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opdos

DESIGN DISASTER! GRANITE AND TILE DON"T MATCH!

Opdos
9 years ago
We have spend $$$ totally remodeling our master bath removing a small shower and large whirpool tub and adding a large shower, built in closets, new vanity, flooring,...everything. I love my new shower and tile, but may have made a mistake on the granite! We finished up the shower and tile and I had to pick paint but didn't have the granite picked out yet. After agonizing and posting pics here, I finally chose a very neutral paint. The tile on the floor and in the shower is a travertine looking porcelain and the mosaic is Emperador Dark, Emperador Light and Crema Marfil with a honed marble pencil tile lining each side.

I really wanted marble but this bathroom gets a lot of use. I also thought Crema Marfil might be too boring and Emperador Dark would be too dark. Couldn't find any Emperador Light. So opted for granite, which for durability was probably a better choice. I thought it would appear much lighter, but now that it is installed it is the darkest thing in my bathroom! But the worst part is that it is very gold (duh...New Venetian Gold) and the tile is very tan...probably to the pinkish tan side. I thought the granite would kind of match the Emperador Light with that copper-y look, but I just don't think everything goes together well.

Yes, I have to have polished nickel in there...not Oil-rubbed bronze (long story.) I still have to choose a wall sconce, window treatment and window seat cushion. I can also put a small rug in front of the vanity. The paint color is BM Shaker Beige which blends with the tile very well but I think it clashes with the granite which needs more green or gold. Gold definitely doesn't look good with the tile.

I'm wondering if I should re-paint another color, which I am happy to do to pull this all together. It just looks like nothing is coordinated and I am so worried it will never look great for all the money we spent. How do you tie pinkish beige in with gold???? Help please!

Comments (154)

  • Madeline Ferraro
    8 years ago

    Take out the granite next to the tile and replace with tile. The sink granite will pass as it's not next to the tile. Paint , fabric etc will not fix the color issue were the tile and granite abut each other.

  • Angel 18432
    8 years ago

    October 2014 post Madeline

  • Kelly MB
    8 years ago
    try BM Ashley Grey
  • etravel3965
    8 years ago

    valerie..by the way what is the brand and color of the tile you used? if remembered? beautiful bath!

    Opdos thanked etravel3965
  • Opdos
    Original Author
    8 years ago

    etravel3965 The tile we used was by Stonepeak Cremino Honed Field tile. We used 12" x 24" in a brick pattern on the bottom about 4' of the wall then used Emeperador Blend 5/8" x 5/8" mosaic tile that was 4" tall with a Desert Cream Imperial 3/4" x 12" pencil liner on each side. Then the top have of the wall is the same Stonepeak Cremino Honed Field Tile but using 12" x 12" in a diagonal pattern. The floor is Stonepeak Cremino Honed 2" x 2" tile. I am a person who gets tired of things quickly but this tile has been an exception. I absolutely love it. It looks expensive and I have had so many compliments on it. And I don't have to worry like I would if I would have used granite or marble in the shower because it's porcelain and has been very easy to clean! We paid about $2 per sq. ft for it. But the 2x2 for the floor was more expensive. Best of luck!

  • PRO
    Bravehart Interiors
    8 years ago

    Paint the wall flat black. It will neutralize everything and have the wall recede.

  • sheilaskb
    8 years ago

    I believe the colors of all the surfaces look great. You need an accent color, and perhaps you could find towels in light blue or coral to brighten up the space. For a contrast accent color, you might try black.

  • shueynfp
    8 years ago

    This was very helpful to me. I'm looking at that same countertop color and trying to find a paint color. I will try Cork Wedge and Accessible Beige.

  • Juliet Zamel
    8 years ago

    Yes, change paint to darker color charcoal, bronze or black. Paint is cheap, easy to change and it can make a remarkable difference. It is ok if everything doesn't match. Play with the paint until your design starts to pop! It will be fine.

  • bath4free
    8 years ago

    Oh Valarie...it is beautiful! I think the paint color is spot on. We are at the point of making our choices for our new bath and I am so undecided. We first picked our granite, tile and accents. Momentarily loved it! Got the samples home and I didn't like the combo... Back to change the tile and then the granite. Now in trying to pick a paint color (nightmare), and now I am doubting the cabinet finish.. Absolutely driving my husband crazy. Calling a color specialist tomorrow. Hopefully, she will be able to get us in the right direction before we actually start. "They said it would be fun" NOT!


  • zzmom40
    8 years ago
    Bathroom is beautiful! I really believe that the walls should be a soft white...check out SW Shoji white or worldly gray... and it will allow the deepest tone in the tile to stand out...take that color and use it for towels window treatment and rugs..no worries...it will be gorgeous....I would not try to match a color to the tiles...and I agree please no brown in this gorgeous space.
  • Judy Mishkin
    8 years ago

    old post... bathroom painted...etc.

  • thuy_tdt
    7 years ago

    Hi Natalie, I'm too running into the exact same problem with Valarie. My granite and cabinet color don't match with my bathroom tiles. My granite countertop turned out too gray for the warm shower tiles. I've been crying since last night until I found this post. I hope you have a similar simple solution for me. I really hope there's a paint color that can tie the gray granite with the shower tiles. My bathroom is small so when you first step inside, the vanity and the shower are the very first things you see. Thank you.

    Kate

  • zazfuzzroc
    7 years ago

    Hi Kate, :) I left Nat a message for you... I'm sure she'll pop on when she can. Hang tight. :)

  • thuy_tdt
    7 years ago

    Thank you Zazfuzzroc :)

  • zazfuzzroc
    7 years ago

    :) You're welcome Kate, no problem. :)


  • Natalie
    7 years ago

    Hi Kate!

    Could you upload a couple of closeup, daytime photos of the granite, cabinet, and tile?

    Don't worry. :))

  • zazfuzzroc
    7 years ago

    Hey Nats! Thank you... always a sweetie! :)

  • thuy_tdt
    7 years ago

    The lighting in my bathroom adds a yellowish tone on everything. So I tried to take these photos with just the natural light coming in from the window. I hope they help. looking at these photos now, I really wonder how in the world did I pick out these so unrelated color! It's such a far cry!

  • Natalie
    7 years ago

    Hi Kate---

    No photos posted.

  • thuy_tdt
    7 years ago

  • thuy_tdt
    7 years ago

  • thuy_tdt
    7 years ago

    Oops, sorry they didn't go through the first time. Thanks Natalie! Please do your magic.

  • Natalie
    7 years ago

    Thanks Kate.

    Question. Is the floor tile and shower tile the same?

  • thuy_tdt
    7 years ago

    Yes, they are the same Amazon Novona. Honed finish on the floor and polish finish on shower wall.

  • Natalie
    7 years ago

    Thanks. I will get back with you early tomorrow. :))

  • Natalie
    7 years ago

    Hi Kate!

    Here's four colors for you. Pick up 3-4 paint chips of each color and see how they look paired with the tile, granite, and cabinet. Check them during the day/natural light and night/artificial light... Keep me posted. Good Luck!

    Sherwin Williams' Repose Gray, Mindful Gray, Passive, and Crushed Ice.

  • Natalie
    7 years ago

  • thuy_tdt
    7 years ago

    Good morning Natalie!

    Thanks for your prompt reply. I'll get those paint chips this evening to compare and let you know. I've been thinking of removing the granite and repainting the cabinet with a darker color, but there's a big risk that the cabinet will be damaged in the granite removal process. I hope one of these colors will bridge the gap. I'm excited to try out. Have a good day Natalie :)

  • Natalie
    7 years ago

    Hello Kate---

    Any luck with those colors?

  • thuy_tdt
    7 years ago

    Hi Natalie! Looks like Crushed Ice for the wall and Mindful Gray


    for the cabinet would work. Painting the cabinet is not easy for me and this is a brand new cabinet, I'm afraid I might mess it up. So before going that far, I need to know what you think? Thanks.

  • Natalie
    7 years ago

    Is there any chance you can take photos of the paint charts in your bathroom next to the granite and shower tiles and post them?

  • Natalie
    7 years ago

    Hi Kate. Not sure if you seen my response. Please, post some photos and I'll let you know.

  • thuy_tdt
    7 years ago

    Hi Natalie, thanks for following up with me. I have actually painted a sample of Crushed Ice on the wall and I like it a lot. It looked much prettier than my original paint color Adobe Sand which had too much beige in it. Here are the paint chips on the wall . I'm not home during the day, so I haven't had a chance to take photos of these paint chips in natural light. Please let me know what you think. Thanks :)

  • Natalie
    7 years ago

    Thanks Kate. Looks Great! Big difference. When you have a chance, could you take a photo from further back so the vanity and shower are visible in the same frame? I'd like to see how the current vanity color looks with the Crushed Ice.

  • thuy_tdt
    7 years ago

    Here's another photo with vanity and shower. I really love Crushed Ice on that wall. It's such a good mix of gray and beige.

  • Heather Macdonald
    7 years ago
    Thank you for all the comments, I am getting the tile in my shower installed this week. Have decided to wait to choose the floor tile and countertop until after the shower is finished. I hope you'll help me once I have pics. :)
  • Heather Macdonald
    7 years ago
    Also very interested Valerie what you chose for your bedroom, I like shades of cream and beige too
  • Natalie
    7 years ago

    I Love the Crushed Ice too. BEAUTIFUL! The vanity color looks fine on my end, how is it in person?


  • thuy_tdt
    7 years ago

    The vanity looks fine now. I'd prefer it to be darker, but my husband loves the clean look of white cabinet, so I I'll leave it white for now. I think once the frameless shower door is installed, the vanity will get less attention. With a mix of brown and gray accessories, this space can become beautiful! Thank you Natalie for suggesting Crushed Ice! I believe in your color magic! You have saved me $$ and a lot of frustration. Thank you!!!

  • thuy_tdt
    7 years ago

    Thank you Zazfuzzroc for making sure I got the help I needed :)

  • zazfuzzroc
    7 years ago

    :) No problem, glad to do it. It's a beautiful bathroom... :)

  • Acecupid
    7 years ago

    Valerie, How much did your bathroom remodel cost ?

  • Natalie
    7 years ago

    Kate-I'm so happy I was able to help. I think you'll be pleased with your decision to forgo painting the vanity-after more elements are implemented. Please, share a photo once it's completed. Good Luck! :))

  • Opdos
    Original Author
    7 years ago

    So fun to see this discussion has helped so many people. Acecupid the Reno of the bath was about $35,000 to $40,000. We did the demo and acted as general contractor. We spent about $9,000 on custom cabinetry including the vanity, 2 matching medicine cabinets, a window seat, a 2' x 30" wide linen closet that is 24" deep (replaced where the old shower stall was) and custom wood sliding closet doors that are mirrored on the front with about a 4" wood frame surrounding the mirrors. Tile was about $2,000 for all including floor of the bathroom, and shower walls and floor and bench in shower. Then we paid a contractor about $3,000 to pour the shower pan and install the tile (we got this at a bargain price and got excellent work!) Frameless glass shower door and glass on pony walls was about $1,900 installed . We spent about $3,500 on an electrician to move around and add electricity including our awesome ( love these!!!) LED lights in the shower. We put in daylight colored lights and I didn't know if I'd like it but I love it and would never go back!! Only the sconce fixture that is between the medicine cabinets is incandescent which I can turn on and dim if I want more golden light. We put dimmers on everything---another thing we love. The rest was spent on plumbing--we had to move the shower drain 6 feet or so and add fixtures on the inside of each of the pony walls so I have a stand up regular shower with its own controls to the left and a shower wand with its own controls to the right where the shower bench is. Also rough in, granite, paint, sink fixtures, new woodwork, etc.


    And Natalie---I'm embarrassed to say we haven't totally finished the bedroom yet!! I had the worst time finding furniture and finally we found what we love. I do have that blue/gray rug you recommended and love it! Ended up with dark wood Thomasville furniture in a transitional style Studio 455. I need to make up the bed and get ideas for window treatments which are not done!!! Natalie is a color genius for sure!!!

  • R M
    7 years ago

    What a good read was this site!!!!!!! Natalie, don't hide. Many of us may be calling on you . I'm tempted to take photos of my newly renovated guest bath. Something is wrong.......probably the paint color.

  • 12shopping
    7 years ago

    Use the color you need more of in towels and throw rugs. keep that color off the granite top cover with another cor or the more taupe color. looks beauticl to me. One suggestion I would have framed the accent tile in shower/tub

  • 12shopping
    7 years ago

    This is extreme you could knock out some of the 1x1? tile and replace with the color of the more yellow in the granite with a soft champagne with yellow iridescent tiles randomly placed through out the border. tape them on before you committe

  • Shelley Karpel
    7 years ago


    This is such a wonderful discussion. I've learned so much already! I am going through the decision making process right now and going crazy trying to figure out the counter top choice for our master bath remodel. Tiles and cabinets are on order but I have samples of those. I went to the granite warehouse and I think after reading this, that I almost made a big mistake. I've posted pics and could really use advice on what to do about the counter top. The floor tile is Ethnos Yuma, the accent tile is Glazzio Sedona Rust from the Tranquil series and the cabinets are Shiloh cherry with a red stain and black glaze. I really wanted granite but is that a good idea and what kind would you recommend? Thanks!

  • PRO
    BAE Design + Consulting Services
    7 years ago

    Try changing out your hardware to a oil rubbed bronze finish, this will tie in the darker browns in your tile and granite for your vanity. I think that you will notice a difference once your glass is installed as well!

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