Sub-what-way tiles

I may be the only person in existence who hates subway tiles. I think they’re boring and safe, and they literally make me feel like I’m in a subway station (I spent enough time in those during my University years!)

But I want to tile the bottom part of the walls in the cottage bathroom, and I have to use small tiles because the walls aren’t perfectly smooth and flat and hubby said there would be problems with using larger tiles. So, 3” x 6” subway tiles it is. But I don’t want to do the typical subway tile pattern.

So I’ve been doing some googling and looking for other layout options. I really like the herringbone layout, but it may be a bit busy for the bathroom.

Image via HGTV Canada

 

Image via Lowes

 
I LOVE the look of this vertical stacked layout with accent tiles. I reminds me of plaid.

Image via This Old House 

 
There’s also the horizontally stacked layout, but it’s more modern feel may not be right for the cottage.

Image via Westside Tile and Stone

Vertically stacked too.

Transitional Kitchen by Portland Architects & Building Designers Howells Architecture + Design, LLC

 
I think this is what I’m going to go with – a 1/3 offset layout.

 Image via Lowes

Although I just saw this layout a few days ago night, and I kind of like it too. It looks like it may be 1/5 offset.

Image via The Block Glasshouse

What’s your favourite subway tile layout?

To see some other cool layout ideas for subway tiles, check out 10 creative ways to use subway tile.

Design in a day

The cottage bedroom makeover is on the back burner while we work on the cottage bathroom. I totally forgot to take a before picture – DOH! – but this is a picture of the gutted bathroom with the same 4 foot extension that was added to the bedroom (the part with the subfloor). Notice the dirt and leaves and crap where the old floor used to be ;-)

There aren’t many places to shop for bathroom materials near the cottage, so we took my dad’s SUV and trailer back to Ottawa for a couple of days and I went on a serious bathroom shopping blitz. I really had no idea what I was looking for – the only thing I knew was that I was on a super-tight budget.

My dad loves brown and kinda sorta suggested that perhaps possibly maybe the bathroom could be brown… so when I saw the Luna Crest laminate countertop, I had my starting point.

Over in the tile aisle I found these mosaic tiles that also fit the brown bill:

Together with white subway tiles, I was onto something :-)

Next I found simple and inexpensive grey ceramic tiles for the floor.

My original thought was to paint the vanity white, but there’s already going to be a lot of white in the room with the subway tiles. And then I had an Ah-Ha moment – teal!

Traditional Kitchen by Philadelphia General Contractors Buckminster Green LLC

 

Traditional Kitchen by Auburn Interior Designers & Decorators L&M Interior Design

 Traditional Kitchen by La Jolla Kitchen & Bath Designers Studio Stratton Inc

I chose Benjamin Moore Aegean Blue for the vanity colour-matched to PARA Paints Cabinet & Furniture Paint. This is seriously nice paint and holds up to wear and tear extremely well.

I had originally thought brown or grey for the walls and ceiling, but I wanted more colour I debated between a few shades of greeny-blue, and finally decided on Benjamin Moore Smoky Green. OK, it looks grey in the picture, but really it isn’t!

I also picked up a sink, shower & vanity faucets, grout, tiles spacers, and everything else I could think of that we would need. Then the next day we loaded up the SUV and trailer and hauled it all to the cottage.

And now the reno is in full gear – more coming in my next post!

Sexy Mexsii

I’m totally in love with these headboards from Mexsii Bedheads based in Melbourne, Australia.

All of Mexsii’s headboards are made with environmentally sustainable foam, 100% organic Belgian linen, non-toxic dyes, and recycled wood. So they’re not only beautiful, but they have minimal impact on the environment as well.

*Sigh* If I didn’t live on the opposite side of the world, I’d have one of these babies in my bedroom!

Click here to read about Mexsii and drool over more of their gorgeous headboard designs!