Where I live there is (or was, they either moved or quit) a business that fabricated concrete steps for house trailers and the like and just about anything you could imagine in concrete. Many of the products sold retail for very little more than you'd pay for materials for a small job. But, goodness, this stuff is a bear to manhandle and you can't talk "cheap" in the same breath as 180 feet of anything. It may not be the look you seek, but one of the products I see used along highway lengths of rural lots is a concrete post with three diagonal square openings to hold 4x4 or 6x6 lengths of wood making long, 3 bar fences and usually painted white, wood, concrete and all. Check with your local building authority. Many of us can find ourselves with an expensive demolition job when it isn't allowed or to code. In today's paper a judge was totally disinterested in a man's plea of ignorance. Let us know your ultimate solution and we sure appreciate photos! David

Thank you very much for the advice. I like Fantasy Brown a lot. I am not sure if it would work in my counter with the seam at the corner. It seems like pieces of Oyster White or Lennon are easier to join together discretely. Also, with the small appliances on the counter - microwave, toaster, coffee maker and kettle - I am not sure how much granite flow I will be able to see at a time. Is Oyster White look too simple in your opinion? What backsplash do you suggest to make it more visually interesting? What color of the floor tile is the best? My kitchen opens to the hallway/living room with red oak floor. I prefer not to have hardwood in the kitchen.

I'm repeating this because I accidentally posting it on your other thread: Corinne Masterson I responded to your other thread about looking for concrete-looking tiles. The Emser Hangar and Emser Uptown were not expensive at all! I got 12 x 24 Emser Uptown Sugar Hill for my shower walls and ceiling (steamer), and bigger tiles are usually less expensive. I got a 2" x 2" for the floor, and those tend to be more expensive, but it's a small area. For my Dad's house I got Hangar Sand 12" x 24" for the bathrooms floors, and a darker Hangar color for 2" x 2" shower floor. The tile cost is one thing, but skill, experience and pro-labor is another. My tile pro is so fantastic, he build my steamer, installed a very $$$$ entire linear mosaic wall, plus the 12 x 24 field tile walls and ceiling in my master; and believe me, I am not worried about waterproofing problems with him. AND he was able to make all the super-cheap Home Depot tile look like a million bucks in my 3 upstairs bathrooms he remodeled. The pro that you hire for the installation is more important than the tile you choose IMO. Cheap tile + cheap installer = a disaster of waterproofing problems, lippage, horrible layout, yucky and uneven grout lines, sliver cuts; don't do it!! Cheap tile + excellent/expensive installer = great for any bathroom: upstairs/ kids /guest /rentals /master: If the tile you like just so happens to be cheap, such as from HD or Lowes that's fine. An excellent installer will make it look wonderful! Seriously, my awesome installer was totally fine with HD tile for all our upstairs kids'/guests' bathrooms, and it all looks beautiful. And again, no worries about waterproofing when you hire an experienced pro and pay them for their skill and expertise. Expensive tile + cheap installer = so sad; you buy this lovely, beauitful, expensive tile, and then a hack installer ruins it and you get a disaster of waterproofing problems, lippage, horrible layout, yucky and uneven grout lines, sliver cuts; don't do it!! Expensive tile + excellent/expensive installer = the best of both worlds. We bought a very expensive mixed glass/marble/porcelain mosic for an entire wall of our master shower and the tile pro I hired did an excellent job installing it. There were some issues with the tile I selected, but in the hands of a real pro, it can all be handled. The reason I didn't type "expensive installer," is because "excellent/expensive" is the better description. I had an expensive hack trash my bathroom. Expensive doesn't always mean excellent. That's another story...

@SJ McCarthy Everyone has been super helpful and either the brick is a look you like or you don't which I get but no one has mentioned the brick against the wood laminate except you. The washed grayish brown brick looks completely fine against my existing wood laminate - I included a picture with my floor and the brick tiles and there is nothing wrong with it. The reddish brown brick suggested here is also a washed looked and something I am considering. Both the brick I selected and the tone that was suggested are warm. You say that I am trying to add a very warm floor to cool tones, but how is that wrong? You can mix gray/white cool tones in the same room as warm tones so I am not following where you say that is an issue. I see it all over Pinterest and HGTV with gray walls and orangish brown wood floors and the same toned wood in bamboo shades and baskets so..... And yes, I am saying I want a floor to add warmth due to all the cool tones. Most people select wood floors to add the warm element. I am in a situation where I can't add wood floors so I need another option. I have looked at silver travertine, brown travertine and everything in the middle. I've been to 4 flooring stores. I do not like the look of travertine because I see too much orange in the options that would go with my color scheme. I appreciate your suggestion but I spent $4,000 on the laminate I have throughout my downstairs 3 years ago. It's not going anywhere anytime soon.