• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Home
  • About
    • Contact
    • Meet Kris
    • FAQs
    • Media
    • Disclosure
    • Privacy Policy
  • Home Tour
    • Master Bathroom
    • Kitchen
    • Kitchen Eat-In Area
    • Family Room
    • Living Room
    • Home Office
    • Laundry Room
    • Master Bedroom
    • Craft Room
    • Dining Room
    • Garage
    • Guest Room
    • Guest Bathroom
    • Patio
    • Powder Room
    • Teen Blue & White Bedroom
    • Teen Boho Chic Bedroom
  • Projects
    • Room Remodels
    • DIY Projects
    • Decorating Tips
    • Cleaning
    • Organizing
  • Subscribe
  • Shop My Favorites
    • Shop My Faves
    • Shop My House

Driven by Decor logo

menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Home
  • About
    • Contact
    • Meet Kris
    • FAQs
    • Media
    • Disclosure
    • Privacy Policy
  • Home Tour
    • Master Bathroom
    • Kitchen
    • Kitchen Eat-In Area
    • Family Room
    • Living Room
    • Home Office
    • Laundry Room
    • Master Bedroom
    • Craft Room
    • Dining Room
    • Garage
    • Guest Room
    • Guest Bathroom
    • Patio
    • Powder Room
    • Teen Blue & White Bedroom
    • Teen Boho Chic Bedroom
  • Projects
    • Room Remodels
    • DIY Projects
    • Decorating Tips
    • Cleaning
    • Organizing
  • Subscribe
  • Shop My Favorites
    • Shop My Faves
    • Shop My House
×

Updated: Jan 15, 2023 by Kris Jarrett

White Subway Tile with Gray Grout: My Favorite Grays

If you’re looking to add white subway tile with gray grout to a kitchen, bathroom, or other space in your home, this post’s for you! I’m sharing my tips for testing grout colors and my favorite gray grouts!

Since sharing the results of our kitchen remodel, I’ve had so many people asking about the gray grout that I used that I realized I wasn’t the only one who struggled with which gray grout would work best with my kitchen’s white subway tile. “Struggle” is kind of laughable for something as silly as choosing a grout color but your grout choice can make a night and day difference in your final tile job so I wanted to make sure not to mess this choice up!

I was surprised not to find hardly any “real life” images of white subway tile with gray grout where the grout color was given so I decided to share how I chose my grout along with some pics of my favorite gray grouts combined with white subway tile.

First off, here’s a look at the gray grout I chose – I went with a light gray option called Frost. This pic shows how the white subway tile and gray grout look in both shadowed spaces (underneath the upper cabinet and to the left of it) and in a more sunny spot close to the countertop:

The light gray grout I chose for my white subway tile (Mapei Keracolor Frost)

I used the same grout for the Walker Zanger Villa D Oro mosaic behind my kitchen range:

I am in LOVE with that mosaic tile accent behind the range! And that pot filler! All sources provided in the post!

It’s also the same grout color that we used with the marble tile in the shower of our master bathroom remodel. Our tile guys said Mapei Frost was their go-to for grouting marble tile and I can see why – it’s a choice I was really happy with!

I wish I could say that my decision for the tile in our kitchenwas as easy as looking at a color chart and saying “that’s the one” but oh my gosh, there are SO MANY gray grout options and since I wanted to choose the best one for my space, I did some legwork to make sure I got it right. Here are some things that I found helpful to do (affiliate links included in post – full disclosure available {here}):

Narrow Down Your Options with Grout Color Sticks and By Walking the Tile Aisles

Start off by talking to your tiler (unless you’re DIYing it) about his/her recommendations and viewing the grout sample sticks that they typically have. The sample sticks are typically plastic replicas and not the true grout so while I’ve found them to be helpful in narrowing down my options, they’re not always helpful in making final decisions since the real grout can differ a bit in appearance. Tilers see all different grout and tile combinations so they have valuable experience to add to your decision but also remember that your taste might not be exactly the same as theirs. For example, my tiler was adamant about the grout color that would work best with my fireplace tile but I went with something different (Polyblend Natural Gray) and am 100% happy with my decision.

Our fireplace tile with Polyblend Natural Gray grout

So get their input but make sure your final decision is what YOU will like best, not them. After narrowing it down to a few options, walk the aisles of stores that showcase grouted tile – I walked around Lowe’s where they show all sorts of different tiles with different grouts (and the grout colors are labeled!) to see some “real life” samples. Floor & Decor also has lots of grouted tile examples in their stores. Just be aware that the same grout will look quite different depending upon the color of tile surrounding it and the lighting.

Make Sample Boards

I was able to narrow my grout choice down to two gray grout options but hadn’t ruled out the possibility of just using white grout either so I made sample boards with all three grout options (I also made samples boards of two other grays I liked so I could share them with you!). Luckily subway tile is inexpensive so I made sample boards with full tiles but if your tile is more pricey, you could cut tiles in half and grout in between them so you don’t use as many (an inexpensive tile cutter like {this} works well for that). The grout itself isn’t exactly cheap, but spending $50 on grout now to get it right is well worth it in my opinion – it’s a drop in the bucket compared to the cost of what you put into the rest of a kitchen reno! Choose sanded or unsanded grout depending upon the width you choose for your grout lines – mine were going to be 1/16″ (the most narrow you typically go) so that meant unsanded grout. Here’s how I made my sample boards:

Use a Glue Gun to Glue Your Tiles on a Board

I snagged a plywood remnant from our renovation and used {this glue gun} to glue my tiles onto the board. You could use a different type of adhesive including the mastic adhesive used for tile or liquid nails, but the glue gun dries instantly so you can make your sample board quickly. Just be sure to put each tile in place on your board immediately after you put the hot glue on the back before it dries!

Add hot glue to the back of a tile to make a tile sample board - so helpful in choosing a grout color!

I glued down four tiles for each sample. If you have tile spacers, you can use them to get the same distance between your tiles as you’ll have on your walls (mine are 1/16″ spacers like {these}) but they’re not worth buying just for the sample boards – you can do the same thing with a ruler if you don’t have a tiler to snag a few from.

Mix Up Your Grout Using the Directions on the Bag

You can buy premixed grout but since the bagged grout is cheaper, I went with that. Using a disposable bowl and plastic spoon, I poured some of the grout mix into the bowl and added a little bit of water at a time until it got to the right consistency (you want it well blended but not runny). Read the directions on the grout bag – let it sit for a few minutes after mixing if the directions state to do that like mine did. Then trowel it onto your tile, pressing it into the gaps. I happened to have a little trowel but a putty knife would work just fine for this too!

Applying grout to grout sample tiles - I great way to choose the best gray grout for your white subway tile!

Once you’re done, remove the excess with your trowel/putty knife (no need to get it all – just the bulk of it!) and let it sit for a several minutes according to your grout instructions.

Use a Damp Sponge to Clean the Tile and Get Smooth Grout Lines

After you’ve let it sit for the time recommended on your grout bag, use a slightly damp sponge (wring out all excess water) to clean off your tiles and wipe over your grout lines to remove excess and make them smooth. You can also just use a paper towel for this!

Use a sponge as a final step to clean your tile and remove excess grout - the last step in creating a tile sample board to choose your grout color!

Let it Dry

This last step is huge. The color will change quite a bit as it dries (it will lighten) so don’t make any decisions about grout color until it’s totally dry, which could be overnight.  The image above shows what Frost grout looked like wet and the image below (Frost is at the top) shows how much lighter it is when dry:

Light gray versus white grout on white subway tiles - Mapei Frost vs. Avalanche

As you can see, when it’s dry, Mapei’s Frost is a super light grays (I show it here compared to Avalanche, which is a soft white) which you might not expect from the appearance of the grout when you mix it.

Favorite Gray Grouts

Once I made my sample boards and put my mosaic up next to them, the choice for my own kitchen was obvious. I wanted my mosaic to be the star of the show so I went with the lightest gray. But I did love several of the darker grays that I sampled too and would likely have chosen one of them if I had all subway tile with no mosaic. Here’s a comparison of how the different grays I sampled looked against the white subway tile (the image is Pinnable for you to save for a later project when you might need it!):

White subway tile with gray grout - my favorite grays to choose from

All of these are Mapei Keracolor grout – the same named grout might look totally different in a different brand so only use this as a guide to this specific brand! You can buy Mapei grout at Lowe’s or order it online: unsanded Pewter {here} | unsanded Silver {here} | unsanded Warm Gray {here} | unsanded Frost {here} If you want to go for a darker gray, check out Mapei’s Gray, Timberwolf, Iron, & Pearl Gray.

After Grouting, Seal It!

And one last thing I wanted to be sure to mention – definitely make sure your grout is sealed after your tile job is done! {This} impregnator penetrating sealer is more expensive than others but is the one that’s been recommended as the best by every tile guy I’ve ever worked with.

Want to see more details of our kitchen? You can find the complete “before” and “after” & source links on our kitchen renovation post!

Love this newly remodeled kitchen with gray and white cabinets and brass accents! Such a huge difference from what it looked like before!

Thanks as always for stopping by!

  • Pin
  • Share
  • Email

Categories: Kitchens

✉️FREE EMAIL SERIES ✉️

5 Secrets to Reinventing Your Home on a Budget

Simple tips to instantly transform five rooms in your home!

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Carol Heartfelt Whimsies says

    July 01, 2018 at 7:37 pm

    Absolutely amazing, Kris!! I honestly can’t wait to see the full reveal after you “style it up”!!!

    Reply
    • Kris Jarrett says

      July 26, 2018 at 11:20 pm

      Thanks Carol! It’s coming super soon!

      Reply
  2. Carla says

    July 01, 2018 at 7:55 pm

    Kris it’s just beautiful! Can’t wait to see the final reveal. I tend to always go with a really light grey grout when doing white subways too!

    Reply
    • Kris Jarrett says

      July 26, 2018 at 11:21 pm

      Thank you so much Carla!

      Reply
  3. Barb says

    July 01, 2018 at 9:18 pm

    Hi Kris

    It’s been a wonderful journey to watch the kitchen be born!!

    I, too, am doing a white subway tile kitchen back splash but I am finding the numerous white tiles to be daunting!
    Where did you end up purchasing the white tiles— not sure if I want glazed, crackled, beveled, 3 x 6, 3 x 8,… how did you decide?!?!

    Reply
    • Kris Jarrett says

      July 26, 2018 at 11:23 pm

      There are definitely a TON of options! I just went for the classic 3 x 6 size glossy white ceramic tile – mine are AKDO brand that I got through a local tile dealer! Hope that helps!

      Reply
    • Elizabeth says

      October 17, 2018 at 2:46 pm

      Do not get crackled -my husband was using an ink pin to mark some of the tiles before Installation and the ink bled through the cracks into the tile- the lady at Dal tile told me the cracklings goes all the way through the glazing and this can happen

      Reply
  4. Tamara says

    July 02, 2018 at 7:43 am

    Kris I am loving your kitchen so far and cannot wait for the reveal! I love this post because my subway has white grout and I’ve always regretted that decision! I am looking into staining our grout grey – I have no idea how hard or laborious that is, but I know it will be worth it! Thank you for sharing and thank you for the inspiration! Can’t wait to see this entire space! xox

    Reply
    • Kris Jarrett says

      July 26, 2018 at 11:24 pm

      Thank you Tam! I used a grout stain on our guest room floor tile grout and it worked well (but is super tedious!)

      Reply
    • Pam says

      July 02, 2021 at 6:37 pm

      Love your kitchen. What is the name if the tile you used as a decoration above the stove

      Reply
      • Kris Jarrett says

        July 04, 2021 at 5:43 pm

        Hi Pam – thank you! The mosaic tile is by Walker Zanger. There are more details in this post: https://www.drivenbydecor.com/gray-white-kitchen-remodel/

        Reply
  5. Karen B. says

    July 02, 2018 at 9:03 am

    Kris,
    I wish I had had your wonderful idea for determining grout color when we redid our kitchen (in our former house). I wanted a concrete colored grey grout. The day our replacement tile contractor was to do our grout, I left instructions for the basic grout and the color, when I came home he had put in grout that resembled a dusty rose color! I burst into tears—fortunately he removed the wet grout and came back the next day to finish the job in the color I had indicated! 🙂
    I can hardly wait to see your finished kitchen. The sneak peaks make it look amazing.
    Karen

    Reply
    • Kris Jarrett says

      July 26, 2018 at 11:25 pm

      OMG! I can only imagine how your heart dropped when you saw that! Thank goodness it was still wet when you found it and were able to get it changed out. I hate when I can’t be here when contractors are working because stuff like that always happens to me 🙂

      Reply
  6. Annie says

    July 04, 2018 at 1:18 pm

    Divine! I had wanted white cabinets with white subway tile, but my cabinets ended up having a yellow undertone, so I went with a light gray subway tile, and yes the grout decision took a while, but ultimately I matched the grout with the tile for a seamless look. Had I been able to do white with white, I would have LOVED the look you chose!

    I can’t wait to see more!

    Reply
    • Kris Jarrett says

      July 26, 2018 at 11:28 pm

      Whites are so tricky aren’t they?! Sounds like you figured out the perfect solution!

      Reply
  7. Faith Thomas says

    July 05, 2018 at 6:25 pm

    What color white paint did you use on your cabinets? Thanks for the info!

    Reply
    • Kris Jarrett says

      July 26, 2018 at 11:37 pm

      Hi Faith – I actually just chose the stock white color that our cabinets were available in. You can read all of the details in this post: https://www.drivenbydecor.com/how-choose-kitchen-cabinets-style-color-finish-design/

      Reply
  8. Bree says

    July 05, 2018 at 11:24 pm

    Kris it’s looking absolutely amazing and thank you for the tips on choosing grout! I’m sure that will come in handily for me soon:)! Xoxo

    Reply
    • Kris Jarrett says

      July 26, 2018 at 11:38 pm

      Thanks Bree! Can’t wait to see things get cooking on your house!

      Reply
  9. Karen says

    July 06, 2018 at 7:06 am

    I have just finished bathroom renovations on (2) baths and was told with the newer grouts such as Mapie (power grouts) that sealing them was not needed.
    Could you share any research or info you have on that?

    Reply
    • Kris Jarrett says

      July 26, 2018 at 11:40 pm

      Hi Karen! I know that Mapei has different types of grout – there are some grouts that supposedly have a sealant already mixed in. I’m sure there are differences in opinion from person to person but my tile guy said he always recommends sealing no matter what grout you use.

      Reply
  10. classic casual home says

    July 09, 2018 at 9:19 am

    This is just gorgeous!

    Reply
    • Kris Jarrett says

      July 26, 2018 at 11:45 pm

      Thank you! XOXO

      Reply
  11. Bianca De says

    July 14, 2018 at 8:20 am

    Your kitchen is already looking amazing. Waiting for the final reveal!!! I love the white painted cabinets.

    Reply
    • Kris Jarrett says

      July 27, 2018 at 12:03 am

      Thank you so much!

      Reply
  12. Sara says

    August 21, 2018 at 11:12 am

    I pinned this post lat month when deciding on gray grout for my shower walls which will be white subway. So helpful to see the side by sides! My contractor is telling me that 3/16 is best for grout line size – what is your opinion on this – what size did you use here? I feel like if it’s a thick grout line I might actually want to do white so it’s not so noticeable. Such a dumb thing to get so obsessed with, but oh well! Thanks for any advice!!

    Reply
    • Kris Jarrett says

      August 21, 2018 at 1:31 pm

      I think that the less grout you have, the better – especially in the shower because it can be such a pain in the butt to clean! My tile person said that they do 1/16″ grout lines for pretty much everyone now. One exception is if you have handmade tile with variation in tile size – then you do usually need to go with a larger grout line size.

      Reply
  13. Lisa Contreras says

    August 23, 2018 at 11:50 am

    I am so excited to have found you! Your style is perfection. I am going to paint my living room and kitchen soon and want to use grays. What is your favorite gray for living and kitchen walls?

    Thanks so much for your help.

    Reply
    • Kris Jarrett says

      September 10, 2018 at 12:08 am

      Thank you so much! The right gray really depends on the space but Agreeable Gray and Repose Gray are both good ones to try!

      Reply
  14. Kelly says

    October 08, 2018 at 10:54 am

    Where did you get your white subway?

    Reply
    • Kris Jarrett says

      November 04, 2018 at 9:10 pm

      It’s AKDO brand in Cloud!

      Reply
  15. Ashley says

    November 11, 2018 at 4:16 pm

    Can you tell me where you found floral mosaic backsplash?! Gorgeous!!!

    Reply
    • Kris Jarrett says

      November 30, 2018 at 10:51 pm

      Sure there are more pics and a link to the tile in my kitchen reveal post here: https://www.drivenbydecor.com/gray-white-kitchen-remodel/

      Reply
      • Nicole Hardy says

        December 26, 2018 at 9:11 am

        This is fantastic! We are getting ready for a kitchen remodel and I was struggling with grout color and this is exactly what I’m looking for! I also love the cabinetry and color of the island. Beautiful kitchen!!!

        Reply
  16. Deb says

    March 20, 2019 at 2:27 pm

    Your post is what I’ve been looking for as I’ve been trying to choose between Frost and Avalanche grout for my matte white subway tile being installed next week. Thanks every so much! And my gut said Frost and your pics and comments have confirmed my choice!

    Reply
    • Kris Jarrett says

      March 24, 2019 at 11:07 pm

      I’m so glad you found it helpful!!

      Reply
    • Sue Gignac says

      May 08, 2022 at 9:39 pm

      Hi Deb-I put white subway in my shower and deciding between frost and avalanche. I don’t want the pattern of the tile to pop out and am torn between these two colours. What did you decide? And do you like what you did?
      Sue

      Reply
  17. Chris says

    March 28, 2019 at 10:16 am

    Your kitchen looks great.!Thank you for information on your site. Your comparison of gray grouts was very helpful. We are currently doing a bathroom renovation–white subway tile walls with carrerra marble-type porcelain tile floor. The walls have a blue/green/gray 3-inch mosaic tile trim. We’re having a hard time choosing grout color, although leaning towards warm gray. Also considering silver and rain. Rain is one of Mapei’s special order colors. Have you ever tried it? Any suggestions? Thanks!

    Reply
  18. Katie Hamel says

    April 03, 2019 at 9:28 am

    I am looking for the color of the caulking you used with the frost tile? I am sure I passed right over it, would you mind sharing?
    Thanks!

    Reply
    • Kris Jarrett says

      May 28, 2019 at 8:39 pm

      Both the grout and the caulk are Frost!

      Reply
  19. Melissa says

    April 13, 2019 at 1:21 pm

    Hello! Love your kitchen! Wondering if you could give me any info on your mosaic tile?

    Reply
    • Kris Jarrett says

      May 28, 2019 at 8:12 pm

      Hi Melissa – Thank you! The mosaic tile is by Walker Zanger. There are more details in this post: https://www.drivenbydecor.com/kitchen-renovation-countertops-flooring-lighting/

      Reply
  20. Shawna says

    July 16, 2019 at 11:18 am

    Hi Kris! Where did you get the pencil tiles that outline your mosaic?

    Reply
    • Kris Jarrett says

      August 13, 2019 at 11:08 am

      They are AKDO brand!

      Reply
  21. Kimmy says

    July 25, 2019 at 10:15 am

    I’m building a home with David Weekley and they used the Mapei sanded grout. I too chose white kitchen tile and your pics of the grout colors helped TREMENDOUSLY. So glad I chose the Frost instead of the Warm Gray my design consultant was trying to get me to pick. The Frost is more neutral which works better with the white w/cool toned gray vein countertops I chose!

    Reply
    • Kris Jarrett says

      August 13, 2019 at 11:08 am

      I’m so glad it was helpful to you!!

      Reply
    • Swetha says

      February 21, 2022 at 1:04 pm

      Hi Kimmy, Do you mind sharing your kitchen photos as I chose Frost for my white subway tiles and the island is also cool toned gray vein color. I am not just able to visualize. It will help me a lot as I am still in designing phase of my house.

      Reply
  22. Shelbie says

    July 27, 2019 at 6:00 pm

    Can you tell me where you got the accent tile that is behind the stove and the name of it?

    Reply
    • Kris Jarrett says

      August 13, 2019 at 11:06 am

      The mosaic accent tile is by Walker Zanger – details on it are in this post: https://www.drivenbydecor.com/gray-white-kitchen-remodel/

      Reply
  23. Fi says

    August 09, 2019 at 11:07 pm

    What color grout did you use for your mosaic?

    Reply
    • Kris Jarrett says

      August 13, 2019 at 10:40 am

      I grouted it with the same grout as my subway tile!

      Reply
  24. Nanci says

    September 07, 2019 at 3:31 pm

    Hi Kris, I loved your kitchen! My kitchen and dining room are now one space- I thought I wanted black cabinet handles for my white shaker cabinets/ grayish walls (silver strand) and will be dark wood floors, counter is white/ gray marble quartz. but now not sure about black think I should go with gold? Any advice ?

    Reply
  25. Brian says

    September 11, 2019 at 9:18 am

    Did you use schluter? If so, what color? If not, how did you handle the edges?
    Thanks!

    Reply
    • Kris Jarrett says

      September 15, 2019 at 9:37 pm

      We didn’t use schluter because we didn’t have any edges to deal with because we took the tile all of the way up to the ceiling!

      Reply
  26. Caren says

    September 23, 2019 at 6:09 pm

    Hi Kris,
    Did you compare Frost with Platinum by Polyblend by any chance? Trying to decide between the two!
    Thanks!
    Caren

    Reply
  27. MaryAnn says

    October 15, 2019 at 10:04 am

    Hi I was wondering if I can purchase the grout color “Frost” at Home Depo? If not where can I purchase it? Does Lowe’s have it? I absolutely love that color! I’m doing subway tile in my kitchen. I’m also purchasing my subway tile at Home Depo.

    Thank you!

    Reply
  28. Donna says

    December 03, 2019 at 10:26 am

    Stunning!! I’m deciding between Frost and Avalanche today and this was so helpful! Thank you.

    Reply
    • Sue Gignac says

      May 08, 2022 at 9:42 pm

      did you pick the frost and do did you like it?

      Reply
  29. Pam Bryan says

    December 11, 2019 at 12:06 am

    Kris I love what you’re doing. What’s the name of the paint color around your fireplace? It’s exactly what I love !!! Thx.

    Reply
    • Kris Jarrett says

      January 20, 2020 at 12:58 pm

      It’s a slightly tweaked version of Sherwin Williams Keystone Gray – the exact paint formula is at the end of this post: https://www.drivenbydecor.com/house-tour-dining-room/

      Reply
  30. Theresa Ozuna says

    December 19, 2019 at 7:09 pm

    THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS INFORMATION!! (Yes, I am yelling with joy!) Your kitchen is just gorgeous!! I have been selecting everything for our kitchen remodel and now it is just down to the little details … grout, for one. I have chosen Lowe’s Genuine Stone Marble Brick Joint Mosaic (white) and was hoping to pick a grout that is more like the marble as I don’t want each piece to be outlined … more of all blending together. I was torn by either Mapei’s Frost (unsanded) but the Floor and Decor person thought I should go with the Avalance ~ the yellowish tinge scares me on the paper sample. Then I realized that our bathrooms’ porcelain tile is grouted with Mapei’s Warm Gray and it actually looks white. After reading your site, I think I will go with the Frost as it may be even whiter. The marble is very white but with light grays and beiges, too so hopefully the Frost will blend in perfectly. THANK YOU! Seriously, that someone should have a counseling site for DIYs or remodeling as one can get truly crazy in the head with all the stress of making decisions. T

    Reply
  31. Krystal says

    January 27, 2020 at 5:37 pm

    Hi! Just stumbled on your blog while surfing Pinterest for accent tile. I’m having a very hard time finding good white pencil liners online. Do you have any recommendations? I love the one you have in your kitchen!

    Reply
    • Kris Jarrett says

      January 28, 2020 at 12:04 pm

      Hi Krystal – the ones I used in the kitchen are AKDO brand. There’s more specifics of the exact name of them (I can’t remember off the top of my head) in the Source List at the end of my kitchen reveal post: https://www.drivenbydecor.com/gray-white-kitchen-remodel/ I recently saw that Floor & Decor has similar liners too.

      Reply
  32. Stella says

    February 12, 2020 at 12:11 pm

    Absolutely stunning!!! Could you please tell me what size the subway tiles are for your kitchen backsplash? Also, are the tiles glossy or matte?

    Reply
  33. Kathy O'Donnell says

    April 04, 2020 at 11:31 pm

    This was very helpful to me. Thank you

    Reply
  34. Mary says

    April 19, 2020 at 11:27 am

    I chose frost with my subway because of this post and it is perfect ! Thank you!

    Reply
  35. Janet says

    May 27, 2020 at 2:19 am

    Your kitchen is beautiful!!! I’m doing a similar mosaic over the range and am just about to test the Frost and the Avalanche with the white field tile. Did you really use the frost colored grout in the Walker Zanger mosaic as well? The tile store and our tiler are telling me to use only white in the mosaic. Its so hard to see in your picture, but it does look much whiter than the grout in your tile. Can you confirm what you used there?

    Reply
    • Kris Jarrett says

      February 15, 2021 at 5:09 pm

      I used Frost for everything including the mosaic!

      Reply
  36. Lisa says

    May 28, 2020 at 2:34 pm

    Hello. I love the gray color of your island!! Could you tell me the color please?

    Reply
    • Kris Jarrett says

      May 31, 2020 at 11:25 pm

      It’s Moonstone which is a pre-finished color the cabinets came in (more details here: https://www.drivenbydecor.com/how-choose-kitchen-cabinets-style-color-finish-design/). It’s similar to BM Charcoal Slate.

      Reply
  37. Michel Defays says

    June 12, 2020 at 9:31 am

    Thank you for your post. As a backsplash installer (that’s ALL I do), I must agree with you that pale grey is indeed the most popular grout colour for standard 3×6 white subway tile.
    Five years ago, mosaic on mesh was the most popular option for a backsplash accounting four about 75% of installations. Today (2020) it is reversed to about 75% subway tiles with the classic flat white 3×6 subway as the primary choice of both home owners and kitchen designer. Why? It is timeless, never goes out of style and blends with just about any kitchen style, not to mention that a white horizontal backsplash makes the kitchen look larger as opposed to a dark tile.
    White grout on white tiles makes the whole backsplash look like a big white blur for a distance. A discrete grout will define the shape of the tiles without being overpowering. Think about red or green grout on white subway tiles. What do you see and look at first? Obviously the grout.
    “Vapour Grey” and “bone” grout colours both fit the bill. One is white with a hint of grey, and the other with a hint of beige. The choice is determined by the overall colour scheme of the kitchen in the case or white tiles, or the colour of the tiles.
    As an installer, I like to show customers what the real grout actually looks like on the tile. The best and easiest way to achieve this is to lay down a few tiles in the chosen pattern (i.e. brick style, stacked or herringbone) with the proper spacing (usually 1/16″) then fill the lines with grout powder smoothened with my finger. Being dry, the powder will give the homeowner the exact look of the grout once installed after drying for 24 hours. No fuss, no mess. I usually show them two or three choices on the same test layout.
    Most installers will have many leftover grout bags from previous jobs to make this feasable.
    BTW 1: always use only unsanded grout, especially if you pick glass tiles.
    BTW 2: use 1/16 spacers throughout, except in the bottom line where 1/8 is better to resist cracking.
    BTW 3: Mapei type 1 is most suitable for gluing 99% of backsplashes and Flextile unsanded is best for grouting.
    Best regards,
    Michel, Toronto.

    Reply
    • Sue Gignac says

      May 08, 2022 at 9:50 pm

      Hi Michel
      do you also agree for showers a 3 x 12 white matte subway looks good in say Mapei frost. Since you are an installer, I want the tiles to look soft and pretty and not see the pattern of the tile if the grout is too much, if that makes sense. Thoughts? My floor tile is a light grey with a bit of white in it.

      Reply
  38. Cynara says

    July 30, 2020 at 7:41 am

    Beautiful! I love the idea of a light gray grout. I also love the backsplash over your stove! Is it framed in a white tile?

    Reply
  39. Lindsay says

    August 03, 2020 at 5:55 pm

    This is a super random question but what did you use for the edges of your subway tile?

    Your kitchen is GORGOUS!!!!!!

    Reply
  40. Janette says

    November 06, 2020 at 1:50 pm

    Hello!

    Love your post. I am remodeling my bathroom and am going crazy trying to figure out grouts and floors, vanities and lighting. I live in a Brooklyn. I have a standard apartment bathroom with a window by the shower – doing herringbone long rectangle white subway tile in the shower and the outside 4′ walls with classic subway style (using same long rectangle tile). I wanted to put on the floor Carrera marble mosaic hexagon with some hints of marble gray coloring, but mostly white – until I found out that it requires additional maintenance and will likely loose its luster within 5 years. So I am back to looking at tiles — porcelain or ceramic apparently are best options — looking for a similar 3″ hexagon. Then there is the grout . . . After looking at your options . . . would you think that the warm gray should be used in the shower with the herringbone style and on the floor? And use the Frost for the 4′ outside walls? Or should I use the light gray on the floor? Any suggestions are so welcome! With my sincere thank you . . .

    Reply
    • Janette says

      November 06, 2020 at 1:52 pm

      By the way . . . the shower area – I was referring to the walls, as there is a tub . . .

      Reply
  41. David says

    December 24, 2020 at 10:48 am

    I love “Frost” but cannot find it. Do you have a link? Home Depot does not carry any grout called “Frost” what is the brand?

    Reply
  42. Eileen says

    January 19, 2021 at 12:04 pm

    This article was so helpful in picking out light grey grout!!
    Thx eileen

    Reply
  43. Serge Aubin says

    January 22, 2021 at 1:36 pm

    love it! where did you get the range backsplash feature tile? do you have the name/brand.

    Reply
  44. Sara says

    January 30, 2021 at 1:45 pm

    This was really helpful! thank you for the tips.

    Reply
  45. michelle says

    February 02, 2021 at 11:15 am

    hello! great article — I am doing white arabesque tile for our kitchen and am so stuck between avalanche or frost caulk/grout! My countertop is fantasy brown (which has a bit of movement in it) so I am concerned about contrast in my tile conflicting. My gut tells me do more of a white on white, clean look as that’s the look I was envisioning (ie maybe avalanche with the white tile?) as may give it just a slight contrast but not overbearing. But the frost color is pretty & light too….any thoughts are so appreciated!

    Reply
    • Kris Jarrett says

      February 02, 2021 at 1:06 pm

      I would definitely go with avalanche – I’m familiar with that granite and it’s really busy so I’d keep your backsplash simple and with low contrast!

      Reply
  46. Rere says

    February 23, 2021 at 7:05 am

    Love the tile you used over your stove. Can you share what it is? Thanks!

    Reply
    • Kris Jarrett says

      February 24, 2021 at 9:35 am

      Sure it’s Walker Zanger’s Villa D Oro found here: https://www.walkerzanger.com/stone-mosaic-waterjet/villa-d-oro.html

      Reply
  47. Michelle says

    March 07, 2021 at 11:36 pm

    I love your kitchen soo much, I am mimicking it as much as possible! I found your eye candy you used behind the stovetop at a local store here in Tampa and it is even more gorgeous in person. I see white and marble pieces throughout the mosaic. What made you decide to do a white subway vs. a marble subway or others? I’m having a hard time since mine will be going up to the ceiling and around a window in one section. I worry the white may be too much white?

    Reply
    • Kris Jarrett says

      March 08, 2021 at 9:31 pm

      Thanks for your sweet words! You could definitely use marble with it but I already Caesarstone countertops that mimic marble so I thought that doing a marble backsplash too would be a bit much. Also the white subway tile is a lot less expensive and let’s the mosaic take center stage 🙂

      Reply
  48. Dawn Fite says

    March 15, 2021 at 4:08 pm

    Thanks for sharing this, because I have been agonizing over whether or not I made the right grout choice. I chose frost to go with my white subway tiles. I wanted something not white, but light enough to just show off the pattern of the tiles, but not be overwhelmingly dark or compete with the granite, etc. I am still waiting to see how it turns out in our home, but I feel much better being able to see a real example. Your kitchen is beautiful!

    Reply
  49. Janet Brown says

    March 21, 2021 at 1:44 pm

    Thanks, that’s absolutely what i needed, I’m doing over a bathroom.

    Reply
  50. Romy Ott says

    March 23, 2021 at 9:43 am

    What a helpful post for exactly my issue.

    Reply
  51. Carolyn Friesz says

    March 26, 2021 at 4:28 pm

    What is the tile you used behind your range? I love that!

    Reply
    • Kris Jarrett says

      March 31, 2021 at 12:51 pm

      Thank you! It’s from Walker Zanger – details are in this post: https://www.drivenbydecor.com/gray-white-kitchen-remodel/

      Reply
  52. Anita Brandt Burgoyne says

    May 31, 2021 at 9:30 pm

    Hi Kris! Your kitchen is fantastic. I wish I’d been more careful before we did subway tile in a shower. White subway tile and white grout. Too much white!! I really wish I had tried out the grout colors as you did. I went by what the woman at the tile store recommended, but everyone’s taste is different. I’m now thinking of staining the grout gray– warm gray and silver are the two I like best here. Since the grout is brand new (and probably well sealed) I need to find out if I need to rough it up a bit before it will take the stain. Man, I wish I had discovered your blog earlier. I’ll be following along from this point on. Thanks for a very informative and helpful post.

    Reply
    • Sue Gignac says

      May 08, 2022 at 9:59 pm

      just reading your post. They are finishing the subway tile (3 x 12) in our shower tomorrow. I was going to go white grout but saw how you think it is too much white. Did you use matte or gloss tiles. Did you finish staining the grout and are you happier? Need to finalize this decision. Thoughts?

      Reply
  53. Brittany Knudsen says

    August 07, 2021 at 7:44 pm

    Just want to say how much I appreciate this post! So glad I found it. I’m struggling to figure out a grout color and this was super helpful. Thank you!

    Reply
  54. JoAnn Badger says

    August 31, 2021 at 1:08 pm

    I have all white subway tile and you mentioned that if you didn’t have a mosaic you likely would have chosen one of the darker grays. Which one would have been your choice. My paint color is Gatherings by Joanna Gaines which is similar to SW Agreeable Gray.

    Reply
  55. Michelle says

    September 16, 2021 at 3:32 pm

    Hi Kris-did you use the same grout where your backsplash meets the countertop? I’m hearing we should use a grout caulk instead on that part to resist cracks.

    Reply
  56. CDS says

    November 21, 2021 at 3:51 am

    Hi Kris, Thanks for the great article. One question though.. When I clicked on the sealer you recommended, it says it’s for sanded grout. Which one did you use for your unsanded grout? Thank you!

    Reply
  57. Cathy says

    February 03, 2022 at 1:17 pm

    Thank you for doing this super helpful post! Picking out grout today and was originally thinking to go dark to make it easy to clean, but have now discovered that is way too busy for me. Are you still happy with your choice on the frost grout? Has it been easy to clean? Thank you SOOO much!

    Reply
    • Kris Jarrett says

      February 04, 2022 at 9:46 am

      Yes I would choose the same grout all over again! I had no issues with staining – it’s important to seal your grout for this reason!

      Reply
  58. Ann says

    March 04, 2022 at 8:58 am

    I just wanted to thank you so much for sharing this post. We just finished our first kitchen title backsplash, and I had no idea what color to use for grout. I also went with the frost color and I absolutely love it! I too have a somewhat “busy” countertop and knew that I wanted the backsplash fairly simple. I was also surprised about how few examples of various colors I could find in real life photos and even in the home improvement stores. Thank you so much! Wish I could share a photo of my project but it doesn’t look like that is an option here.

    Reply
  59. Kenzie says

    May 10, 2022 at 8:07 pm

    This was SO helpful!!

    Wondering, we are leaning toward frost for our white shower tile but for the floor we’re thinking of doing slightly darker – our only concern is that the tile has a little warm and a little cool, and I definitely do not want to bring out the warm for fear of it looking dirty ha – when comparing silver to cobblestone, what made you lean toward silver? Is it cooler? Rain looked actually blue in the store, so I don’t want THAT cool 😂

    Reply
  60. Sheila says

    May 19, 2022 at 10:33 pm

    Hi- love the mosaic behind the stove but is it blue or grey? It looks blue in your picture but when I click on where you got it, it looks grey. Thanks!

    Reply
    • Kris Jarrett says

      June 01, 2022 at 12:02 am

      Mine is grey!

      Reply
  61. Steadman Phinn says

    July 06, 2022 at 3:36 pm

    This is Good blog, i have learned a lot in here about Real States/Renovations, I have something Ideas gathered in this sites I hope this site can help you like me

    Reply
  62. Mathilda says

    July 12, 2022 at 2:19 pm

    Was looking for some takes regarding this topic and I found your article quite informative. It has given me a fresh perspective on the topic tackled. Thanks!

    Reply
  63. Kristine says

    October 20, 2022 at 11:55 am

    Hi Kris, I am struggling with grout colors. 4×12 white subway in shower/walls and 2” Carrara white hex floor in small bathroom. I love the idea of light gray but concerned Frost will be as hard to keep fresh as white, especially on the floors. Thoughts? Does Frost look gray or white in person?

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

✉️FREE EMAIL SERIES ✉️

5 Secrets to Reinventing Your Home on a Budget

Simple tips to instantly transform five rooms in your home!

Meet Kris

Kris of Driven by Decor

All images on DBD are copyrighted and taken by me unless otherwise noted. If you'd like to use any of my images, please request their use via my Contact page.

I am a participant in several affiliate advertising programs (including the Amazon Associates program) and earn fees from qualifying purchases. For more information, see my full disclosure statement {here}.

To view my privacy policy, go {here}.

Copyright © 2023 · Driven by Decor