Tiling Choices

In anticipation of renovating the bathroom (and adding an ensuite) to our new old house, Tom and I went tile shopping a few weeks ago.  At that stage I didn't have any clear idea of what I was looking for, we just went with the aim of finding a few alternatives that we could mull over in the coming weeks.

Even that excellent plan to not rush into planning didn't go to plan!

We considered mosaics, and some fabulous cut glass tiles whose price almost made me faint.

I'd got it into my head that I really wanted a full tiled feature wall behind the vanity in both the main bathroom and the ensuite. Of course buying a feature tile to cover an entire wall is not a cheap exercise. Thus, we embarked on a mission to find a feature tile that was sold by the square metre instead of by the 30cm sheet, which is an excellent way of cutting down the cost. This limited our options somewhat, but then we discovered the above black pinstripe tile. The pinstripes alternate between shiny and matt black, and imagining that covering an entire wall I think is a delicious prospect.

So, we had our feature wall tile selected. Now for the main floor and wall tiles!

 

 

Again, after much thought, we decided to go with the whitest porcelain tile we could find. It has a nice little sparkly fleck to it that the photos couldn't pick up. It's actually more a cream than a pure white, which is apparently a feature of porcelain tiles - they can't actually make them pure white. We chose to go with it in a 300mm x 600mm form for both the floor and walls, running in a brick pattern. I've trawled the Internet trying to find an example of what this is likely to look like, and not come up with anything perfect. Nevertheless, the following pictures give a fairly good idea...

Unfortunately the little inset in the left corner has blocked the opportunity to see the floor tiles meet the wall tiles, but you can see from the grout lines on the floor and wall that it's the same 300mm x 600mm tile running through both.

This one gives a better view of the join of floor and wall, but the floor tiles are a square, half the size of the wall tile, and they're not offset vertically. We'll be keeping exactly the same tile running across the floor to the ceiling, offsetting each second line of tiles.

And now enters the tile that literally had me skipping for joy in the aisle!

At the first shop we went to where we discovered the pinstripe tile and the white porcelain, we searched high and low for a feature tile that we could run in a narrow stripe up one of the opposing walls, to break up the monotony of the white a bit. We found two potential options, but neither had me feeling particularly enthusiastic.

So, we moved on to the next store on our list, and within about two minutes I'd spotted the little mosaic above. As you may have guessed, I'm a fan of the filigree-style designs, so I immediately fell completely in love with this tile. Its price was reasonable, and because we don't need much of it to create the necessary look, there's no need to feel guilty!

It looks lovely against the white porcelain tile

And here is what they will look like together. The black pinstripe covering the wall behind the vanity from floor to ceiling, and the white porcelain running across the floor and up the other walls. The feature tile will likely go in the centre of the wall opposite the vanity, so a reflection in the mirror on that black pinstripe wall will show off the feature as well.

Won't it be pretty?!

The rational voice in my head has wondered whether it's sensible to go for such a dramatic look when we probably won't live in this house forever (and therefore need to appeal to either a rental or purchase market), but at the same time, this style should hopefully be relatively timeless and stylish. And I really really want it!!!

Now to find tap fittings, mirrors and light fittings to match the look! This is the fun part.