Bright is what you get when you have enogh light so up the lighting then choose tile . Where are you putting the tile? I like a nice simple nmatte prorcelain tile 12 x24 for both bathroom floors and shower walls in a nice neutral it is a simple look that allows lots of changes down the road with no need to redo the tile. You will get better answers with pics of the space and the tiles Do not be rushed into something that once done you live with for a long time .Post those pics her ein a commnet DO NOT start another post.

Because slipping, hitting your head, and creating a giant pool of blood in your bathroom is so up to date.

Slippery floors and wet areas are a bad combination.

Nobody can answer as you have not even stated WHERE the matte would go? Matte is nice on the floor, gloss is great within an alcove tub ...........and is easy to clean.

We have no clue what you have selected, the size of the tile, the shape of the tile or anything else...whether it is ceramic, or porcelain.

'It's a ho hum 7 x9 bath."......but it still costs money to redo and LIGHTING and ventilation should be a part of your plan. Show the ho hum space, and what you are planning! There are no visionaries here.: )

FUNCTION: I beat this drum a lot. What sort of water do you have? Matte is tougher to clean, shows EVERYTHING you don't want to show. We have high lyme content so the white ghost drops would drive me nutty on a Matte finish....

It would be gloss for me, for looks, function and cleanability.

Thank you, all. i should have specified in my question that a matte tile will be going on the floor, and the question of matte vs. glossy was in regard to the wallls surrounding the alcove tub. I've chosen a modified subway ceramic tile for the walls. Like arcy_gw, we have a lot of lime/calcium.

Glossy subway is basic and "forever"

I have no clue what "modified subway" is, unless you are referring to bigger, smaller, longer or whatever.

Glossy vs. matte on shower walls is totally a personal preference. Neither one is more up to date than the other.

The more important question is how your tile fits into the whole of the bathroom. What vanity, sink, fittings? What style are you going for? To get the best advice, post photos of all your surfaces as well as inspiration photos.

Ok, based on what I’m seeing here, I will stick with my gut and go with the glossy. Thank you for your opinions!