I've been in the flooring game selling carpets timber vinyl and ceramic tiles for 35 years, you are not the only one with this problem. The best solution is to remove the tiles but this is a big job but gives you 100% job but you probably know this. Bamboo flooring is good but please do your research on this because they are made two different ways Cold press and Hot press and the prices very from $30 - $60 also you will need to ask for the VOC certificate for things like formaldehyde. A lot of the cheaper suppliers do not have there's tested. The other thing that the industry is having but they want tell you is the bamboo is expanding and contracting a lot more in the Australian climate. Sorry to put a damper on bamboo. There is a newer floating floor on the market it has been around for about 7 years it is vinyl 4.5mm to 6mm thick its is good for going over tiles as it does not create to-much of a step and other issues in doors and kitchen

I remember hearing of the product in the original question, name added in a subsequent post. My immediate thought was that preparation of the surface is crucial and even more so for this product as it is very thin. This is what I found on the manufactiurer's website. "As far as old ceramic, cotto, stone, marble or PVC floors are concerned, make sure they are sound and firmly fixed. The existing floor must be dry, stable, sound, perfectly flat and clean, which means that there must be no brittle fragments compromising adhesion of Kerlite Plus. Flatness checking should be performed using a screed with a length of at least 2 metres. Place the screed on the old floor in all directions and, if necessary, compensate for any differences in level." https://www.cottodeste.com/solutions/faq?_ga=2.261653453.1349840659.1675227047-1392414663.1675227047

Hi Tash, I would stick with the white paint. You have noted you want timber, marble, grey, white and brass in the space and I feel that if you now add a colour to the walls that doesn't blend with the tiles that sit on the same wall there will be too many finishes in the space. Quite a few manufacturers have tiles similar to the one in your image so I'd check with your local supplier. If you do go with the subway tiles perhaps look for a handmade style tile and lay them as a herringbone style with white grout to get the same textural look you are after. Good luck! Regards, Kathryn.

there is also a difference between ceramic and porcelain tiles - often these issues come down to a combination of (a) tile batch size/consistency (b) tiler's skill/capacity (c) communication in that if the tiler opens the tile box and he can't practically achieve what he thought he might because of the general discrepancies in size then they should at least speak to you before they start. So often with many issues in this game, it's about managing people's expectations and having open/honest discussions at the right time. When this breaks down, problems and disappointment is more likely to occur......so coming back to it, if you have high quality porcelain tiles that are millimetre perfect, square and flat then the capacity to lay them with minimal spacing is higher. Also the substrate/prep plays a part as if it's all out of whack and not perfectly straight/plumb/square then you'll be in all sorts trying to achieve the minimal tolerance detail.