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lauren_engelman

Where tile meets tile - any ideas?

Lauren E
4 years ago
last modified: 4 years ago

Hi! I have a bit of a design conundrum involving where tile is slated to meet tile in my master bath reno.

See photo, I'll also describe:

  • You walk-into the shower (no door) on an angle and to the left is a dry-off type of area with a bench.
  • To the right is where the actual shower is.
  • In front of the long blue wall, making up the other side of the shower is a shorter pony wall (2 ft. or so) that will be tiled. Frameless glass from that little short wall to the ceiling.

My problem is as follows: on the vanity wall from vanity to ceiling we are putting in the 2x2 marble mosaic. Around the entire shower we are putting a 4x12 subway tile. Right where I have the red arrow is where the tile will meet as the wall is shared. I don't want to butt up the tile.

I didn’t want to NOT tile the area above the bench with the subway as I thought that would look odd (I didn’t want to just have a painted wall there)….so I want to tile the entire shower area all the way around.


Initial thoughts/fix:

Have the guys build out the vanity wall by 4-6 inches to that it creates a visual separation, making the bench tile wall look slightly recessed. However, due to space, that can't really happen. It would bump the cabinets out too much and would intrude on the angled walk-in area.


GC Suggestion:

Put a sheet of drywall or two on top of the vanity wall (floor to ceiling) to build it out a bit. It will probably only come out 1.5-2”. TO ME, I think that is still so short a distance that to the eye it will look like the marble mosaic and the subway just butt up to one another.

Any other great ideas? :)


Note: Flooring in a neutral brown Pergo/wood-look.




Comments (24)

  • PRO
    myricarchitect
    4 years ago

    I would either use the vanity small tile all the way to the corner & let it terminate there, or scrap the smaller tile and use one field tile throughout for everything. You likely have a different floor tile, don’t really need 2 different wall tiles.

  • Lauren E
    Original Author
    4 years ago

    Thanks @myricarchitect. Wood is neutral brown Pergo (Timbercraft - Wheaton Oak) vs. a tile.

  • Rebecca Mauri
    4 years ago

    Your GC's idea of building out the sheetrock is interesting --and 1.5 to 2inches is a lot when it comes to tile. I only know this because we just finished doing a bath and bathroom and I had a tile issues with figuring out my finishing pieces. It seems like you need a transitional tile -almost like a pencil edge that defines the mosaic tile area and then lets you transition to the subway? I guess I am thinking like in a kitchen when the backsplash behind the stove might have a different inset and then it' edged with a skinny pencil or border tile to define the space more?

  • Lauren E
    Original Author
    4 years ago
    last modified: 4 years ago

    @Rebecca Mauri thanks! I'm actually doing something similar in another area so I know exactly what you are talking about - and actually thought about that (meaning, run the white tile alllll the way across the vanity and basically outline the marble. But with the marble + pencil + mirrors [rather large] + sconces, I thought it would be too busy).

  • suzyq53
    4 years ago

    Do the entire wall with the marble mosaic?

  • Lauren E
    Original Author
    4 years ago

    @SuzyQ it's a possibility. :) Of course, more $$.

  • Rebecca Mauri
    4 years ago

    @Lauren E . I am such a visual person so I feel your pain on this. If you bought your tile from a tile store, perhaps you could go back to the showroom and layout a few pieces to see how it will look before you commit? I've had to do this.

  • Lauren E
    Original Author
    4 years ago

    @Rebecca Mauri I have all the samples + flooring and cabinet paint colors. Down to the cabinet hardware. I've got it all! And have been to my beloved Floor & Decor more times than I can count. Haha. They know me there.

  • AJCN
    4 years ago

    We did an entire wall in mosaic. It was $$$, but it was the splurge item, and we saved in other areas. Having the vanity wall continue into the shower, terminating in the corner and then changing to subway might look very pretty. If you are installing a niche, you could use the mosaic there as well, or keep it simple and use the subway with solid surface bottom piece. Do you have a picture of all your materials together?

  • suzyq53
    4 years ago

    Another idea would be all slab marble. Or bump out the drying area wall instead of the vanity.


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  • PRO
    myricarchitect
    4 years ago
    last modified: 4 years ago

    Re: padding the vanity wall out: we did exactly this detail on a long vanity wall (needed a relief break not because of a change in tile but because the existing room was out-of-square). We bumped it out @ 5” (a 2x4 framed wall) and used the space for large recessed medicine cabinets.

    For yours I still think carrying the small tile to the corner is best and you don’t need to lose bathroom space.

  • User
    4 years ago

    Looks short for a walk-in. Is that a rain head only shower, and how far out is the waterproofing being carried?

  • Lauren E
    Original Author
    4 years ago

    @User this is certainly not to spec - I just mocked this up in power point mainly to show the material layout. No rainhead, shower head will be wall-mounted with handheld added.

  • Lauren E
    Original Author
    4 years ago

    @myricarchitect - I'm leaning towards just carrying the tile over.


  • groveraxle
    4 years ago

    Consider shortening the vanity and putting another pony wall at the end with glass from it to the ceiling like you've done at the shower end.

  • Sammy
    4 years ago
    last modified: 4 years ago

    I see that you’re using Pergo Timbercraft on the bathroom floor, but what tile is being used for the shower floor?

  • Lauren E
    Original Author
    4 years ago
    last modified: 4 years ago

    @Sammy it's a charcoal hex to complement the black mirror and shower fixtures I have. Here is a really basic mockup of everything together. Of course, not to scale and the whites don't match here (the marble + tile in person match really nicely). Shower fixtures shown for reference but will actually be on wall opposite vanity.


  • User
    4 years ago

    How long from end wall with shower head to edge of entry opening?

  • fissfiss
    4 years ago

    Check out Schluter edging for transition points...comes in a bunch of sizes and finishes...

  • Lauren E
    Original Author
    4 years ago
    last modified: 4 years ago

    @User because I was most concerned with discussing the materials, my drawing is not 100% correct (and I wasn't that handy when creating it, ha). The glass wall will actually angle into the area before the opening starts, so the walk-in part is more of a straight walk-thru, turn right and the shower opens up due to this angle. Probably 6' from shower head wall to actual opening.

  • Lauren E
    Original Author
    4 years ago

    Thanks @fissfiss - we plan to use schluter to cap off the tile edging where it meets the wall. I know it *could* be used to separate these two tiles but I feel it would still hurt my eyes.

  • ci_lantro
    4 years ago

    What is the vanity counter top material?


    So far, you're using a marble mosaic, white subways, charcoal hex and wood look Pergo. Unknown vanity top. I fear you have too different materials. Fewer materials will result in a more cohesive look, IMO.

  • Lauren E
    Original Author
    4 years ago

    @ci_lantro in the time since this thread has started, I've already flipped the shower floor to white. :)