thanks everyone, very helpful. I am really not keen on even considering carpet given how much water gets around the floor!! The floor tiles are currently vinyl tiles with a vinyl grout! They have stood up to the last 13 years of general wear and tear and are sitting solid and strong - we will probably just tile over the top with whatever we decide to go with! Taking the base out and creating a walk-in shower means removing all tiles, and some of the slab, re-screeding and re-tiling..... so having said that I really would prefer to keep the base and spend the cash in the kitchen!!!! :) Again, thanks for your ideas. Time to put some into action!

Hi jgjustingordon63! Good luck with your reno - it can be exciting and scarey doing a reno! Have you considered doing subways a bit differently such as the pic below (I found via Pinterest)? This way, it doesn't matter really the size. Check with your builder/tiler re the fall if you want large-ish tiles for the floor. If it's a small bathroom, this might be an issue. In the pic above they've gone with small tiles which also looks really lovely. One other point I would make from experience...We used charcoal floor tiles AND grout. Bleach can discolour the grout, so you just need to be aware of that. There are ways around it and you can re-grout down the track (at an expense) but just giving you the heads up here! Good luck!! And do post after photos when you're done!

Hi Chris The cheapest option is Grind & Seal, but we usually recommend Mechanically Polished Concrete for inside of a home. This is by far a better option, if you were to go for a Matte or Satin finish it is less expensive than a higher gloss finish. Mechanically Polished Concrete does not have a top coat sealer requiring drying and curing time and does not need re-applying in the future which will save time and money in the long run. Because Polished Concrete does not require drying or curing time it can be used as soon as the process is completed unlike the Grind & Seal option. All floors are slippery when wet, a non slip agent can be added to a top coat sealer which would be the Grind & Seal method which we do apply in a shower area if there is not a shower base. Polished Concrete in Matte and Satin finish does have a very good slip rating, has no grout lines as with tiled floors where dust can get trapped therefore it is a wonderful easy to clean flooring solution. Hope this helps, I have provided some details regarding the 2 main processes below There are 2 different finishing processes / methods that are commonly called Polished Concrete, they are very different so it is important that you know the difference & which process/method you want and which is being used on your concrete Polished Concrete - 12 to 17+ step process During this process the concrete is ground to the desired level of stone exposure. After grinding the concrete surface, the Polished Concrete process begins. This process has a densifier applied in multiple stages that is absorbed into the concrete which hardens and strengthens the concrete. A Polished Concrete Floor is Polished in Multiple stages in a Refining Process using diamond tooling & resin pads. A penetrating sealer is applied in the final buffing stage to complete the process The "Polished Concrete" process has "NO TOP COAT SEALER" applied therefore there is no drying or curing time required so your space can be used as soon as the process is completed Grind & Seal (a 3 to 4 step process) This is NOT Polished Concrete. Grind & Seal is often referred to as Polished Concrete, this is the cheaper substitute that gives a "Polished Concrete Look" With the Grind & Seal method the concrete is ground to the desired level of stone exposure and a TOP Coat Sealer is applied such as water based, solvent based, urethane, acrylic or epoxy requiring 5-7 days to dry & cure

Hi Doug, looks great! regarding the floor my only suggestion would be to avoid the grout line down the centre as you have it. it is the first thing that draws your eye, and if you are going to the detail and expense you are then looking down is not what is going to show it off. From that I mean make it complementary to other things not competing.... eg a simple 1/3rd 2/3rd off set to break up the line and allow your ceiling feature to draw the eye. cheers