A Funny Thing Happened on the way to pick out Grout

13 years ago

Those of you who checked in and responded to my first two posts regarding my "small dishwasher leak turned major kitchen disaster" and offered all your wonderful words of advise and encouragement....I felt I owed you an update.

Three weeks ago we sealed the loose slate tiles with Enhancer/Sealer and decided it was time to try again to find the perfect matching grout for our slate floor.

Up to that time, quick looks at grout colors while we were at Ho-De or Lowes didn't produce one of those "Ah HA, that's the perfect color!" moments.

So we are driving to a tile store about 20 miles from us...they were closing their doors and everything in the store was 50 - 75% off.

I'm singing along to The Commodores "Brick House" when Mr. Amity casually mentions a pain in his chest.

I turn down the CD, I start asking questions.

Turns out he's had pain under both armpits and a band of pain across his chest for the last couple months!

He said it started about the same time as he started putting the drywall up in the kitchen so he figured he pulled a chest muscle.

To say I was speechless with my jaw hanging open is an understatement.

When I was able to form a complete sentence I told him to turn the truck around and head to our hospital.

He refused. You know how some men are!

Asked me if I Could get him an appointment with our regular doctor.

Our doc would squeeze him in the next day. Mr. Amity went straight to Doc's from work.

Called me from Doc's to tell me he was being transported over to the hospital, via ambulance....doc didn't want to take any chances after an EKG in the office.

From that point on, almost everything was a blur for me (most days even now it still is! LOL).

Three days in the hospital later: a battery of tests- TWO angiograms (poor groin area/solid dark purple all the way across from hip bone to hip bone and down both legs)-four stents, and a severe reaction to one of the medications needing two series of steroids....He's home and is going to be fine. *doing happy dance*

I haven't had a working kitchen since the end of January. No sink, no range, no oven, no cabinets to store anything, and two elderly parents who are not very happy about the whole thing..... and you know what?

I could go the rest of my life without a kitchen for all I care.

You know that phrase: 'In the grand scheme of things....'?

This scare really put things in perspective. I never, ever want to go through the fear of losing my best buddy of thirty-one years, my confidant, my partner in DIY and crime, ever again....It's the worst feeling, the most paralyzing fear I've ever experienced. And to see him in so much pain, with nothing I could do....Our marriage, we've always helped and supported each other and yet, I had to stand by ....nothing I could do, feeling totally useless. A horrible, Horrible feeling.

Yesterday he drove (first time and loved every minute! LOL) and we went to two tile stores and looked at their grout colors.

We took some of the broken Slate pieces (enhanced/sealed) with us and again, came home empty-handed, no grout.

Neither one of us can seem to commit to a color but we both know we don't want a light color, nor do we want gray.

So sitting at the table with cups of coffee, looking over the grout color charts for the bazillionth time, Mr.Amity says "Hey, those pals of yours on that site you visit...they haven't steered us wrong yet. Ask them what they think!"

Duh.....of course!

Like I said, my head has been in a fog and it didn't occur to me to ask here about grout color.

I had asked the Mr. if he minded if I updated you all on our latest....his heart scare..... so I was going to come here anyway but since I'm here....Can any of you suggest the right color of grout for my slate kitchen floor? :)

I'd like to get away with as small of a grout space as possible..... 1/8" ?

The darker colors in the tiles are deep/dark/gray'd olive and a very gray'd deep blue.

There is a little gray but the colors that stand out most are the gold/amber tones and the deep gray'd olive green tones.

Here are some photos that might help and a link to my PHotoBucket to see the kitchen in it's latest state.

P.S. I am going with the Mr. to a follow-up appointment in an hour and I have to take Mom to her heart Doc at three so I don't know if I'll get a chance to get back here today. But make no mistake....I WILL be back here late tonight or early tomorrow morn. I am so looking forward to getting back into some routine. Kitchen Forum has been part of my morning routine since January. lol

Here is a link that might be useful: My PhotoBucket Kitchen Damage Album

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Comments (21)

beekeeperswife
13 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
I vote for Silver Gray or Charcoal, but who cares?!!! Thank God everything is ok with Mr. Amity, and I hope you receive great news at the doc today. Hope he continues to have a speedy recovery, and I hope you are doing ok too. Best Wishes to ALL of you!
kellykath
13 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
And I was just feeling sorry for myself for being inconvenienced for a year with this remodel. You put it all into perspective. You are right - - - if anything happened to my husband, kids, etc. everything else in my mind would disappear and not matter AT ALL. I'm glad your husband is well and up and around. I'm going to get my "stuff" done with a whole new mind set and try not to sweat the small stuff. I'm sure this was a "wake up" call to others as well.
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dancingcook
13 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
What a story! Glad to hear Mr is on the mend again, and you can get back to your kitchen. Can't help with colors, though, as I never get beyond white :) Best of luck for continuing recovery.
sjmitch
13 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Glad everything is on the mend. My vote is for the charcoal, that way it won't be as obvious and the tile colors will be the focal point of the tiles not the grout.
User
13 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Yes, what a story! I'm glad that Mr Amity is on the mend.

As far as grout color goes, I'm no good at matching colors, especially on the computer, but there's one line of thought that says, "don't introduce another color into the design without a reason." If this theory is correct, the right color for your grout is already somewhere in your kitchen.

With tile with lots of colors, you don't really need another new color on the floor, so you could easily pick a color from that. But feel free to carry that tile around your kitchen looking at the colors you already have in the counters, cabinets, etc. as well and see if any of those might work.

Good luck and good health to you.
boxerpups
13 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
God bless you Amnity.

You reminded me today what is really important. I am off to
hug my sweetheart. Right after I vote for Blue Oyster.
Only if in person blue oyster looks good with the tile.
I like staying close to what you have on the floor.

Tell Hubby to Stay healthy!!!!!!
~boxer
susanka
13 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
I'm so glad to hear you and Mr. Amity are doing well. I used to work on a trauma team as a psychologist, and so many men just won't go to the doc until it's too late to save them; we saw them every day. Sounds like you've done all that needs to be done, and congratulations on that and on your happy relationship. Your post has done much to remind me that, as someone on this forum wisely said, "It's only a kitchen!" I'm very happy for you,amity. Please continue to let us know how it's going.

As for your beautiful tile, I think you'd want to emphasize the gorgeous colors in it and not distract from them by having grout in a color that will draw attention to itself. I'd go with something that will just blend into the main color of the tile as much as possible, as close as you can get to not even seeing the grout.
kitchenaddict
13 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Glad to hear he is feeling better!

It's really hard for me to pick a grout color from these photos but I'll give you some input..

The tile looks charcoal grayish to me. So I would tend to say Charcoal from The Designer Colors selection. Or possibly Slate from the last selection.

If you don't like those grays, as you said in your post...what about using a grout that is close to the color on your walls...kind of a carmel mustard that is also in your tile? Maybe like buff or summer tan...I'm getting dizzy from scrolling back and forth. YOU will have to see if any of those are worthy choices!!

But I agree that you don't want to introduce another color as I think it would get to be too much going on.

Good Luck and say Hi to Mr. Amity!

KA:)
rhome410
13 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
2 months of chest pain? Mr Amity's time definitely wasn't up yet! So glad this is having a happy ending!! You had me tearing up.

Why not grays, if I may ask, since it seems they should blend best? What are you after...contrast? different blend? pulling out one of the other colors in the slate?

Wow. Who cares, really. Having Mr Amity there to walk on it with you is what counts. Going upstairs now to yell at my beloved dh and make sure he never pulls a stunt like waiting 2 months to be seen for scary symptoms... ;-)
chris45ny
13 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
First and most important is that Mr. A is doing better and this "scare" may have been a blessing in that a problem was diagnosed and treated sooner rather than later. So glad to hear he is feeling better!!

As to your grout situation I would try to find something dark to blend in and not stand out. A perfect color would be a black/dark green/dark gray blend. I would take a couple of the tiles-one of the plainer color ones and one of the more mixed colored ones- to the tile store and see which sample stick of grout looks best.
doraville
13 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
There's nothing like an illness to put things in perspective! IMO, a dark gray would be nice - maybe country gray or charcoal. So glad to hear things went well!
rookie_2010
13 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
So glad Mr. Amity is feeling better!
I just had slate floors installed in a mudroom and when I asked about grout, the tile store salesman said, "Everyone just goes with Bone or Natural". So I went with Bone. I LOVE it. I have no pictures handy but I found some pics to give you a visual of slate plus lighter grout, hope this helps!

[
[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/kitchen-island-mediterranean-kitchen-cleveland-phvw-vp~34358)

[mediterranean kitchen design[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/mediterranean-kitchen-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_709~s_2109) by san francisco interior designer Jamie Snavley

[
[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/bathroom-with-custom-cabinetry-and-slate-floor-contemporary-bathroom-san-francisco-phvw-vp~52443)

[contemporary bathroom design[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/contemporary-bathroom-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_712~s_2103) by san francisco general contractor Bill Fry Construction - Wm. H. Fry Const. Co.

[
[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/back-patio-entryway-entry-phvw-vp~45674)

[entry design[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/entryway-ideas-phbr0-bp~t_741)

[
[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/back-patio-entryway-entry-phvw-vp~45676)

[entry design[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/entryway-ideas-phbr0-bp~t_741)

[
[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/various-mud-rooms-entry-calgary-phvw-vp~48149)

[entry design[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/entryway-ideas-phbr0-bp~t_741) by other metros interior designer Veranda Interiors

[
[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/various-mud-rooms-entry-calgary-phvw-vp~48148)

[entry design[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/entryway-ideas-phbr0-bp~t_741) by other metros interior designer Veranda Interiors

I think you're tile would look great with a very slightly gray grout , something similar to good old plain concrete. I only found a few pics with grout similar to the slate and they were all uniform charcoal colored slate and it made the floor tiles blend together. You have nice variation, maybe you shouldn't blend, I'd wanna see those tiles! They're awesome!
canishel
13 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
What color is the dirt around your home and how easy is it to remove? Your tiles will obscure the soil, but the grout may not.
Even with colored sealer on the 1/8" dark gray grout in my home, I still see dirt (clay), and have a hard time keeping the floor clean.
I'm sure you are a lot tidier than I am, but just wanted to give you something to think about.
fun2cook
13 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
What an amazing story. Thank God you got Mr. A to the hospital before he had an attack. And you're right, when you put everything into perspective, grout color is really in the muck. But since you have invested so much time into making this kitchen perfect for you, I understand you don't just want to quit now. I love your slate and the rich cabinets. I see why you don't want grey, and I think you should minimize the contrast between the tiles and grout. It is hard to look at colors this way. but my eye immediately was drawn to the wild rose because it harmonized with the cabinet color too. I don't think it's the right shade, but I liked something with that tone. Try matching one of the deep red hues in your slate. Cayenne 99 or Tera Cotta 15 or 37 might work. Good luck with Everything!!
madamg2u
13 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
My word! Thank God Mr A is doing ok. Putting things into perspective gives life a change. I have almost the same tiles in my kitchen and went with a bone color.

Blessing to you both

MadamG2U
rjr220
13 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Oh my, a diy kitchen can be a PIA, but when it involves a PI Chest, it's a whole new story. I am so sorry that you've had to go through this, but I was relieved to hear that he is well and at home. And able to make recommendations about coming here for opinions!

I vote for going with a color that you already have in your kitchen == I would recommend a tone just a wee bit lighter than the charcoal in the tile, as I would be afraid that if you went with a charcoal grout color, it could really darken the space.

Good luck, and I hope your DH continues to heal.
rcvt
13 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Wow you are great storyteller, amity. I'm so relieved that the ending is a happy one. Thanks for telling us. We all get so TKO that grout-like topics loom large. Chest pain is large! Grout is not large.

But I do have one grout story for you. We have Vermont slate, a mottled greenish purple (it's prettier than it sounds). I chose the Platinum grout from the selections above, thinking, like rjr220, that a darker grout could darken the whole room.

If I had it to do over, I'd choose a darker grout, because grout gets stained unevenly, and in my mud room it's way too easy to spot dark stains on the light grout.

If I had your slate, I'd go as dark as possible. I no longer think that the small amount of grout, relative to the large amount of tile, is going to have any power to darken a room.

Best of luck to you and Mr. amity.

rc
jimandanne_mi
13 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
My DH was treated for cancer during our home build (he's been fine for several years now), so my heart really goes out to you!

Whatever grout you choose, then choose the grout that is a couple of shades darker. I chose 4 different grouts for 4 different tiles, and they all dried a lighter color. Someone had posted about it drying lighter long before I needed the info, and by the time we chose our grout, I'd forgotten about it. The salespeople at our greatly respected tile store did not even mention this. Gr-r-r.

Anne
flwrs_n_co
13 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Oh my gosh!!! I'm so glad Mr. A is okay!! Positive thoughts and prayers to you and your family. It certainly puts many things in our lives into perspective. As far as grout, I don't have any experience, but my first reaction was charcoal or slate.
pam2007
13 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
I would go with charcoal or slate. The pictures of the slate with a bone colored grout look great but once it starts to get dirty it will drive you bonkers!
Best wishes to the MR.
jterrilynn
13 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
My heart goes out to you amity! I can never figure out why some men keep these things to themselves. When my husband ended up in hospital they put a little camera in the heart area and found he was born with a defect, went over fifty years without knowing until things just started aging. Come to find out he was having all these symtoms and I was hurt he never told his best friend (me). It's all good now...so far, but I'm quick to run for the portable blood presure gizmo if his coloring is off.Between the two of us our health is dodgy but we will take our time for this DIY, all in all we work together well. I'm so glad you forced your husband into a doctors visit.
As far as grout goes, make your life easy and pick something that hides dirt.