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 renovation (you can see all of the photos and details of our new kitchen {here}), 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. Plus (because I was simply incapable of waiting!) I’m sharing a few kitchen sneak peeks at the end of the post!
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:
I used the same grout for the Walker Zanger mosaic behind my kitchen range:
I wish I could say that my decision was 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 usually 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 – 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.
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. Just be aware that the same grout will look quite different depending upon the color of tile surrounding it.
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!
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!
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!
Let it Dry
This last step is huge. The color will change quite a bit as it dries (it will lighten up) so don’t make any decisions about grout color until it’s totally dry. The time it will take to dry depends on the grout width but even the narrower width grout should dry overnight before you use it to make a color decision. The image above shows what Frost grout looked like wet and the image below (Frost is at the top) shows how much lighter it was when it dried:
As you can see, when it’s dry Mapei’s Frost is just the lightest of 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.
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!):
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” post on our kitchen renovation {here}!
Here are a few of our kitchen sources, but for a full list of each and every one of them, see my kitchen renovation blog post!
Scroll & Click/Tap to Shop Our Kitchen:
Thanks as always for stopping by!
Absolutely amazing, Kris!! I honestly can’t wait to see the full reveal after you “style it up”!!!
Thanks Carol! It’s coming super soon!
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!
Thank you so much Carla!
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?!?!
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!
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
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
Thank you Tam! I used a grout stain on our guest room floor tile grout and it worked well (but is super tedious!)
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
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 🙂
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!
Whites are so tricky aren’t they?! Sounds like you figured out the perfect solution!
What color white paint did you use on your cabinets? Thanks for the info!
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/
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
Thanks Bree! Can’t wait to see things get cooking on your house!
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?
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.
This is just gorgeous!
Thank you! XOXO
Your kitchen is already looking amazing. Waiting for the final reveal!!! I love the white painted cabinets.
Thank you so much!
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!!
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.
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.
Thank you so much! The right gray really depends on the space but Agreeable Gray and Repose Gray are both good ones to try!
Where did you get your white subway?
It’s AKDO brand in Cloud!
Can you tell me where you found floral mosaic backsplash?! Gorgeous!!!
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/
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!!!
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!
I’m so glad you found it helpful!!
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!
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!
Both the grout and the caulk are Frost!
Hello! Love your kitchen! Wondering if you could give me any info on your mosaic tile?
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/
Hi Kris! Where did you get the pencil tiles that outline your mosaic?
They are AKDO brand!
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!
I’m so glad it was helpful to you!!
Can you tell me where you got the accent tile that is behind the stove and the name of it?
The mosaic accent tile is by Walker Zanger – details on it are in this post: https://www.drivenbydecor.com/gray-white-kitchen-remodel/
What color grout did you use for your mosaic?
I grouted it with the same grout as my subway tile!
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 ?
Did you use schluter? If so, what color? If not, how did you handle the edges?
Thanks!
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!
Hi Kris,
Did you compare Frost with Platinum by Polyblend by any chance? Trying to decide between the two!
Thanks!
Caren
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!
Stunning!! I’m deciding between Frost and Avalanche today and this was so helpful! Thank you.
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.
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/
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
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!
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.
Absolutely stunning!!! Could you please tell me what size the subway tiles are for your kitchen backsplash? Also, are the tiles glossy or matte?
This was very helpful to me. Thank you
I chose frost with my subway because of this post and it is perfect ! Thank you!
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?
Hello. I love the gray color of your island!! Could you tell me the color please?
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.
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.