Design

How We Mixed 5 Different Tiles in our Bathroom

November 19, 2020

We believe we should all love where we live.

We’re a couple of homebodies, working to uncover the home our home wants to be. And we’re so happy to have you here. 

Portfolio

Projects

Design

We're Chris + Julia

read more

What we're                   right now

Loving

browse the shop

Befores, afters, mood boards, plans, failures, wins. We’ve done a lot of projects, and they’re all here. 

We have a long-standing relationship with DIY, and love rolling our sleeves up and making it happen. 

Even when you don’t want to rip down a wall, you can make that space in your home better. Right now.

browse all

browse all

browse all

02

01

03

Popular Posts

1.

2.

3.

Top Categories

This post is sponsored by our The Tile Shop. One of our earliest partners! See our very first kitchen remodel here and the wood tile floors from our last home here!

I’ve been showing a few updates here and there of our bathroom on Instagram and earlier this week, someone messaged me and said “I can’t believe how quickly this is coming together!” I laughed because we demo’d this bathroom in JULY so it doesn’t exactly feel fast to us, but I am glad it doesn’t feel like it’s dragging for all of you–hopefully. The good news is the finish line is in site with the completion of tile this week and I’m excited to show you a few progress photos today!

When I was choosing our tile, I really thought about our en suite as a whole. Our bedroom trim is a warm blue, gray paint color (Farrow & Ball Lamp Room Gray) and we painted the entire closet (ceiling, walls, trim and cabinets) the same gray with blue undertones. When it came to our bathroom, I really wanted the space to flow with the adjoining rooms so I was on the hunt for a warm, blue gray tile. I found thee perfect tile that matched the tone of our trim so well–The Tile Shop’s Silver Mist Honed Limestone.

The collection comes in a bunch of different sizes and shapes that we mixed and matched–and even more that we didn’t use here! The Silver Mist Limestone collection has 17 different tiles in it, all made from the same stone, so the sky is really the limit when it comes to customizing. We used 5 different tiles to create the foundation of a classic space that is all the same stone, but in so many different shapes it feels really tone on tone and creates the coolest texture story when they are all paired together! Here’s what we used:

 

Wall Tile

Shower Floor

Wall Skirting

Floor Tile

Chair rail

Countertop: Honed Calacatta White

I’m over the moon with how they all look together. When we were deciding which way to lay the floor tile, we ultimately decided to lay it parallel to our wood floors and since the tub and this window are kind of the focal point of the bathroom, I didn’t want the floor tile to run perpendicular to it.

Here’s a closer look at the tile so you can see all the tones and color. I love choosing neutrals that lean toward a color, in this case, a warm blue, because it’s just makes it so much more interesting. When it came time to choose a countertop stone, we chose a quartzite with blue-ish veining that complements the tile so beautifully.

In the shower, we have the same smaller scale wall tile in the shower (and on the ceiling in the shower). It comes on a mosaic sheet so it’s pretty fast to lay. On the window sill, the shower bench, and the shower threshold we used the same quartzite slab we used for the countertops.

A mosaic is best for shower floors so that they can easily slope toward the drain. We went with the Silver Mist hex tile and it’s just stunning!!

The limestone throughout the bathroom is a natural stone and needs to be cared for as such. The Tile Shop recommended a sealer to apply prior to use, and we’ll be resealing every year as well as using PH neutral based cleaners.

When sealing natural stone, for the wet spaces (shower, around tub or toilet) ensure the sealer penetrates enough until it no longer is accepted, or pools on the surface. Acidic or alkaline cleaners can strip the sealer (which is why a PH neutral cleaner is best). Products we use every day such as shampoos, body wash etc. have ingredients that strip sealer so that’s why re-sealing every year is recommended to maintain the beautiful look of the tile.


The photo below really shows how the chair rail and base trim elevate the whole bathroom. (Note: The walls, ceiling and remaining trim will be painted on Thursday!)

This is the grout we used throughout the bathroom. It’s a really pretty gray that softened everything once applied.

I really do think by the end of this week, we’ll be able to start moving back into our bathroom. Even not using it yet, it already feels like a dream come true, so I can barely believe we’ll be getting ready in here soon! Can’t wait to share more! Psst–The walls will be Alabaster like our bedroom, but do you think we should do the window trim white or lamp room gray?! Weigh in in the comments!

Sources

Wall Tile

Shower Floor

Wall Skirting

Floor Tile

Chair rail

Countertop: Honed Calacatta White

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

What do you think?

  1. Jen W says:

    How far up on the wall did you have the tile go? I see you went above the window. Is there a general rule for this measurement?

  2. Jamie says:

    Absolutely stunning. What is the window you used in the shower and does it have privacy glass? We are trying to find a solution for our shower and love this!

  3. Tahlia says:

    I must admit this has been a slow burn for me, initially I found the tone on tone too much but sure enough here I am loving it! I think white trim will provide some light contrast whilst still tying in with other white elements like the grout, and will allow the beautiful greys to shine.

  4. Erica says:

    Wow, the tiles look so soft and muted and pretty – love love!! I’ve been following on your insta stories and the room looks so much darker there – which is more true to life?
    PS. Grey for the window trim :)

  5. Ashley says:

    So beautiful! Love the warmth of the wood against the tile!

  6. Lana says:

    Absolutely stunning!! Can’t wait to see the room come together with decor and everything. And since you guys got me hooked on contrasting trim, I vote for lamp room gray. No matter what you choose there is no doubt it’s going to be gorgeous.

  7. Courtney Heffernan says:

    leaving a test comment – I’ve noticed lately that my comments are not being posted.

  8. Sara Helms says:

    lamp room gray trim please!

  9. simsim says:

    That beveled corner on your marble baseboard is wonderful!!!

  10. I love the window trims in white. This turned out so lovely

  11. Courtney Heffernan says:

    Its so so beautiful! You have a way with tone on tone that is just *chef’s kiss*
    I have a question for you – when I see this tile I see a cool grey blue. I guess I see most greys and blues as cool tones. What is it about this tile that gives off a warm grey blue? Does lighting make a difference on how the tone is picked up? Would love your perspective on warm tones in cool colors.

  12. NIamh says:

    Its beautiful! Would you be willing to share your tub and tub/shower/sink hardware resources?

  13. Erin says:

    Coming along beautifully, can’t wait to see all the finishes! I think you should continue the trim color from the bedroom and closet spaces to complete the ensuite. Thanks for that little peek of the bedroom from the doorway, am I the only reader who had no idea where the bath entrance was located??

  14. meredith says:

    This is so, so beautiful. I’m a vote for lamp room gray because it will mimic the stone trim around the shower entry :) can I come soak in the tub??? lol

  15. Hillary says:

    Lamp Room Grey!

  16. jess says:

    The best part is the base trim tile! Sooo gorgeous!

  17. Ann says:

    This is nuts, but I am relieved that you have enough room behind the tub that you can operate the windows easily, and get a mop into the space between tub and wall. This bathroom is stunning!

  18. Hallie says:

    Lamp room gray

  19. JL says:

    Julia, the tile work and counters are beautiful. And the wood vanities are stunning! Alabaster on the window and door trims would offer a more seamless look. And I love the contrast of the white and the warmth of the vanity. However, the shower door is framed with the blue/gray (tile) and so are your bedroom doors, so it would be consistent to paint the bath trim in the lamp room gray. (Where I would love to see it, or one shade darker, is on the ceiling!). Whatever you decide, it will look great.

    Would you mind delving a bit into your design decision to frame the windows above the vanity vs. the dry wall/tile return on the large window? Either here or in your IG stories? Thanks!

    • Julia says:

      There’s actually just NO ROOM for trim on the large window. The roof is right there on the outside so we couldn’t move it down so we did a drywall return on it and I think once it has drapes on both sides, it will look framed out in its own right!

      • JL says:

        Thanks for your reply Julia. I guess I was actually asking about the design decision not to do the drywall return on the vanity windows to match the large window. Was it just to have consistency throughout the house?

      • Sarah Craig says:

        It is GORGEOUS! I can’t wait to see the full reveal. An alternate to drapes that might have looked cool would have been (IF there is enough room – I know you just said there wasn’t room for regular trim) to outline the large window in the same tile that you outlined the shower entrance and then, so you didn’t cover that pretty, little detail, automatic roman shades like you have in the bedroom.

  20. Erin says:

    So beautiful! I think Lamp Room Gray would feel cohesive with the bedroom trim.

  21. Leanne says:

    Good morning, this is super random. I remember that sometime in the past you recommended a specific pillow case to help with your skin…. would you be able to point me to that post? I’ve been searching but can’t find it. Thanks!

  22. Danna F says:

    So beautiful! All the limestone tile with the wood cabinets…stunning! I especially love the wall skirting and chair rail. Makes it more luxe!

  23. Lori says:

    I think I would actually do the window trim white. The grout on the floor is so bright that I find it distracting, but it would make sense to me visually if it was echoed by brightness on the trim.

  24. caitlin low says:

    For sure lamp room gray!! It will tie it all in so well!!

  25. Mel says:

    Geeeeez this is luxurious and just stunning. So weird but your stories were one of the last I saw last night and I dreamt that you had a foot heater when you stepped out of your shower that would blast warm air on your feet and in my dream I thought well that’s over the top but good for them.

  26. Brenda says:

    The limestone is beautiful!!!

  27. Carrie says:

    I vote for the trim to be Lamp Room Gray! I think it would go especially well to tie in the door trim on the WC across from the tiled trim leading into the shower.

  28. Claudine Dionne says:

    So gorgeous already! I LOVE the skirting and the chair rail tile!

  29. CarrieJ says:

    Gorgeous! What brand of sealer would you recommend? Thanks!

  30. CarrieJ says:

    Gorgeous! What sealer would you recommend? :)

  31. Liz says:

    Beautiful as always!

    (This is a side note, but something you might be interested in. I’m having issues lately with your site loading really slowly. I’ve tried on multiple computers, operating systems, and networks. Even my new iPhone has issues clicking through. The ads are loading slowly, and frequently, when I’m about halfway into a blog post, the page reloads and scrolls me to the top. I know nothing about website design, but if this is easily remedied, it would make the user experience so much nicer for me. Thanks!)

all the latest

We believe we should all love where we live.

We’re a couple of homebodies, working to uncover the home our home wants to be. And we’re so happy to have you here. 

HI! We're Chris + Julia

read more

Load More

Reader Faves

SHop all

What We're                     Right Now

What We're                 Right Now

Looking for our favorite things? A place to shop our home room by room, or just catch up on what Julia's wearing / loving right now? Browse the CLJ shop. 

Loving

looking for inspiration? 

A reader recently asked me if I’m starting to fully embrace traditional style and whether we still consider our house to be a “modern Colonial” and why. It was a really great question and so timely — I had really just been thinking about my approach to this home and how my style has changed […]

Can We Send You Our Love Letter?

Another way for us to stay in touch! Joining our weekly newsletter gives you access to exclusive content, never-before-seen photos, your questions answered, and our favorite DIYs. Sign up below!

Follow Along on Instagram

Welcome to our online community where we've posted home, DIY, style, renovations, and family since '09. Renovating our #cljmoderncottage in Idaho and headed for new adventures in Raleigh, NC. #cljfam #cljtransformations

@chrislovesjulia