Tiling felt like one of the biggest tasks on our duplex to-do list this year—four bathrooms, two mudrooms, plus two backsplashes still on deck—so it’s a huge relief to say that the floors, showers, and tub surrounds are officially finished (about 95% complete—more on that below). In this post we’ll show the finished floors, share lessons we learned, and explain which tiles were a breeze and which were surprisingly difficult. If you’re picking tile for a bathroom or mudroom, these real-world notes should help you choose wisely.
floor tile | wall tile | shower floor | grout: frost | door: SW Oyster Bay
After two long weekends of hands-on work, we tiled all six floors ourselves—two mudrooms and four bathrooms—and then hired our contractor’s crew to finish the four remaining shower surrounds so we could keep the schedule. For the shower and tub walls we chose a simple, classic white subway tile so it wouldn’t compete with the bolder patterned floor tiles in each room. That means this post focuses mainly on the floor tile choices and what it took to install them.
floor tile | wall tile | shower floor | grout: warm gray | door: SW White Truffle
For the subway tile we used an affordable 3 x 6″ porcelain installed in a standard running bond, the same approach that worked well for earlier projects. Two en-suite showers received a white herringbone tile on the floor to add subtle interest without overwhelming the patterned floors.
We planned the tile selections ahead of time, but made one last-minute swap between two en-suite tile choices when we saw how they paired with different door colors—sometimes you can’t fully know until you see everything together in the space.
To speed the installation, we limited ourselves to larger tiles with interesting patterns rather than small mosaics. Larger tiles cover more quickly and are easier to work with in many situations, though some patterned large tiles still proved trickier than others. Below are the tile types ranked roughly from easiest to hardest to install, with tips and final thoughts for each.
The Square Patterned Tiles
floor tile | grout: warm gray | door: SW White Truffle
The blue patterned square tiles we installed in two bathrooms were the simplest and fastest. Their square shape and symmetrical pattern meant orientation didn’t matter—tiles could be placed in any direction and still line up—so layout, cutting, and edge work were straightforward. Because the pattern is the same on every edge, we reused cut pieces more easily and reduced waste.
These tiles were a manageable size—about 8 x 8″ for one en-suite and 9 x 9″ for the hall bath—so they weren’t heavy but still covered ground faster than mosaics. Each of those rooms took roughly two hours to lay, and the finished floors look detailed without being fussy. Because they’re porcelain, they don’t require sealing like cement tiles do.
One thing we’d change: use a slightly darker gray grout in one room so the grout lines recede and the diamond pattern pops more. We tried to standardize grout color across spaces to save cost, but a well-chosen grout can make a big difference for patterned floors.
The Marble Hex Tile
floor tile | grout: frost | door: SW Oyster Bay
This porcelain tile imitates marble and features a geometric pattern layered over the surface. At about 8 x 8″, it was still quick to install—maybe 3–4 hours—though the hex shape and asymmetrical pattern demanded more focus than the square tiles. Hex tiles require careful spacing to prevent the layout from drifting; one tile slightly off can magnify across the floor. We laid out plenty of tile before mixing thinset to verify alignment and avoid slivers at the edges.
Final verdict: this hex was a bit more challenging than the square tiles, but still very manageable. We used small spacers to keep everything consistent, and the grout color helped disguise minor spacing drift. Overall one of our favorites for style and durability.
The Patterned Hex Tile
This patterned hex tile, used in a hall bathroom, turned out beautiful—but it was the most frustrating to install of the hex varieties. The asymmetrical pattern made orientation critical, which led to some bad cuts and limited reuse of scraps. I even placed one tile in the wrong direction and didn’t notice until grouting day; it was an easy fix but it delayed grouting.
We also ran short of this tile mid-install, so we’d recommend ordering a larger overage—around 25% extra rather than the typical 10–15%—since patterned tiles are harder to use leftover pieces from cuts. Final verdict: great result, but not recommended if speed and ease are your top priorities.
The Chevron Mudroom Tile
Downstairs we tiled two mudrooms/laundry rooms. These large chevron tiles are 17″ x 35″, which made them heavy but also extremely fast at covering a large space. Large-format tiles require creative cutting solutions (we adapted how we fed them into our wet saw) and careful leveling. We used LASH-style leveling spacers to keep flats consistent.
The only odd complication: the manufacturer recommends a nonstandard spacer to match the zigzag within the tile. In practice a standard 1/8″ or 1/16″ spacer is close enough. Final verdict: large tiles can be cumbersome to cut and level, but the chevron design fills a big room quickly and looks fantastic—definitely worth it if you can handle the size.
The Herringbone Mudroom Tile
This floor was the most ambitious and the hardest. We used three long rectangular porcelain tiles in a herringbone pattern—pink, white, and taupe—so the project combined several challenges: a tri-color sequence, many angled cuts, limited reuse of scraps, and a herringbone layout that demands precise spacing. The room size and the pattern complexity meant this one took a full day to complete. If you choose this route, be prepared for a slow, exacting process.
Final verdict: stunning result but not for the faint of heart. If you love the look and have patience (or a pro who specializes in patterned herringbone), it’s worth it. If speed and ease matter more, pick a simpler pattern.
One More Thing: Cutting Around Toilet Flanges
Many readers asked how we make the round cuts around toilet flanges. We don’t have an angle grinder, so we use a wet saw technique: mark the circle, make two long angled relief cuts to remove chunks, then make lots of short close cuts like “teeth” around the circle. The teeth usually break off or can be trimmed again. The final edge isn’t perfectly smooth, but it will be hidden under the toilet. Take care not to remove too much material—your toilet needs a flat surface to sit on.
More Tiling Projects & How-To Guides
If you want to dive into more tiling tutorials, we’ve documented several past projects and step-by-step guides covering subway backsplashes, penny tile, herringbone layouts, installing cement board and large floor tile, and more. Those posts include tips on thinset, grout choices, and leveling systems that we relied on for these rooms.
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