Thanks, pepperidge farm :) Sounds like you have the response I always used to have when I saw mosaics before I started doing them...if you get started you won't stop, I'll warn you :) In this case, I got the tiles as seconds at Pratt & Larson (see above post), and then have just been playing 'organize-the-dishwasher' (as my family likes to call it--I'm a bit obsessive about that too :)) until I like what I see. Most of them have some degree of sparkle to them, opalescence, and I didn't use any crackle. I have three long pencil tiles going through each 25" span to keep some sense of direction--now that I see it I'm wondering if I should have put in more...not too late, actually, and I have some more...hmmm, it's not finished until they take it away from you, right? :) So mongo, I am waiting to order until I hear what your thoughts are--would you share? Or were you just curious whether I'd bought one yet? You know I will wait for your thoughts on any issue, so TIA as always :)

If he's also supplying the labor, and has already given you a price for installation, I can see why he's giving you such a hard time. First, the diagonal will look better no matter WHAT tile you use. Square set looks nice, but it tends to give a room more of a modular look (like the floor is separated into "modules" or sections). Turn that same floor diagonally, though, and the look changes 100%, and for the better. The problem is that diagonal installation costs more, and can be charged for. But he's right about the amount of cutting required, especially for a room that size, and if he's already given you installation prices, he can't back down off of them for something like that, and he knows it, which would explain why he's so reluctant to do the larger format tiles. Bottom line, I disagree with him. I think the bigger tiles would look terrific, even in a room that size. As for his claim about the cost of the tile, square footage is square footage, no matter how big the tile. If he's giving you a square foot price, then it's apples to apples. If he's giving a price by the tile, then take the price of the 12x12, and multiply it by 1.7, and that would be the equal price of the 16x16. So from there, you can tell if the 16x16's are more or less than the 12x12's.

I agree. This slab install we polished the ends as well - don't you love the clear look trim on this fireplace! This install was 6 pieces of tarvertine installed onsite. If you look close at the fireplace in this picture you will see we polished the top stone to lap the skinny piece. Travertine is soft and the quality of the sealers and filler varies. The look of this install was enhanced because we ordered a 40% waste factor. We Cherry picked the stone and spent 4 hours doing layout. The extra waste stone will become a laundry room floor. What type of fireplace is it? Make sure to test the effects of heat on your tile. Place a few in front and bring the fire up to full heat for a number of burn cycles. Get one tile set loosely above the fireplace for the same test. Test with the sealer as well. I case you didn't know - I build a lot of fireplaces - I just don't talk about it. I hear Mike Holmes next issue will talk about fireplace renovations. Lets see what the "Experts" have to say... ;)

The caulking should be where the tile butts up to the window frame. one thing you might consider is using a piece of travertine slab for the shelf.