Tile Shopping is Stressfull!
Posted 09/30/11
So many options for tiles, not enough time to consider them all!
I'm busy busy busy with work, life and whatnots. I wasn't expecting to be managing a mini-remodel, but due to my recent Plumbing Catastrophe that's what I'm facing. In an ideal world I would spend a good month planning out all the finishes I want, reviewing reference materials and comparing pricing to find the best deal. Instead I got the insurance check deposited yesterday and demolition starts on Monday. That gives me the weekend to find the tile I want. I tried to pick out tile last weekend, but guess what? Tile store showrooms in my area are apparently open Monday through Friday 9am-5pm. Those hours are not exactly full-time worker bee friendly.
Luckily, I managed to get a sales person to agree to meet with me Saturday morning. So, tomorrow bright and early I'm going to be picking out tile. I was allotted a $1.50 a square foot by my insurance company. While techinically you can find tile that cheap the options are limited to ugly and the even uglier step cousin of ugly. This means in addition to the $1000 deductible I'll also be footing the difference between the allowable price per square feet and what I actually pick out.
I have a couple of inspirations. I wonder how close I'll be able to get with my shoestring budget? I don't want to go above $5/sqft in the kitchen and hallway which is about 200 square feet total. I'm willing to splurge a little more (up to $15/sqft) in the teeny tiny bathroom.
By deciding to replace the bottom of my plaster walls with beadboard instead of redoing the plaster, and doing the same on the bathroom walls rather than re-tiling, I'm going to save a bit on the cost of tile. Frankly, I love the look of beadboard so this is an upgrade in my opinion even though it'll save me a couple hundred dollars.
Beadboard in the Bathroom looks so nice.
I kinda love how this beadboard painted black looks in the above inspiration photo. The contrast with the white pedestal sink is striking. I have a White Pedestal sink in the bathroom, but I'm not sure I'll be able to pull the trigger on black beadboard.
Adding towel hooks to the Bathroom Beadboard? Yes, Please.
This white beadboard in a bathroom is great with the black hooks.
A Classic Bathroom Floor Pattern I envy.
My house is an older home, and a floor like this would be keeping with the character of the home. If I can get this at the right price per square foot, I very well may end up with this in the bathroom.
Big Penny Rounds could work too.
Another option for the floor is this big penny round tile. I'm concerned it might look dirty with all the busy grout lines, but I do like what it brings to the table character-wise.
Want this wall on my bathroom floor!
I'm sure this Carrera Marble subway tile is too expensive, but I just love it.
I'm pretty much set on something like this for the Kitchen and Hallway.
This is pretty much "it" for me for the Kitchen and Hallway. I'm hoping it's in my price range.
Filed Under: Inspiration
