Here are some opinions...

To my eye, classic white subway tiles will go beautifully with the toilet, shower hardware, and cabinetry (classic, vintage).... the floor and shower floor seem to go together and be a bit different aesthetic than the other elements (natural/rustic). The sink and the floor seem to go together in a sort of old-world way that adds another dimension.

Which is not to say it won't work. Subway tiles (especially the plainer ones) often seem to function as a neutral that can integrate other elements.

I'd definitely stick with the simplest, plainest subway, though... no crackle glaze or beveled edges, which would play up the "vintage" aspect (which goes with the first elements but -to my mind at least- not so much with the river rock and travertine...)

Have you considered a very pale travertine-like or limestone-like (could be ceramic) subway tile to pull the elements together more?

Maybe just using a darker grout (which I normally dont like) might help pull in the other more natural/rustic elements? As here (unknown GW-er's bath):

This is marble, I think, and oversized... but you get the idea of using a natural-looking subway here: (from cote de texas)

Ok this is my thoughts on the matter, I would pick a different shower floor. It doesn't fit in my mind. There are so many shower floor choices in the beige direction I suggest you take another look. I myself could not use anything with beige and found it difficult to find anything but. There are even some really cool medallions that are in this color pallet that would introduce some darker colors you might consider something like that. But I know the pebble comes in a light creamy tone. Sorry probably not what you wanted to hear.

The shower floor is already installed and it goes well with the travertine because the travertine has grey running through it on some of the tiles.

But what I did just find out is that I can get wall tile that matches the floor tile in a polished 3 x 6, or a filled and honed 12 x 12 (the floor is honed but not filled). Or I could get the 8 x 8 in the chiselled edge just like the floor that is not filled and then we'd have to grout fill the wormholes when installing.

The reason I didn't consider these tiles before is that they don't come with all of the trim pieces. So it would be grueling for my DH to file off the edges and make all the specialty cuts to finish off the shower without any store bought trim pieces.

Hi Judy,

I have the same travertine floor as you! It's beautiful and I really love it. It looks to me like you are trying to balance the clean (toilet, and paint color) with the earthy (travertine, and pebble) with the pretty (sink, and medicine cabinet). It's a tough balance. I would personally go with a subway tile that is not too clean...a crackle or glaze would be nice (I know that;s the exact opposite advice you got from someone earlier in the thread...sorry)!

The floors (pebble, and, travertine) introduce alot of earthiness and I think you need to find a way to add something less linear than a white subway tile to the shower. Good luck!

judydel,
Not what you asked but would you mind measuring for me the space between that knne wall and other wall where your toilet is located. Thank you,
I think that subway tile is sort of a neutral that can go with everything.

lyban I'll measure when I get home tonight. I thought so too about the subway going with everything. I have a photo (somewhere) of a bathroom with stone floors and a european rustic feeling to it . . . and they had shiny subway in the bathroom also. I loved it. That's where I got the idea. But obviously I am having second thoughts about how it will look in my bathroom with the pedestal sink and vintage feel light fixtures.

I'm looking into maybe doing travertine for the shower walls. What do you think of that?

I was thinking along the same lines as Stacey, with reference to using grout color with standard subway tiles to bring it together. It's tough, being you have grey going on the shower floor, and the browns on the bathroom floor. But I have a feeling that white subway tile with a bone colored grout might bring it all together. I think the almond (or bisquit) colored subway tile would've worked better if it weren't for that shower floor.

As for using subway tile with river rock, here are a couple of pictures, so you can decide for yourself (the river rock in the pics is a little bigger than what you're using, but it'll give you some idea, anyway):

Yes and here is another photo with pebbles and subways. I have pebbles left over and could do a border like in this photo to tie the pebbles into the tile. Again the travertine is multi colored and has grey running through some of the tiles.

Okay so this is what I have found out.

Our floors are chiseled edge honed travertine.
I can get travertine for the shower walls in the same color in either:

3 x 6 polished
or
12 x 12 honed

In the polished, I can get either a chair rail or pencil border in the same color

So this means I can do a 3 x 6 polished matching travertine (except for the finish) with a pebble border that is trimmed above and below with a matching polished chair rail/pencil border (like in the photo in the above post).

OR

I can do the shower walls in the same color and finish travertine but in a 12 x 12 with no matching borders (unless I do the polished border with the honed wall tiles.

What say yea now???

The store just called me back, they made a mistake. The borders are actually honed.

I like the idea of the 3 by 6 polished because I like that size for shower walls.

Hi Judy,

I found a picture that might give you an idea of a direction. http://cotedetexas.blogspot.com/search/label/Maria%20Tracy and then scroll down to the upstairs bathroom with the subway tile that has other tile interspersed. Maybe you could do something like this? Maybe broder your shower in the travertine and then intersperse some travertine accents (DH would have to cut them or see if you can buy some) with the subway tile. Maybe something like that appearls to you? If not, then I would proceed with the white subway tile that you have planned.

Andrea so you're idea is to cut up some travertine into maybe small squares and then intersperse them in a pattern (like that cool photo) with the white subway, instead of doing the subway with the pebble border?

Interesting idea. We happen to have quite a bit of the pebble leftover so that's one of the reasons I was thinking of make a border with them. I wonder if I could make an interspersed pattern using both some how, to make it all come together? Or maybe that would be tooooo much.

So much to think about.

Thanks for everyone's help : )

Judy-

After thinking about it some more I think the pebbles would be nicer as an accent in your shower area than the travertine. They would make a nicer contrast with one another. Sorry...I hope I didn't confuse the issue for you!

Judy-
Hope you're still checking this string because I'm interested to see what you ended up deciding. I'm considering using white subways for my shower wall and tub surround, and a chiseled travertine floor about the same color as yours. I haven't seen many pictures of the crisp subways with the more rustic travertine, and would love to see pics or hear other's opinions.

How high is the half wall between the toilet and shower?