Designing and Installing a Unique Tile Countertop and Bathroom Floor

In the past few years, I’ve had the opportunity to help design and install both a tile countertop and a bathroom floor that deviate significantly from traditional designs. While it demanded more time and intricate planning than a standard tile installation with just one or two tile types, the final outcome has been exceptionally rewarding. This project allowed for creative expression and resulted in stunning, personalized spaces.

Bathroom Floor Tile Installation

The Story Behind the Tile Transformation

My parents’ home, built in 1980, was beginning to show its age, particularly in areas like the countertops. The original countertop, crafted from discounted tiles from a local artisan shop, was charming but had become somewhat monotonous after two decades. They faced a dilemma: what kind of surface to replace it with? Granite was appealing, but the sheer size of their kitchen island (4′ x 8′) and countertop (3′ x 12′) meant that a single slab was financially out of reach. Tile offered more versatility, but finding a design that wasn’t bland across such a large area proved challenging.

They yearned for something more dynamic. To spark inspiration, I took my mother to a tile mosaic shop. The explosion of colors and the sheer variety of tiles were captivating. We left with boxes upon boxes of tiles, each with its own unique character. We decided to create a mosaic countertop, but not the typical broken tile kind. Instead, we drew inspiration from quilt designs, piecing together different shapes and colors to form a cohesive pattern. The entire process was organic, evolving as we went. My parents were so thrilled with the results that we decided to extend the same mosaic treatment to their bathroom floor!

A Step-by-Step Guide to Creating Your Own Tile Masterpiece

Here’s a detailed account of how we brought this unique vision to life:

1. Sourcing Your Tiles: The Treasure Hunt Begins

Our tile sourcing involved visits to a tile mosaic store and nearby tile factories. We were fortunate to live close to two reputable tile manufacturers: McIntyre Tile and Heath Ceramics. Heath offered a dedicated room filled with discounted seconds and overstock. McIntyre hosts a large annual sale of seconds and surplus materials, typically in the fall. The mosaic store, though now closed, was a treasure trove of overstock, seconds, glaze samples, and experimental tiles from various manufacturers. Most tiles were sold by weight.

We purchased a diverse range of colors, sizes, and textures, including a box of matching tiles for the kitchen countertop border. We operated on a rough estimate of our needs, knowing that this approach required buying more than we would ultimately use. This ensured we had ample variety and choice during the design layout phase.

2. The Design Phase: Unleashing Your Inner Artist

The first step in the design process was to organize all the tiles, arranging them by color and size. This created a visual palette that made it easier to conceptualize the overall design.

The 6″ tile color palette. Notice the old tile counter underneath (tiles also from McIntyre).

3″ tile color palette

We established some basic parameters for the layout. For the kitchen counter, we decided on a 6-inch border of large, matching tiles and a 6-inch grid pattern within the border. The backsplash and bathroom floor were designed with a more free-flowing approach. To visualize the counter tops, I created a scaled paper layout in a separate room. I then moved back and forth between the tile arrays and the paper layout, carefully selecting tiles and placing them onto the paper, experimenting with different color combinations and patterns.

Mock-up of the kitchen counter on paper.

The 6-inch grid on the kitchen counter was achieved by alternating 6-inch tiles with smaller groupings of various shapes and sizes that, when combined, created a 6-inch square. When we abandoned the grid for the bathroom floor, it became more challenging to maintain consistent grout spacing. However, by that point, I was more comfortable with the design process and able to adjust the layout accordingly. We had a tile saw on hand, which we used to cut tiles to fit into awkwardly sized gaps in the design. We fabricated all the border tiles (6″ x 12″) from 12″ x 12″ square tiles. With more meticulous planning and different border tiles, we could have potentially avoided using the tile saw altogether.

3. Laying the Tiles: From Vision to Reality

For the kitchen counter, we first constructed the base using plywood sheets, which were glued and screwed together. This base was then covered with cement board to provide a suitable surface for tiling. I drew a grid directly onto the cement board with a sharpie to serve as a visual guide. We adhered the tiles using thin-set mortar, mixed in a 5-gallon bucket.

Since the tiles were pre-arranged on the floor in the living room, we needed a method to transfer them to the counter without disrupting the design. We used small plywood boards (approximately 3′ x 4′) to carefully move small sections of the design from the floor to the counter, one section at a time. This method proved less effective in the bathroom, where the absence of a grid made it difficult to accurately account for grout thickness during the design phase. As a result, we had an excess of tiles when we began laying them. However, by this stage, I had a good understanding of the shapes and sizes, so I simply re-designed that portion of the floor as I laid the tiles.

Bathroom Floor before border tiles and grout

Due to the diverse sources of the tiles, there was significant variation in thickness. We compensated for this by applying a varying thickness of thin-set mortar to the back of each tile. Thicker tiles received a minimal amount of mortar, while thinner tiles received a more generous layer. After all the tiles were laid, we used the same plywood boards to apply even pressure across the surface, ensuring that any tiles protruding too far were pressed down.

4. Grouting and Finishing: The Final Touches

After allowing the thin-set mortar to cure, we proceeded with grouting. We chose a neutral gray grout, which complemented the diverse range of colors in the tiles. And that was essentially it! Here is the finished bathroom floor (well, almost – the tiles are done, but the baseboard trim is still pending).

Bathroom Floor with border tiles and grout

The Final Results: A Showcase of Creativity

The Kitchen Island

The Backsplash

Share Your Story!

I’m eager to hear from others who have embarked on similar projects. My parents have never encountered anything quite like this!

This project demonstrates that with a bit of creativity, patience, and willingness to experiment, you can transform ordinary spaces into extraordinary works of art. The use of varied tile colors, sizes and textures adds unique personality and is a surefire way to add value to your home. Consider mosaic tile work in your next home upgrade project.