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Tile questions: hex floor layout, shower curb, and tile size?

4 years ago

We are adding an en-suite bathroom and will use white and green tiles--1" hex on floor and either 4x4" or 6x6" on the walls. The picture of the grey/pink bathroom is not ours, but this is the pattern we'll go for on the walls with white tile instead of grey, green bull nose on top and green border on bottom instead of pink. We're considering offsetting the square tile, but haven't decided. The shower will be tiled about 3/4 high and the wall behind the vanity/toilet will also be tiled about 1/2 up.


Questions:

1) Which floor layout is better--A or B? I like B, but I think it might look odd to have the border in the foot space of the vanity.

2) I'm struggling to come up with how to manage the shower curb. I want some contrast, but because the white and green floors switch at the curb, I don't know if the top of the curb should be white or green? Ideas? Images?

3) I know 4x4" on the wall is more appropriate for the vintage-inspired look we're going for, but these seem really small (3.75") and I'm wondering if the larger 6x6" might look better. Thoughts?

4) Any feedback on offset vs. not-offset?


Thanks so much for your help!




Comments (91)

  • 4 years ago

    Put this together really quick. Is this what you're looking for? Found wall tile that works with the floor tile you've already found. I think it could use an accent color like I've shown with the flowers. Just take a look:)


    Sarah R thanked J D
  • 4 years ago

    Wow--I go for a hike and come back to this! THANK YOU @thinkdesignlive and @J D!! I like so much of what you've shared--especially the "Melrose Bath," the one with the green trimmed window (floor might be a bit too much, but still neat), the one with the upper green wall (I'm really leaning towards this--get the color without pushing too much of it on the tile), and the "contemporary" craftsman with the sage tile. We have the evergreen sample from Fireclay--I'm not sure why I didn't compare that to the 1" hex from Art Tile. Guess I'm back to considering Fireclay after all!! The wood and nickel comments are really useful, too. I think the next step is to show these to my partner and try to get some consensus on direction.


    Re Fireclay--here's the Evergreen with a number of "whites." For some reason, I don't have a Calcite--I think it looked too cool in person? Thoughts? My inclination is Tusk or Feldspar--the glossiness on Tusk matches Evergreen better, though I like the matte on Feldspar.





    @thinkdesignlive, it's at least a 10-year home, if not a forever home! Lots to love in the house, neighborhood, proximity to work and family, etc.


    @J D - yeah, we're adding a second bathroom to the house (it's just got 1...SIP has really created some urgency around adding a 2nd!). The previous owners did nothing to alter the layout. They rented it before selling it, which may explain why they painted. Or maybe it was to make the rooms feel bigger ;)


    The more I think about the interior, the more I agree that the house reads Craftsman...but the exterior is Mission Style??? I grew up in a true Art Deco house and I suppose I've been projecting some of it on this place... curious what your thoughts are with this exterior picture. Built in 1928.




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  • 4 years ago
    last modified: 4 years ago

    I don't know why I react so negatively to that evergreen color. It's just a personal thing. I prefer greens that lean more towards yellow and less towards blue but that's just me :). I really like the one JD posted that has the olive green painted wall - or the olive green one I posted. The one JD posted is really very 'resale' oriented (and that could be a good thing since it's not your forever home) because of the fact that the new buyer can interject ANY color into that space and make it theirs. Just something to chew on. The exterior of the house makes me think the 2nd to last one I posted was made for the house (modern craftsman one) - it's all of those colors condensed into that bathroom :)

  • 4 years ago
    last modified: 4 years ago

    That is pure mission revival on the exterior. The interior is pure craftsman (by the way we don’t have as many craftsmans in the city as there are in berkely or alameda etc). Mixing 1920s styles is extremely common in the Bay Area and nowhere else at all. In the city, there is a style of houses called Marina style (1920s-30s). They are a mix of mission revival, Art Deco, and often Victorian/Edwardian and other styles! It’s so unique! Normally the exteriors are full blown mission revival but when you walk inside it’s totally different lol. The Bay Area during the early 1900s loved to mix a bunch of styles together

  • 4 years ago
    last modified: 4 years ago

    By the way that one thinkdesignolive posted with the white and green tile seems similar to what you want right? Maybe a bit more green and use of square tiles if it were your bath, but similar.

  • 4 years ago

    I will look at the whites on the website, but do you think you could take a pic in much better lighting of the white tiles next to the evergreen and we can all tell you which we think works best.

  • 4 years ago
    last modified: 4 years ago

    I am looking at the site, and Feldspar and Tusk look quite pink. Calcite and Halite are warm whites when I'm looking at them on the website, and would look great with evergreen. If i were you I would want to see the Calcite and Halite in person. Halite has a little more color in it, but still would look nice. I wouldn't do a stark white like "White Wash."

    EDIT: now checking gloss levels, evergreen is glossy....you'd probably want something a bit glossy for the white square tile. Calcite and Halite are matte. I think if you requested something with a bit more gloss but with the Calcite or Halite color, they could do it. Also, Frost is gloss and could work, although it's a bit brighter than Calcite. You might want to see Frost in person too

  • 4 years ago

    Looking back at your question on tile size, here in the Detroit area, we have many 70 - 100 year-old homes with original bathrooms. Our long period of poverty and low home prices meant that no one had money or equity to redo old bathrooms. You would never get your money back. So, our Curbed site features a lot of old family homes and car moguls’ mansions that are original. Here, the 6 inch square tiles were used in the 20s and 30s. Four inch tiles were not used until the late 40s and 50s. Here, a house the age of yours would be tiled on all the walls to about 3/4 height, if not to the ceilings. Tiles were not uniformly colored, either, with variegation in tint between tiles. This gives depth to the tile color. Seneca Tile, in Ohio, makes these in affordable prices compared to handmade tiles. We have a lot of Art Deco bathrooms with alcoves for tubs and separate shower stalls. The second tile color went around the door to the shower and in a decorative pattern outlining the tub alcove, too(which would have a lowered ceiling). We also had no subway tile (the 3x6” size, nor any oblong field tiles) above ground, but basement laundries and basement second kitchens, where only “the help” worked, were often in white subways.

  • 4 years ago

    Nancy that’s quite interesting. A lot of what you are describing isn’t consistent with California during the 20s! I’ve only studied Bay Area/Californian and European architecture, but I’d love to learn more about the rest of the country!!

  • 4 years ago

    What colors were used in Detroit Nancy? Mints, beiges, burgundy were popular here in ca...is it the same there?

  • 4 years ago
    last modified: 4 years ago

    Yes, I wondered if the tile usage styles were regional. That is part of why I specified where I was coming from with my comments. Here, pastels of all colors - pink, peach, yellow, cream, mint, blues and some tans were popular. Black was often the secondary color, but burgundy was sometimes used with pink and peach. Almost always, a multi-bath home had different colors in each bathroom. I love looking at the old mansions that have not been remodeled, anticipating what colors we will see in each tiled bath.

    Edit: here a couple

    1915 bath

    Black and white, middle class bath. Not as high tile as at the mansions.


    This one illustrates the tile height many of the more expensive homes used in the bathroom

    That is all I find on Curbed Detroit today.

  • 4 years ago

    The tile shape difference between upstairs and downstairs is fascinating, @Nancy in Mich! Where I grew up in the Los Angeles area, houses from that period would also have bathrooms in different colors. Ours had a green bathroom (with the tub) and a smaller blue bathroom. Also, thank you for the Seneca Tile lead. I'll look into them.


    But....I'll probably go back to Fireclay. I've requested samples of the whites I don't yet have, and I'll post pictures of them against Evergreen once they're here. I'll be curious to hear your thoughts, @J D. I'm also ordering a sample of Caspian Sea....maybe @thinkdesignlive will like it better than Evergreen :) Also, @thinkdesignlive, I get what you're saying about the Evergreen color. For SO LONG, I associated that shade with my friend's mom's 1990 Ford Explorer, The Green Machine. Somehow, in the past 30 years, I've come to like it and my husband really likes it (much more than olive shades...otherwise I'd be very open to olive), so there you go.


  • 4 years ago

    Those tiles look like 4x4 tho? That’s true the bottom row on the black and white look like maybe 6x6 but not eh white tiles. That was mainly what I thought was different from here in SF, but seems they are very similar! I do know there are tons of differences in architecture in general across the country tho but these baths look pretty similar to ours from the same time. Ps I really love the pink one you showed!:)

  • 4 years ago

    Excuse me, it’s not really pink, the salmon one I meant. So lovely!!

  • 4 years ago

    Hahahahaha that is so funny about the ford! I remember that color car

  • 4 years ago
    last modified: 4 years ago

    To me, thepeach/salmon are a lot larger than the under 4" tiles that are called 4". If you count, there are four tiles plus an inch or two on the wall above the side of the peach/salmon vanity. So I am betting they are 5". The white with black bath do look 4" and the all white look more like 6" to me. The sink in the white with black bath looks modern to me, so this may be a recent remodel. The all white sink looks old, so that bath is more likely to be old.

  • 4 years ago

    Oh totally their nominal size is probably 4” x 4” not their actual size so definitely agree with you on that! For example I measured mine a long time ago and they were actually 4.5” x 4.5” so yeah absolutely!!

  • 4 years ago

    Sarah, I did not read every comment, but I wanted to make sure that someone says to you that tile should not got on the top of your curb. Get a sold piece of stone. People usually use the countertop material for curbs and any ledges and often the inside bottom of the niche.

    Sarah R thanked Nancy in Mich
  • 4 years ago

    I'm still imaging same tile layout (~3/4 on shower walls, ~1/2 on other walls) with dark green paint above the tile. Haven't gotten to the exact tile layout and trim, but the walls will mostly be white (maybe a green pencil liner) and the floors will be white/green hex--possibly the white/gray pattern suggested by @thinkdesignlive. 98% settled on Fireclay's Evergreen as the green color. So now...on to choosing the white! I'm finding it very hard to photograph the whites that capture the color differences. If you have any suggestions re: photography, let me know. These pictures are taken in the location of where the bathroom will be--but I opened the back door (which will move and NOT open into the bathroom) in order to capture them in better light.


    Halite (somewhat flat for the Evergreen):


    Ivory (pretty creamy in person):


    Tusk (maybe my favorite?--significant variation between these 2 samples...collected 2 years apart):


    Gardenia (probably too green...seems sort of ill):


    Calcite (too matte with Evergreen--I'd have to ask Fireclay if they could do it glossy):


  • 4 years ago

    I think you forgot to post the Calcite pic. It’s not showing on my phone

  • 4 years ago
    last modified: 4 years ago

    To me tusk looks like it has a pink undertone. Did you happen to get frost? It’s the right gloss finish and the right color. Out of all the colors that you have shown above, halite is my favorite but that’s too bad about the finish level. I think Frost is really going to work out (I wish I had been more clear to order that one! sorry. if you read a few posts above it's in my "edit" section)

  • 4 years ago

    I know this is a frustrating process and I’m sorry about that Sarah. But you definitely wanna get things right because it’s not gonna be cheap! I’d say the best bet is Frost like I had said before you ordered, or halite or calcite in glossier finishes if they can make it

  • 4 years ago
    last modified: 4 years ago

    I thought gardenia looked so green from even the first pic you showed! Hard to imagine where someone would wanna use that tbh because it almost looks dirty next to anything!

  • 4 years ago

    Oh one last thing. If you pick a gray to go with this, show us first. It needs to be a warm gray, almost a taupe so that it looks good w the green

  • 4 years ago

    Sorry about leaving out Calcite and Frost--I do have both. I think Calcite is too blue (and way too matte). I agree that Frost is a nice color/finish, but we don't like the crazing/crackling. I'll reach out to Fireclay and ask if it's possible to make the Halite more glossy or the Frost w/o crazing. FWIW, I do think the Halite looks a lot like the Tusk in person--the Halite is slightly grayer/greener. And yes, one of the Tusk samples is pinker than the other.



  • 4 years ago
    last modified: 4 years ago

    I wanted to make sure to say if I haven’t already that you need to make sure the tile you use for the floor is actually meant for the floor. I know it sounds obvious but not everyone realizes they are different. The tile needs to have a certain slip resistance to be on the floor. It needs to be specifically for SHOWER floors too, because you'll need more slip resistance because they'll be wet at times

  • 4 years ago
    last modified: 4 years ago

    Hmmm the calcite color looks nice to me. Is it possible it looks bluer to you on that bluish carpet? By the way, with the tusk, I have a feeling about half of the tiles you would order would be pinkish like the one tile you have. It’s portrayed that way online. There is a color variation of 2 so if you’re seeing variations between the two tiles, that will probably be the case with all the tile (so about half pink and half whiter like the other tile you got). I'm worried that you'd order the tusk and not be happy with the entirety of that tile. Let me know what fireclay says about halite and frost. I'm not even convinced the glossiness levels need to match, though, with the green border tiles and the white backdrop tiles.

  • 4 years ago
    last modified: 4 years ago

    I want to explain the best way to get a white neutral to go with a certain color. Take the given color, take it’s inverse color, mix the two together and then mix in a lot of white....that’s the best white to go with the original color. It’s a foolproof way to make it easier to find the best white. I had a teacher when I was in school tell me that method. Using this method and really just assessing what looks best, a pink undertone just won’t work. A taupe-ish undertone like on halite would be best. Anyways, if for some reason fireclay can’t do the halite in gloss...perhaps we could mix fireclay evergreen with a white from another company if they look very similar?

  • 4 years ago

    Where is thinkdesignlive??

  • 4 years ago
    last modified: 4 years ago

    Also, I'm not completely convinced that the gloss levels need to match. The gloss on the accent tiles on the wall would draw attention to them, and a matte white tile would be a nice backdrop. But I understand if you're not into that. I'll keep looking. I also found this floor tile. Just wanted to show you. Also this tile shows you how mixing matte and glossy works well!

    https://somertile.com/ProductDetail/FKOOX603_Oxford-Matte-Wht-Wgreen-Dot-1112x1112-Porcelain-Mos

    EDIT: did you receive white wash in the neutrals sample pack? that's glossy. it's a bit of a bright white, but it may work with the evergreen in person if you don't mind that it's brighter?? probably wouldn't work with above floor i just posted now that I've looked at the two together

    I heard these sites were good from a few people, but I don't have first hand knowledge:

    https://www.bwtile.com/colors.php

    https://mosaictilesupplies.com/green-mosaic-subway-glass-tile.aspx

    https://www.modwalls.com/collections/kiln-collection

    https://www.winchestertiles.com/details?product=W.EG1005

    Sarah R thanked J D
  • 4 years ago

    I heard back from Fireclay today re modifying glosses. Alas, it's not possible. I'll request the White Wash--since I'm not loving the brightness of the Calcite, I'm not sure how I'll like it. BUT, like Tusk, White Wash is in the foundations line which puts it at a slightly lower price point. I am liking the Halite more--though it looks so much like the Tusk that I'm still inclined to go with Tusk.


    RE color theory, wouldn't a pink undertone be right to pair with a green since red and green are opposites? I'm not sure I totally follow the logic.


    And THANK you again with all these resources. I see what you're saying with the glossy/matte compliments.


    I have another update re design, too--I'll post that next once the kid's in bed!

  • 4 years ago

    following for the unique history lessons and to see the final reveal!

  • 4 years ago

    I know this started out as a tile query...and it still is. But, over the long weekend we started considering a board and batten siding for the half walls outside of the shower. It's more versatile (right, @thinkdesignlive?) and I think it could help frame the wall-hung toilet (my husband is still pretty against the aesthetics of the wall-hung). What do you think @J D?


    Here's my attempt at drawing it out:



    Note that the colors are just what I had marker-wise--we'd match the upper wall to the Evergreen tile and the board and batten would just be white (the gray is to help me see the depth better). I'm thinking of running the vanity backsplash (same as vanity countertop and shower curb/edge) to the top of the board and batten. We'd do white tiles on the shower walls (6'8" or full height?; square grid or offset??? or subway like everything else I see on Houzz?????????) and white and Evergreen on the mosaic floor (though I think I'm letting go of the strong border I initially posted). The more I think about a wood vanity, the more I like it--especially since it could compliment the wood furniture in our bedroom (so maybe it would "blend" if we leave the bathroom door open?). Still haven't given much thought to light fixtures...but we'll get there.


    Here's the current floor idea:



    Here's one of my inspiration photos for board and batten:


    Board and Batten · More Info


    In case you're curious, I'm considering the Moen Banbury faucet because I can get my head under it to wash my hair in the sink (personal preference) and the Restoration Hardware Hutton medicine cabinet. (If the medicine cabinet in my drawing seems low, it's because we're short--5'1" and 5'6").

  • 4 years ago
    last modified: 4 years ago

    You didn’t understand what I meant about the color theory because I left out a step lol whoops. Mix the inverse with the original color before adding the white. Green and it’s pink inverse get you a greyish color which should act as the undertone for your white. Sorry I wasn’t clear. Also this teacher I remember being a bit nuts, but she was my color and materials teacher and I trust her design theories

  • 4 years ago
    last modified: 4 years ago

    Ok i love the idea of the board and batten walls. I think it'll be WAY less expensive too, since way less tile I'm gathering? By the way, Restoration Hardware does not have a great reputation. ok love the new floor pattern idea. I think it works WAY better than the border idea. Will you use the original hex tile you showed in the original post with a white made by the same company? Is it a floor tile? By the way, notice that the white and green pattern flooring you just posted uses a bright white. I think it looks nice, how about you? For the wall tile, I wouldn't do subway. I would lay 4x4 tiles in a stack bond pattern (stacked on top of each other). I don't think it would be crazy or bad at all to do subway tile laid in a brick pattern , I just think it would be a bit less authentic. It's all in how authentic you'd like to be. Subway would be a more contemporary take on a craftsman bath. I would tile to the ceiling of your shower. You already have a small room. You want to make the ceilings look as tall as possible because of this, and tile stopping part way up to the ceiling will cut things off. Also, what do you think of a lighter wood stain (not too light because you are not going for a sleek modern look, just lighter than your elevation drawing and blue inspo bathroom) for the vanity? Just because it's such a small room and you don't want things to be dark in there. What does your bedroom furniture look like? I think it can coordinate, but doesn't necessarily have to match.

  • 4 years ago
    last modified: 4 years ago

    Interesting idea on the wall hung toilet. They are bit more more modern, so probably wouldn't be my first choice, but it wouldn't be that noticeable IMO. Hopefully, a toilet is not the focal point in a bathroom lol so your eye won't really go there. What I think is good about the idea of a floating toilet is that since this is such a small room, having more floor space showing will make things APPEAR larger. I'm guessing that's why you're leaning towards a floating toilet? I am curious...how authentic are you wanting things to be?

  • 4 years ago
    last modified: 4 years ago

    check out this bathroom with a floating toilet. the bathroom is somewhat traditional in style and still does work, but again not authentic (bath is not authentic for a lot of other reasons too lol). simply depends on what you want


    contemporary craftsman with floating toilet:


    This bathroom below is less authentic, more of a contemporary spin on art deco. I'm guessing you prefer the more authentic look? Am I correct?:



    If you do in fact like the more contemporary look, I would suggest a curbless shower because it'll make the room look larger (more continuous flooring) and won't be a tripping hazard. Especially if this is your forever home, tripping hazards should be considered for the distant future. They're easier to clean too. Again, if it were me, I'd keep things authentic, but I wonder what you think.

  • 4 years ago
    last modified: 4 years ago

    for the board and batten, would you paint it all white? I think that makes sense because again, you want to keep things bright. What were you thinking? Also, I think you may have said above somewhere, but will you use glass for the shower enclosure? How tall are your ceilings by the way, so I can help look at lighting fixtures.

  • 4 years ago
    last modified: 4 years ago

    I think if you are set on a wall hung toilet then stick with tiled walls - there is a weird relationship to that and the millwork walls (IMO). I think you need to focus yourself as you are all over the place. Go back to your Ideabooks and really study them - use them as a design tool. Find the top 3 that really speak to you. Then, use that as inspiration to focus yourself. I personally like these from your idea books - but that's me, my taste, my concern for resale while also being concerned about staying within the 'craftsman' feel of the house:

    Vintage apothecary bathroom · More Info



    West Side Apartment · More Info



    A Craftsman with some edge by Reath Design · More Info



    Riverside Retreat Main Bathroom Reveal · More Info


    If someone held a gun to your head and said 'pick one' which would you choose and why? Then use that as a way to focus in on the details for your space. If I had to choose I'd pick #3 - lovely. Same tile could run into shower on the floor and go with a crisp white subway wall...white cabinet with white quartz top (and matching white quartz sill). Window covering with some pattern to it like they did adds some texture and variety. I think it reads traditional, craftsman and 'feel's' like your house. But a future buyer sees - oh how easy for me to make this space mine by painting the woodwork and swapping out the window covering. And picking a paint color that you and your partner like is way easier than finding lots of specialty tiles. Also, would be the most economical route compared to say Image #1. But you do you.

  • 4 years ago

    And if I had to pick from the tiled images (if you are staying with the wall hung toilet) I'd go with Image #2 - classic and timeless. I would maybe just do the black hex floor throughout the room and shower as I feel it's a cleaner look for a small space. If you are feeling bold and wanting to personalize it even more I could see a wall paper on the walls above it. But the hard surface bones are black and white which again (I'm a broken record) - great for the house/great for resale. This look gives you a brighter bath the other one a moodier darker bath. No wrong answer - what appeals to you?

  • 4 years ago

    Love the pics thinkdesignlive posted! The only one I’m struggling on is the first mint one. Seems more Art Deco than craftsman.

  • 4 years ago

    You like this bathroom, and it does look like pretty bright white tile. So you may like the look of the white wash??

  • 4 years ago
    last modified: 4 years ago

    Whereas the walls in this bath seem to be a softer white. The floors here are brighter white though. This picture could help you decide if you prefer the soft white or the brighter white?


    EDIT: for the bathroom paint, I highly recommend at least a satin finish for cleanability. Also another reputable site: https://www.completetile.com/products/ceramic/mcintones_ceramics/ceramic_tile 

  • 4 years ago

    Whew, somehow this week flew by me, but I still feel like we’re getting somewhere! The sample for White Wash came in and we like it as much as the Tusk...maybe my husband likes it even more (which is fine with me--we need to make a decision!). We’re definitely going to use Fireclay for wall and floor tile—their smallest hex is slightly larger, but we like it and don’t have to worry about white floors matching white shower surround. It’s still TBD re shower tile layout…my husband prefers the 4" square offset while I like the stack bond. We may go to subway as a compromise.


    Here they are on floor in location of future toilet:




    And approximately in location of shower wall--you can also see our bedroom floor here for vanity purposes:





  • 4 years ago

    Regarding the wall hung toilet, that was our GC’s recommendation for the space savings, which is very appealing to me. I’m not sure what we’re going to do, as my husband hates it aesthetically. I’m all about function on this, since we’ll really be the only ones using this ensuite. It’s funny how much I care about other aesthetics, but don’t on this one. I’m also amazed by how many traditional-looking wall hung toilets there are in the UK…but so few here.

  • 4 years ago

    Going back to @thinkdesignlive's questions--I prefer the board and batten pics over the tile ones (I could write an essay on the evolution of those idea books...suffice it to say that there's a lot in them that I don't love--it's as much to spark discussion between my husband and me as it is an archive of ideas to implement). I hear that if we wall mount the toilet, then the tile makes more sense...but I like the board and batten better. So maybe that helps us decide on a floor toilet...good thing we have short legs.

  • 4 years ago

    Hmm...what else... good to know about Restoration Hardware, @J D. I'm open to recommendations for medicine cabinets, as well as light fixtures. We will have a recessed canned light in the shower, a solar tube over the sink, and a central light fixture integrated with the fan. So, really, any flair in light fixtures will be for the vanity. Our ceiling height is 8'4.5". Thank you again for all your help and guidance--I wish I had started these questions two years ago when I first started dreaming of this bathroom!

  • 3 years ago
    last modified: 3 years ago

    Your insights @J D and @thinkdesignlive were invaluable last year. Before I jump in too deep, I'm curious if you consult on interior design / bathroom finish decisions. I'm not sure how to go about messaging privately.


    Here's the update: not much, other than me being a basket-case. We held off the whole project because of Covid and now are slated to begin our 2 bathroom project in January/February. I'm not sure if it was clear in previous posts, but there are 2 bathrooms at hand; the new one that's being added (let's call that one GREEN- it was the focus of the previous posts) as well as the existing one that will be completely gutted and redone (and let's call that one BLUE). I'll add BLUE's plans below--if you think I should start a new thread for it, please advise!


    OVERALL ISSUE: I don't have a vision for the finishes of either bathroom. I'm more settled on GREEN (see the "board and batten" post for inspiration and drawing--but we will not do a wall-hung toilet). The vision for BLUE is more ambiguous. So, I need to decide on:

    - tile: manufacturer, layout, etc

    - medicine cabinets (want a large mirror but a craftsman look)

    - wood vs white vanity (they will be custom- I'm leaning towards wood for GREEN and white for BLUE)

    - vanity top (which will be shower curb in GREEN and bathtub ledge in BLUE, too, right?)

    - faucets

    - lights/sconces

    - sink (maybe as easy as Kohler Caxton in both)


    Re TILE: I couldn't commit to Fireclay tile because I thought the minimum grout was too wide. I also heard a few concerning stories. I've recently requested samples from American Restoration Tile and will go look at Mission Tile West in person next week. I'm open to other manufactures, too. I know that:

    - we want a small hex floor in both baths; for the green bath this will extend into the shower

    - we want to have a color element (hence the "green" and "blue") in both baths

    - we will probably go with a 4x4" wall tile in both baths, though undecided

    - I love trim pieces but also am concerned about $$$


    Houzzers, if you have advise on how to go about creating a vision, making decisions, what to prioritize (I know with supply chain issues, everything is a priority!), or something else, I welcome it. Thank you!!



    Here's the BLUE plan...not committed to the tile as shown:







  • 6 months ago

    Houzzers, it's been awhile! We finished this project two years ago. I think I've finally recovered and have enough energy to post some pictures. Your help with the green bathroom really made a difference. I'm quite pleased with how it came out--it is a lovely ensuite and works very well for me and my family. My favorite things about this bathroom are the storage drawers under the sink (it's more space than it looks!), the colors, and the solar tube. We rarely turn on the lights.


    If I were to do it again, the one thing I might do differently is put in another electrical outlet underneath the towel rack (then we could run a small space heater if it's cold; I could also plug in a hair dryer without having to have the cord cross the sink). I had also wanted a horizontal handle on the shower door so that it could double as a towel rack, but our contractor told us late in the game that it wasn't possible.


    Thank you again for your help, historical information, and vision boards!!!




  • 6 months ago

    Arg! I just lost the post with details from the blue bathroom. Here it goes again.


    This bathroom still needs a little attention, specifically an appropriate-length curtain rod and decorative curtain, different paint (I think the matte white looks like primer), and a framed print or something on the walls. Still, I'm pleased with the light fixtures (the overhead was salvaged from my childhood home and the vanity come from Metro Lighting), the 66" cast iron tub (it's great for an adult body and keeps water warm), the solar tube, and the overall layout (we gained so much space with a tub/shower combo, instead of a separate shower stall in the original layout). I think the tile is charming, too.


    Still, I have a substantial list of "if I could do overs" which include:

    - more storage (maybe a floor-to-ceiling cabinet opening outwards instead of the tub bench, maybe a recessed cabinet perpendicular to the sink, maybe something else). There's enough wall space that maybe we'll add some shelves at some point.

    - shower niche perpendicular to the shower head. The location at the back of the tub is hard to reach for kids, and still awkward for grown ups.

    - flip the entire bathroom so that the wet wall is to the left of the door. We considered this, but it would have meant moving the door frame, and we weren't touching that wall, so we didn't. But the result is that the current wet wall is up against a bedroom, and so if you're in the bedroom you hear the toilet flush, bath tub faucet, etc. If only we had had more money...