We did a heavy textured tile (each tile also has a different imprint design) in the same size but I went with white grout not to bring out the irregular grout lines too much. I feel it gives texture but not over the top! the pic u posted looks badly laid and they are different size tiles. There is great textured tile at Amber tile or colour tile (I'm in Sydney) otherwise I think like your husband suggests and go with the standard subway (but change grout to black for that industrial feel) otherwise how do you feel about a beveled subway? That would of been my next choice!

Hi creativelychallenged, I'm pretty sure all the tiles are faux-marble from Beaumont Tiles. I've used them in bathrooms and they are cost-effective (from $40sqm un-laid) and look beautiful. Marble and now faux-marble is a classic look so not prone to dating. You may have noticed its recent popularity due to the faux-marble now available as the average homeowner may not have the budget for real marble. People worry about decor 'dating' - think about what you love, what will make you happy to live with - decor doesn't last forever because our own tastes change and decor can suffer from wear and tear. Choose what you LOVE and you can't go wrong :-)

I will be the loan naysayer and go: Vinyl Plank timber pattern tiles. I did these in my kitchen and they helped make the room. Used Karndean, but any European brand should be fine (avoid American and assume they are using American or worse if they don't say the country of origin). http://www.karndean.com/en-au/floors/landing-pages/new-looselay-longboard?gclid=CjwKCAjwspHaBRBFEiwA0eM3kQ7eEFPH5FlK2IwV3o7ZsbbmJ19srG0OM_tWK5dhPMNyDdwxGPUr4BoCoYcQAvD_BwE Caveats: Ground must be FLAT. 100% flat, ruler FLAT. If not you will have to level. If flat, you can lay them yourself. Our floor had to be levelled and it was tough. still got a few high patches and gaps because of that. However I have done it on a concrete surface myself since and it's beautiful. Benefits: Nice and soft on the foot. (less ankle pain) single tile replacement. Looks fantastic. No PVC glue fume issues and fairly resilient. Do be wary though of metal chair legs scraping the floor. Waterproof! when installed right with no gaps! (why I would choose them in a kitchen over timber or Eeek carpet!.... Yes previous owner installed shagpile carpet in the kitchen).

I'd just live with it, paint the walls and vanity your sage green. My decision would be based on the fact that getting rid of the pattern is either going to be extremely time intensive or $$ intensive for not much gain. You can leave that pattern and update the bathroom easily by painting walls and vanity. The only way to get a nice finish on painted tile is to have it resin coated professionally. It's not cheap. With a stone toned bathroom it's always going to look dated because that colour way has been out of fashion for about 30yrs anyway. Best to just update cheaply and refresh the whole bathroom once it's no longer servicable. You spend on average 30mins a day in the bathroom. If it's neat and clean that's good enough. Close the door on it after use.