A Timeless Marble Bathroom Design
By Kylie
May 7, 2026
Is there anything more timeless than marble? While bathroom trends come and go, nothing is more timeless than marble. Classic, traditional, transitional, cottage – marble does it all.
Amongst my 12,000 completed online paint color/design consultations are some local projects, where I get a bit more hands-on and handsy. My clients were moving from Calgary, Alberta, to build a custom home on our beautiful little island. They needed advice and guidance on products, finishes, layout, etc, as well as someone to answer the builder’s questions on-site when they were back home in Calgary – and I was the gal to do it.
Partnering up with Dan, the project manager, we made our way through this new build, bonding over Starbucks, sills, siding, and Schluter strips.
Now, there are many amazing parts to this beautiful home (including a wine room UNDER the stairs), but today, we’re hitting the primary bathroom (mostly because the amount of editing I still have to do is insane – I may be talented, cute, and modest, but a professional photographer I am not!)
THE MARBLE-INSPIRED BATHROOM LAYOUT
This bathroom boasts a walk-in/walk-out shower, a freestanding tub, a double vanity, and a separate toilet room…
The countertop is Cambria Kirkstead (it looks yellow on their site…it’s not), which is predominantly white with just weeee tiny speckles. It looks beautiful with the gray-painted floating vanity (which has lighting underneath, and I have ZERO photography skills to capture that effect).
The Best White Quartz Countertops
Will this gray vanity go out of style? You bet your cute lil’ booty it will, but it’s nothing a coat of paint and new hardware can’t fix.
Directly across from the double vanity is a wall with towel bars, which is also the back wall of the walk-in/walk-out shower.
Personally, I’m a weirdo about towels and prefer white or at least neutral ones, but I accept the teal ones, since they’re Lisa’s fave color…I mean, it’s not my home, ya know (too many Designers get caught up in what THEY want). To the left, you can see a wink of the freestanding tub.
However, being backlit, me and my epic photography skills couldn’t get a great shot – this is as good as it gets…
Pretty and sparkly – a girl’s best friend.
Now let’s look at the bathtub from the other end…
With two shower heads and a rain shower, just TRY not to get wet in this one.
THE MARBLE & MARBLE-LOOK TILE CHOICES
We kept things simple by doing two tile styles throughout the entire bathroom. The main large tile is a porcelain that looks like marble, making it a) more budget-friendly and b) easier to maintain. We put it on the shower walls and bathroom floor/baseboards. The hexagon-shaped marble mosaic is in the alcoves, decorative panels behind the faucets, and on the shower floor.
Affordable Ways to Design With Marble
Notice how the hexagon tiles on the faucet wall are finished with a marble pencil edge to separate them from the main tile. They also stop about 12″ shy of the floor. This helps define the wall/floor areas so things don’t smoosh together (super-technical term; look it up).
THE PAINT COLOR
We wanted a soft, gentle color on the walls, and ended up choosing Benjamin Moore Balboa Mist. This is a super soft, lovely, warm gray with vague purple undertones – perfect with Lisa’s teal accessories.
Here’s the view from the primary bedroom into the bathroom…
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An Affordable Marble-Inspired Bathroom
4 PART SERIES: How to Create a Timeless Home
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Comments
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What color did you paint the trim in this bathroom? I have Balboa Mist in my bathroom and want to freshen the trim and I was thinking of cloud white but worried that it may look too yellow.
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Hi Kate, yes I think Cloud White could be too warm toned, take a look at BM White Dove for a softer look or SW Pure White for a cleaner look!
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I have balboa most on walls of small bathroom that gets lots of light.want to paint med oak vanities…but am going crazy with the colors I. Grey.should I go a bit darker….I have Santa Cecelia granite on double vanity.white fixtures and trim..and 20 year old yellow cream floor tiles my husband insists we hold on to..I was thinking collingwood…or maybe a darker like thunder grey for cabs.
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Hi Karen! You’ll find with cabinets that they tend to look lighter than you THINK they will once they are all painted, which is important to keep in mind. If you go too light (ie: Collingwood) it could clash with the creamy yellow of your floor tiles…
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What color paint is used on the vanity? Hubby and I are doing a total house refresh. We chose Balboa Mist for the entire home. Is the vanity also painted with Balboa Mist?
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Hi Crystal, that’s actually a pre-fab cabinet colour!
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Hi, love this wall colour! What paint was used on vanity? It looks slightly darker than the walls. Very classy.
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Hi Sonny, thank you! That was actually a pre-fab colour by the cabinet company! Somewhat similar to SW Dorian Gray, but warmer…
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Hi Kylie,
I keep coming back to this bathroom over and over again – Gorgeous! I have similar taupey purply marble tile with oak cabinets in Master Bath and painted the walls Pale Oak. Something feels off (too warm? fleshy? esp next to my Chelsea Gray MBR) and I couldn’t put my finger on it until I bought some Restoration HW Charcoal and Mist color towels, then BAM it hit me…I really should have chosen Balboa Mist instead. Are these colors different enough to make a repaint worth it? Trim, doors, ceiling are White Dove. South West facing exposure. Thank you! -
Beautiful! You are very talented!
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Does Balboa Mist work well with orange tone wood doors and trim.? Also natural cherry furniture? Does it downplay the orange?
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How about agreeable gray? Or with marble does it have to be a true gray?
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Hi Ashley, it can depend on the marble! I’ve seen some marble look pretty with Agreeable, but USUALLY the prefer a cooler or slighlty more blue/purple/green gray :). If you have northern exposure it can help as Agreeable often looks slightly gray-blue in northern light.
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Love the marble, creates a nice upscale look when done tastefully.
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Love the bathroom! Everything about it. What is your opinion on polished vs matte tile on bath floors? Polished looks beautiful, but is it too slippery in a family bath? Going with Statuary porcelain tile, deciding between polished vs matte.
Thank you!
Ann D.
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Hi Ann, PERSONALLY, I don’t love polished tiles with SOCK FEET. While bare feet seem okay, it’s the socks that make me nervous. Generally speaking, shiny tile is often a bit more glam looking.
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Hi,
Thank you for posting . You’re so cute! Would you know the tile color/name? Which hexagon marble?Thanks.
Shari -
Hello! So beautiful! What color did you use on the bedroom walls? TIA
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Ahhh, that’s Benjamin Moore Collinwood with Asphalt as a feature wall!
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Hi. I love this bathroom so much. Classy and classic! My question pertains to the large tile on the walls and floors. What size are the tiles? And did you use polished tiles for both floors and walls? Assuming they are marble? Thank you.
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Hey Renee, thank you! These tiles are 24×24 and are actually a porcelain tile made to look like marble! No sealing, no staining – just perfectly polished and ready to go1
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I love the balboa mist but my bathroom cabinetry is white with luxury vinyl marble flooring like you posted but l am looking for a grey wall to brighten things would boothbay grey be too dark or should l use stonington. Grey or Coventry grey? Love your opinion Kylie
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Oh gosh, I’d have to see the exact white of your cabinetry and vinyl flooring, otherwise I’m 100% guessing! You’re welcoem to check out my online consulting! https://www.kylieminteriors.ca/hire-kylie/
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Hi! Adore your taste:). What do you think of BM Gray Mist or Seapearl with Carrara marble? Thank you!
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