Tile, Grout, Lights and Floating Shelves

The tile I chose is made by Horus Art, the style is Tiffany in Biancho Crackle.

It's a nice soft white...with a little dash of cream.  I thought it was perfect.

But let's talk about your grout feedback.  It was really fun.

via SA Decor

                          According to your feedback about gray grout:

                          Pro:  Wouldn't look dirty

                          Con:  Looks dirty

                          Pro:  Looks like your favorite oyster bar

                          Con:  Looks like a Soviet butcher shop

                          Pro:  Adds interest

                          Con:  Too distracting

                          

                          Does that clear it up?

There were some of you that have used light gray in your bathrooms

and others that wished they had.  Some of you liked both.  And one

anonymous comment said if I used gray, our romance was over.

That's pretty serious stuff!

Overwhelmingly, though, most of you said white.

Mill Valley Loft, Remodelista.com

I'm in camp that likes both but I think they each have their place.  I see dark

grout as being industrial, even restaurant, perfect for a modern, loft-like space.

One commenter also suggested it's a vintage look and I can almost see it in

a place like The Breakers kitchen in Newport, Rhode Island.

It's also a great way to add pattern in space with clean lines.

Michelle's Mill Valley Kitchen, Remodelista.com

 I wanted a nice, clean look that didn't detract from some of the other unique details

I've put in the kitchen.  I love a lot of different styles and I'm slowly learning

I don't have to cram them all into one room.  So I'm doing white.

The light fixtures are all installed.  This is the Circa Milton Road pendant

and in the background is the cutie patootie E.F. Chapman Marine flush mount

in bronze also from Circa.  I'm not sure yet whether I'll have a table or island

underneath it.  I'm hoping my dining room table will work so I can turn

the dining room into a keeping room/den/library.  We'll see.

I chose the Milton Road pendant (by Thomas O'Brien) because 

its flutes beautifully echo the flutes in the columns in the cabinets.

I ordered another light from Circa for over the sink but it was very

backordered so I bought a backup which is the Franklin light from

Schoolhouse Electric.  I'm not in love with it and, yes, it's crooked.  I'm

pretty sure it's the shade, which incidentally fits horribly into the bronze

ring, so Schoolhouse is sending me a new shade.  Stay tuned.

In the last post, and a few photos back, you'll remember the blue tape

I put up to mark where floating shelves would go.  I wanted to show you

how those were made.  Holes were bored into the studs just slightly smaller

than the diameter of the 3/4 inch rebar.  And then the rebar is banged in to

the holes.  It's extremely solid. 

The shelf planks also have holes bored, just slightly larger so

they slide on easier but are still fairly snug.

These will be painted either white or light gray, I'll have to experiment.

Should I do white or gray?  I'm just kidding.

I'm off to pick up my tile and white grout.

New Tile

I got new tile today...from Roma Tile in Watertown.  The other tile store wouldn't

take back the other floor tile because it was "special order."  That was news to me.

And there's nothing on their invoice to state a special order could not be exchanged

or returned.  I may pursue it but thankfully the cost isn't a huge deal in the scheme

of things.  I'll probably donate it to a charity when I donate my kitchen appliances.

The people at Roma were much more helpful and gave me samples so

I could see everything in my house which makes all the difference in the world.

The new floor tile is Sant'Agostino Ferro, a ceramic tile from Italy.

The color is called black but it's a dark gray with subtle striations of lighter

gray and a tiny but of rust.  I got it in 6-inch by 24-inch pieces which I'll

stack in a grid pattern.  And it was a very reasonable $8.95 per square foot.

Although it could lean to a very modern setting...

...I think it has very traditional soapstone associations.  

I actually also see it as foundation of gray flannel.

The white subway tile will be a crisp white cotton shirt. 

And with a Greek key belt.

I'm much more comfortable with this choice.

The plumbing and electrical work have begun and I hope to have

the inspections completed next week so we can start closing up the walls.

I thought the beams in the ceiling just outside the bathroom were worth showing.

Not only are they gorgeous but there's some markings carved into them.

I'm not exactly sure what they mean but I think it's some method of keeping

track of which beams go where or some kind of checks-and-balances system to

ensure that all joists were pegged in to the main beams.  There are very 

few of these big major beams and as much as I love them, their placement

just didn't make sense leaving them exposed.

And, finally, thank you all for your well wishes for Angus!

He just had his follow-up visit to the ophthalmologist and he's

healed very well.  The surgery cost about the same as a 

Shaw sink and Rohl bridge faucet but it was well worth it.

Here's the happy boy this morning.  He's one handsome dude.