My first question is what color scheme were you trying to achieve in the beginning? There are lots of quartzites, and if that's what you want, you should be able to find one, depending on what city you are in.

Since most quartzites I've seen are light-colored, you could substitute a light-colored quartz instead. Then you could stick to your original color-scheme. Changing to a dark countertop would really change your whole color plan. Black pearl granite is very pretty, but if you change, you have to make the whole color plan change with that decision.

I'm confused by your description. What color is the shower - walls and floor?

Also any part of the shower is done at the beginning when the shower is being built because it needs to be waterproofed - is the threshold the curb of the shower?

FWIW, I just finished remodeling and the curbs of the shower match the counters and actually use remnants of the slabs. Both bathrooms have black and white marble tile floors (shower and bathroom) in basket weave pattern. The guest bathroom has a black granite and the shower curb is black using the black granite - the master bath has French Vanilla marble and the curb uses the French Vanilla marble. I also have a bench in the master bath made from the marble. The shower tiles are Precious Blue from Encore.

@helen, I love marble. That’s been one of my biggest struggles in this whole process. I just don’t love the upkeep. And I don’t care for marble-like tiles either. That’s what the tile stores kept trying to steer me towards. I just can’t get on board, personally. It‘s probably because I love true marble so much.

Yes, they are porcelain not cement. I can imagine the cement ones would crumble over time.

@R Sanford - I also was leery about maintenance issues so I read and also talked to friends who had marble in their bathrooms as well as kitchens. I found all of the precautionary tales to be that as my friends didn't have undue issues.

Honing might occur but it didn't bother me - I opted for honed marble in my master bath (both floor and counter) because I liked the softer look as well as because any etching wouldn't change it since it is in effect pre etched.

I don't use my bathroom in a very damaging manner. I don't dye my hair at home. I am not a manual laborer washing off chemical or other harsh products from my body.

I stocked up on products (just yesterday) that are basically idiot proof - i.e. toilet bowl cleaner recommended by a pro which is also safe for marble if it happens to spill a bit. The cleaner I got works for mirrors so there isn't an issue of it getting on the counter. And of course, I won't keep stuff that cleaning people might misuse.

Also I don't mind the maintenance if necessary. I can have it resealed and/or have someone professionally clean and polish if necessary. The floors in my condo building are periodically professionally redone (grout included) and look great after more than twenty years.

You've picked too many different tiles and surfaces for a small room. Something's gotta give. I'm not sure what though.

A little black goes a long way so I would start with the shower floor and change the black tile to white. The grout is what you need to worry about getting dirty so white tile is fine for the shower floor. Or I'd use a gray tile to soften the transition from the wood floor tile to the shower floor. The wood tile has a lot of gray in it. Then you could use a gray quartz for the threshold and knee walls with
gray grout and chrome fixtures. The touches of black would only be in
your niche and the counter. A black picture frame would be a nice repeat for the walls.

This:

Abbott Bathroom Remodel · More Info

I don't care for the black floor with white subway.

Master Bath · More Info

@helen - I’ve got a teenager and soon to be teenager in this house. Nail polish remover, hair products, contact solution and whatever else they do in my bathroom are my biggest concerns. It would be a major task for me to keep up with it all. Not to mention me fretting all the time over what they can and can’t do in there. :)

@mayflowers- you’ve given me some ideas to consider. The black hex also comes in gray, and I so happen to have a gray quartz sample that matches it almost perfectly. I’m not a huge fan of white on the shower floors, but the gray could work. We just thought the black hex tied in the black countertops, but a black threshold and knee walls was too much black. It’s not a huge bathroom, but it is a decent size at 12 1/2 x 16.