We tore out the old subway tile on a rainy Saturday. Not because it was hideous, exactly, but because it was tired. The grout had grayed, the edges had chipped, and the whole room felt like a waiting room. We replaced it with fishscale tile, the Sarina 3×12 Glossy Ceramic in White Ice, and I’m still surprised at how much the room changed. This makeover cost under $300, not counting the pizza we ordered, and we did it in one weekend.
Why We Broke Up With Subway Tile Decor
Subway tile decor was the safe answer in our house for years. We used it in the kitchen, then again in the hall bathroom. It looked clean, classic, and honestly kind of boring. The scalloped shape of the Sarina fishscale tile caught my eye when I was wandering through a tile clearance section online, and I couldn’t stop thinking about it.
The funny thing is, I almost didn’t order it. I told myself the curve would look too busy in a tiny room. But the price was low enough to risk, so I bought a few sheets and taped them to the wall. The moment the light hit that glossy ceramic tile surface, the decision was made. We ended up ordering the full batch that same night.
What the Sarina 3×12 Glossy Ceramic in White Ice Really Looks Like
This tile is not a pure white. It has a faint, cool shimmer that picks up whatever colors are around it. In our bathroom, it catches the cloudy daylight from the window and the soft green of our bath mat. The surface feels almost glassy to the touch, but cleaning is easy. A splash of toothpaste wiped right off, no harsh scrubbing.
One thing nobody tells you about glossy ceramic tile is how much reflection it adds. The top edge catches a line of light, and that line travels across the wall. It’s not a shiny disco ball effect, more like a quiet mirror that makes the room feel deeper. For a tiny bathroom, that alone was worth it.
How We Installed It Over One Weekend
We installed the fishscale tile directly over the old subway tile after a light sanding and a good cleaning. Yes, over it. That saved us from the worst part of any bathroom makeover, which is demolition. We used premixed mastic adhesive and small plastic spacers, nothing fancy.
The Sarina tile comes on mesh sheets, and each sheet was a long, flexible strip of overlapping scallops. Working with it was like handling a wet noodle, but in a good way. The mesh kept the pieces aligned, so we didn’t have to place every single tile by hand. That speed is the reason we finished an entire accent wall in about six hours.
Here’s the honest part: the cutting was annoying. Around the window and the faucet, we had to snip each scalloped edge one by one with a manual tile cutter. It took patience, but the end result looks clean enough that no one would ever ask, “Did you hire somebody?” They just think we got lucky.
Why Glossy Fishscale Tile Works for Small Bathroom Ideas
If you’re hunting for small bathroom ideas that don’t require gutting the whole room, this is a solid one. The glossy finish bounces light around like a soft reflector, and the curved vertical lines keep your eye moving upward. That visual motion makes our five-foot-wide bathroom feel less like a closet and more like an actual space.
We also painted the ceiling a slightly darker warm white, which sounds odd with glossy tile, but it grounds the room. The contrast makes the fishscale tile pop. The old subway tile just sat there, flat and forgettable. This tile gives the room a gentle rhythm, so your brain doesn’t immediately latch onto the lack of square footage.
Cost Breakdown: A Bathroom Makeover on a Real Budget
Lots of tile blogs throw around prices like they’re nothing. We kept every receipt, and here’s what we actually spent.
- Sarina 3×12 Glossy Ceramic in White Ice, enough for a 35-square-foot accent wall: $118
- Premixed mastic, a small tub of grout, and basic spacers: $48
- A trowel, a grout float, and a sponge: $24
- Grout sealer and painter’s tape: $17
- A used medicine cabinet mirror from a ReStore: $25
That’s roughly $232, plus tax. We already owned a bucket
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