Indecisiveness
Wed, 19 Aug 2015Do you recall about a month ago when I blogged that I found THE TILE?
I had settled on this one for the vestibule and kitchen, with the wainscoting painted out glossy black and walls in Farrow & Ball Lotus wallpaper in the foyer/stairs/upstairs hallway, and then a 6" white hexagon tile in the foyer (easier than redoing the hardwood in there - that way we can use the stairs while the floors in the dining/living rooms get redone).
And then Monday we went tile shopping for what might have been the FIFTH time. SHOOT ME. This time it was to find tile to do the area inset in the hardwood in front of the fireplace (and something cheap for inside the fireplace). I did find one of the most beautiful little hexagon tiles I have ever seen.
It cost a small fortune considering the small amount I needed, but I adore it. The mix of greys with different textures is incredible. I think it's going to look fantastic. (I found it at Euro Tile & Stone)
Anyhoo, more to the point is that I came across the most perfect tumbling block patterned tile - my all-time favourite pattern EVER, in the perfect size and colours, and at an ok price.
Now I am dying a slow death at the thought of passing this up. So maybe I throw caution to the wind and just go with this one. I spent a couple minutes last night doing a really bad photoshopping job to show you my idea.
What do you think? I cannot pass up free wallpaper (thank you Farrow & Ball!) and this one, Amime, seems to maybe work. (Coincidentally I have a roll of it - I am going to line my glass-front kitchen cabinet with it). This idea is growing on me. VERY QUICKLY.
****To clarify, I would use this tumbling block tile in the vestibule, foyer and through into the kitchen.
Reader Comments (24)
I absolutely love the hexagon tiles...you're right, the mix of colors and textures looks so modern! I also LOVE the geometric patterned tile. It's so fresh and modern looking, and I think it would be easier to adapt than the other pattern. I think it's funny that pattern was actually in a picture from your original post (http://goo.gl/GJKVmb) but because it's only two tiles and the pattern was arranged differently they look totally different. Anyway, I love them and I really hope you pick those ones. :)
You're right, that Hex tile is AMAZING! I think I need it in my life... maybe I'll plan a trip to the store to check it out in person
Dear Kim, if that's your all time favorite tile, than go for it and don't think twice. As for the wall paper, maybe this one is not the best option. It seems to me that the pattern of the wallpaper is too small and in combination with the tiles might be a bit too busy for the eye, a bit "dizziness producing". But that's judging by the "monitor impressions" and they can be misleading big time. Can you take that wallpaper sample you have to the tile store and put it besides the tiles to see if the combo would work?
I don't see why not for vestibule and kitchen.
Lotus is a perfect choice for your house foyer.
It will be fine.
You may want to check this Brazilian designer that is developing multiple tile options and making them free... https://www.facebook.com/dingbatladrilhohidraulico?fref=ts
LOVE LOVE LOVE!
So glad your husband has found his sea-legs! and can survive the tile.
I wonder about the scale of the white hex. with the tumble-block...I'd try to mock-up as much of the two patterns near each other first before buying. Sounds stellar if there's a magnitude of scale difference between the two.
To clarify, I would use the tumbling block in the vestibule, foyer and kitchen and choose a different wallpaper for the foyer/staircase/upstairs hallway that works with the tumbling block. And ideally glossy black wanscotting no matter what I end up with for tile/wallpaper.
ASAP I'd like to bring home a sample of the tumbling block and I already have the wallpaper so I can see how they look together in reality.
Yes, totally do the tumbling block....I've never seen a tumbled block tile floor that didn't look completely amazing and timeless and still totally fresh.
I like the earlier version much more. But again, I feel good in a place which is calm and has one main pattern.
The tumbling block is too busy for such a large area. If I were you I would use it in the vestibule but keep the wood flooring elsewhere.
I reeeeeeally don't want to keep the wood in the foyer. Then I would have to live in the basement while the wood floors get redone = nightmare.
I like the tumble pattern which is classic. However I think that the area covered is large and the punch effect might be overwhelming. My opinion is with such an impact on the floor, the wallpaper would be way too much. I would maybe go bold for the small entrance and more subdued for the rest. For the rest, I would go with the original choice (1st photo). I attentively follow your process and enjoy every minute of it.
Love these new tile considerations! You've gone from awesome to triple A+! Personally, I believe the Anime wallpaper would be beautiful in the kitchen...even on the arch wall. Simply hanging the right art piece over it (which you are sooo good at) would eliminate any possible scale clash. The wallpaper will bring a luxurious added texture into the kitchen...with your blue paint and new brass fittings, etc. Beautiful! I agree with taking the tumbling block tile all the way through!
Oh, those hexagons with the fireplace are fantastic! The wall paper will look great as well.
I can fully understand that your husband gets seasick by looking at those tumbling blocks, I get dizzy from just seeing them on the webpage. I want to love them, because they're cool, but I really couldn't spend any time in a room with a floor like that.
Hard to argue taste, but if something is incredibly uncomfortable for one part, I think that should have higher priority
I'm afraid I'm not a tumbling-boxes tile lover as they make me a little dizzy, too, but what about the hex tiles in the foyer. I think they'd look great and possibly show less dirt.
Agree with Lisa (I'm, a Lisa too!). I know the hex is expensive but may work with the small pattern scale of the wallpaper in the foyer?
I've heard a couple of times that the space is too large for the tumbling block. The kitchen is about 8x8 (with a bit more going down tot he back door), the foyer is about 13x6 minus the space the stairs takes up, and the vestibule I think is 6x3. And there is a door blocking the vestibule, and a door blocking the kitchen from the foyer. So you on;y see one of the spaces at a time.
When people talk about hex in my foyer, I assume you're referring to the 6" white hex I found (not pictured)?
I was thinking the fireplace blue grey hexes for the vestibule?
Actually, I was thinking of the mixed gray hex tiles shown in your post for at least the vestibule. Not sure about the foyer since I can't really picture the rest of the spaces, but I would probably separate the kitchen and vestibule tiles by leaving the foyer floor in wood. I love tile, but it is colder and noisier than wood. But I'm sure whatever you do will be great.
The tiny hex tiles were about $50/sq ft. There's no way I can bring myself to spend that kind of money on a tiny space that I will never see because the door is always closed. And leaving wood in the foyer means sleeping in the basement next to the litter boxes. No can do. :(
Hoping to go back to the tile shop shortly to pick up a box of the tumbling block so I can see if it will work. I REALLY hope so.
I love the fireplace hex tile -- great textures.
However, I am not a fan of the tumbling block tile with the shiny wainscotting and the wallpaper -- too many cold and slick textures combined together. I think it needs to be broken up -- which the first tile you chose does nicely. If you choose the tumbling block tile because that is the most important element to you, then I think you need to change the other components. Not sure what to suggest there -- maybe a handpainted wallpaper would fit the bill. A chinoiserie paper like so -- (yes, I know this is a knock-off of the original featured in Living Etc.):
http://www.aliexpress.com/store/product/Hand-Painted-Mural-Wallpaper-Chinoiserie-Silk-wih-rice-paper-back/604427_512420520.html
Or perhaps a solid colour silk wallpaper: http://www.decoratorsbest.com/p-schumacher-shijin-silk-silver-wallpaper-21368.aspx
http://www.elitis.fr/fr/wallcovering/collection-forever-135#.VdfD6rSBKRs
Or this: http://www.elitis.fr/fr/wallcovering/collection-luminescent-248/drawing-vega-298#.VdfDjrSBKRs
My wildest suggestion would be a handpainted wallpaper from http://www.blackcrowstudios.com/#!/INSTALLS .
@monika - those are great wallpapers (except the solids - too plain). Is there any F&B paper you would recommend? I'd rather go with them - would save me a $ since they're donating supplies.
@kim -- I've had a look through the F&B wallpapers, and find them too close in value to your chosen tiles to create the sort of feel I think you are after. Their wallpapers and the tiles would read as modern formal look when combined together, which I don't see as being your style. You've created such a cozy, sexy, textural space in the living room, and feel you want some of the same dynamic in your entrance.
The solid wallpapers from Elitis don't necessarily translate well in snippets of photos, but remember -- they have a texture, which is a big part of your style. The silk wallpaper in particular, is utterly gorgeous and quietly dramatic when you see it applied. It shimmers and changes colour with the light, and has a sub, creating a lovely texture. Having walls upholstered in silk creates a cozy quality -- it is at once traditional and sexy, quietly special and unusual. One of the greys or darker colours would look lovely in your space (maybe with a vintage distressed brown leather chair, similar to the Egg Chair you like?). It creates a whole different atmosphere to have fabric upholstering your walls. They would look so good with framed pencil drawings and prints! We have friends who have similar silk on their walls, and it is gorgeous!
I never chimed in on your tile selections, but I love cement tiles, and would have suggested these, from Emery et cie -- a mixed patchwork of black and white tiles:
http://www.emeryetcie.com/fr/quoi/carrelages/ciment/exemples/realisations/canal-bxl/05.htm
Yes, I know they don't sell them in Ottawa, but hey, that has never stopped me (our tiles are from Vidrotil, and I bought them without ever having seen them in person, just from the website) :)
So, knowing you and your style, that is what I would suggest -- mixed black&white Emery et cie cement tiles, silk walls, works on paper and B&W photos, a gold/brass and blown glass light fixture, and some distressed leather.
I am a fan of those mixed pattern tiles, but then I would really have to do solid on the top of the walls and that means my staircase and upstairs hallway would be totally boring. I thank you muchly for the great ideas though! :)
Check out my post today. I reeeeally think it will work.