Veined Tub with Black Fixtures

White porcelain with soft gray veining covers every wall here, from the floor to the ceiling. Matte black fixtures sit against it: a rain head, a handheld, a tub filler and a black-framed niche. A short half wall in the same tile separates the tub from the shower.

What to look at

The veining is the reason layout matters. Neighboring tiles are pulled from the boxes in order so the veins continue across the joint instead of colliding. The niche is sized to the tile, with its edges falling on tile joints, and the black frame is set flush so there is no ragged cut around it. The half wall is capped with a single piece of the same material, so the top edge has no joint line to collect water.

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

Before choosing tile for a bathroom, check what is behind the old tile. Soft drywall, stains at the base of the wall or a pan that holds water point to a rebuild rather than a retile. Send us a photo and the approximate size and we will give you a straight answer. We work in Cerritos and nearby, and the matching service is Bathroom & Shower Tile.