Veined Shower with Niche and Pebble Pan

Three views of showers clad in veined porcelain. Two are white with gray veining, around a recessed niche and a pebble floor. The third is a warmer stone-look tile with gold and gray veins that fills a narrow alcove from the floor to the ceiling.

What to look at

The pebble pan is set on a sloped mortar bed so water runs to the drain, and the pebbles are pressed in so the surface is even enough to stand on comfortably. The wall tile stops cleanly at the pan with a small joint for movement. In the narrow alcove, the tile is set so the veining reads from one wall to the next, and the niche edge lines up with the tile joints around it.

How work like this is set

With big tiles on a wall the layout is decided before the first tile goes on. We find the center of the main wall, balance the cuts at the corners and keep the fixtures on tile centers or joints. Thinset is back-buttered so there are no voids behind the tile, which is what keeps large tiles from cracking when someone leans on them.

If you want something similar

If you want a shower like this, start with the structure: the pan, the curb and the walls behind the tile. Then choose the tile, the niche location and the fixtures. Send photos of your shower and approximate size and we will tell you what the job involves. We work in Lakewood and nearby, and the matching service is Bathroom & Shower Tile.