but I'm not sure the same company is in CA. The spotted quartz countertop is called Fusion from HanStone which came from another company. It has depth without having a lot of vein movement to compete with the marble.

I'll be glad to post pictures when my master bath is done. However, I know it will be a slow process for me. I want to pick out as much as I can ahead of time so all of the materials will be in to keep the project on time once the demolition starts. Next week I will start to work on faucets, lighting, and mirrors while I watch for a vanity seat.

Enjoy your new surroundings! I know that you will enjoy your choices every day for a long time!

THANKS Beverett1! I really appreciate the info!! I'll post pictures when I'm done.

Porcelanosa has a very nice marble looking tile. Check it out!