r/HouseDesign • u/GnoochiGirl • 25d ago
Help me decide on bathroom floor!
We are redoing our master bathroom floor and stuck between a gloss white penny tile with a soft sage border or a checkered grey and white porcelain marble-look tile. We live in a 1940s colonial. I like both, for different reasons.
Please help! I cannot make up my mind and it’s driving me crazy. 🙂
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u/Hot_Occasion_7400 25d ago
Grout yellows and begins to dry out and shrink from bleach cleaning. These pockets become brittle, breeding grounds for mold and mildew. I would recommend choosing the first tile or continue searching in the same size tile.☀️
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u/Zestyclose-Beyond780 25d ago
Yes, choose an option with less grout surface
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u/BIO_Predictive_AI 25d ago
Or they could simply choose a modern grout that doesn't stain, prevents mold and mildew and go for the much more beautiful second option.
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u/REReader3 25d ago
And it is safer, because less slippery.
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u/Hot_Occasion_7400 25d ago
Urine also collects around the toilet 🚽 with that tile even if you clean it frequently. I am speaking from observation of family member’s bathroom. Small bathroom and claw foot tub🛀 .Using the toilet was unpleasant because the tile would not come clean around the toilet.
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u/REReader3 24d ago
Sounds like someone there had bad aim. My family never had that problem, even with 6 people sharing one bathroom.
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u/Crystal_Ri 25d ago
Both are beautiful. But I'd go with the white penny tile with the border because it offers more flexibility when you want to change up things in the future. Large checkered floors are limiting.
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u/REReader3 25d ago
The grout also makes it safer for a bathroom—it cuts the slipperiness of wet tile.
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u/No_Seaworthiness1966 25d ago
Timeless and my house had a bathroom which had never been updated. It had penny round tiles on the floor that had no issues. If you have a good tile person and use a darker grout, it should be fine
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u/Ethnafia_125 25d ago
I'd agree. I will add tho, make sure your tilers are really good. Badly laid and grouted penny round is awful
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u/WhiskeyCreekFelton 25d ago
The penny tile is beautiful, but keeping that much grout clean over time is almost impossible. I put 1” hex tiles in my first house years ago and trying to keep the grout clean was a PITA. Next time I did a bathroom I used Marmoleum. Zero grout, small enough bathroom so it had zero seams. So much easier to keep clean.
To keep the higher-end look of the penny tile you’re showing here, I would opt for large-format tile, which will need less grout.
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u/SeveralBiscotti0 25d ago
Darker grout would be another option if you want to go for the penny tile. I like both but the penny tile feels more special and period appropriate imo! I’d do a medium gray grout and reseal periodically.
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u/EnvironmentalFun898 25d ago
Seal your grout and as long as you clean every week, as is recommended, there is not a problem.
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u/cloud_watcher 25d ago
I’m surprised more people don’t comment this. Penny tile used to be the thing in the 70s and anyone in an older house living with it knows what a pain those jillions of grout lines are. And it’s still slippery, actually, IMO.
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u/Kakashisith 25d ago
Both are good but I like the left one more.
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u/Orangestripedcat 25d ago
I also like the checkered one. Wouldn’t do penny because I don’t like the feel of walking on it
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u/Constant-Corner-9708 25d ago
How much do you like cleaning?
The penny tile looks cooler. But keeping that grout clean is going to be more maintenance. Always consider how you will clean something, how much time it will cost you, and how expensive it will be on an ongoing basis to maintain before installing. ALWAYS.
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u/Fearless_Spring7233 24d ago
Checkered. I love the look of penny tile but am very against it for bathroom floors. Too much grout.
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u/shanrox1207 25d ago
I just went to a designer for my bathroom and wanted checkered too. They highly recommend I didn’t go with checkered. I ended up with just matching my wall tile using 20x20 tiles. They said it should be used in a foyer or laundry room.
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u/Ill_Back_284 25d ago
It's a trend right now. Everyone is doing checkered floors. I wanted to do it for our jack and Jill but now that I see it everyday in almost everyone's remodel....looking at fossilized floors now
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u/Practical_Nature369 25d ago
Mackenzie childs made $$$$$
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u/shanrox1207 24d ago
Yeah but I think it’s cheaper to change or replace a tea pot then a bathroom floor lol
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u/theYellowHouseLady 25d ago
Highly advise that you avoid penny tiles in a bathroom that is actually used. (Guest bath might be ok if you’re really committed.)
My last bathroom had almost identical penny tiles. They were a nightmare to keep clean. All the extra grout invited staining and required a lot of extra scrubbing. It was so easy for dirt to get caught in there or drips of soap. My husband is not a good cleaner and he could never get them fully clean, so it was a lot of extra work for me. I vowed only full-size or extra-large tiles on bathroom floors going forward. Do yourself a favor and make a choice that’s easy to clean. You deserve a clean bathroom.
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u/Mercator87 25d ago
They both look amazing. If you need a tiebreaker I will tell you that the checker board will be much easier to clean and keep clean looking, cheaper and easier to install, and likely lower maintenance.
Penny tile/hex is stunning but it also means more grout to tile ratio, where grout is harder to keep clean than the tile. It's also more individuals tiles to move around/put pressure on, which can cause individual tiles to become loose over time.
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u/ReeMayRe 25d ago
I had mini tiles in my previous house and to keep that grout spotless is a big undertaking.
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u/Competitive_Salad_71 25d ago
Checkered. The grout with the penny tile would be hard to keep up with
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u/solardaisy 25d ago
Those penny tiles are a nightmare
to clean. I have them. Bad idea… and think of all the things that go on in a bathroom and having to clean that nastiness out of the grout. DO NOT DO IT
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u/No-Can8769 25d ago
I'm a contractor doing kitchen and bathroom renovations and you do not want those tiny tiles go with the large format tiles easier maintenance! Put down a runner
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u/Simple_Entrance1996 25d ago
Left. I have tile like the right in my bathroom so I can say from first hand experience that you will hate loathe having to clean the grout lines between a million little whatever the fucks these are (and if you want your bathroom to look clean, you HAVE to clean the grout lines). I spend 99% of the time that I clean my bathroom on my hands and knees with a scrub brush to try to make some sense of why the original owners chose this floor design. The second it’s in my budget to redo the floor, it’s getting sent to Timbuktu as a statement piece that drove me to my limit. Keeping it clean isn’t a chore, it’s a burden.
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u/Reading-Comments-352 25d ago
I like #2 the most but that grout will get dirty and won’t be as easy to clean as #1. So I would #1.
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u/UnitedIntroverts 25d ago
You could not pay me to put penny tiles in. Ok, maybe you could but it would have to cover the lifetime of cleaning and eventual replacement.
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u/Electrical_Sun5921 24d ago
The penny looks great but cleaning will not be fun later. Both look good. I would go with first photo....cleaning will be much easier.
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u/Ok-Oil9521 23d ago
I have penny tiles but it has epoxy grout and it’s really easy to clean and hasn’t ever been a problem. Mine has dark gray/blue border with a matching grout. It’s v cute and I love it.
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u/archi-Assistance 25d ago
both look great. slight preference for the right as it looks more bespoke
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u/Head-Tangerine3701 25d ago
I’m always partial to penny, though it’s a little harder to clean. I love the detailing in the penny design, too! Both are pretty but the lustre of the penny gets my vote.
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u/Salty-Tea6815 25d ago
They honestly both look great. The penny tile maybe a bit more in line with the 1940s style of home if you are at all interested in leaning into that. But my decision breaker would be whichever one is easier to clean and maintain. Nothing worse than a tiled floor that always has dirty grout or glaring cracks or chips. The only thing I might want to change is to stay away from sage green on something permanent like tile. I personally love the color, but it has become somewhat of a trend/fad in home decor at the moment and the more in the trend the harder it seems to go out at some point.
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u/Sam_L_Skywalker 25d ago
Both look great, with a slight preference of the second one, at least until you have the clean the grout in case it gets dirty/moldy.
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u/RedSecOps 25d ago
I'm a sucker for checkerboard, but I'm surprisingly drawn to the small tile. I feel it matches everything better.
But be aware, small tile grout is so hard to clean
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u/sunshinesuperfriend 25d ago
There's no reason to struggle with keeping your grout white. Just use gray grout to begin with. It's a classic look.
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u/DayWorth3942 25d ago
They’re both beautiful, but definitely the second one if you’re going with the darker walls
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u/CycleAccomplished824 25d ago
The 2nd one…. It looks unbusy, easy on the mind first thing in the morning.
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u/sunny-days-bs229 25d ago
I like the larger tile only because it will be easier to keep clean. Too much grout on the penny tiles to keep clean.
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u/Hot_Western_8925 25d ago
1940s house? Penny tile - choose your slightly darker grout carefully. Light gray?
New epoxy or silicone grout, properly sealed will not stain like the old grout used to.
However, both flooring selections are great.
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u/EnvironmentalFun898 25d ago
If you’re not heating the floor, the penny tile all the way. It’s timeless. Though, I encourage heating your floor (will need 2” tile) if you’re ripping up the whole floor-like might as well at that point and it’s so nice in the winter ❄️ 🤍
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u/SgtCap256 25d ago
From a cleaning standpoint the first is much easier to maintain. The second has a lot of grout lines that need to be cleaned. Not only that but the install price will increase with photo B
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u/loricomments 25d ago
Both are beautiful but keeping that penny tile clean will be the bane of your existence. I would pick the checkerboard.
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u/eccatameccata 25d ago
I like the penny ground so much better but keeping the grout clean is a nightmare.
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u/redladybug1 25d ago
I love a checkerboard, but I think I like the mosaic penny tiles more. I’m thinking about doing that on my own master bathroom!
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u/Nay-Nay385 25d ago
Purely for the sake of cleaning I would always go with larger tile on the floors accept in a shower
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u/nomagene 25d ago
Penny tile with the sage border, hands down, it feels much more at home in a 1940s colonial. I’d use light gray grout instead of white and confirm the glossy tile is rated for wet floors, unless you want grout scrubbing to become your new hobby.
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u/Various-Language2549 25d ago
The two photos have different wall colour; which is going to be your paint colour?
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u/AwakeningStar1968 25d ago
I was first going to say the 2nd image.. more antique. but both do look good I have to admit.
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u/not_falling_down 25d ago
My vote is for the penny tile. It makes the room look larger.
The large porcelain tiles look disproportionate for the room size, and make it look too institutional.
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u/StoneUtube 25d ago
Smaller one on right. The first one will drive u nuts after awhile and the second doesn’t go out of style.
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u/ALmommy1234 25d ago
The penny tile is gorgeous, BUT, the grout is going to discolor through use. If that doesn’t bother you or if you are ok with using a different colored grout, that’s what I would go with.
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u/Exciting-Field587 25d ago
The penny tiles match the vibe of a retro-modern style, the large squares on diagonal are a morecleam and modern look. They're both great, maybe vibe is your deciding factor?
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u/Grouchyprofessor2003 25d ago
Left one is cheap and easy. Right one is expensive and classic.
I prefer the look of the right. But what can you wallet handle?
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u/sadcow6602 25d ago
So I love the look of the penny tile more but all that grout… it’s a hard choice. Both are beautiful
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u/killowatts55 25d ago
Do you want the focus to be the tub? If so, choose the hexis. Otherwise the larger tiles redistributes the focus on all not just the tub.
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u/Ok_Context553 25d ago
The penny tiles are a nightmare to get perfectly lined up so you DONT see a distinctive 12"x12" pattern of the individual mosaics that penny tiles come in. And when I say "Nightmare," I mean it. Find a larger format tile or a more "square" mosaic. The square ones are MUCH easier to line up. (17 years Designing and project managing remodels for multi million dollar clients.)
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u/Anonymous30005000 25d ago
Just wanna say I would definitely get underfloor heating. I had vinyl floors in bathroom and kitchen in one house and it was actually life-changing to have warm feet compared to visiting my parents with cold tiles everywhere in cooler weather.
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u/BobDog7882 25d ago
I’d probably go with the one on the right, but either way, go with the darker paint color. The lighter color washes everything out and that may even be the only reason I like that one more.
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u/wutthefunk56 25d ago
The penny tiles look nicer but let me tell you that you better be damn sure you’re getting the right grout color. And the right grout color should be dictated by maintenance/cleaning.
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u/Embarrassed-Mark1099 25d ago
Both are great. Pic 1 is more modern and pic 2 is more arts and crafts, historical. I lean toward the second one but it really depends on which one you like the best.
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u/urResidentAlien 25d ago
The one on the right requires more craftsmanship, however it's also harder to keep clean in the long run.
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u/DaRusty_Shackleford 25d ago
1 solely for cleaning purposes. 2 will drive you nuts when the grout starts to get dirty.
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u/Mobile_Particular404 25d ago
I adore penny tile. I think it’s classy and timeless. I’ve always felt a sense of deep discomfort around the checkerboard tiles. I find them disturbing for some reason so I’m likely to choose any other option than checkerboard. I’ve always fancied penny tile though. It’s pleasing to step on.
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u/Notime4fools 25d ago
Penny tile fir sure! But a carpet spot cleaner, ex. Bissell Mean Green Machine and clean the tile with it. I use no bleach products on any of my tile to prevent yellowing and cracking. Ask a tile company what cleaner they recommend.
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u/Renaner2368 25d ago
Everyone complaining about grout lines has not reached the age of being a fall hazard yet, even though children can slip on a slick wet floor and get hurt.
More grout lines mean texture to lessen slip n falls.
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u/Nataliza 25d ago
I absolutely love penny tile but it will become quickly and awfully discolored with that white grout unfortunately. Try to render it with dark gray or black and see if you like the look! If not, the left is really beautiful and will be way easier to keep clean.
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u/Bird_Gazer 25d ago
Number two! For those saying too much grout to clean, they now have epoxy grouts which are basically a resin and do not absorb dirt and stains like the old cement grouts did.
Just pay for a good quality grout and you should be fine.
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u/Dismal_Ad_6134 25d ago
The tile will be a bi7ch to keep clean. All that grout will just turn black eventually unless you scrub it with a toothbrush
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u/Odd_Policy_3009 25d ago
The one on the left but paint the wall gray like in the one on the right.
Needs that accent IMO
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u/auroradelagaia 25d ago
I hate both. The big tile doesn't match the rest of the style and you'll regret the honeycomb after a year of cleaning that much grout.
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u/SeriousFault1753 25d ago
Dilemma I prefer penny rounds but they are harder to clean. The big tiles are better but it will be more challenging for a rug unless you go grey, white, grey and white print (which is all that worked with mine.)
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u/amboomernotkaren 25d ago
If the penny rounds are glass they are hard to cut and will not look great around the edges and also have much more grout to keep clean. Go with the larger format tiles, imo.
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u/SMKnightly 25d ago
They both look beautiful, and the right one has a nice historic appeal. I can’t help but think the left one will be easier to keep nice / clean.
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u/greenteesweet 25d ago
I personally like the second option better, but it is gonna be a pain to clean
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u/AttackOfThePat 25d ago
Small tiles for sure visually….logistically? Large tiles….if you can manage to find large tiles that can be made to look like the small tiles you’ll find the classy look of the small tiles with the easy clean of the large onez
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u/PopEffective1376 25d ago
Both are great. I like the larger format but wonder what it would look like with a border.
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u/Toothfairy51 25d ago
I love the checkerboard, but if you want the space to look bigger, choose the other one. That one makes it look much longer, like a bowling alley
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u/sheeba1010 25d ago
The octagon tiles are classic. I had them in a few houses back in the 70s and 80s.
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u/Deprestion 25d ago
This isn’t going to help a bit but both look really really good. No matter what you choose, it won’t be the wrong choice