If you hired the tiler you say you hired, then let them tell you how they will do it.

@Minardi, the tile-setter has asked that I provide my tile layout instructions in advance. He is installing the tile, not designing the bathroom. If I want to have the large format tile installed vertically, I think he would be able to do that.

Edited to add: In the early 90's, I hired an expert wall-paper hanger to hang a floral wallpaper with a matching border. I purchased extra paper to make sure that the design would line up with the border on top. I gave no instructions to the installer about this. (I was disappointed in the result -- border did not line up at all, but it would have, if installed correctly.)

First of all, the Blue Mystic polished quartzite is STUNNING!!! Excellent choices, my only concern - " Bedrosian's recommends "snow white" for the grout color." You will regret this in about one month as the grout begins to discolor and you can never get white grout CLEAN on a shower floor. Can you go with a darker beige grout to compliment the wall tiles?

I am pretty sure you haven't hired the level of tile professional that you think you have. All the things you need to decide are usually decided with the help of a tile professional, or a designer in consultation with a tile professional. You have red flags being waved.

@Amy Wilson, I am attaching another photo of the slab. I first saw this slab in April and reserved it in July. I knew that this was the slab I wanted when I found myself lying awake at night and worrying that it would be sold out before I put a hold on it.

I will take your advice on the grout color for the shower floor and look for a color that is less white and more beige.

WOW, breathtaking...seriously! I would have lost sleep too thinking It might get sold out before putting a hold on it... hahaha! Your bathroom will be so beautiful!

@Minardi, the tile-setter's contract says "we respectively request shop drawings, tile layouts, grout selections, etc. be decided within 48 hours [of the installation]."

I am not seeing this as a red flag. What do you think I am missing?

My designer recommended installing rectangular tiles horizontally across the back wall. She dropped out of the picture months ago, but I am planning to go with her recommendation for horizontal installation on the back wall. (I rejected the tiles she selected; they did not go with my slab.)

I’ve also seen a lot of bad penny tile installations on this site. Just an FYI, the Lunada Bay in the silk finish is approved for shower pan usage - because we almost went that direction. You’re also looking at a lot of grout with the 1 X2 tiles, I’d personally choose a bigger pattern than that. We used Taiko but it’s behind our mirrors and in our niche, so not much to clean.

If it were my bath, I would want the quartzite to be the star with no competition, and would take the 24x48" tile up the plumbing wall as well. But I prefer a calmer zen look to my bathroom.

@Jenny, I agree that I want the quartzite to be the star -- so trying to keep all the other choices muted.

@cit3, I have considered Lunada Bay glass mosaic tile in silk finish on the shower floor, but my tile-setter discouraged the idea (he did not say why; he has no problem with installing the glass mosaic tile on the plumbing wall).

I have samples of Lunada Bay 1x4 brick pattern and 1x4 herringbone for the plumbing wall -- so many choices!

I saw this installation (attached photos of two secondary bathrooms in one house) with big-penny tiles at a new-construction build in my neighborhood. I think this looks OK. I don't see grid lines, but it looks sort of like the sheets were installed in a diamond pattern. I don't like the penny crescents on the edges and around the drain. I will need to decide how I want the installer to handle slivers on the edges if I use this tile format.

Another option I have considered is to continue the large-format tile on the shower floor, with a couple diagonal cuts around the linear drain. See attached photo of a primary shower in a different -- more-expensive new build in my neighborhood -- this bathroom has 36X36-inch tiles on the bathroom floor. This option may work, but I think that I would prefer a mosaic tile on the shower pan

We considered large format tile for the showe floor but after setting up a few tiles on my porch an wetting them down thought it was too much of a slipping hazard. We went with a small herringbone mosaic for the floor with matching 24x48 for the walls.

We are on the same page with our bathroom designs (though I don't have that lovely quartzite, I am painting in a similar color). I looked up your tile and saw that there is an "antislip" 24x48" though I didn't see if it was shower-appropriate. I also saw the options of a hexagon, herringbone or small square mosaic in the same tile, if for some reason you decide not to go with the penny tile.

@Jenny,

Yes, the MyTime tile is available in a mosaic -- in Italy. I have a source for the 24x48" tile in Southern CA.. I can special-order the mosaic from Italy (but would need to order a whole palette of it). I will look again to see if I can find a local source for the mosaic.

I like the beveling on the edges of the Bedrosian's big-penny tile. I have 1x1" square mosaic rectified porcelain tile on my two other shower floors and find the edges of the tile sharp and uncomfortable on my bare feet. Maybe more grout would have helped.

That's good to know going into my project. Funny, I am also ordering tile from Italy through a distributor in the southeast, and have been ordering by the case. We'll see what that really means, but I think when I wanted to get 7 sq ft of 3"x12" tile that I only had to order 12 sq ft.

I think your large penny tile is fun, I look forward to seeing your project when finished.

@Jenny, thank you.

I took a deeper dive and may have found sources state-side for MyTime mosaic tiles in 12"x12" sheets -- in chevron mosaic from a supplier in SoCal or "crisp" (linear mosaic) from a supplier in FL. I am trying to get samples of both to see if either would work for the shower floor.

See below for inspiration photos of both used as decorative wall tile. The linear tiles are each 6 inches long by 2/3 inch wide. For the chevron tiles, each "peak" is 6 inches wide.

@clt3, My tile-setter agreed to using Lunada Bay glass tile in silk (matte / etched) finish for the shower floor. So, no penny tiles.

I went down a rabbit hole trying to find a local source for MyTime tile in mosaic. Their mosaics are sold only in Europe. I can get the tile shipped from Italy by special order -- it would be a 10 to 12 week lead time, and then I would run the risk of the tile breaking in transport, plus getting an unexpected tariff added at the port on delivery.

Conceptual photo attached with the glass tile we have selected -- Lunada Bay Shibui collection in Buff color. I was thinking about 1"x1" mosaic on the shower floor with 1"x4" brick on the plumbing wall, but the tile-setter has suggested that we keep 1"x1" for both the plumbing wall & floor in the shower. Still deciding on whether to go with silk or natural (polished) finish on the wall.

I can wait until the tile is installed before choosing the grout color. And probably an off-white for the wall paint.

No glass tiles on shower floors.

You are talking wear rating. PEI. Resistance to abrasion. Light use only for glass in a matte finsh. Shower floors need a different rating than room floors. They need an actual tested DCOF rating of .42 or greater to be antislip enough for wet soapy feet in motion.

@Monique,

Several weeks ago, I contacted Lunada Bay via email and asked: "Is there a risk of the floor being slippery [if using their glass tiles in the silk finish on the shower floor]?"

They responded: "Our tiles are tested in accordance with ANSI A326.3 and meet the current standard."

Note: The ANSI A326.3 standard measures a floor's Dynamic Coefficient of Friction (DCOF) to determine its slip resistance, while a PEI rating measures the wear resistance of the tile's surface glaze, not its slip resistance.

Lunada Bay is a high-respected local company, and their tiles are widely used in my community.

The other issue with glass on a floor is it isn't tempered. A point impact will shatter it.

@Minardi, yes, if I drop a sledge hammer on a tiled shower floor, something bad may happen, regardless of the material that is installed there. Something bad may happen if wear tap shoes and practice tap dancing in the shower.

Do you have something constructive to offer?

All your comments to my post have been negative without any justification. I have hired one of the best tile setters / fabricators in all of Southern California, and yet, you insist that he is "not good enough."