5 White Subway Tile Gray Grout Facts You Must Know

White subway tile is a home design element that seems to always have a special place in the heart of homeowners as well as designers. This choice is not merely about the particular brick-like appearance. It is also about the easy-cleaning value and the fact that the tone is excellent in reflecting light for a brighter interior.

When talking about white subway tile like this, we cannot separate the topic from the use of grout to fill the gaps between a tile and another. Of course, that is not the only function that we can get from this detailing because it can also enhance the look of the entire tile design itself.

In this post, you can find 5 facts about white subway tile gray grout that you must know before deciding to use the combo in your home design. Some inspirations to use the combo will also be included here so read further and get inspired.

1. Gray Grout Visual Effect on White Subway Tile

There is a general rule that people, including also home designers, usually follow when they are about to add grout to the subway tile. If the tile is bright, you should choose something darker. If it is quite dark, select a grout that is brighter than its tone.

Here, the specific type of subway tile that we are talking about is white. That is why gray is also considered as a suitable color you can pick for the grout since it is darker than white.

The good thing about this option is that it can create a different look that will make the tiling design more attractive. When standing alone, the white subway tile tends to show a clean and bright impression that can also make a room looks ample.

When you pair it with gray grout, the appearance will change a bit while you can still get the visual effect that we have mentioned previously. The new detail that you will get is a contemporary touch. Besides, the grout can also give a relaxing impact since it seems to tame the brightness of the white tile.

2. Different Colors of Gray Grout

Grout is something that we can generally explain as the mixture between cement and water. In some cases, sand can also be added. However, it usually gives a bit different result because sanded grout is commonly stronger and more suitable to use in an area with heavier traffic.

Because of the use of cement as the primary material, it reasonable that many people think that grout is naturally available in gray tone. The fact that you need to know is that it is not the only color you can find.

It gets even more interesting because when we specifically talk about gray grout, there is a quite big chance for you to find different shades to consider. The choices available for you are even broader because each manufacturer usually has various options to offer to you.

If you ask us about which brand to check, it will be quite difficult for us to answer. Usually, each has its specialty that makes their product more recommended picking than the others. Although so, let us talk a bit about some examples from Mapei just to let you know that gray grout is available in many shades.

We choose this brand as an example here because it provides quite a lot of choices of gray grout that you can pair with the white subway tile. Besides, the product is also quite easy to use. Although so we don’t say that other brands are not competent to consider, and you possibly already have your preference when it comes to a similar product.

From this brand, there are more than ten choices of gray grout available. Those include; Frost, Warm Gray, Alabaster, Mint, Rain, Cobblestone, and some others. Each shade provides a different look when paired with the white subway tile. Check here if you are interested in knowing further about the product.

3. How to Pick the Right Gray Grout for Your White Subway Tile

The fact that you can find different shades for the gray grout is excellent. However, it can also lead you to a problem in choosing which one is the right choice for the white subway tile in your home design.

To solve it, the best solution that we recommend you to do is none other but comparing two or more gray grout products. The way is by seeing how they look like in real life. The easiest way to do it is by going to a home and building store that provides the showcase with white subway tile and gray grout as the primary materials. Many shops usually provide this to help their customers to find the best product.

Although this idea seems great, in reality, there might be several problems that make it hard for you to do the observation. First, you need to provide a time, which can be a lot, to go to one or more stores to find the showcase. Second, such exhibition with the specific grout brand that you want is not always available at the local home and building stores located near to you.

If those are so, what should you do then? Well, you can always make your sample board. This one is a better choice because you can be specific about the white subway tile that you will use in your design. The same thing is also applied for the considerable gray grout products with different shades that you have carefully select.

How to Make the Sample Board

The way to create the sample board is quite easy to do. First, you need to provide all the items required. Those include:

1. Different choices of gray grout (Here, you can buy the smallest packages or order some sample product from the manufacturer to save cost)
2. Some white subway tiles (Use the ones that you will use in your design later for a better result)
3. Plywood or any board with enough size for the sampling
4. Glue gun
5. Small containers and spoons to mix the grout
6. Trowel or putty knife
7. Sponge

Next, you need to follow the steps below.

1. Attach at least four white subway tiles on the board that you have prepared by using a glue gun. This item is more recommended to use because the glue can dry very quickly, so the process of creating the sample board can be done faster. In this step, you must consider the space between each tile that you will later use to apply the grout. To make it easier, you can draw the exact measurement by using a pencil and a ruler.
2. Mix the grout in the container by using the plastic spoon. Please follow the instructions from the manufacturer for this step because usually, each product has different ways of mixing.
3. Apply the grout mixture in the gaps between the tile by using a putty knife or a trowel. Don’t forget to press it for the maximum result.
4. Remove the excess grout mixture by using the same tool
5. Let everything sit for several minutes or time recommended by the manufacturer
6. Wet the sponge and squeeze it properly so there will be no excess water. Use it to clean the tile so you can finally see the clean grouted lines.
7. Let the grout perfectly dry to see how it looks on your white subway tile

When done with a grout shade, you can move to another by repeating all the steps to all the gray grout products that you want to test. Finally, you can find the best choice to meet your taste.

4. Where to Use the Combination

Commonly, the use of the subway tile with gray or any other grout color is on the wall instead of on the floor. If being asked about in which room you can use it, the answer can be various. Moreover, you can also get creative in using the tile and grout combo in your interior or exterior design in any way you like.

However, we cannot deny that the combination is more common to use in some rooms in the house. Those include the kitchen and bathroom.

Check out the following ideas to inspire you in using the white subway tile that specifically has gray grout as the detail.

3x6” White Subway Tile and Medium Gray Grout on Farmhouse Kitchen Walls

This one is an example of the usage of white subway tile and gray grout in a farmhouse kitchen design. Here, instead of using the tile only for the backsplash area, the designer uses it to cover the entire walls.

The size of the subway tile in this design is 3x6 inches. For you to know, it is the most standard sizing when it comes to this kind of material.

According to the designer information, the grout shade used here is medium gray, and there is a particular reason behind this choice.

As you can see, the kitchen area has white color domination, especially in the wall area. The use of medium gray grout here creates a more subtle look for the entire wall design, which finally avoids the room from looking too bright.

Serene Transitional Bathroom with 3x6” White Subway Tile and Platinum Gray Grout

Here, you can see that the bathroom also has white as the primary tone since almost everything in there is white. The subway tile that you can see here also has a standard classic size, which is 3x6”.

The type of grey grout used as the pairing for the tile wall is platinum gray, which is also suitable to say as a part of the medium grey shade category. The existence of this tone, as well as the colors of any other gray detailing in this transitional bathroom design, erases the too bright impression in the place. Together they create a more serene and calming place for cleaning up and relaxing.

Cozy Traditional Bathroom with Warm White Subway Tile and Platinum Grout

White subway tile is also available in warm tone options, just like the one you can see in the wall design of this traditional bathroom. Something like this is suitable to choose if you hope to create a cozy atmosphere in the interior.

The coziness in this bathroom design gets even better because the designer also pairs the white subway tile with the warm-looking Benjamin Moore Powell Buff HC-35 wall paint.

If you want to know about the type of grout used here, it is platinum gray.

Bolder Look with White Subway Tile and Delorean Gray Grout

In using a white subway tile, some people want the grout to be more visible so that they can create a bolder look, particularly on the lines between the tiles. If you are one of those people, you can choose a darker shade of gray in this case. The example is the Delorean gray grout used in the farmhouse bathroom wall design above.

From this picture, you can also know that the combination of gray grout and white subway tile is not only suitable to use in interior design with white domination. As you can see, this bathroom also has a quite prominent green color on the upper part of the walls.

Contemporary Bathroom with White Subway Tile with Darker Gray Grout and Grey Stone Floor

Do you know another great design element to pair with the combo of white subway tile and gray grout? It is none other but gray-colored flooring.

In this next example, the tile and grout combo appears on the walls of a contemporary shower room. The grout shade used here is dark gray.

This detail has quite high compatibility with the natural grey stone flooring. Moreover, the room also has another detailing to support the compatible value even better. It includes the grey niche and concrete bench.

Perfect Vertical White Subway Tile Wall with Charcoal Gray Grout

Do you want something different than the conventional way of arranging the white subway tile on the walls? If yes, please take a look at this example. This one has vertical styling.

Diagonal Herringbone White Subway Tile Wall with Gray Grout

Here is another example of patterns you can use on the wall by using the white subway tile. This one is Herringbone. However, instead of being installed in the most regular look or sideway style, the designer chooses to install it diagonally.

Another good thing about this example is that there is complete information provided by the designer. It is about the wall and the grout used as the pairing. The white subway tile here is a standard 3x6” that comes from Daltile. On the other hand, the grout is Mapei Keracolor Unsanded Grout #104 Timberwolf.

Accentuating White Subway Tile Wall with Light Smoke Grout

You can also use the white subway tile to create an accent wall for arresting more attention in your interior design. Check out the picture of a traditional powder room above as an example.

Here, the white subway tile, which comes from Clayton Tile exists only on one side of the walls so that it creates an accentuating effect. The other wall sides get a sandy color from paint.

The type of gray grout used in this project is light smoke. Different brands commonly provide this general shade.

Beveled White Subway Tile with Gray Grout

If you also want the white subway tile to add texture in your design, you can choose the beveled style instead of the regular flat one. This one adds dimensions that can make your design looks more attractive.

In the example above, the white subway tile and gray grout usage are on the wall-size backsplash. It is a unique one because it does have not only a beveled style but also a Herringbone pattern that can bring the look to a different level.

Oversize White Subway Tile with Charcoal Gray Grout

The last idea that we want you to take a look at is available in this contemporary bathroom picture. It is the use of oversize white subway tile instead of the one with standard sizing. Here, the pair is charcoal gray grout.

This idea is perfect for you to choose when you want to cover the entire wall with the tile but do not want the final result to look too busy.

5. The Cleanliness of Gray Grout on White Subway Tile

The last but not least fact you need to know about the combination between gray grout and white subway tile is the cleanliness. There are two most significant facts that you must know here.

The first is about the subway tile, which is often made of ceramic and is usually glazed. From the material choices, it is reasonable that people often considered the design element to be the one that is quite easy to clean.

There are quite a lot of ready-to-use solutions available at stores to make the cleaning more effortless to do. However, if you want to use something you can make at home, it is also very possible to do. The example of a particular solution you can make on your own is the mixture of water, vinegar, and soap.

The second is about the grey grout. For you to know, with the color, you should not worry that there will be any too visible stain that will make the grout looks dirty.

Although so, it is still recommended for you to do special grout cleaning once in a while. The purpose is none other but that you will get the best tile design appearance as well as keeping the quality.

Closing

Those are the five fundamental facts about white subway tile gray grout that we want you to know. By recognizing all the points, we mention in the list; hopefully, you will gain more knowledge about both of the tile type and the grout shade. It is particularly before using the same elements in your home design.