Tumbled Travertine Shower Ideas

Working with patterns can complicate the installation process but provides a custom look.

Tumbled stone tile of any type lends itself to an all-natural or rustic decor; but when that tile is Travertine, the room immediately calls forth images of old Tuscany. Redoing your shower in tumbled Travertine guarantees you a lifetime of constant scrubbing and periodic resealing, but it also provides a natural beauty and casual warmth that's difficult to achieve with other stones. Don't feel locked into the typical tile "box" shower -- using the tile creatively helps you achieve a more unique look and avoid the "model home" feel.

Mix Sizes

The typical tumbled Travertine tile maxes out at about one square foot, but there are a variety of smaller sizes to choose from. The typical shower installation uses either the large 12-by-12 inch tiles because they can be installed quickly and easily or the smaller 4-by-4-inch tiles because they are closer to standard bathroom tile. Shake up your sizes to add visual interest by alternating large tiles with groupings of small tiles or alternate rows of different sizes. Consider smaller tiles for the shower floor as the additional grout lines provide extra traction.

Use Accent Edging

Tumbled travertine is available in a variety of bullnose tiles and sculpted edging strips that are typically used to give edges a finished look. Get creative by incorporating them into the overall pattern to provide an additional line for the eye to follow. Most installations use them to frame alcoves and shower benches but try using them to add an accent row. Installing shallow-relief designs on the floor provides extra traction, and installing them in vertical lines can create beautiful borders and corners.

Mix Patterns

The grid pattern is the simplest to install and is generally used by default if no particular pattern is suggested. While large, polished Travertine tiles with tiny grout lines can achieve an almost seamless look this way, tumbled Travertine's rough edges remove this possibility. Instead, take advantage of the unavoidable grout lines by incorporating them into the design. Try a grid pattern, as a border, with a diamond pattern across the wall or a staggered pattern in alternate rows.

Mix Colors

You may have found the perfect shade of warm beige tumbled Travertine for your bathroom but consider adding color variations to provide visual interest. There's no rule that says your tile must all be the same color, and tumbled Travertine is available in a wide range of neutrals, depending upon when or where the stone was quarried. For a dramatic contrast, choose a pinkish or reddish tone to offset the light sand color. For a more subtle effect, try ordering your original tile but from a different lot -- there is often a slight color variation between lots due to the location of the original stone where the tile was cut. If you do not want color variation, be sure that all your tile comes from the same lot.

Create a Mosaic

Some online artisan retailers sell tiny tumbled Travertine tiles as small as 1/4-inch by 1/4-inch for use in mosaic making. This is a project only for the most patient and ambitious, but many retailers sell ready-made mosaics that install in one piece and come attached to a screen. Adding a mosaic to your shower elevates it from a typical tile shower to a design statement and transforms the entire room into something straight out of Pompeii. Mosaics are popular on floors -- again, the extra grout lines provide traction. But there's no rule against using them on walls, and some are even sold specifically as border strips.