Yes,,,I most certainly will be there next time....and trust no one.

Just have it grouted and use it for a while. Eventually you can replace it. You may not love the pattern but it is tiled and clean.

Both homeowner and tile pro are at fault here. I would say that each of them has about 75% of the responsibility. Yes, obviously impossible, but my point is either of them could have easily avoided this issue with some additional communication.

The tile pro put in a crazy layout. Even if the workmanship is exceptional, that layout is never going to look good. Each row of small tiles has the same layout but the larger tiles are laid in two different placements. If the larger tiles were consistent on all rows, the result wouldn't look so odd. Either grout lines should be directly lined up or far enough away to be deliberate, almost lined up will never look right.

The homeowner obviously didn't do his due diligence or he would have figured out that the layout would not look good. As a newcomer to remodeling, he should have asked twice as many questions and watched the progress closely. Even an veteran remodeler knows to keep a close watch on progress for the first project working with that contractor. Even if the owner must stay elsewhere while the work is progressing, in person visits are worth doing if it is in any way possible. Yes, it might be expensive or time consuming, but not nearly so stressful as the time and expense involved in redoing the work.

At this point, I would grout the shower in white and live with the result for the time being.

When I look at your inspiration photo, I see that the tiles that are laid every second row are not staggered like they would be in a traditional brick pattern. The only thing that changes is the size of the tiles in adjacent rows (in other words, row 1 = row 3 w/o stagger (larger tiles), row 2 = row 4 w/o stagger (smaller tiles)). If your guy would have followed this, I think it would have worked. But because it’s actually hard to see this in the inspiration photo, he might have missed it...

Ooops, never mind... noticed that it’s actually exactly what the tile guy did... so it’s really the size of the tiles that don’t work together, as everyone has already said... ^

That’s correct, the longer tile would have to have been twice the length of the shorter tile for the bond pattern to have worked correctly.

Lyndee Lee, the tilesetter did exactly the same pattern as in the provided picture. He did what the OP asked for. The tilesetter is not a mind reader, and bears no blame in this. The OP showed a picture of the pattern they wanted, and that is what they got. The OP took it upon themself to be the designer, but does not want to take responsibility for that role. A role that they should have paid for, since they obviously do not have the knowledge to be that person. When the OP said " He had to have known this doesn't look anything like the picture ", that is absolutely not true. The patterns of the two are exactly the same. The OP chose tile of a different size, but the overall theme of the inspiration (which is the pattern) was followed by the tilesetter.

Cat...with all due respect, that is not true. I have repeatedly stated that I take some of the blame. I never said I would hold payment. I do, however, feel he should have know it wouldn't turn out the correct way with material provided. He is a pro, not his first rodeo. All it would have taken was a call to me .....

I never claimed to be a designer....never. I took a picture from the internet, like many other people do.

I think you probably have to chalk this up to an expensive lesson. I have learned to always ask professionals for their opinions on the choices I am making, because you can’t always expect them to offer unsolicited advice. If it were me, I would ask the tile pro for ideas on making it look a little less “off”, then fill it in with white grout and live with it. I made so many design mistakes in my 20’s and 30’s, now in my 40’s I’ve learned to take my time, ask lots of questions and over clarify with each new subcontractor that I deal with so that everyone involved in a project is on the same page. My GC knows that even if I am out of town, if there is a question, I want them to call me. We have a wonderful working relationship and I really appreciate it, as a result of that great relationship, I refer him tons of business and we are working on our third major project together.
I am really sorry that you are going through this, it stinks when a project doesn’t turn out the way that you want. I honestly hope you find a resolution that works well. Good luck!

GreenDesign,

Why is it okay for the construction industry professionals to deliver poor results based on limited skill sets when in most every other industry you are expected to disclose your limitations?

Take your car to your mechanic and he may fix your car or he may say that knocking you hear is the transmission and send you to a transmission shop to have that repaired. No one expect that you will know that you needed a transmission guy to fix your car.

If you go to a salon and ask the girl who is giving you a pedicure to give you a haircut she may set up an appointment to cut your hair or she may tell you that she is a manicurist and can't cut hair. She would never set an appointment, cut your hair and then when your head is butchered say "I'm just a manicurist and had no business cutting your hair".

Your family doctor may suspect that you have a heart condition. He send you to a cardiologist. He doesn't perform open heart surgery.

Your divorce attorney will send you to a tax attorney if the IRS is on your tail, he won't pretend he understands all the tax laws.

Why is it okay for an installer to not inform his clients that his wheelhouse only includes the proper installation of tiles and he is a clueless boob when it comes to figuring out what tile should be used or how it should be laid out? Why do you feel that a homeowner should be responsible for knowing a contracted professional's limitations?

If you haven’t hired a designer, and you assume to only partially instruct someone about a design result, then you are the designer. You’re just a bad designer. You were acting as the designer, even if you didn’t know enough to know what you didn’t know. Ignorance of that fact isn’t an excuse. Things don’t magically work out without a design created, and design documentation happening. Measurements. Mockups. Drawings. Product specifications. COMMUNICATION.

You ASSUMED that showing one really bad picture of a nonstandard tile design would be enough to end up with what you wanted, and you never bothered to do any of the real design work to make it possible. Like those mockups, measurements, or diagrams. Or verifying communication. Which would have immediately shown you that it wouldn’t work. Math isn’t that hard. Math rules the design world. It’s required. This isn’t even algebra. It’s 3rd grade math. Even if someone can’t math, they can lay a series of tiles out to see what it might look like.

Ignorance of assuming a role, and failing to perform that role properly, is no defense. You know for the next time.

If you want to get your tile professional to design the job, you’d better screen a whole lot harder on design skills. As in ask for DESIGN portfolios, and actually have up front paid design meetings and discussions that end with documentation of what the results should be. You’d need to pay your tile pro to accompany you to the supply house and pick out the materials selections of the tile, and to work with you for a pattern that was suitable for the tile you liked. That’s what design work is, and what a designer does. You WILL pay for that work. Just like here. You are paying for it. Just not in the manner in which you assumed.

@catbuilder I can't see the detail clearly enough in the provided picture to find a 4 row pattern. With the unclear image and the tablet I am using, I saw only a pattern of two alternating rows. Of course, if the details of the pattern are obscured in the picture of the desired outcome, that issue would be a problem for all involved. Your eyesight is probably better than mine. My view was a two rows A-B A-B alternating pattern on the original and a four row A-B-A-C A-B-A-C pattern on this project.

My belief is a professional should have expressed concerns long before it proceeded to the progress shown in the photo

WOW. What a thread! 100+ comments. Welcome to Houzz:) The only way to comment on this definitively would be to see the photo provided to the tile setter for the design. It's either the same as the photo or it isn't. Case closed.

"I gave him a pic...told him exactly what I wanted. He is the professional, should have told me it wouldn't work."

The OP's above statement is 100% correct. The installer is not designing anything. He/She has the responsibility to verify the pieces of the puzzle will mathematically work to achieve the clients desired layout.

GreenDesigns...It is obvious that you know much more than I do in this area, however I have known many people that have their tub walls retiled with just a picture. Would you put your name on that work, regardless of where the tile came from?

Creative, exactly. "Here's what I want it to look like", and then he or she tells her to go buy "two different sizes of subway tile" without specifying the sizes required and INSTALLS whatever she brings! Pathetic.

This is something that would have been better discussed with the tile shop sales people. They would have told you exactly what you needed to buy.

This is a whole lot like someone buying a 13”x 24” tile and wanting it set in a herringbone. They then just go and hire a “tile guy” and show a picture of a high end 9”x 36” herringbone job pattern. Some things should be pretty obvious. Like you won’t even get close to the same look without the same tile.

Never mind that they didn’t know enough to select the right material. Or to hire the right tile professional. They didn’t understand that the length must be divisible by the width, and that the pattern wouldn’t work. And that floor prep would be required. They didn’t understand enough that setting tile isn’t “just troweling on thinset”. Due diligence? What’s that?

Maybe they didn’t hire the absolute cheapest bid. But, odds are that the person who told them that a proper job would be 7K more than they were willing to spend wasn’t the guy that they hired.

Was any waterproofing system even used?

OP, do some research like I recommended above. Check out books from the library, read GW and John Bridge forums to learn about waterproofing, tile selection and layout options, grout, thinset, caulk, lippage, tub flanges, etc, etc, etc. Buy a downloadable version of this and read it:

https://www.tcnatile.com/products-and-services/publications/218-english-publications/188-handbook.html

Depending on where you are, there might be a certified pro in your area:

https://www.ceramictilefoundation.org/

Good luck.

HU, did you go to a tile store and show them your inspiration photo? I'm extremely surprised that someone didn't question the tile sizes you decided upon if they had seen the photo. How were those sizes selected? Who figured out the percentage to order?

Skippack,

It's clear from my earlier posts, I think the tile pro could have and should have stopped this mistake the minute he opened the boxes of tiles. Others clearly disagree with me.

I'm surprised that it got this far, without the tile pro catching and stopping this mistake. IMHO, homeowner did a good thing by showing the tile pro the inspiration photo. The tile pro made a mistake by not giving homeowner clear instructions on what to buy; or buy the materials himself and bill the homeowner. Then homeowner made a mistake by not asking for more clarification and a written-out list of exactly what to buy - material, size, amount of sq ft of each size, etc. Tile pro made a mistake by not drawing out the exact layout and having the homeowner approve it. Then tile pro made a mistake by not realizing this would never work and calling homeowner the minute he opened the tile boxes. Mistake was further exacerbated by homeowner not being around during the project to have more effective communication with the tile pro, opening the boxes together, laying them on the floor, talking about the layout, and then "Eureka! Slap my palm on my forehead, my gosh this isn't going to work, and I think you bought the wrong sizes!" The moment the tile boxes were opened, the mistake could have and should have been stopped in it's tracks.

Certainly lessons learned here for the homeowner (and homeowner, please don't repeat them next time!); but also a big "shame on you" to the tile pro for letting this huge mistake slip by without even bothering to call the homeowner to discuss.

I communicated with my tile pro about what we wanted as the overall look/layout, and asked for advice about material choices. I enjoy shopping for the materials myself, so I gathered all my samples before the project started. I would never tell the tile pro exactly what to use; he has to approve every material, fixture, finish, etc. I had the spec sheets on hand too and would ask "are there any installation issues with this material?" etc, etc.

There is no way, my tile pro would have let this kind of mistake slip by. No way.

I know this won't be a popular opinion on here, but since you provided the inspiration photo, and tile pro did not stop the mistake, I think you should have withheld partial payment.

I just hope we can find an amicable solution.

I hope you find a quick and easy solution! When I looked at your tile, I will say that I got a bit dizzy.

I worked with a tile designer during my kitchen remodel, she also owns the store where the tiles were purchased. Day of backsplash installation the tile setter (sub from GC) calls me in and says he won't proceed with the job because the plans from the designer along with the tile selection, in his opinion, will be a huge mistake. He was so right.

Good Luck!!

Maybe the tile guy thought you'd been dreaming up this tile concept since the beginning of time, and personal taste being what it is—namely another person's personal taste is by definition not your own—why would he question your choice?

There are plenty of times I might have gagged at the personal taste of some Houzzers, designers and homeowners, but I would be patronizing as all get out if I were to check with them about whether that's what they really wanted. With the implication: "surely not"...

I happen to think a couple of those whackadoodle tile jobs GreenDesigns posted above would be very appealing to some folks. I even think the over-stimulating aqua counter job would be kinda fun....in a rental. Clearly, GreenDesigns labels them as mistakes, but that's his/her taste, and not a right or wrong.

On what planet would it be okay for a professional to argue with a homeowner that they must surely intend something else, with the implication that otherwise they must have terrible taste?

A pro doesn't have to argue taste, but should say that the materials provided won't have the results the homeowner is expecting based on the photo provided. How hard is it to say that the tiles purchased are not the same width, but the tiles in the photo ARE the same width, so the result will be different? Ask the homeowner if they understand that and is that okay?

The designers here seem to think that all homeowners should hire a designer. I don't know anyone who has remodeled a bathroom who hired a designer. They relied on the tile pro, the contractor and the tile shop to get the results they desire. And 99% of the time it works out fine if they hire competent pro's. And the other 1% probably is at least equal to the people who have had the misfortune of hiring bad designers. If the other pro's don't let the homeowner know their design is flawed or the designer is incompetent, then what is a homeowner to do?

^^^ ‘....if they hire competent pros’. There’s it in a nutshell. We are working under the assumption this tile setter is a ‘pro’. Now we argue level of professionalism and what’s expected....or ‘assumed’. With true ‘pros’ nothing is ‘assumed’.

Yes , you are right , he should have told you that the look you want is not what you are going to get ...and he should have tried to explain why ...that said . Once you grout ..it may all not look so bad .. Decorate it with black like in the picture and perhaps it will look sleek after all. If not , ...this is one of those lessons ...
P.s. Where were you while he was working ...?

OP said it’s a 1-bathroom place, so he was staying with relatives.

I, too, would grout it to match the tile and see how it looks, before ripping it out. To me, the worst of the design is in the niches, but once you are using the shower and the niches have products in them (maybe buy extra nice containers in a large size to hide more), the niches will be mostly hidden and the tile will probably look fine.

After reading this thread it’s kinda growing on me :) no seriously if budget can not afford a redo I’d grout it white, take a deep breath and realize you helped others avoid this mistake. Good luck with the rest of your project!

Just use grout to match the tile and love it! It will look just fine all shinny and new and working.

This is so unfortunate. The inspiration photo is difficult to see - the tile you got are not correct to match that photo and then the layout wasn't drawn out beforehand - the photo looks like it is an English bond pattern but it looks like he tried to lay an english cross bond but the tile sizes are wrong for that layout.

This is a situation where the blame can be spread everywhere. A better inspiration photo was needed , the tile store should have confirmed the tie and patterning, the installer should have laid out a few rows for your approval and laid out the shower to determine the first cuts.

Hopefully you can come to a resolve that works. If you do grout it white, alot of the lines will "disappear" so the pattern won't be as obvious ..

Good luck!

Update! Wow! What a difference. Not finished, black grout to be in niches, black shower and tub fixtures.

See, white grout makes all the difference--no grid lines! And the new tile in the niches looks great, too. Post more pics as the rest comes together.

That looks great! Can’t even see the pattern now!
Sometimes we freak out when it isn’t even necessary...good reminder for all of us to take a breath and trust the experts.
Enjoy the new bathroom!

Wow - very nice!

Yes! Candles in the lower niche, a tub board with some flowers, and I'm set. Thank you so much...I made mistakes and I certainly am going to be more careful if/when next remodel.

Looks good like the niche. What tub did you use?

Congrats! Definately a good call to grout with white before deciding whether you wanted to go through all the trouble of re-doing it. Looks really nice, and the pesky lines highlighting the layout problems have faded away. You must be so relieved!

Did you say black shower fixtures? Personally I prefer chrome, polished nickel or brushed nickel, but black is fine if you don't mind that it is a very specific design choice and might show hard water spots more than other finishes. My friend told me that she keeps hard water spots at bay on her black fixtures by rubbing a little Rain-X on them after she does her regular cleaning. I've never tried it, but she says it works. I would think you'd want to test that on an inconspicuous area before committing to it.

Is that the Kohler Underscore tub?

This has been an emotional thread! Relax and enjoy a nice soak in your new bathroom!

So glad this worked out for you!! The niches look nice - good solution to tie in the floor tile. You're on your way to your spa retreat!! Enjoy!!!

Post more pictures - you have so many people following this thread. It's been awesome.

what are the tilers plan for the side of the tile (to the left of the towel bar)? how's he planning on finishing that? Also make sure he does 100% silicone caulk between the tile and the tub. no grout there. and 100%, not partial.

do NOT do black grout in the niche! heavens no. stick w/the same color grout, or maybe a medium gray...

here's an example and this is the dark gray, not black

what you should have done is a black arabesque if you wanted some black

Turned out very nice. You are now a "designer" and a tile expert. Well done! Props to Smit and a couple of others for their views.

So happy for you! Looks great!

So glad to hear you are happy now!

It doesn't even look like the same shower! Great outcome. Glad you're happy!

Looks soooo much better. Please listen to Beth about the dark grout. Black sounds a bit too dark.
You can’t even see the uneven pattern you were worried about. The contrasting tile in the niche is fabulous. Takes the eyes right to them.

i Really like it. painted the walls silver shadow and trim white. going to put the same grout on the floor in the niches. Tiny area with tub and toilet, vanity.....sink and mirror located adjacent it, if you know what I mean. I never want to do this again. NEVER.

Post a picture of the finished product! Can't wait to see how it all turns out.

Spam!