Skip Pricey Marble: There's A Cheaper Way To Add Style And Durability To Your Shower

When designing a luxurious bathroom, using marble — with its unique veining and colorful variants — is likely at the top of your list. However, adding marble tile in the shower for a wow factor can cost you some serious money. Indeed, per Angi, you'll likely need to fork out anywhere from $20 to $65 per square foot for marble tiles, costing you hundreds for even a small shower enclosure. Luckily, there's a cheaper way to add style to your shower — porcelain tiles. Costing between $15 and $50 per square foot, these tiles can easily mimic the natural look of marble, ensuring they look jut as impressive on your shower floor at a much more economical price.

Kerrie Kelly, FASID, NKBA Board Chair, and the CEO and Creative Director of Kerrie Kelly Studio, told Hunker, in an exclusive interview, "Porcelain is one of my favorite materials for a shower because it gives you that wonderful combination of beauty and practicality — it's dense, water-resistant, durable, and relatively easy to maintain." This means you don't have to worry about regularly sealing your tiles (however the grout will still require care) in order to keep them water-resistant. Kelly also explained, "From a design standpoint, the breadth of finishes available today also means we can create something incredibly elevated without sacrificing performance, which is especially important in a hardworking space like a shower." With this in mind, porcelain provides ample opportunity to turn your vision into reality while curating your very own picturesque shower. 

Kerrie Kelly told us that she sees porcelain as more than just a marble substitute, explaining, "High-quality porcelain can beautifully interpret the movement, veining and tonal variation of natural stone while offering greater consistency, easier maintenance, and often a more approachable price point." To add to this, if you want to build a master shower that looks truly masterful – without incurring the high-costs associated with marble — Kelly suggests using large-format tiles in particular. These can be a particularly convincing alternative to marble "because fewer grout joints allow the pattern and veining to read more continuously, creating that quiet, luxurious feeling we associate with slab stone."

Another important design element to keep in mind is to avoid any polarizing colors or tones, as trends come and go and updating your shower every few years can take a serious toll on your wallet. Keeping longevity in mind, Kelly praised neutrals, "Large-format porcelain in warm whites, creamy neutrals, soft taupes or stone-inspired tones can make the walls feel expansive and architectural." Choosing the right porcelain tiles for your project can ensure a glamorous shower experience without the hassle, or price, of real marble.

And though porcelain tiles can closely match marble, sometimes you need the real thing to elevate your shower. "If the design calls for the unmistakable depth, variation and patina of a natural material, I may choose marble or another natural stone and simply embrace the maintenance and evolution that come with it," said Kelly. For instance, if you want to design a luxe bathroom or are restoring a Victorian house and want a space that feels timeless and elegant, opting for marble tiles is a better option. Pair them with brushed brass hardware for an opulent hotel or spa-like feel. Whichever way you go, keep in mind what the designer has to say: "There isn't one finish that is right for every shower."