Subway tiles vs. hexagon tiles in the bathroom—what’s your pick?

SUBWAY TILES VS. HEXAGON TILES IN THE BATHROOM—WHAT’S YOUR PICK?

You totally nailed the subway tile analogy—they really are the jeans of bathrooms. I’m in the middle of my first reno and I keep bouncing between wanting that timeless, easy-to-clean subway look and getting sucked in by all those dreamy hex floors on Instagram. I get what you mean about the grout, though. My friend did hex tiles in her bathroom and she’s always complaining about how much time she spends cleaning between those tiny shapes. She says it looks gorgeous but she’d never do it again unless she hired a cleaner.

But honestly, if it’s your own place and you’re feeling the hex vibe, I say go for it. Worst case, you get a little more familiar with grout cleaner, but you’ll have a space that actually feels like “you.” Sometimes the extra maintenance is worth that little jolt of happiness when you walk in. And hey, there’s always rugs or mats if you need to hide a bit of dirt between deep cleans...

- Love how you put it:

“Sometimes the extra maintenance is worth that little jolt of happiness when you walk in.”

Mixing subway on the walls and hex on the floor is actually a solid combo, especially if you want that vintage look with a bit of modern edge. I get what you mean about the grout on hex tiles—maintenance is real. Honestly, in rentals or flips, I usually go bigger on the floor just to cut down on the cleaning headaches. But for a place you’re living in, sometimes the style win is worth it.

“Hex looks amazing but yeah, the grout is a pain.”

Couldn’t agree more. I’ve had tenants complain about keeping those little grout lines clean. If you really want both patterns but less hassle, maybe look at darker grout for the hex? Hides a lot and still pops. But yeah, too much pattern can get busy fast, especially in a small space. If you keep the wall tile classic and simple, the floor can have a bit more going on without feeling overwhelming.

At the end of the day, it’s gotta be something you like looking at every day, even if it means scrubbing a little more often.

I hear you on the grout situation. I once did a small bathroom with those tiny hex tiles and, man, I was cursing myself every time I had to clean it. Looked amazing, but the upkeep is real. I actually tried the darker grout trick you mentioned—worked way better than I expected. Didn’t show every little speck, and honestly, it gave the floor a cool, almost industrial vibe.

“If you keep the wall tile classic and simple, the floor can have a bit more going on without feeling overwhelming.”

That’s spot on. I’ve seen people go wild with patterns everywhere and it just ends up feeling chaotic, especially in tight spaces. Subway on the walls is kind of timeless, too—hard to get tired of it. If you’re living there long-term, I’d say go for what makes you happy, even if it means breaking out the scrub brush a little more often. For rentals though? Bigger tiles all day... less grout, less drama.

Honestly, you nailed it with the dark grout—total game changer for maintenance. I did white hex on my last reno and it looked awesome for about two weeks, then every little thing showed up. I’m with you: subway on the walls just works, and you can get creative on the floor without things getting too busy.

It’s funny, because I used to be all about the intricate patterns everywhere, but after scrubbing grout lines for a year, I totally get the appeal of bigger tiles. Less cleaning, less hassle. For a place you’re renting out, I’d never go tiny tile again. But if it’s your own space and you love the look? Sometimes it’s worth a little extra work just to have something that makes you happy when you walk in.

And yeah, that industrial vibe from dark grout is underrated... adds so much character.