Book-Matched Marble Shower Enclosure in Sleepy Hollow
About This Project
This Sleepy Hollow custom home shower enclosure features large-format porcelain tile with a dramatic dark marble look installed in a book-matched configuration. Book-matching means adjacent tiles are oriented as mirror images so the veining pattern reads continuously across the seam, creating the appearance of a natural stone slab rather than individual tiles.
Achieving a true book-match requires sorting and numbering the tiles before setting begins, then laying them in the planned sequence without deviation. The veining on these tiles runs diagonally, which means the layout had to be planned so the mirrored seam landed at the center of each wall. We dry-ran the full sequence on the floor before any mortar was mixed. The tiles were set with a minimum 3/32" grout joint to maintain the book-match appearance while allowing for dimensional variation.
What We Did
Sorted and numbered all tiles; dry-ran sequence on floor before setting
Waterproofed full enclosure; used white thinset to prevent bleed-through
Set in planned sequence maintaining book-match orientation throughout
Grouted in dark charcoal to complement the tile; silicone all corners
