Tiling was one of the most intimidating items on our duplex to-do list this year—four bathrooms, two mudrooms, and still two backsplashes to go—so it’s a huge relief to say that nearly all of the floors, showers, and tub surrounds are finished (about 95% done). Below we show how everything turned out, share lessons learned, and note which tiles we’d buy again and which we’d avoid repeating.
floor tile | wall tile | shower floor | grout: frost | door: SW Oyster Bay
After two long weekends spent tiling the duplex, we completed all six floors ourselves—two mudrooms and four bathrooms—and hired our contractor’s crew to finish the four remaining shower surrounds so the project could stay on schedule. For those surrounds we chose white 3 x 6″ subway tile installed in a classic running bond pattern: simple, affordable, and it won’t compete with the bolder patterned floor tiles. Because we’ve written about subway tile before, this post focuses mostly on the floor tile choices, installation notes, and what worked best for speed and ease.
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 subway tile installed in the familiar staggered layout. The two en-suite showers received a white herringbone tile on the floor to add subtle interest without overwhelming the patterned floor tiles we chose for each bathroom.
We originally laid out all our floor tile selections and paint choices in an earlier post, but we did make one last-minute swap between the two en-suite tile choices because the marble-look tile paired better with the blue-green doors than it did with pink doors. No amount of planning replaces seeing the tiles in place with the surrounding elements, and that last-minute change made all the difference.
We limited ourselves to larger-format tiles with interesting patterns rather than small mosaics because bigger tiles covered the floors faster and simplified installation. Even among larger tiles, some were easier and quicker to install than others. We love how every floor looks, but some tiles required more time and attention. If speed and simplicity are important for your project—or you’re new to tiling—these notes should help.
Let’s start with the easiest tiles:
The Square Patterned Tiles
floor tile | grout: warm gray | door: SW White Truffle
The blue patterned square tiles were the fastest and most straightforward to install. Their square shape and symmetrical pattern meant orientation didn’t matter, so they lined up easily and produced minimal waste—cut pieces could often be reused. Sizes around 8 x 8″ and 9 x 9″ were manageable and filled space quickly without being heavy like oversized tile. Each of these rooms took roughly two hours to lay.
floor tile | grout: warm gray | door: SW White Truffle | wall: SW Spare White
Even though they were simple to install, the finished floors look intricate and interesting, which was our goal. Final verdict: if you want a straightforward install with a strong visual impact, choose square porcelain patterned tiles. They don’t need sealing like cement tile and are low maintenance. One change we’d make next time is using a darker gray grout in one room to let the diamond pattern read more strongly; we economized by using the same grout color across multiple rooms, but a darker grout would have made the diamonds pop.
floor tile | wall tile | grout: frost | door: SW White Truffle | drop-in tub
The Marble Hex Tile
floor tile | grout: frost | door: SW Oyster Bay
This porcelain hex tile mimics marble and may be our favorite overall. It’s classic and bright, with a geometric overlay that makes it unique. At about 8 x 8″, it was manageable and provided quick coverage. It took a bit longer than the square tiles—around 3–4 hours—mainly because hex shapes need more precise cutting and alignment and the asymmetrical print demanded concentration. With hex tiles, even small layout drift can compound over several rows, so we dry-laid lots of pieces before mixing thinset to confirm alignment and avoid narrow slivers at the edges. Using 1/16″ spacers helped keep consistent gaps, and the grout color we chose disguised minor spacing deviations effectively.
floor tile | wall tile | grout: frost | door: SW Oyster Bay | wall: SW Spare White
We used a premixed Mapei grout that doesn’t require sealing and proved durable and stain resistant; after a year of heavy use it still looks great. Final verdict: this hex was a bit harder than the square tiles but totally worth it for the look, provided you plan your layout carefully and use small spacers to maintain alignment.
The Patterned Hex Tile
This other hex tile installed in a hall bathroom gave us the most headaches. Like the marble hex, it’s non-square and asymmetrical, but its printed pattern was even more particular. That made reusing cut scraps difficult and increased the chances of orientation mistakes; we found one tile installed in the wrong direction only when it was time to grout. Fixing that tile required breaking and replacing it, which delayed grouting. We also ran short on tile mid-install and had to order another box—several readers reported similar shortages with this product, so err on the side of ordering extra. Final verdict: while the result looks great, this tile is not the best choice if you need speed or minimal fuss. If you choose it, allow for around 25% overage to be safe.
floor tile | grout: warm gray | door: SW Oyster Bay | wall: SW Spare White | drop-in tub
The Chevron Mudroom Tile
Downstairs, the two mudrooms use a large chevron tile. We haven’t grouted these rooms yet due to heavy foot traffic during construction, so photos are progress shots. The rectangular chevron tiles (17 x 35″) filled each mudroom quickly because of their size, although they were heavy and a bit cumbersome to handle and cut. Big tiles require attention to leveling, so we used LASH spacers to keep edges even. One minor annoyance is the manufacturer recommends a 2/17″ spacer to align tile spacing with the chevron pattern—an odd size—so we used a standard 1/8″ or 1/16″ spacer instead and achieved good results. Final verdict: large chevron tiles are worth the effort for a big space; they look great and installed quickly given their coverage, but expect heavier lifting and careful leveling.
floor tile | spacers | wall: SW Spare White | trim: SW Extra White
The Herringbone Mudroom Tile
Finally, the toughest installation: a herringbone floor created from three different long rectangular tiles (pink, white, and taupe). This was a combination of everything that makes tiling hard: angled cuts, many short pieces, a color sequence to maintain, and strict spacing to prevent pattern drift. Because the room is large, planning and cutting took a long time, and the entire installation required intense focus. It was by far the most time-consuming room—one full day of work. Final verdict: the herringbone tri-color floor looks amazing, but it’s labor intensive and best avoided by beginners or anyone seeking the quickest install. If you love the aesthetic and are prepared for the effort, the result is worth it, but know what you’re signing up for.
Cutting Around Toilet Flanges
Many readers asked how we made the round cuts around toilet flanges. We didn’t document the process while working, so here’s the approach we use without an angle grinder: mark the circle, make two long shallow relief cuts to remove chunks, then make a series of short, closely spaced cuts around the edge to create “teeth.” Those teeth usually break away, and any stubborn bits can be trimmed back on the wet saw. The result isn’t a perfect circle, but it will be hidden beneath the toilet. Don’t be too sloppy—the toilet needs a stable, flat surface to sit on, so avoid cutting so much that the base would be unsupported.
More Tiling Resources
If you want to dive deeper into tiling techniques and see other projects we’ve shared, we’ve covered subway tile backsplashes, penny tile installations, herringbone subway patterns, cement board and large tile installs, and outdoor oversized tile projects in previous posts and tutorials.
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