Custom Herringbone Tile Shower in St. Augustine: A Bathroom Renovation That Gets the Details Right

A bathroom renovation is one of the most personal upgrades you can make to your home. Unlike a kitchen that gets shown off at every dinner party, your bathroom is a space you use every single day — often first thing in the morning and last thing at night. It should feel right. It should work the way you need it to. And honestly, it should look like it was built with care. That is what drove the design behind this custom shower we recently completed for a homeowner in St. Augustine. The client wanted something bold but timeless, with enough storage to keep the shower functional and uncluttered. The result is a floor-to-ceiling herringbone tile shower in a rich blue-gray tone with dual recessed niches and a penny-round mosaic floor that balances the strong lines of the wall pattern.

Why Tile Selection Matters More Than You Think

Walk into any home improvement store and you will find hundreds of tile options. The real challenge is not picking a tile you like — it is understanding how that tile will look and perform in your specific space, with your specific lighting, at the scale of your specific bathroom. A few things we considered for this St. Augustine project: Color temperature and lighting. This deep blue-gray reads very differently under natural daylight versus recessed bathroom lighting. We tested samples in the actual bathroom at different times of day before the client committed. The small transom window in the shower wall lets in just enough natural light to bring out the subtle tonal variation in the tile. Pattern complexity. Herringbone is not the easiest pattern to install, but it is one of the most visually striking. Every tile needs to be cut at a precise angle and laid in a consistent V-pattern. One row off and the whole wall looks crooked. Our tile setters have been laying herringbone for years, and it shows in the clean lines and tight grout joints in this shower. Floor to wall transition. The penny-round mosaic on the shower floor creates a deliberate contrast with the herringbone walls. It also provides better traction underfoot than larger format tiles, which is a practical consideration that often gets overlooked in favor of aesthetics. Good design handles both.

Recessed Niches: Small Detail, Big Impact

Notice the two recessed niches built into the shower walls — one on each side. These are not afterthoughts. They were planned during the framing stage, before any tile went up. Each niche is waterproofed independently, tiled to match the surrounding wall, and positioned at a height that makes them easy to reach without bending or stretching. Recessed niches replace the need for hanging caddies, corner shelves, or suction-cup organizers that fall off the wall. They are built into the structure of the shower itself, which means they stay clean, drain properly, and will never rust or fall down. This is the kind of detail that separates a custom bathroom renovation from a basic remodel.

Why February Is a Smart Time to Start Planning

Most homeowners in St. Augustine start thinking about renovations in March or April when the weather warms up. But here is what actually happens: they call a contractor in March, schedule a consultation for April, finalize the design in May, and construction does not start until June or July — right in the middle of Florida's hottest, rainiest months. Starting the planning process in February gives you a significant head start:

• • Design consultations happen while schedules are lighter

• • Material selections can be made without rush — custom tile orders typically need 3 to 4 weeks for delivery

• • Permits get pulled before the spring rush hits the building department

• • Construction begins in early spring when conditions are ideal

• • Your new bathroom is finished and ready to enjoy by late spring or early summer

What a Full Bathroom Renovation Includes

At Wilson & Co Design Build, we handle bathroom renovations from concept through completion. That means:

• • Design consultation — We walk through your space, discuss your goals, and present design options

• • Material selection — We help you choose tile, fixtures, vanities, countertops, and hardware that work together

• • Permitting — We handle all required permits with the City of St. Augustine or St. Johns County

• • Demolition and prep — Our crew handles the tearout, plumbing rough-in, and structural prep

• • Tile and finish work — Expert tile installation, fixture setting, painting, and trim

• • Final walkthrough — We inspect every detail with you before we call the job done

Everything stays in-house. No subcontractor runaround, no finger-pointing, no delays from miscommunication. One team from start to finish.

Serving St. Augustine and Northeast Florida

Wilson & Co Design Build works with homeowners throughout St. Augustine, Ponte Vedra Beach, Jacksonville, Palm Coast, and the surrounding communities. Whether you are planning a shower renovation, a full bathroom remodel, a kitchen upgrade, or a custom home build, we bring the same level of craftsmanship and attention to detail to every project. Call (904) 677-0700 for a free consultation or visit wilsonbuildfl.com to see more completed projects. Let us build something worth coming home to.