For the face of the curb, it looks like they tried to follow how the small piece of tile was around the base of the walls. I would pull those off and do the full tile there or take whatever floor tile you are doing and do that on there.

I would question the use of drywall instead of cement board behind the tiles. The tile pros will pop in here and comment on that and ask you about waterproofing so- be prepared.

It is hard to tell from a picture, but it looks like the tiles are installed well. Those small mosaic hex tiles are difficult to install and hide where the sheets meet.

Good luck

Hi Debbi--thank you.

They certainly put waterproofing membrane throughout. And, I'm not sure what precisely was behind it, but over the summer it certainly bowed, so the contractor will be redoing that wall.

I agree re: full tile--I'm not sure why they didn't just use a whole 4.25x4.25 on the side of the curb.

The tilers were excellent--the bow in the wall was not their fault.

I just feel the blue in the shower stall looks funny. But I presume the shower floor and bathroom floor should be of the same tile overall? This is the tile we are considering instead of the 1" sky blue that is currently there.

I'm not loving any blue tile in the room. I do love your 4x4 white wall tiles, and I would use a 1" white hexagon on the floors both inside and outside of the shower.

I don't think that tile is going to go with the shower floor. They do not need to match at all. There is a lot of pattern in there. I think I would do a large hex on the main floor in white with white grout. Or even a large square tile 16 x 16 or 18 x 18. Then bring in the blue from the shower floor in a nice bath mat or towels or paint a lighter version of it on the ceiling.

I agree with @Diana Bier Interiors, LLC ( i do that often ) there is something off about the blue. Maybe it is just my monitor. If you can afford it, redo it the color and style you want. Sometimes we have to take a hit on a mistake. In the big picture you will be happier with the space.

I'm assuming that if there is drywall inside your shower - a fabric type surface waterproof membrane was used in order to waterproof your walls (Schluter, for example). If that's not the case, you have more issues than a wall bowing. Even if Schluter fabric was used - has your contractor explained how the new areas will have the waterproofing tied into what's not being removed/replaced? Obviously, this part is much more important than what tile you select for the shower pan.

I like the new blue tile better than the solid one that was originally installed. I think it's a pretty tile. It does "lock" you into the blue color for your bathroom vs. using a white hex tile.

I also think that using an entire 4.25" tile on the front side of the curb (or if you decide to change the floor tile outside of the shower - you could use that on the front side of the curb) would be a nice improvement over having the tiny slivers along the bottom (even though I understand that they did that in order to extend the sliver on the adjoining walls).

I fell in love with an aqua glazed tile (v4 - so lots of variation in color). I decided to use the tile on the wall above the vanity. I could have just added towels + other accessories in aqua - however, they wouldn't be nearly as beautiful as this tile (it's not that I'm just a huge fan of aqua in general - it's this specific glazed tile with all of its various shades).

I assume that I will tire of the tile at some point (as styles change/your taste changes/etc.) - so, I purposely kept the tile out of the shower + placed it on a wall where it can be removed and replaced with something else at some point - without having to worry about redoing an entire shower (waterproofing on walls/floor of shower have to tie into each other) - or redo an entire bathroom floor.

I also agree that the bathroom floor tile does not need to match the shower floor tile. Typically, a smaller mosaic tile is used for shower pans (better to have more grout lines for less slippage). However, having the shower floor + the entire bathroom floor in a tiny hex tile would be way too much for me. I would rather have a larger hex on the bathroom floor outside of the shower area (doesn't necessarily need to be hexagon shaped either - just a larger tile in general if you prefer).

Well, you just received input from the "Tile Goddess" of Houzz!

I thought about suggesting that you use the same material as on the top of the curb on the face of it - but I wasn't sure if you'd have more material at this point.

I think Beth H. is amazing re: suggesting tiles + colors - so, I'd definitely consider the advice/suggestions that she has provided!

We used hex for our flooring and opted for 2” on the floor and matching 1” for the shower floor. Where they met the curb or floor, we used 4“ cove base tile. Very happy with all of those choices two years in. I don’t seem to have a great photo, but here’s the best I could find:

Love "Tile Goddess" dani!

@Diana Bier Interiors, LLC I second that vote, Goddess! All of us enjoy your posts, You are helpful, kind, artistic, have an eye for design, provide outstanding solutions and are extremely talented. Keep posting!

You aren't changing any of that out, unless you are changing ALL of that out in a redo. You will compromise the waterproofing membrane otherwise. Also, there should be ZERO drywall in a shower, as it's manufacturer does not approve it in a wet area. There is a lot wrong with a lot described here, and you should really dig into the actual specifics of the build layers.

My vote is for a white tile in the same color as the wall tile even if it is a different shape.

@Beth H. :Thank you so much for brainstorming this!

I agree that the curb is really problematic. I want it to be the same material top front and back and will figure out a way to make that happen.

I am moving away from the blue for that reason, as I think it will be difficult to make the curb match seamlessly or integrate it properly.

I had already ordered a few samples of the merola blue 2" hex nonetheless (frost blue and marine), but am now leaning (after your dazzling suggestions) towards white or even a porcelain grey marble effect (not marble as I have heard it's bad for showers) 2" hex in grey marble. We are also considering black 2" hex. I want it to lean more towards traditional e.g. early 20thC than modern.

Our grout on the walls is a medium grey. We are definitely "transitional" folks and I like that the grey grout is amore traditional than lighter "invisible" grout on the wall.

Really appreciate the time you took to help out!

@Minardi Thanks for that. Our builder assured us that the bowed wall is replaceable--did not specify whether it is on its own or if all walls would have to be removed. Are you saying that if we wanted to remove one wall and just the floor/shower floor the whole thing would have to be ripped out?

I would not use blue on the floor. Its harsh in comparison to the all white and marbe curb. Choose a marble or marble look porcelain for your floor. You could do small blue accents on a white floor. If you want to incorporate blue, tile the vanity wall in blue and choose a softer blue this one is a harsh contrast with the other materials. Or paint your vaniry blue.

If you touch any of it, and remove it, it ALL has to come out. It's ALL or NONE. And he should know that, if there's any type of actual waterproofing system under it.

@Design Interior South agreed! More and more I hate the idea of a blue floor. In fact the picture emerging in my mind is very in line with the photos you have shared--marble-like floor, blue vanity. Our fave colour is blue but accents (vanity, towels, etc) can bring this in rather than the floor. As someone I heard say: the tiles are just the canvas. Thanks!

@Minardi I will bring that to their attention. There is an orange waterproofing membrane underneath throughout. Originally the wall bowing was going to be the only issue--a quality control issue--so their issue (and cost). But then I said I wanted to change the floor (our problem, our cost). If they are redoing one wall and the floor, as you say, then whole job will need to be redone? I guess we'll have to navigate how the costs of the redo are managed...

Thank you.

Full redo needed.

I can't find where you state where the bowed wall is located. If it's in the shower and if you have a surface-applied waterproof membrane, then you cannot replace just one wall. The waterproofing has to be all tied together.

You said there is orange waterproofing underneath. Underneath what? Orange would imply Kerdi, but Kerdi is a surface-applied membrane and goes on top of the substrate, not underneath it. Be aware that it is also possible to put the waterproof layer behind (underneath) the substrate, but that would a different material than Kerdi.

Not enough attention was paid to the layout of the wall tile in order to avoid the slivers at the bottom of the wall. Thought should have been given to the whole room before laying a single tile, instead of tiling the shower first and then just letting the rest of the room end up however it might. If they had dropped down the tiles in the shower so that the bottom row outside of the shower would have ended up being a full tile, that would have eliminated the slivers. Of course, it would also impact the tile at the top. It all needed to be taken into account before starting.

Just a couple of thoughts to other’s feedback—wherever you net out on tile white grout on the bathroom floor is asking for problems. I like the new blue tile but if the current blue is bugging you the new might not feel that different. agree about the small pieces of tile around the base of the threshold. i think that should be the same tile as the wall—and should line up with the adjacent aall—make sure the tiler plans out the pattern to avoid any pieces smaller than half a tile. And if you end up with penny tile like some have recommended, make sure the installer does not lay the sheets like in the example shown i can’t stand when you see the lines if where each sheet ends. Ask the tile installer to move a few tiles at every seam so you don’t get those sheet break lines.

We just finished a small bathroom reno. We used white 12x24 glossy white on the shower walls with white grout and coordinating green tiles on the floor: 2x2 in shower, 12x24 on the floor and side of the curb, 3x24 trim on top of the curb with matching grout. This gives the room a seamless look. In my opinion your contrasting grout makes it look very busy. Curb should match the floor.

Pictures don't show the true color of the tile. It's Angela Harris Flatiron in Aquamarine.

Don't know anything about waterproofing and tiling, but just going on looks I think the curb is the problem. Since you are redoing the shower, (IMO) you should change shower floor to white or something lighter like the white/blue stars. There is too much contrast. Then make the curbing match that so it blends in. I like the blue frost pictured for the room flooring. However, like you realized, the blue can be brought in with accessories or painting the vanity. The room floor can tie the whole thing together with being a bluish toned marble or the blue/white stars or something mixed like that. Good luck!

NO ONE has addressed WHY the wall bowed to start with—
IMO there is likely a water leak BEHIND the tile
Is there a water line IN that wall?
Is there a roof leak in area above the wall where water could leak down behind it???
What about the space on the other side of the wall—a room, a closet, attic space???

Walls do not BOW for no reason…and if you don’t find out why this one did, you might just have same issue again…

And I agree—the entire shower needs to be redone

And thanks to the Goddess of Tile for showing showers using smaller square tiles—
We went with 6x6 white DalTile offset in all three showers in our new home—it was standard so no upgrade charge—and plain white grout. The shower pans were dropped so there was no curb needed.
And PLAN your tile layout so you can choose tiles/sizes that are right size PLUS grout lines to avoid needing cuts…. Choosing tile should involved more than just color and design choice—and remember that tiles dimensions often are different than the description…measure any tile you plan to use

Use white hex on floor and white tiles on wall. Especially if it is an old house - best to stay traditional. Use color somewhere less permanent like paint on walls or curtains/towels. Do not use grey - besides being ugly it is finally going away from being trendy. The grey trend is even worse than the 70's gold and green appliances - they look great compared to the greys and blacks used in recent years. Always use color in items that can be easily changed out, not in expensive permanent items like tiles.

Personally, I am leaning towards no curb at all since the floor is the same inside and outside the shower. Both are waterproof, and small enough tiles that the grout lines give plenty of traction. Great for aging in place and looks seamless. I would guess a glass panel next to the toilet, so just use a longer handled sqeegy to clean both the glass and any overspray.

But you need a new sloped floor away from the entry
That is a whole other kind of building

We renovated our master bathroom two years ago and used the same 12x24 wall and floor white porcelain marble looking for a seamless look with fewer grout lines. Shower floor tile is 2x2 Daltile taupe and we installed a 4" wide white quartz shower curb which matches vanity countertop. Attaching a picture for you and hope it helps on the design choices. I've been there!

I like it, wouldn't change it.