Do you have a profesional tile contractor to install? Have you consulted with them regarding the possible selections?

Good idea, thank you!

To some extent, the price is going to be reflective of volume of sales and how long the company has been making the tile, and then the size and design of the tile. There is nothing inferior about a basic Daltile or American Olean tile in 4.25" square size in terms of physical characteristics or function. Properly installed it's not going to perform any worse than an Ann Sack glazed ceramic tile at ten times the price. The Daltile will probably give a more mass produced appearance, and the Ann Sacks will have a more handcrafted appearance. With an uneven edged tile like you are looking at something like a hand made true zellige type tile is going to look more handmade but an inexpensive mass produced version will have a much more manufactured-looking "uneveness". Theres nothing wrong with either. It's likely the manufactured tile will be easier to install, and it's possible that it could perform better over time because of being easier to install properly.

Then, even within the same tile line from Daltile, Wood Violet, a lavender color, is going to be a lot more expensive than White, because the Wood Violet is probably going to be special order and produced at a much lower volume than White.

do you squeegee the water off the shower or tub walls... ??? water is not kind ......between redoing caulk periodically and a quick squeegee I dont know why you would entertain the thought of uneven edges. get a basic glazed tile ...the best quality you can afford so moisture cannot hang out and maintenance will not introduce risk of chips [uneven edges] etc.

smooth durable tile need not be boring.....tiny grout lines....smooth tiles....simple layouts but not boring.

Hilton Head Plantation · More Info

Fun Mid Century Bathroom · More Info

The big issue with "handmade" tile, either real or faux, is the temperature and firing. Real handmade zellige is low temperature fired, with varying distances between the heat source and tile in the kiln, leading to varying porosity in the tile. It can be VERY porous and highly irregular. Which is the whole point of it's charm to those who love it.

Large company produced "handmade" tile that is really machine made will be fired in a true industrial kiln, which will achieve uniform porosity throughout the tiles, leading to better glaze coating, and resistance to water infiltration into the tile body. Larger companies produce more volume, with "better" processes for how Americans expect their tile to behave.

The real stuff is very pricy, because it's smaller batched, irregular, and doesn't generally conform to the American aesthetic of always looking brand new and perfect. Most Americans really really prefer the fake handmade, because it's more predictable, and will stay virtually the same throughout it's life of use. If you wouldn't use marble in a shower because of it's care and reputation, you will not be happy with true hand made zellige tile. Especially since it costs that much to look that imperfect.