Can I tile/trim just the wall behind vanity? Conflicting opinions

10 years ago

Hi,
I posted the same question on Bathroom forum some time ago, now I made the full circle and back to obssessing with the same question again. With a little twist. I am hoping to get design-based opinions on this Forum.
I am redoing master bathroom which has 2 60 inch alcoves - vanity and tub/shower. I am putting 48 inch vanity in one alcove, so there are around 6 inches of free space on each side. Countertop will be quartz without quartz backsplash. I am planning to tile wall 3 feet from the floor and finish it with listrello border between pencils and a chair rail on top. At first I was going to tile the center wall to serve as a backsplash and just paint 2 wing walls. Family convinced me to take tile/border trim around the wall that separates 2 alcoves through bath/shower and another wall behind the toilet. Large wall across of tub/shower will be painted. I personally would like to have listello in tub alcove at eye level instead of vanity level. Plus I feel like tiling this partition wall would make it stick out even more. Another concern - will tiling walls half way look dated in few years? We plan to stay in our house for 10 years and I do not have any intention to remodel bathrooms ever again in my life time.
We had wallpaper border in the bathroom and just took it down, instantly bathroom looks wider. So I am leery putting back upgraded version of the border. Argument I was given was that only half room will be tiled, the rest painted and it will not cause wall to close on you visually.
Thank you for reading this long post. Can you please give me your opinion how a single wall behind the vanity tiled half way look? Family's opinion is it looks unfinished. What do you think? I guess I forgot to mention 2 wing walls are not equal l;ength, so I do not have a good point to stop tile without wrapping it around partition wall.
If I do take tile/trim around from vanity to tub alcove, is it at all possible to switch heights of listrello from chair rail height to eye level?
I would appreciate any comments because my brain is just spinning without producing any useful ideas.
Thanks!

Featured Answer

ppbenn

10 years ago

I just had a similar dilemma in my master bath. I ended up tiling to eye level. Lower just didn't look right.
Much of this depends on the vanity, mirror, and light fixtures around the sink area.
I would not do the 3 foot high around sink then change to eye level border around tub. I would do the vanity area with border at eye level and go all the way around, including the wing wall and tub area.
It just seems like you would then be tiling to protect the walls from water splash. Which makes sense.

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Comments (9)

OhMarti
10 years ago
Do you have a picture? I can't quite visualize the room.
L.Ann
Original Author
10 years ago
Here is a very rude drawing of the room. Because bathroom is long and narrow it is impossible to take picture of the entire room, just pieces here and there.
Thanks!
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patricianat
10 years ago
On your (c)rude drawing, would you demarcate what is what. Like when you are drawing, write down the wall side if it is west or east, north or south and the inches/feet and what are the things in the pictures. I assume tub, vanity and toilet, but if is it too much trouble to give us the alcove area by demarcating with inches? This would be helpful. Your drawing is fine but size and west/east facing, etc., is helpful.
OhMarti
10 years ago
Though i am still having some trouble visualizing your bathroom, my first thought is that i probably wouldn't cut the bathroom in half with 3 feet of tile all the way around. I would tile to the ceiling around the tub (with your eye level listrello border), tile the backsplash behind the sink, and perhaps tile 3 feet up on the two walls by the stool. Then paint the other walls.
L.Ann
Original Author
10 years ago
Here are some pictures of the bathroom in question. First - vanity alcove. partition wall on the left.
L.Ann
Original Author
10 years ago
This is tub/shower alcove and a toilet. Everything you see will be gone. Except for walls.
L.Ann
Original Author
10 years ago
OhMarti, so you think it will not look weird to have just one wall behind vanity tiled half way? If I do not wrap tile around to connect vanity and tub alcoves, I do not think I will tile behind the toilet, as that wall is connected to tub alcove. Difference in listello border height.
OhMarti
10 years ago
Now that i see your pics, i am going to change my mind. I don't think it would be a problem to tile 3 feet up around the vanity with the border. I also don't think it is necessary to continue on around the wall unless you just want to - i.e. You could end the tile with a vertical molding.

I also don't think it would be a problem to have two different heights of border. In fact, you might consider connecting the two levels by running a vertical border along the shower edges.