Sorry you aren’t happy but who communicated the design to the installer? You would have never had a slab effect look with the product that was selected since there is a lot of variation in natural marble - so who selected it? This is noted as a laundry room - should you spill or drip any bleach or harsh chemicals - the natural marble will etch and stain. I question the grout color choice as it looks a bit yellow and light for a high traffic area. Sorry again but the buck stops with you not the installer as the actual installation looks flush and even.

Its fine. Live with it and you will normalize the whole thing. Like @thinkdesignlive says its even and flat. Carpenter did a good laying job. I personally like a little grout line showing. It looks more old school, and goes with your traditional woodwork.

If thats your biggest problem today, relax.

What did you instruct him? What does the tile installation materials recommend? Why is the carpenter installing the tile?

I would just be relieved that it looks like a good job.

A carpenter? That's problem 2. Problem 1 is the materials choice of marble for a high use, high damage potential area. So, the good news is that you will get to fix everything in 3-4 years time anyway. Just live with it for now, and educate yourself enough about construction to never hire a pool guy to work on your sports car again.

Looks good. Enjoy.

You hired a carpenter to install your tile. Enough said.

I wanted almost a slab effect.

What did the installation instructions say about the recommended grout joint?

How much do the tile vary in size?

Did you discuss this with the installer? As in, specify the width of the grout joints in fractions of an inch? And not something vague like 'I want it to look like a slab.'

Overall, the install looks good. Nowhere the nightmares that are common on this site. As you said, it's only a laundry room and small bath. Which will likely get covered up with runners, etc. anyway. No way would I rip out a decent looking floor over grout joints than ended up 1/8" too wide.

It looks fine to me

It’s extremely difficult to get a slab effect with this size tile, should have gone with 24x24 if you wanted that. Even with my 24x24 there is still a grout line. I think your tile looks great though.

Did you specify the grout line size? Sounds like you wanted 1/16" grout lines but the installer used 3/16" which is pretty standard. It's not really the installers fault if it wasn't specified.

I am a carpenter and I install tile?

@kyak123, Real professionals do exactly what you are suggesting. The problem you see on these forums and elsewhere is that dedicated tile professionals with verified credentials are not being hired to do these jobs, whether by the homeowner or the general contractor who sub-contracts the tile work out. Unfortunately too many contractors/handymen/etc. claim tile expertise and while some may be capable of basic tile installation (even some DYI's can accomplish certain tile tasks within reason), it is a CRAFT that has been around for centuries and there are career craftspeople who have made tile and stone installation their life's work. The demand for quick, low cost work has allowed the emergence of "installers", whatever their qualifications. In other words, you are not getting a "professional" as a pro would of course be meeting with the homeowner in advance, reviewing and consulting regarding design, material selections, etc. We lay tile out for approval. We discuss grout joints among other design and installation specifics when necessary. There are many educated and discriminating general contractors, designers and homeowners who know the difference and they are keeping the actual professional tile contractors very busy. It requires due diligence on behalf of the one doing the hiring. The good news is the trade and its industry partners are advancing the efforts to increase the levels of training and certification for the actual serious members of the trade. See the National Tile Contractors Association and the Ceramic Tile Education Foundation for examples. But it is still up to the consumer to verify the credentials of the so-called professionals on the job. I can tell you that some general contractors will hire the less than skilled because they can do it for less $, which helps the GC get the job, and in many of those cases the GC does not know what the tile person does not know. Hire wisely.

@Dragonfly - you are totally right. It is just frustrating when you hire career craftspeople with verified credentials (who have been in the business for 30 years) who fail in this regard. There are exceptions, unfortunately.

Yes dont hire a tile professional to build custom cabinetry they cannot achieve quality.

I think it's fine; if it were, I'd leave it, but if it's driving you batty or you're just not happy with them, then have it re-done. But consider the cost of a re-do and whether it's worth it (to you).

marble in a laundry room? With splashing water, bleach, stain remover, detergents, wet clothes, etc? that marble is going to get hammered! the wide grout will get dirty quickly. (but your mistake was hiring a carpenter to lay tile)

It's been over a month now, how's it holding?

(BTW, that is not genuine Carrara marble. looks like a marble from China. look out for discoloring and rust stains)

I know how you feel. I had Countertop Factory do my backsplash and my grout lines were suppose to be 3/16 of an inch wide but they turned out to be larger. Plus, the width of my grout lines varied in spacing. I expected more from a "professional" installer and was extremely disappointed and displeased.

I get what you mean and yes in my opinion contractors should bring up things like this but I think the majority of them don't which is why I don't like hiring anyone to do stuff like that. I am sorry to say but I don't care for the attitudes of many contractors either where they believe they are the boss because they are the ones doing it - it is your house and your money and you have it done your way and if they disagree find someone else. I mean I have gotten into shouting matches with contractors (granted they were friends of mine, but still) because they had their ideals and they conflicted with mine. Everyone has their own taste. This is an old post but I think it looks beautiful and like another person said - after a while you will get used to it and may even grow to prefer it like that. That happens sometimes when we are disappointed with something then realize later we like it because our perspectives change. It truly does look beautiful though and glad it is just a small room and you weren't disappointed with your whole house. If it makes you feel better I was trying to install a slab effect and with big white tiles and didn't know about tile leveling systems and it was left with lippage. Thankfully I only did part of a room so I can finish it correctly. Always check on what your contractor is doing before he or she gets far. I wanted to add that one thing they did well is distribute the tile variations well. Many tilers don't do this and balance patterns and tones of natural stone tiles and it looks terrible no matter how well it was technically installed. I see a good balance there. It does look beautiful.