Shower Tile & How to Relocate a Vent Stack Pipe

One of my favorite parts of remodeling is getting to choose the details. Things like paint colors and tile patterns make my heart pitter-patter. So as you can imagine, I’ve been daydreaming about the tile for our shower for awhile! First we had to get the thing built though!

picking shower tile_0010

You know how on the shows on HGTV there never fails to be some major issue that catches everyone off guard and everyone panics? No exception here. When we tore the wall open between the old shower and the old closet in the master, we discovered the huge, cast iron vent stack was in between those two walls, not the outer wall as we had thought.

picking shower tile_0015

picking shower tile_0016

Those are impossible to relocate (well, anything is possible with a ton of money I guess), so our brilliant contracts suggested cutting it towards the base, making a 45 degree angle towards the outer wall and then going back 45 degrees in the attic to attach to the original roof pipe. Brilliant! You can see in the photo below where it cuts back into the attic at the top.

picking shower tile_0017

Since the shower is so large (about 5 x 5) and since we had to disguise the pipe sticking out of the ground, we added a bench for leg-shaving, relaxing, or reading a book (do they come in waterproof?? :P). One of my favorite parts of the bathroom!

We also added a half wall for some privacy while showering. I’m liking the open shower trend right now, but a little wall privacy is nice while you are sitting. Plus, it gives you a ledge to put towels or a candle on!

picking shower tile_0006

Now the fun part. Tile! I wanted something simple and clean looking, so I went with a classic white subway tile. Surprised? 🙂 It’s actually my first time using subway tile and I’m a big fan. There’s a reason why they are so trendy!

picking shower tile_0001

We wanted to give our shower a bit of pop in the sea of white subway tile though. So I picked some beautiful accent tile. It’s a green-gray color with these shiny silver pieces in it. They actually remind us a lot of the backsplash we put in the kitchen!

picking shower tile_0002

Oh hi, just chilling in my giant, perfectly tiled shower. Running water? No I don’t need that, thanks!
picking shower tile_0004

As you can see, we also added a light in the shower. Our contractors took the light that was on top of the old vanity (now closet) which is on the other side of the wall on the right and made it into the shower light. That bulb in there is temporary, we’ll put a better one in there when it’s done.
picking shower tile_0008
picking shower tile_0010

We took the tiles all the way up to the ceiling. We opted to do a simple 4×4″ tile on the floor of the shower.
picking shower tile_0011

Here’s where my contractor and I disagreed for the first time in the whole process. I had my heart set on dark gray grout, he said he thought it would look dirty.

I did it anyways. I love the look of dark grout, and think it adds depth and a bit of drama to the tile. Besides, cleaning white grout is the most tedious chore in the world. I’m such a rebel. 🙂

SAMSUNG CSC SAMSUNG CSC SAMSUNG CSC

What do you guys think? Are you a fan of dark grout? Back me up here. 😛

Website | + posts

Tania Griffis is an accomplished writer, blogger, and interior designer with a Journalism degree from the University of Oklahoma. She started her popular blog, Run to Radiance, in 2011, demonstrating her design expertise through the personal remodeling of six houses to millions of readers across the globe.

Tania also owns The Creative Wheelhouse, a respected ghostwriting agency for bloggers, further showcasing her talent for creating engaging and informative content.

Similar Posts

6 Comments

  1. Looks AAAAAAAmazing! And I agree, I think the dark grout was a great choice 🙂 I would just bring a blanket in there and sleep in it cause I wouldn’t want to leave it.

    Can’t wait to see the rest of the bathroom 😉

  2. I definitely side with you on the grout. I think the contrast between tile and grout gives wonderful dimension. That accent tile is gorgeous! Would it be creepy if I invited myself over to shower in that gorgeous space?

  3. ” Things like paint colors and tile patterns make my heart pitter-patter. ” – i’m the same way! i cannot wait to have my own home to renovate and make my own <3

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *