6.24.2008

bathroom tile dilemma

so we started thinking about our bathroom remodel months ago. at that time we were hoping to have started and completed the darn thing already. we haven't even started. part of it is we've been distracted by fabulous weather ... thus the landscaping and time spent outside. the other part is my utter disgust with the dust issue ... thus the attic project. the landscaping is probably finished for now (more to come next year) and we will finish our part of the attic project over the 4th weekend.
so here we are back to our bathroom dilemma. the third reason for our procrastination (always must have good excuses, er, reasons for NOT finishing projects) is the tile. omg. i thought picking out items was supposed to be the easy part. the tile is becoming such a burden. we were originally going to order our tile from Mission Tile West. but we have had so much trouble with them that i think that is off the table. i'm going to save my ranting & raving post for later, just in case we need to actually order from them but all i'll say is this: for the amount of money we were going to spend on this tile their customer service is crap. terrible. i highly would recommend not even bothering beginning a conversation with these people.

i'm pushing for us to make a decision on our tile so this weekend we're going to go to a store locally called Architectural Brick & Tile. we're going to check out the Meredith Art Tile line. online this line looks like what we've been thinking about doing. i'm crazy about this color which is way different than the pink we were thinking about buying. it's called 'seaglass'. we're still going to do the 3x6 field tiles but not sure about the rest. i'll update after we look this weekend. yeah!


5 comments:

Melinda said...

I used the Meredith Art Tile in my kitchen for the backsplash (gave it a subway tile look). I love the way the crackle finish gives it that old look; however, when the tile is cut to fit around light switches, windows, electrical outlets, etc. parts of the crackle glaze fall off. My husband kept reassuring me that the grout would camoulflage it...it did to an extent but in places it is still pretty obvious. To me, it was not a huge deal because I like that antique look but if that type of thing is not for you, I would not recommend it. Good luck...I know how awful picking out tile can be - it is such a permanent (and expensive) decision.

carmen said...

thanks for the info! i'm a little nervous about this tile now. i'm into the antique/aged look myself but i'm not sure that i can handle chipped tile. thanks so much for sharing your experience.

Melinda said...

I hate to discourage from the tile. It really is beautiful; infact, we almost went with that same color you are thinking of. Instead, I decided to be boring and go with a more neutral. I posted some pics on my blog. Just click on the flicr link and they will be under the kitchen remodel set. Maybe this can help in your making a more informed decision. Most of the "flaws" are located under windows and cabinets and under outlet covers; therefore, unless you get right up on it (like I did with my camera) you can't see them.

BTW, another "characteristic" of the tile is that the edges are not straight, so grout lines are also not straight.

Hope this helps. Again, good luck!

carmen said...

thanks for the link to the pics. i see what you are talking about. your kitchen is BEAUTIFUL. wow! the tile looks really great, but the chips still concern me.

Melinda said...

Thanks for the compliment on the kitchen. We are really enjoying it. I am happy you decided to go with a different kind of tile. The options you have narrowed it down to look great. I can't wait to see the finished product. So, I hate to ask, but how is the bathroom coming along?