As the retro decor revival continues, more and more options for period appropriate tile are becoming available. This is great news for anyone trying to repair, restore or build a midcentury bathroom. My latest discovery — two new options for tile flooring that would feel right at home in a pastel vintage bathroom. Merola Tile has added two new color options to their Metro Hex line of porcelain tile — light green and light blue. The tile is $7.95 per square foot — and available to order through the Home Depot website.
As soon as I discovered the existence of these pastel hex tiles, I contacted Maggie McBride, our contact at Merola Tile who promptly sent some samples my way — Thanks Maggie!
Once I received the samples, I was excited to compare them to my B&W Tile sample board to see how they measured up. I started by examining the Merola Tile Metro Hex mosaic in light blue.
It was not a 100% perfect match for any of the B&W Tile colors, but the hex tile was not far off the B&W 20W blue and 20F blue duraglaze. Even though it wasn’t a perfect match, I think it would still be a great choice for someone wanting to create a vintage blue bathroom — or possibly repair an existing blue midcentury bathroom floor.
The Merola light blue hex tiles looked even better with the B&W 121 blue aztec and 29R blue ripple tiles, mostly because of the addition of white into the pairing — which acts to break up the blue a little. Another great idea for using the Merola light blue hex tiles to make a midcentury style bathroom — use the blue hex with white 4.25″ tile walls and blue (or white) fixtures.
The light blue hex tile sample was a very similar blue to the Merola University blue tiles we’ve written about before. Either of these two blue tile selections could be great options to consider for anyone trying to repair, replace or build a vintage blue bathroom.
Next I studied the Merola Metro Hex porcelain mosaic tiles in light green — secretly hoping it would be the same green as my vintage mint green bathroom, which desperately needs a new floor.
I held my breath, turned on the lights, crossed my fingers and compared the Merola hex tile sample to my original green bathroom tiles. Holy moley, its a pretty good match!
Another bit of great news — if you don’t currently have a vintage mint green bathroom, but were hoping to build one — B&W Tile’s 40W green matches the Merola Metro Hex light green tile quite well, too.
It would seem then, that I’ve finally decided upon the perfect replacement flooring for my mint green 1962 bathroom, right? Well — almost.
I decided to use the power of PhotoShop to mock up an all green hex tile floor. Looks pretty good, right?
Then I realized that Merola Metro Hex tile comes in black and white patterns, that could — with just a little more effort — become green and white by swapping out the black tiles with light green. (Note — if you plan on doing any tile mixing with the light blue or light green and the black and white patterns from Merola, make sure to order the patterned tile in matte finish so that it matches the matte finish of the blue and green hex tiles.)
Suddenly, another option has presented itself. Hmmm.
Calling on the power of PhotoShop once more, I ‘installed’ my custom floor tile creation — which I also really like. Drat. What’s a girl to do?
Merola also offers a fun retro black and white flower hex pattern that could be swapped out with the green (or blue) tiles.
As much as I like the green flowers, I don’t think my sleek 1962 house wants to be quite this cute — though I think this flower pattern would look adorable in a slightly older or more ‘Coolonial’ style midcentury home.
UPDATE: Since my Photoshop mock ups don’t accurately depict the green and white in the metro hex versus my vintage tile, I’ve added these two closeups below so readers can better see how the tiles match the vintage bathroom tiles.
So now I could really use your advice, dear readers:
Which flooring option do you like best in my vintage minty green and white vintage bathroom?
Link love:
See our other stories about retro Merola Tile:
- 26 bathroom tile designs for a vintage or antique bathroom — Merola Tile
- Bathroom floor tile in production since the 1970s — 6 colors — and you can order from Home Depot
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With your wall tiles, I like the look of the solid green better.
It looks like your vintage speckled tile is either white or off-white. So I would choose Option #1 or do a green field with a white dot. I would not put the bright white new hex adjacent to your vintage speckled tile. It’s hard to judge from photos, but I would be leery of putting any new white adjacent to any old white, for fear of the Dingy Factor: new white can make old white look dirty.
That green hex throughout the floor indeed adds that classic retro look, but keep in mind that by doing this requires a lot of labor intensive cuts around the perimeter of the bathroom since this tile doesn’t sell “halves or points”pieces. With this is a classic 1950s style bathroom an alternative layout can have a matching white 4×4 white DALTILE #100 or #790 border with a B&W #40F Green Duraglaze.
Oops. I just realized that the walls are “Salt and Pepper’ 4×4 wall tiles that can be used as an alternative border or just stick with the white.
Definitly like flooring option 2.
I love them both, but I vote for Option #2. It adds a brightness.
What I’m enjoying (in your photo-shopped mock-up of the solid green hexes on your bathroom floor) is the ghost reflection of the single sample square still reflected in the side of the shiny tub! (cue theremin sound effect…ooo-weee-eee-ooo…) I wonder, if you go ahead and do the whole floor, will the ghost image remain on the tub? Do let us Twilight Zoners know….
Neil
Definitely #2. I think option #1 is too much solid green. I too have a late 1950’s early 1960’s pink bathroom I am saving thanks to you Pam and Kate. I am lookiing to put in daltile’s hex dot white & gray tile even though technically it is from an earlier period. It’s what matches best. Do what YOU love.
Option 3. Antique white and green. They also make an antique white hex tile. It should match the wall tile better.
I love green, your bathtub is lovely. Think these new green hex tiles are beautiful and an all green floor would be wonderful. Also think you could do a 6″ or 8″ border of the white with green added hex all around walls and tub and interior of floor all green.
Hmm. My mind wants to say option 2 because it looks good with the tub. But I think option 1 looks better because you won’t have your floor pattern competing with the wall pattern. What if you did a pattern like the old linoleum kitchen floors using a borderstripe all around the edge? White with a green stripe? Green with a white stripe? Again, hmmmm.
I, too, have the salt and pepper tiles in my bathrooms. Solid white version (like yours) in the front and yellow with brown specks in the back. I’ve seen similar white ones at Ikea also.
Love the white with the green dots. The solid color doesn’t quite match and it’s A Lot of green. Plus the walls have a ‘dotted’ effect with the random green tiles so it carries the theme, if you will.
If you need more, while reading the post, when I got the the second floor mock up, I inhaled a gasp of delight and thought “that’s much better”.
Good luck on the redo!
I like option 2 also. While we are going green, does anyone know if I could get a new mint green toilet in the newer lower capacity tank? We are in serious drought country here in Texoma.
https://retrorenovation.com/2014/01/21/pink-toilet-blue-gold-beige/
but i don’t think they have green
doublecheck our toilet category
check comments
How about green with the occasional white tile?
I like the white with the green better as well, or Option 2
Option 2! Beautiful!
Hey! I prefer and I have been trying to find the white/mint green hex tile online. Where can I find this?
Pam Too — the link to the source is in the first paragraph – in bolded blue. (Click on any links in bold blue — those are hotlinks that will take to the info referenced)
Is B&W still in business? Can’t reach them. Jeanne
Yes as far as I know…
I like option #2. It complements the tub and wall and not as overwhelming as the green floor.
Greetings, I can’t believe I came across this story as I just purchared these tiles in the black and white flower and purchased the light blue to replace the black tiles. I also want to make a rug pattern out of the blue. My intention was to lay out the floor and replace all the necessary tiles then lay the squares. I called the manufacturer to get a suggestion for a glue to use to replace the tiles and they recommended not gluing them just replacing as I go along. My concern is that it will take so much longer and my mortar will set up. With the uneven edges of these tile sheets it will be difficult to spread mortar to the edge of the tile. I’m curious how you set the tile in your green bathroom.
2nd option for sure. It gives it a clean pop to the space. Option 1 is an overkill on the green.