Choosing Bathroom Tile for an SGV Remodel: Floors, Walls and Showers

Quick answer

Pick by job first, looks second. Use porcelain with a matte or textured finish on the floor, glossy ceramic or porcelain on shower walls, and small tile on the shower floor for grip. Then pick grout color on purpose, bring samples home, and buy all of it at once with extra.

Tile sets the look of a bathroom more than anything else. It’s also the finish you’ll live with the longest.

Picking it can be a lot. There are thousands of colors, sizes and finishes, and they all look great under showroom lights. Here’s how we narrow it down with our customers: job first, then style.

Start with where it goes

Most bathrooms have three tile zones. Each one has a different job.

• Floor: has to be tough and not slippery, wet or dry.
• Shower walls: have to shed water and clean easy. Grip doesn’t matter here, so glossy and decorative tile works.
• Shower floor: needs the most grip, and has to follow the slope to the drain.

A lot of great bathrooms use three different tiles, one per zone, picked to work together.

Porcelain, ceramic or stone

Porcelain is dense, barely absorbs water and wears hard. It’s our default for floors and showers. It comes in looks that copy marble, concrete, wood and stone.

Ceramic is softer and more porous. Glazed ceramic is a good, budget-friendly pick for walls, shower walls included. It comes in tons of colors and handmade-look finishes.

Natural stone like marble, travertine and slate is beautiful, and every piece is different. It also needs sealing, etches with acidic cleaners and takes more care.

Glass tile is great as an accent on walls and in niches. Keep it off floors.

Slip resistance

For floors, check the maker’s spec for wet slip resistance. Many list a DCOF number and say whether the tile is rated for interior wet areas.

Matte and textured finishes grip better than polished. On a shower floor, small tiles help, because all those grout lines add grip and let the tile follow the slope.

Tile size

Big tile, like 12 by 24 and up, means fewer grout lines and a calm, modern look. It needs a very flat floor. That matters in older SGV houses, where floors often have dips. Checking and fixing flatness is part of our prep before big tile goes down.

Small tile, like mosaics, hexagons and penny rounds, suits shower floors and vintage-style bathrooms, like the ones in a lot of older Alhambra and San Gabriel homes. Subway tile works with almost any style.

Grout matters as much as tile

Grout color changes the whole look. Matching grout makes the tile read as one surface. Contrasting grout shows off the pattern, which looks great with subway or hex, but it shows every flaw too.

Cement grout is common and does fine with a good sealer. Epoxy and other high-performance grouts fight stains better and need little or no sealing, but they’re harder to install.

Layout and pattern

• Straight stack or running bond for subway tile
• Herringbone or chevron for a floor or a feature wall
• Vertical stacking to make a low ceiling feel taller
• One accent band or niche for interest without busy walls

Plan where the cuts land. A good layout centers the pattern on the wall you see most and avoids thin slivers in corners.

Match the house

A bathroom that fits the house ages better than one chasing a trend.

Spanish-style homes look right with handmade-look ceramic, terracotta tones and patterned cement-look tile. Mid-century and ranch homes suit simple shapes, flat colors and a few bold accents. If the house still has original tile somewhere, picking something that nods to it ties the remodel in.

Think about cleaning

Ask how you’ll clean it. Textured floor tile grips well but holds dirt. Glossy dark tile shows water spots. Stone needs pH-neutral cleaners. Pick finishes that match how much upkeep you want.

Samples and ordering

Bring samples home and look at them in your bathroom’s light, morning and evening.

Order extra for cuts and breakage, and keep a box after the job for future repairs. Tile batches can vary a little in color, so buy it all at once.

Let us help narrow it down

At your estimate, we’ll look at the tile you’re considering, check your floor and suggest layouts. Call or text (626) 684-3505. See our bathroom remodeling page, and the tub-to-shower conversion guide if you’re rethinking the shower too.

Planning a bathroom or kitchen project?

We'll come out, look at the space and give you a written estimate. Call or text (626) 684-3505, Mon–Sat 8:30 AM–7 PM.

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