Charcoal gray shower tile and niche

This shower is tiled in charcoal gray rectangular tile laid horizontally in a running bond, each row offset from the one below. The color shifts a little from tile to tile, which gives the wall texture without any strong color break. The grout is close to the tile color, so the joints show but don't compete.

The long niche sits inside the tile rows. Warm metal trim outlines the opening, and the back and sides are lined with the same gray tile. Around the corner, the rows continue behind a square rain head, a hand shower on a hose and a dark control plate. The brass-toned trim and fixtures stand out against the cool gray.

For a similar shower, we set the niche size and height, the valve location and the tile layout before any tile goes up, so the niche edges land on full rows and the corners don't end in thin slivers. Behind the tile goes a waterproofed backer, and the niche sill gets a slight slope so water runs out of it.