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How to tile a corner where 2 types of tile meet

K A
10 months ago

Side 2 will be large format porcelain and i have bullnose. Side 1 will be subway. i cant picture how the tile will transition on the corner. doni also need trim pieces for the subway? or cant it be butted up against the buttnose somehow? The bullnose will run from floor to ceiling. The subway goes 43” up the wall.


Comments (35)

  • Lyn Nielson
    10 months ago

    is the subway tile a new application or is it existing?

    and you are wanting to add another wall of tile?

    I do not see it clearly in the photo.

    I have to different tiles that meet, but it was all done at the same time...

    Once I really understand what you want to do, I will send a pix of what I did.

  • K A
    Original Author
    10 months ago

    Both walls will be of new tile ( large format porcelain and subway) done at the same tile. im wanting to see how it should be done. The wall in the pic is of old tile that will be ripped out. I want to know the best way to do the corner to make sure it gets done right.

  • Lyn Nielson
    10 months ago



  • K A
    Original Author
    10 months ago

    Thank you for the picture. Mine is an outside corner though. Your tile is very pretty!

  • Kelly Jones
    10 months ago
    last modified: 10 months ago

    The bullnose will go beyond the subway wall the thickness of subway tile + adhesive. The subway tile will then butt up against the back of the bullnose.

    You'll also want the horizontal grout lines to at least closely align with each other, depending on the sizes of each.

  • palimpsest
    10 months ago

    The original installation was never done correctly with two bullnoses like that.


    The tile with the bullnose is set the thickness of the abutting tile past the corner and then the other tile is butted up against the back of the first one:



  • K A
    Original Author
    10 months ago

    Yes for most applications i understand that would work. But, what happens when one section isnt as tall? Is one section of bullnose further back the part that just hits the corner and not subway? The the other bullnose is further out?

  • K A
    Original Author
    10 months ago


    See like this person did it wrong but how do you do it with bullnose for the full tile wall and pencil for the half tile wall.

  • Kelly Jones
    10 months ago
    last modified: 10 months ago

    Can you get the subway in a bullnose too? Either that or consider using the subway all the way up as well.

  • K A
    Original Author
    10 months ago

    The subway doesnt have bullnose just a small trim piece thats flatter than jolly. Tiling all the way up that wall would add cost to my project in materials and labor. Id rather not if i can figure out a good solution.

  • palimpsest
    10 months ago

    What you need is bullnoze for the subway on the short side, then piece of corner bullnose and long side bullnose for the top row of bullnose. For the porcelain you butt a regular flat edge piece up to the subway bullnose and use bullnose porcelain above where the subway stops. And you have to set the height of the bullnose wainscoting at the height of a horizontal joint between two of the porcelain tiles to make a nice transition.


    K A thanked palimpsest
  • K A
    Original Author
    10 months ago

    Lol yes! See this is why i like houzz. Thank you for helping with my tile puzzle.

  • K A
    Original Author
    10 months ago


    Palimpsest, this right? excuse the poor art skills. pls.

  • palimpsest
    10 months ago

    These tiles are all the same size but the principle is the same.


    K A thanked palimpsest
  • K A
    Original Author
    10 months ago

    Yes thats what i was attempting to draw. Thank you i will save this picture.

  • K A
    Original Author
    10 months ago

    Palimpsest, can you answer another question for me? In my master shower there us a door very close to the shower stall. It has been suggested that i tile up to the trim. Thats not a bad idea but im tiling to the ceiling. how do i run my bullnose from the too if the door to the ceiling so it looks right? Also should i even tile this way? Should i end my line of tile before the door?


  • PRO
    BeverlyFLADeziner
    10 months ago
    last modified: 10 months ago

    If you have to change the tile, it’s best to do this at an inside corner. It’s more professional.

    The same applies to paint colors. They are usually changed at an inside corner. Just creates less drama with the change of materials.






    K A thanked BeverlyFLADeziner
  • K A
    Original Author
    10 months ago

    I agree that transitions in inside corners look better. However in this bathroom the only way i could do that is if i tile the shower further and wrap the shower material around the bump-out. I posted a previous question and everyone agreed i should only tile to the edge of the bump-out and not wrap it around. So, when deciding between the two, is it more professional to tile around a bump-out and keep the transition in the inside corner? Or, tile to the edge of the bum-out and have the transition on an outside corner? There will be bumps-outs on both sides of the new shower. pic is of the current space.


  • PRO
    Skippack Tile & Stone
    10 months ago

    What is the benefit of using 2 different tiles in this situation? You will also have to keep in mind that both tiles are not the same thickness and they are be touching at one point.

  • K A
    Original Author
    10 months ago

    The second tile will only be on the wall behind the sink toilet for a backsplash. Aesthetics?

  • palimpsest
    10 months ago

    Any reason to not use the same tile throughout?


  • K A
    Original Author
    10 months ago

    Well… i have already purchased the second tile and i cant return it. The shower stall tile will be on the floor as well and i thought it would be too much of the same thing. Im not a designer, just a homeowner. If i had to do this over i would 100% hire someone. I have had so much anxiety about all if this. There is so much i didnt know i didnt know. Now i am in up to my eyeballs and almost done. I just kind if want it to be over so i can stop obsessing over it. Just making sure all the undertones in the tile matched was such a headache.

  • PRO
    Skippack Tile & Stone
    10 months ago

    Without seeing what you are using and how the vanity wall is changing; I would use the same tile as the tub area for the bump out. Visually the whole tub area will be seen as one and make the space seem larger, more cohesive.

    K A thanked Skippack Tile & Stone
  • K A
    Original Author
    10 months ago

    vanity wall will have a new cabinet in the same size and same placement. just no more horrible thermafoil!! i have a 30x40 mirrored medicicne cabinet. quartz counters and the backsplash will run to just above the faucet so that will be about 7.5 above the vanity height. new toilet but placement not moving. Everything is light in color.

  • palimpsest
    10 months ago

    You don't really need tile on a vanity wall or behind the toilet. I prefer it, but it's not at all common in new builds or new remodels and many people consider it "old fashioned"

    K A thanked palimpsest
  • K A
    Original Author
    10 months ago

    I like it and we arent moving anytime in the foreseeable future. partly it was because there was question to whether or not i had enough quartz from my slabs to do my splashes after i did shower curbs and ledges. i didnt want to purchase an entirely new slab just for that so i went with tile. I think tile work is very pretty. My house is spanish colonial in florida. My color choices all tie in with that. warm and rustic. Its all from bedrosian.

  • K A
    Original Author
    10 months ago

    If i had the money id probably have tiled the entire walls behind the vanities in both upstairs bathrooms. I think thats looks so dramatic. backsplash is makato in beige subway.

  • PRO
    Sabrina Alfin Interiors
    10 months ago

    @palimpsest 's photo is the right idea.

  • chispa
    10 months ago

    This was in my previous house, but shows you an outside corner wrapped with the same shower tile. I also like to run the tile all the way up and tile the shower ceilings. We didn't do any tile on the toilet and vanity wall.


  • K A
    Original Author
    10 months ago

    Thats looks very nice thank you for the picture.

  • chispa
    10 months ago

    Another thing for the future ... for many of my projects, once I picked the tiles I wanted I paid a designer friend to draw up scaled drawings to give to the GC for quotes and to the tile person to show them the exact layout. No guessing when you have a roadmap to follow and work out most of the details and potential problems ahead of time. Notice I did add one more row of the Deco tile once I did a dry layout on the floor with the GC and tile guy, but that was an easy adjustment to make during installation.


  • K A
    Original Author
    10 months ago

    Chispa, yes im drawing things up myself as best i can. Thats why im asking all the questions. I meet with my gc and the tile guy on tuesday to go over everything.

  • K A
    Original Author
    10 months ago

    Did you glass doors go to the ceiling with this tub/shower? Is it a steam shower? I am tiling to the ceiling but not the actual ceiling.

  • K A
    Original Author
    10 months ago

    I noticed that your tile pieces are cut at the bottom of the stall and full at the top. visually that looks really clean. is that possible with really large tiles? what if my ceiling isnt perfectly level? i watched a youtube tile guy lay large format in a shower and he started at the bottom with a full piece. again, whats the professional/correct way?

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