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Vacation home decor with Saltillo Tile

11 years ago

Hi, I'm new to the decorating forum, but did an extensive kitchen remodel to our residence with the help of the kitchen forum. Learned so much from the knowledgeable and helpful posters here. Hope to get some help with my latest project.

We're under contract to buy this house as a vacation/rental in FL. I have a limited budget for decorating and would like your opinions on how to work with what is there (kitchen, saltillo flooring) that I can't change. Being that the house is in FL I am trying to achieve a fresh beachy feel rather than a southwest/mexican flavor, despite the saltillo. Looking for ideas on paint and accent colors and anything else you may want to offer!

Thanks,

Helene

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Comments (5)

bronwynsmom
11 years ago
An old friend of mine had a Florida house with tile floors like these, and made it simple and stylish with soft clear white walls, palest possible sky blue ceilings, bamboo roller blinds with white muslin curtains with a 24" border of faded warm khaki at the bottom, sisal rugs, natural cane chairs, painted tables of various kinds (tag sales, certainly), ivory twill (or was it sail canvas?) slipcovered upholstery, and lots of pillows made out of Indian print cotton bedspreads.

There was some sort of fabulous trunk thing as the coffee table, and a big heavy picnic table for the dining room. Don't remember the chairs.

I think the bedrooms had different colored borders on the curtains - she made them all herself, and I seem to remember pale seafoam green and icy blue as well, but I'm sure about the warm khaki in the living and dining areas of the open plan.

Don't remember what was on the walls, but I have a memory of just a few very large very pale things, and some mirrors.
lazy_gardens
11 years ago
Think Italian sea-side villa, Greek village house, Caribbean estate, Tuscan Villa, old Cuban Hotel, French Riviera ... they all work with Saltillo tile floors.
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15+ years ago when we were building out patio we used Saltillo tile because that's what everone was using, it was very popular. This year when we decided extend the tile I found it difficult to locate. When I finally did find it I asked why and they told me people don't want it anymore so many stores have dropped it from their line. We're going to bust it all out next year and put in a more durable tile. It's probably best to replace it anyway since it have cracked badly over the years. The stuff is not as strong as other materials, especially when it hasn't been fired. A lot of the Saltillos that were sold years ago were just baked in the hot Mexican sun. Can't imagine how poorly they held up. We chose a fired tile but still it cracked, cracks so long thye run the length of the patio. I would never recommend using Saltillo for outdoors like we did. Indoors I think it looks great if you're going for the Hacienda look but then you're pinning your home's style down which may not appeal to prospective buyers. Like the gals say on TV, "it's very taste specific". I used to seal our tile outside until it became such a chore cleaning and sealing every year, eventually I gave up on it. I would imagine the sealer would last much longer indoors. Even if I decorated my house in a soutwest style I would probably opt for a porcelain tile instead. Saltillo's I know are very uneven in their thicknesses. My BIL had it in his kitchen, he ended up replacing it too.
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My friend has a dark washed green almost teal color on his cabinets. They look awesome with his saltillo. I'll try to get a photo. The gentleman that is installing the saltillo has discussed the the grout options etc. We are doing the old fashioned grout that has been done for hundreds of years - he said this will make it easier to replace or repair any tiles if ever needed. We feel very good about his work -- Saltillo is all he does. Do you think I could pull off some navy accents with the saltillo and Turquoise? The talavera I am leaning towards has navy, red and tan in it.
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the good thing is when your house is at the beach, you don't need to try so hard. you don't need signs like 'this way to the beach' or 'manatee crossing'. you dont need lamps shaped like anchors. all of those items are for people whose houses are NOT at the beach. i recommend under decorating. under beachifying. nothing fussy, everything easy care. don't worry about your kitchen right now... stock up on olive oil and fresh veg, a good knife or two, make a great grill space outside. thats the good news. the bad news is even if you bought the place full cash and you have no mortgage, a second home is expensive. doubling all your utilities, your taxes, your trash pick up, etc etc etc. you'll be amazed how much it costs when you have to paint twice as often, replace roofs twice as often, its endless. don't spend a penny on your perfectly nice kitchen that you don't need to spend because it isnt quite the right color at this time. when things need to be painted, soon enough. anyway, thats more advice than you asked for, but there it is. enjoy your house near the beach. we've had ours for 18 years now and havent regretted a moment.
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Comments (11)
Julieste, I think that Saltillo tiles are an elegant choice if you favor Mediterranean decor. I've seen them used in some of the older mansions in the Hollywood Hills, and in a few homes here on the Palos Verdes Peninsula. They are artistic looking and up-keep and maintenance are not a PIA. So, they've got some positives going for them. That said, I'd like to share a few observations from our experience: 1) You must have an absolutely level base to build upon (concrete slab would be optimal), 2) the tiles themselves are naturally irregular and of uneven thickness=your installer (or yourself) must take care so that no tile 'dips' or sinks down at the corner(s), and 3) these tiles are set with a fairly wide grout line. The grout catches dirt, fur, et al. Not a huge prob..a stiff broom or vacuum cleans it up easily. The sealed tiles' surface cleans up nicely with a damp mop, so not a PIA. The sealed surface lasts for years on an inside installation which does not see heavy traffic or abuse (ie, no patio furniture dragged across surface.) I do admire Saltillo floors that were laid precisely, especially those with 'insets' of cobalt or accent tiles. Unfortunately, whoever laid our tiles in the '60's did a half-a$$ job, and that is the main reason I dislike the ones we have. Oh, one more thought-if you place fairly thin area rugs over these tiles, after a while the rugs will conform to the profile of the tiles underneath (not a problem unless you don't like the waffle iron look.;) Say, if you do go ahead with them, share a picture with us!
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SunnyCottage
11 years ago
Love that floor! I have a Saltillo tile floor in my kitchen -breakfast area and my decor is vintage English cottage. It works! This tile is quite versatile and complements many styles so don't feel limited by it. Think breezy Mediterranean as mentioned above.
mihelene
Original Author
11 years ago
Thanks for your replies, and the tips to evoke the mood I would like to create. Breezy Mediterranean kind of sums it up. After a quick search on the internet here are some photos that sum up the colors I want to use. Am I on the right track?
bronwynsmom
11 years ago
Yes, absolutely.
I think you know what you want. So as always, the trick is disciplined editing - resisting themes and motifs, and creating the atmosphere with the colors, shapes, and finishes of all the things you use every day.

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