Bathroom tile!

[bounceswoosh]

Now that our hardwood floor job is complete, the last remaining bit of carpet is ... in the master bath. This shall not stand.

DH and I actually both found a tile I love. I describe it as looking sort of like bleu cheese. It's cream with blue accents, intended to look like slate, but it's actually porcelain. Rated "5" which I gather is commercial grade, meaning I have some confidence I won't manage to chip it right away.

It looks more grey in this picture than it really is.

Soon!

 

[Jenny]

Looks pretty!

 

[Christy]

Oh, bathroom tile. My current nightmare and nemesis. I stalled our entire addition because I could not-could not-choose tile for the new bathroom. Tile for the floor, the shower walls and shower floor. I looked at Houzz until I was bleary eyed. I drove our designer crazy. I finally just had to pick something-4 kinds!-and I actually woke up in the middle of the night last night stressing, not about any of the zillion genuinely stressful things that might keep a person up, but about the stupid tile. I think something is wrong with me.

Bounceswoosh I am very glad you have time you love.

 

[bounceswoosh]

I get it. If we didn't have that obnoxious bit of carpet, I would have stalled out picking tile. I gave up on looking online; too many options, and no guarantee I can get a sample locally. I asked on FB and found out there is a tile store about four minutes from my office. So I went there and brought home four tiles to look at. DH and I discussed what we liked and didn't like. Then I went back and got five more. One of them was this one, and I just loved it on sight, but I didn't tell DH; I just laid them out. He loved the same one. So that made it easy; we didn't have to compromise.

 

[bounceswoosh]

Also, I meant to say- we were only choosing floor tile. Choosing four to match each other? Yikes! I would also be having nightmares.

 

[Christy]

It didn't have to be 4, but there's the bathroom floor, then the shower walls and the shower floor (some people would have done a vanity backsplash, too). I could have done a shower pan for the floor, which would have been a lot cheaper, but the bright white pan was really off putting. And the only thing I found that I truly loved was a glass mosaic:

...but you wouldn't do a 5' shower in that, it would be way too much. So that's an accent and I had to pick plainer tile for the rest of the shower. And of course the one I picked has to be custom made, and they need 8 weeks. Our designer shopped with me and said yay or nay in terms of color and matching/complementing, but I have no idea if I'm going to like the end result. It might be kind of wacky. But I didn't want neutrals, or white, or too dark, or stone, so really what's left. The only things I liked were glass and wood-look porcelain (which I got for floor--that is actually pretty cool, it's sort of a warm birch bark look).

So I went there and brought home four tiles to look at.

Lol I brought home 35.

 

[bounceswoosh]

Lol I brought home 35.

LOL! Well, mine were 13x13 ... I was limited by weight!

DH has been adamant that we take each improvement one step at a time. e.g., we are replacing the floor tile and then seeing how it looks, rather than letting it snowball into a full remodel. This is best for both of our sanities. I do love that glass mosaic! It might go well with my tile ... hmm ....

I also have no designer, which I kind of want but I don't feel we can justify ... so that's maybe another reason to do one thing at a time. If I had a designer, I'd want to make all the decisions at once.

My parents will be visiting for Thanksgiving, and I realized that mom and I can find some common ground (we so rarely find things we both want to do) by choosing paint colors together for various rooms in the house. She'll love it, I need the help, and it's something we can do together. Not the painting - just the shopping and choosing. Mom has great taste in color, and unlike other design aspects, I think we can do this without my hackles being raised too much feeling that she's imposing her tastes on me.

 

[Christy]

Can she pick a bathroom color for me too? I haven't even gone there yet.

 

[bounceswoosh]

Can she pick a bathroom color for me too?

I bet she would love to. There is the minor matter that she's in North Carolina and almost entirely computer illiterate.

 

[Christy]

I bet she would love to. There is the minor matter that she's in North Carolina and almost entirely computer illiterate.

You are lucky. I also have little in common with my mother, esp. when it comes to politics or religion, but she knows how to use Facebook and to send email forwards.

 

[bounceswoosh]

You are lucky. I also have little in common with my mother, esp. when it comes to politics or religion, but she knows how to use Facebook and to send email forwards.

This is an excellent reminder that it ain't all bad. My mom and I see eye to eye on (most) politics and on religion.

 

[mustski]

The only thing my mom and I ever saw eye to eye on was my wedding dress and TRUST ME that was a huge "whew." That said...
@bounceswoosh I love that tile; it looks gorgeous and neutral. That's a win.

@Christy when it's done, be sure to post pics. It sounds like a really interesting combo.

 

[bounceswoosh]

Anthony, the installer, got a head start!

 

[contesstant]

Very nice!!! I will take your single bathrooms and up them by 3 ;) I've had to choose tile (floor, wall, and backsplash/accent) for three bathrooms for our house that is being built. Thankfully, the builder has a great tile shop and the gal there was immensely helpful, even helping me choose the wall paint color for the whole house. She drew up the funnest designs for the accent tile. I guess I'll see the finished product in maybe 3 weeks!

 

[bounceswoosh]

I just got a call from Anthony. He had a helpmate today ... who dropped a box of tile on the floor. The tile is actually all fine (commercial grade!), but there's a big gouge in one of the boards of our new hickory floor. Fortunately, we have lots of wood remaining and Anthony is a carpenter by trade, so he will replace the board tomorrow.

Yikes!

On the other hand, it sounds like he may be able to do all the bathrooms this week. *fingers crossed*

 

[Christy]

I thought about people who build their own houses and all the choices they have to make! I am clearly not cut out for that.

Very nice!!! I will take your single bathrooms and up them by 3 ;) I've had to choose tile (floor, wall, and backsplash/accent) for three bathrooms for our house that is being built. Thankfully, the builder has a great tile shop and the gal there was immensely helpful, even helping me choose the wall paint color for the whole house. She drew up the funnest designs for the accent tile. I guess I'll see the finished product in maybe 3 weeks!

 

[contesstant]

Yes, in addition to bathroom tile, I also got to choose paint, wood flooring (darker distressed hickory!) and carpet, exterior paint, wood trims inside and out, toilets, sinks, faucets, etc. It's been fun but hard not to second-guess myself! I started the decision process months ago so I've had ample time to change my mind :D

 

[Christy]

Yes, in addition to bathroom tile, I also got to choose paint, wood flooring (darker distressed hickory!) and carpet, exterior paint, wood trims inside and out, toilets, sinks, faucets, etc. It's been fun but hard not to second-guess myself! I started the decision process months ago so I've had ample time to change my mind :D

This bathroom is completely new, so I had to do that...but for only one! Although fixtures weren't hard for me. We are getting a new bedroom and closets too but now that I've figured out that a company will make me fir flooring from old growth salvaged timbers, I don't think any other bedroom decisions will be hard. I don't think. I hope you are enjoying the process more than I would. I know some people love this kind of thing.

 

[contesstant]

Old growth salvaged fir flooring sounds amazing!

 

[Kimmyt]

Wow that floor looks great! It looks good with the oak cabinet, too!