If your biggest concern is grout; there are different types available that offer stain resistance protection. I would suggest a 6x6 for the shower walls with a contrasting bar liner for detail. For the floor either a ceramic mosaic in a hex design or a marble or marble look herringbone.

We currently have epoxy laticrete grout in our current house (marble hex mosaic) that cost us a fortune for material and installation and it has been no better as far as stains. I have it sealed and professionally cleaned once a year and see no major difference compared to regular grout. I swore I wouldn't waste money on epoxy again, Is there a better product?

Shower is easy, it is just the flooring I am having a hard time with. Because as you suggested, all I like are mosaics and lots of grout lines and little boys are the absolute worst!

Thanks Beth. Wow! I really appreciate your input. I actually have samples of all the shapes and patterns you suggest but wasn't sure if they worked.

Seeing the last photo with grey herringbone with the clawfoot tub and white subway tile is super helpful. I think that tile that charcoal color would show water spots and dirt and is too dark, but maybe a lighter and shorter version (3x12 or 4x16), would feel less modern could be just right. And I am a sucker for herringbone, too.

I paid quite a bit extra to upgrade to epoxy grout (laticrete) in our current house and it has been no more stain resistant and we have 2" hex already and it has been problematic, still too much grout. Maybe there is a better product? I agree, regardless of tile, I must use grey grout. My husband is not much better than my son when it comes to aim, so that part I don't expect to improve. ;)

The floral patterned tiles I keep finding (and buying samples of!) I keep ruling out because they are too fussy and ornate and girly for us and I think it is a trend that will be done in a few years. Do you think that the more geographic ones work? I like the cleaner lines and I could be off, but they seem more appropriate for arts and crafts. If so, do you think they will be dated in a few years?

Beth H. can you please send me the photo you had originally posted with the clawfoot, white subway and longer skinnier herringbone? It has disappeared from your message and I would love to have that one for inspiration. Thanks!

Love the last photo you added too with larger hex and border. Simple and timeless but fresh take. That would work for my daughter, she can handle white porcelain tile with grey grout.

this one

I like it,,,didn't know how big your bathroom was though. these are probably 18-24" long tiles.

this on is about 16"

you could do a mosaic w/dark gray grout

love it on the wall too

Sorry for the picture overload here, but there are so many great looks you can do!

i like the simpler patterned black and white tiles that have more of a classic feel to them. this is from the Victorian era. only diff is they used smaller 2x2 tiles to make this look

I don't think they are feminine at all. I love this look

this is the one from Tilebar. has a vintage look to it

this looks like the Victorian one, somewhat

while this one is bit more modern, but still within the realm. It doesn't have to be exact on the period details.

but if you're worried about timelessness, then go w/the classics. I love the herringbone and that's been around for centuries. you could frame it with a black marble, or Nero MArquina edging for a classy look.

Or, do black marble baseboards. (I did them in my water closet w/the black marble basketweave tile)

this is the porcelain one:

If you're worried about the dark, do a matte finish w/porcelain. easier to keep clean. I used Mapei Flex Color CQ (it's not epoxy, it's a urethane, no stain grout)

don't forget about doing an inlay 'rug'. always looks cool

you could do a standard type of larger tile, but then do a mosaic or basketweave inlay in front of the tub or vanity.

Remind kids no shoes in the bathroom. monthly scrubbing w/a grout cleaner should keep things clean.

No apology necessary, love the photo! I really appreciate it. Helps me focus on exactly what I like and dislike.

Not a fan of the smaller arts & crafts/victorian prints, too busy/distracting and colors are drab. But prefer geometry to florals. So, you are right, I am better off with the classics. I may do a larger black and white print in the laundry room/mud room for fun, easiest room to re-tile down the road if I grow tired, but that is what I like now.

I strongly dislike basketweave for whatever reason, reminds me of a stuffy hotel, too uptight and inlays are not my cup a tea, maybe for the same reason. Our style is comfortable and transitional and we live at the beach. Anything too formal feels off.

Yes, we are a shoe free house. But sand is typical, even with an outdoor shower and mts.
It is around the toilet where we have the biggest issues. I will look into Mapei, thanks!

I'm doing a bathroom for a friend in a porcelain marble look a like - It is beyond realistic. I think it's a perfect product for this application which is beautiful, budget friendly and historically appropriate.

so my water closet is uptight and stuffy, eh? lol JK.

if you have sand, then go w/the porcelain.

I still think the print tiles would be great, but I like the black herringbone too. (check Basalt tiles too. similar to the slate, but smoother)

that one will prob fit you home/period the best.

small or large, it all works

I still like a black penny round or hex, but I'd do a border of the white ones, or the flower design, around the edging

Thanks Design girl. Do you happen to know who makes the porcelain marble your friend is using? I have looked at a lot and only found one I thought looked great (came in both a hex mosaic and subway tile) and it was no longer available.

Not at all Beth, it is lovely, just not my thing. I think it is the black dot I don't love with the basketweave, feel same way about flowers and dots in hex, makes me dizzy. Small patterns throw me off on floors if they aren't monochromatic.

Basalt or slate may work well if I can find a lighter bluish/greyish stone with variation in 3x12 or similar and pair with a lighter grey grout to soften. I need to read up on maintenance to see if doable. I don't love the look of a black floor when it isn't in a modern or contemporary house and it will show sand like crazy and drive me nuts.

Porcelain in a lighter shade or pattern is probably best route. Thanks again for your input!

do you like the look of these. they are a larger porcelain hex.

https://www.ceramic-tile4u.com/marble-look-tile-calacatta-amelia-hexagon.html

Floor and Decor has the porcelain marble-look in a 4x12 tile. you could lay this in a herringbone

https://www.flooranddecor.com/porcelain-ceramic-decoratives/calacatta-bianco-polished-porcelain-tile-100465210.html#sz=180&showBrand=true&start=1

Iris Anchors is pretty too

They have a porcelain w/an inlay that looks like marble

https://www.flooranddecor.com/porcelain-ceramic-decoratives/calacatta-labrinto-porcelain-mosaic-100465350.html?rrec=true

this would look nice w/a marble vanity top, (or quartz) and white subway. it's subtle enough

Home Depot has the JeffLewis porcelain w/the brass inlay. this is a larger tile (look for the pictures online. it's actually nice looking)

and I saw this at floor and decor too . onyx and stained glass. this would be pretty in a shower niche!

@Molly H. - She is using the polished version of Marble Attache Lavish from Dal Tile.

Thanks @Design Girl. I'll check it out!

@Beth H. : I have a sample tile of the grey and white printed, may work for my daughter's bathroom. It is one of the more subtle ones I've seen, for sure. Thanks.

I didn't like any of the marble porcelain or ceramics at F&D, super fake looking imo. But I am not giving up. There are some beautiful porcelain "slabs" I've seen when looking for kitchen countertops, it is are becoming increasingly popular and getting better and better.

If you are striving for period appropriateness,many of the above suggestions won't be appropriate. At that time white bathrooms were in because they were considered sanitary. Find some articles in The Old House Journal to learn more about bathrooms in that era.

Go with the classic small hex with a pattern in the edges. Unless you are a super cleaning freak, it is just fine with a light grey grout. I've got this in two different baths in my period house, and I've never worried about cleaning grout.

Thanks @julieste. I appreciate your reply. Yes, I am up to speed on what was appropriate for the period, this will be our 3rd craftsman home. :) This new one is historic, so exterior and windows will remain unchanged and we will keep the bones and character where we can. But, we are not attempting to restore the house and I am not concerned about authenticity every step of the way. Our home has to function for our family. I am looking for flooring that doesn't feel completely out of place and still gives a nod to the period. For my life and my family, speaking from experience, small mosaics are a nightmare to clean and I want to move away from that much grout. Maybe I am a clean freak, lol, but I know I don't have the time to scrub that much grout in our bathrooms (we will have 5 of them). Period mosaics will be used in our master and guest baths, but I need an alternative for the kids, particularly my son. I think the larger hex with a border with grey grout is a nice compromise. For a number of reasons, I haven't decided if I can live with a darker floor, but I do like the idea of a larger herringbone too.

There are two period appropriate options which are easy on the maintenance that haven't been discussed:

1. Cork glue down tiles (sealed upon installation) https://www.icorkfloor.com/store/natural-cork-flooring-leather-6mm-2/

2. Sheet Linoleum (aka marmoleum = brand name).

Both of these options are both period appropriate AND water proof. Warm and comfortable to stand on...

Just a thought.

Thanks @SJ McCarthy. Not the look I am going for, but appreciate the suggestion.

@Molly H. - Here are some photos of the Daltile porcelain look a like a friend is using. They also have one with predominately grays. This one has some gray and some brown/warmer tones.

Thanks @Design Girl. Lovely alternative to marble. I like the look of the pearl arabesque color with grey veining. I wish it was available in more (smaller) shapes and sizes! The chevron is my favorite, but at $25 a sq ft a bit steep for a kids bath. The linear hex is worth checking out. I am sure there are other good ones out there with more mosaics and smaller planks... the hunt continues. ;)

Dear Molly, I doubt you'll see this since the discussion is 2 years old and you must have made a decision by now. You sound EXACTLY like me. I've looked high and low. My home isn't nearly as old, but it is an old bath I'm re-doing and nothing satisfies me. The porcelain encaustics have fewer grout lines, but lack the softer subtle feeling I want. I used to have solid hardwood in bathroom when I lived up north, and I found it as easy to care for as anything barring any accidents - and that's living on prayer.

I would get a fake wood, but my other floors are real wood and I think it would be a wrong look. As for the hex, the best pattern I've seen - to my eye anyway, is the snowflake. The flower and diamonds make me tired.

I think solid wood really is the best if craziest-seeming - or painted wood is BEAUTIFUL - light gray painted or white painted. Both just beautiful, but risk.

Tell me what you finally did if you see this. I'm so interested.

And about the painted wood, I know they make thes tile planks that resemble worn or pickled wood, but they get me cranky because they lack any of the lovely gloss of actual painted wood. All that fake stuff lacks any hint of polish like a natural, finished floor.

Hi @Virginia Lines. The pandemic made decision-making much easier in the end. Tile showrooms closed and supply chain issue limited the options I was initially obsessing over. But we are thrilled with the end result. We went with a marble herringbone, porcelain "marble" hex, and a larger light grey cement hex tile in our son's bath, and an encaustic cement patterned in the laundry for a little fun. Walls are different variations on subway tiles in unique sizes and layouts.

Tile Bar was a great resource and samples came quickly.

I don't like any of the fake wood options either. For our busy household, tile was a no brainer for bathrooms. I do have wide plan european white oak floors everywhere else, however.

good luck!

Thanks for responding. I'm imagining all that. Sounds beautiful.

If you like the look of painted wood, do it! Wood is unconventional in a bathroom, but if you seal it and keep it dry, not impossible.

Thank you for that encouragement. Really, I think nothing beats wood, and without any splashy little one, it's mostly a matter of keeping pipes in good condition because drips are easy to wipe up. When I lived up north in old apartments, we did have wood in baths. (Up north, I say from down in here in Florida.)

I'll be using an encaustic though with respect to my volunteers who would not want to think they waste their efforts, and because I allow them some points in argument. : )