You do not have to have an accent tile, in fact they rarely add to the design.

If you like simple clean design, skip the accent tile. It is a fading trend. Create interest with a plant or towels and accessories in the bathroom.

Here's a new design rule: If your tile needs an accent tile, buy a better tile.

Seriously. What's wrong with what you've chosen that a 4" stripe will improve or conceal?

Leave it as it is.

Agreed, skip the accent tile! I have seen so many bathrooms in homes for sale that are very nice except for the accent tile. I think they can skew an otherwise timeless look towards a specific taste or year.

Thanks for all the comments. I kind of agree I just worry it will look too plain.

This is the bathroom at this point. Will it look too plaim by the side of the shower I am thinking of having a make up vanity with counter and mirror , by the window will be the bath tub in a diagonal. On the wall to left will be the vanity. The vanity will have 2 mirrors with 2 sconces on either side. What should I have as a lighting for the makeup vanity. I did look into lighter mirror too expensive. aLSO THE STANDARD HEINGHT OF MAKE UP VAnity is 30 inches is that right? I am kind of lost and having a hard time making decisions. Please comment on the cabinet color

Although I went with accent tile, it is NOT Necessary. Bathrooms are perfectly fine without it. Or with, depending on what YOU think works with your room, and will personally enjoy. But seriously, it's not necessary, and won't add to re-sale one way or the other. (Well, depending on what you choose.... that might drop the value!)

Just one question about your floor tile choice... how smooth is that tile? I would get a tile rated for less slip in wet conditions if that so happens to be what you are showing here. (But then again, I'm a noted klutz.) I do like the pattern of the floor tile a LOT.

I'm not a fan of entirely white/light grey rooms but they're on trend so if you enjoy you should be fine with the vanity. (I recognize I'm in a minority.)

I have a purposely plain bathroom - it makes the cabinetry and hardware stand out all the more. If you are an accessory type of person and have wall space, you could do artwork or decorative objects, or interesting containers (if no shower curtain)

Obviously I'm a bit biased towards plain being okay, but I agree that accent tiles are subject to trends and looking dated sooner than later.

This is almost exactly what did in my recent remodel. I did a mother of pearl accent tile vertical stripe where the hardware is and in the niche. I really love how it came out and the tile really adds a little umph to an otherwise plain bathroom.

I know I loved your look and wanted to do similar. but what tile did you use

If you wanted the accent and the only reason you're second guessing now is because the installer in not comfortable; I'd say get a better installer. You are creating a space that you should love walking into everyday, do what makes you smile.

I love something Like Karen's. Monochromatic accent, nothing glaring. I also like using the same tile, but in a different shape as an accent sometimes. But honestly, it is your bathroom, find someone who can tile it the way you want.

I love the accent tile in Karen Roses's bathroom because it is understated, adding just the right amount of shimmer and bling without having highly contrasting colors and lines of demarcation. If Karen's look is what you are trying to accomplish, I think it will look nice. Just don't choose a contrasting color.

thanks so much can you suggest some examples. We are doing an waterfall in the long wall with a niche in between. Need about 50 square foot of tile.

Thank you, I got it from a local tile shop here (Padron Tile), it comes in 12x12 sheets, I’m sure you can find something similar from a tile shop, try MSI or Datile if you have any around you. I found some on Tilebar.com that looks exactly like it! https://tilebar.com/mother-of-pearl-oyster-white-tile.html

Thanks so much for all your help. Every mother of pearl tile I am finding are very thin and they are warning me about them that it will break.

This is a pic of my floor tile

will this tile work for accent

The tile will come in a waterfall pattern from top the floor with a big niche in between the whole width is about 2-3 ft

Pretty! What did you decide?

Unable to decide. But have to by tomorrow I really liked the other tile.

Nothing wrong with a wall of unadorned tile. Often times a simple installation of tile can morph from one design style to another as, over the years, you change accessories or colors within the room.

Embellishments can sometimes limit that flexibility of style.

Nothing dates a bathroom faster than accent tile IMO.

well have to make decision

3 options :

accent 1

Accent 2

Accent 3

TILE SAME WILL BE IN THE WALL just polished

also have 2 options to accent

the accent design I want

the middle of the stripe will be a niche its the outside wall so thats tricky and the other side I want the accent tile where the shower fixtures will be Is this a good idea. The contractor is advising the same stripe above the ledge continued at eye level in both walls. I have debated no accent at all as well, looks very plain as the tile is very understated. Can you please help me I am really not able to decide.

I think no accent is the way to go, but if you need to do an accent than, go with accent #1.

Don't go with #3, it will not look good. #2 is too busy, and in my opinion will not look good.

you think the niche should be the same tile

https://www.mariakillam.com/one-more-reason-you-should-skip-accent-tiles-altogether/

good luck!

I would use your floor tile as accent in the niche

(Sorry, long) internal struggle here too, always planning on using one large neutral tile throughout the bathroom everywhere (floor and all walls) and not look back. BUT on a personal level, there is one long low niche @ 6’ wide over a bathtub crying out for something more as a relief to all the field tile everywhere. The glass mosaics and mother-of-pearl mosaics are so dazzling and as irresistible as chocolate and jewelry, I‘m only human. Have various beautiful mosaic samples sitting in the niche space (still in framing stage) and leaving them there for a week at a time. Even the ones I thought I loved start to sour and look all wrong after a few days.

Part is because I have a lovely 6-year-old who thinks she’s a mermaid and loves rainbows and unicorns and anything pink LOL, can I at least do a little wink of something different or “it has to all be tiled to look like a mausoleum because design reasons, sorry kid“. At the plumbing & tile store she experienced some incredible “magical“ things - chromotherapy led rainbow light package on the tub controls, hot pink glass mosaic sparkly tile - ‘mean mommy’ doesn’t take her with me to such places anymore.

We are still weeks away from doing tile and this long low niche has gotten relatively deep (7”) due to padding out the wall.

Two real possibilities are:

(1) go ahead and do a fabulous accent tile on the back of this niche anyway. If I grow sick of it in 5 weeks or 5 years, then simply cover it with a layer of the original field tile later.

(2) stick to the field tile original plan & buy some fantastic sparkly bath containers & loose items to decorate this long niche that can be chucked out as the wind blows.

@myrica4, Remember that if you load the niche you won’t see much of the tile anyway. In my bathroom redo 5 years ago, I went with plain tile, same as the walls. Still happy. I only keep 3 items on the 4’ long shelf to facilitate daily wipe/dry downs. The shelves stay damp and risk for pink mold if not wiped down daily. So my lovely niche is not A storage shelf. If you find something lovely, heck put it in. If it’s cling deco instead, that can be changed out as child grows that sounds ideal.

There is always a post going on about things becoming outdated in a few years. No one has a crystal ball, but my rule of thumb is anything expensive and permanent gets no frills. There are other ways to accent your bathroom…mirrors, great piece of art, ceiling fixture.

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Thanks for all the advise. I have taken the advice and decided not to do accent tile at all. I decided to do the simple tile have quartz on threshold and may do quartz on the niche its very simple quartz almost plain white and I have leftover from kitchen, I also decided to do wainscoting throughout the bathroom and pony wall to create a more finished look.

something like this.

You'll love it

@ myrica4 I did get the chromotherpay tub from Costco lets see how that goes. So many decisions.

Haha I had to add on the chromotherapy option after my girl saw it on the display tub in the showroom, there was no unseeing that or forgetting about it. It was the one tub the showroom had filled & she could play with the control panel.

su, sorry. just saw your message. I like your very last inspiration picture (with the pony wall). I think it will look nice. Agree that you don't need a horizontal accent stripe. (if you were doing a plain white tile, I think you could do a larger vertical strip. I also like how Karen Rose did her niche. If you want something like that, forget the MOP tile. It doesn't really go w/your marble-look. you could use this one in the niche though (or, even on your shower floor). Forget your other mosaic choices.

if you go to a tile store, they have displays like this. you could choose something for your shower floor (if you wanted something besides the plain white hex), or pick some different just for you niche.

I did this one in the niche, and the vanity wall in a clients bathroom

I loved the looks but by the time I saw them work was done. this is how its looking so far. Please tell me is this too plain.

the pony wall will have wainscoting and the will be quartz on top on the wall and then glass after

I don't think it's too plain. (I don't care for the wall color above the shower tiles. If you're changing it, go with a cooler color)

**what happened w/the tiling above the shower head? another half of a tile should have been used to cover that space.I marked it in the black. Or, is something else going there?

(and, not real thrilled w/the tiny slivers of tile in the corner or on the ends. Would have looked cleaner w/a bullnose tile piece or a metal edging piece for the borders. don't like the vertical looking tile pieces for your borders)

this is clean looking. notice all of the border edging

Must agree I'm not feeling the wall color above the shower. That tile cries out for a light blue-gray, perhaps SW 6238 Moonmist ( https://www.sherwin-williams.com/homeowners/color/find-and-explore-colors/paint-colors-by-family/SW9144-moonmist#/6238/?s=coordinatingColors&p=PS0 ). Accent tile in the niche would have looked quite nice, but it still looks nice without it. My concern on the wainscoting is what material is it? Unless it's a solid wood, I'd save the money and paint it.

What I don't see is a place for a robe or towel to hang...and a pretty narrow door.

the bathroom is not complete, painting not done this is old paint. The door is standard width 29 inches. I think it appears like that as at an angle. The tiles I did see he used bull nose. He is saying the half tile on top will not look good what do you think? Should I have him do I whole layer of bull nose on top and the side? .

I don't understand why he can't go up to the ceiling (on the right) and then just continue the tiles out along the left side. see where I marked it in black in my earlier comment?

I think what he's saying is that if he goes up a few more inches, the thickness won't be the same thickness as the border going vertical on the sides. But if he would have used bullnose edge on the shorter ends of the tile, he wouldn't have had to use that vertical looking border. you understand what I mean?

I circled in black what I mean.

the bullnose edge is on the shorter side of the tile. It looks like he used the bullnose on the longer side and turned it vertical. he should have just used the tiles like this. Now you can do your border w/the short end bullnose tile, and still go up to the ceiling and over to the left w/the longer bullnose tile, and everything would still match up.

What may have happened is your tile doesn't have short end bullnose. maybe all they make are the end pieces. If that's the case, I would have preferred a Schluter metal edging strip.

So, if you like it, then leave it. But what is going in the little space above the shower head??

As for the wainscot, they make a vinyl product that you can use. if you use a wood product, make sure it's properly primed (back too) , and painted w/special bathroom paint. Also be sure to have a good vent to remove any steam.

I also think he should do one more layer of bull nose on the shorter and the longer side on the vertical wall he will do wainscoting. He is saying so far the second layer will look bad and he will paint

he would have to remove it, not do another layer. sigh. this should have all been determined in the dry lay-out phase. He would have to remove what's currently on the borders. Remove it and replace with what I mentioned. He's not going to do that.

I believe you're stuck with it. So he's just going to paint the small space above the shower head? isn't there some type of backer board on the wall there now? (hard to tell w/the photo). what's the red tape stuff?

The red thing is some kind of underlayment. There is a header will take a bigger picture in the morning and show. If you can please suggest the best possible solution. He will have to change it.

why did he bring the underlayment up that far if he didn't plan on tiling over it? he can't leave there. It will have to be removed, and the drywall smoothed over to match the other wall if he plans on painting.

this is why a good tile setter will lay out his pattern and carefully measure, so you don't end up w/dilemmas like this.

when we were tiling my shower, I had to figure how to cut the tile so that it was even around the top where the ceiling is vaulted. I wasn't going to have a gap over the shower head. All of those tiles are bullnose on the longer side, and along the sides, bullnose on the shorter ends. everything was measured so that I had equal cuts, and no slivers.