The Kitchen Flooring Saga Part 2 of 2 and the Reveal!

By Mandi 10/30/2013

You.guys. I am so sorry to leave you hanging like that yesterday. When I had the entire post written it was like a 45 minute read and I mean, I know that Vintage Revivals is totally your favorite blog, but that is just asking a little too much.

So if you need to get caught up check out Part 1.

Now, where were we? Oh yes,  gnashing of teeth.

Because I was unwilling to put in wood that didn’t match in such a large open area that was directly connected to the old wood (though I know it can be done beautifully) I was left with the option of tile.

I think that picking tile goes back to my tip on picking carpet. If you are feeling overwhelmed,  stop what you are doing and walk away from the beige. Unless of course that is what you have your heart set on, then by all means,  be my beigey guest.

I ordered 4 different samples of tile from Build Direct because I believe in second chances and we had such a great experience with our original floors. These are they:

image

1 // 2 // 3 // 4

I knew immediately that the lower left hand sample was the winner. It is called Silk White and can be found here. The other ones just weren’t right. The lines were too bold and the white was too white (and I just realized as I was linking to it that it is actually wall tile. So don’t order it for your floors. Okey dokey?)

So I called the customer service rep up again and placed an order for my tile. We were becoming fast friends he and I. The price per sq foot was $2.19. I ordered enough to do my kitchen, my laundry room and both bathrooms. I learned my lesson. The total cost for the tile was $814 and the shipping was $435. Ouch.

One of the downsides from ordering something like this online is the cost of the shipping. I did this because even though increased my price by over $1.00 sq/ft it was still less than buying it from a local retailer. Total price including shipping was $3.31 sq/ft.

The size I ordered were 12×24”. I love the modern vibe that it gives off.

There are a few ways that you can lay tile of that shape/size without having to make cuts.

12x24 tile pattern

If you are into making custom tiles, check out this tutorial from my girl Michelle on how to make chevron tiles.

One of the biggest complaints that I had with the tile we already had was that the grout was always dirty looking. Originally it was sort of a reddish brown, but no matter what I did to it,  in the high traffic areas it was always dark gray. Except that time I tried to clean it with Kaboom Toilet Cleaner and bleached it…that TOTALLY changed the color…to gag me tangerine. Lesson learned.

So I decided that if the natural color of the grout was always going to be dark then I wasn’t going to fight it. Everyone recite the Serenity Prayer with me. I knew this was a battle that I was not willing to fight. AND I love dark grout especially after using it in Alicia’s Kitchen.

The grout that I chose is Mapei Sanded Grout in Charcoal. I believe that you can buy this at Lowes, but I bought mine at Contempo Tile. It is around $15 a bag.

Charcoal Grout

 

At this point we were down to 3 weeks before the looming deadline.

I was starting to get stressed. The hardwood still had not been picked up,  the tile was coming from Virgina and wouldn’t be here for 2 weeks. This is what I would like to call All Hell, right before it breaks loose.

After close to 2 weeks, the tile finally arrived.

It was beautiful.

It was glorious.

It was going to be laid by a professional.

*Insert record scratch.

Are you guys disappointed in me?!

First off, let me explain myself. I have literally the most patient husband in all the world. He is up for anything and gives me all the creative freedom that I want. He never says no to a project. So when he told me there was no way that he was laying tile,  I had to believe him.

Plus there was the whole 1 week left before the deadline of my life scenario. Learning how to lay 12×24” tile in a herringbone pattern with 1/8″ grout lines? That was not a beast I was willing to poke. Mostly because I know it would have eaten me alive.

I had talked to a few different tile guys about doing the job, but everything kept falling through.

I needed a Hero. Ps. if this were an actual movie, this song from Bonnie Tyler would TOTALLY be playing right now.

You’re very welcome for getting that song stuck in your head for the rest of the day.

I needed someone that could come in the next 3 days, and have it done in 2. I needed someone that wasn’t going to charge me an arm and a leg (remember my realistic person budget?). And for goodness sake,  I needed someone who would let me take pictures of them.

Enter a Hero.

Meet Jamie. He was recommended by a friend and was everything. EVERYTHING. If you live in Southern Utah and want someone that has the Mandilicious Seal of Approval, you want him. He can be your hero too! If you want his phone # leave a request in the comments below and I will email it to you immediately.

DSC_0113

 

It was so interesting to see how a professional did things vs how my brain would have done it. Simple things like setting a diagonal chalk line. I would have set a horizontal one and lined all the tips up. Such a smart man.

DSC_0118

Or not setting the tiles that were right in the middle of the door frame until all of the tiles in the pantry are set. The reason he did this is so that he could kneel on the tile without gushing out all of the thinset. I never would have come up with that. I would have had a tile that was 1/4” lower than all of the other ones.

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And there is definately something to be said for having the right tools for the job.

DSC_0125

One thing that I thought was really awesome were the spacers that Jamie used. I bought the little t ones from HD and he saw at that moment what a complete novice I was. These horseshoe shaped ones make things so much easier to set AND to remove. They don’t sell them at box stores, you have to get them from a tile shop.

Setting Herringbone Tile

He had the entire floor laid in 7ish hours. WHA!?! I would still be trying to work with a freaking horizontal chalk line after 7 hours. Ok lets be honest. I would have been curled up in the fetal position in my pantry underneath the paint shelf after 3.

Jaime came back the next day to grout.

DSC_0136

 

Like the hero that he is Jamie finished the day before my massive deadline. My fridge was still in the freaking living room when the biggest event of my blogging career happened. “Oh hello, welcome to my house,  please sit down, and if you are thirsty you don’t even need to leave your chair. The refrigerator is fully stocked a mere 2 feet from your seat. Also, don’t mind that there are more paint rollers and brushes in there than food.” It was comical. Really.

Herringbone Tile Floor Pattern

Build Direct Kitchen Tile

Herringbone Tile Ideas

Here are the 3 other tile samples that I ordered against the winner.

Build Direct Kitchen Tile-4

Now back to the wood. It was picked up about 3 weeks after the return had been requested, which was really frustrating, because that is a lot of money to just not have around, you know?

So the question becomes, would I buy from Build Direct again? I have to give a big fat resounding YES! They have really great prices, and the quality of products (at least the ones that I have experienced) are comparable to the much more expensive materials that you find elsewhere. Their return process was easy and they were really understand about my situation. But I will issue a word of caution. if you have to utilize their return policy,  just know that it can take  a few weeks until you have your money back in hand.

While the wood would have been fab, the tile is amazing. I love every single thing about it. I love the brightness that it brings to the space. I love that (while it may not be a new trend on the internet) it is very forward for Southern Utah. Which means in a few years when we may want to sell, it is going to be just catching on and people will be obsessed.

Now to answer the question that you have been dying to know. How does it hold up to dirt? Does it show every single thing?

I am going to say yes and no. Regular dirt and Wallie hair isn’t noticeable. Anything that has color? Yes.

But.

I would much rather have floors that show where they need to be cleaned, than to mask it so well they get filthy because I am blissfully unaware.

I have been moping them once every 10 days or so, and spot clean spills and they don’t look like you need to call Child Protective Services on me. So that is a win win.

As for the rest of the kitchen, I have lots of big plans. But that is another post for another day.

Questions? Leave them in the comments, and I will answer them there!

 

Love Your Guts

65 thoughts on “The Kitchen Flooring Saga Part 2 of 2 and the Reveal!”

  1. I love this floor so much. Oh my. We are building at the moment, and I think I have decided what I am doing for the floor tiles in the bathroom. Thank you, thank you.

  2. Mandi, you are too much fun! What a fun surprise to see you linked up to my tile tutorial, thanks so much! Your blog is my fave to read not just because you are such a super HERO designer (yes, it’s stuck in my head for the day, thank you) but because you are such an awesome writer as well. Bravo on the tile! Looks wonderful. My motto on white: (because people are always giving me flack on using so much of it in my house) WHITE KEEPS YOU HONEST! Yes, it may show dirt but that’s the good thing about it. I’d rather see it and clean it up quick then have it blend in and never notice it. Kudos girl!

  3. I’m going to say that debacle with the wood was truly serendipitous. Oh sure the wood would’ve looked nice, but that tile is PERFECT. I love the way it brightens up the space & adds the perfect amount of balance against that dark wall, and the neutral tones in the rug and chairs give it lovely warmth.
    It’s so pretty on the eyes.

    And I love too how this proves one of my personal beliefs…that when something seems like it’s not working out, it’s because something even better is on the way. You just gotta believe.

  4. The floor is STUNNING and ridiculously envy-inducing, but good heavens woman, you’re killin’ me!…. WHAT WAS THE HUGE DEADLINE, THE “BIGGEST EVENT OF YOUR BLOGGING CAREER”?!?!
    (Do I look like an idiot now because I missed an announcement and everyone else knows?)

    1. Kristin, you didnt miss it, I am just not allowed to talk about specifics yet. But you guys will be the first people I tell when I can!!

      xo
      m

  5. i love that floor!!!! it looks amazing, i love the layout, i love the gray grout! i love it all!!!

  6. I’m curious how the dark wall under the windows go so dirty? I’m assuming you touched it up or repainted the whole wall after the tile was done?

    1. If you can believe it it is covered in dust! It was from taking out all of the tile/thinset and it was EVERYWHERE.

      xo
      m

  7. I have to be honest. I was NOT sold on the idea of tile… and I was NOT in love with that tile in the first photo. But the herringbone pattern TOTALLY makes that tile. Like, dayum girl. Your vision never ceases to AMAZE me.

  8. I just learned so much from you today! thank you. Love the herringbone and your new kitchen floor.

  9. ” I love that (while it may not be a new trend on the internet) it is very forward for Southern Utah. Which means in a few years when we may want to sell, it is going to be just catching on and people will be obsessed.” ….. I had to laugh out loud! I still am. 🙂 I live in central Maine, land of the primitive. of the apple wallpaper border…of the maroon and hunter green. I just sigh, and shake my head…I don’t know if it will ever catch up!
    LOVE the tile! Your house is so beautiful and FUN. 🙂

    1. That must mean that you get all the good stuff at the thrift stores!! #applesforever

      xo
      m

  10. Love the large tiles and how you chose to lay them…it’s always good to know when we are out of our depth and hire a job out especially with such a permanent thing like tile great job it’s faboo!!!

  11. holy crap the tile looks BEAUTIFUL!!!!! Seriously what an amazing call on the tile size for a modern looking herringbone pattern. You always see brick-sized patterns, and they’re certainly not as impactful as this. I’m in love, and I hope one day I can do this to my future kitchen!

  12. Your floors turned out so fantastic!! I was such a hardwood flooring fan but I have this whole new appreciation for tile flooring because of this post! My husband and I are hoping to be buying a fixer-upper house within the next year (6 months preferably) and I would not be against tile flooring in the kitchen/bathrooms/etc at all! LOVE IT!
    Chelsea
    chelseaandcamille.blogspot.com

  13. The part in the movie where Jamie comes in is when “Hero” by Enrique Iglesias starts playing.

  14. As someone who actually tried to lay 12×24 tiles in her kitchen I applaud you at having the intuition to hire it out! It took my husband and I 2 hours to lay 3 tiles and I think my husband almost ended up in tears next to me. It was by far the worst experience of renovating our kitchen, I would take demo or sanding drywall over laying tile any day. I’m still having nightmares about it.

  15. love the herring bone pattern! it turned out beautiful! I’m glad it all worked out in the end 🙂 our house has been unde construction since my 1 year old was about 8 months and we have yet to get the tile put in at our house… hardwood tile and octagons for the master bath. you totally talked me into darker grout. I hate fighting with it anyway!

  16. I love this! It looks so awesome! My sister-in-law in Santa Cruz chose almost the exact same tile in her kitchen. I have a question about the vase that sits on your mother-in-laws house…where on earth did you find it? I love it, and I’m looking for something to sit on my farmhouse table that my husband just built me.

  17. Wellllll, I’m like Birttany, wasn’t terribly impressed with the tile in the photo. Oh boy!!! Did I ever change MY tune when I saw that awesome floor!!! It.is.gorgeous! Your hero did a fabulous job of putting that down, too! As a DIYer of tile (only once – never again), be glad you found him and that the hubs said ‘No’! lol

    Fabulously pulled together, my dear!

  18. Love it. What did you end up doing to the entry way? Did you put the new tile there?

  19. Wowzers! The tile is beautiful, the pattern is beautiful, the installation is beautiful! Well done! It really amps up your kitchen and dining area that’s fo’ sho’. Can’t wait to hear your big announcement! 🙂

  20. I LOVE it! It looks absolutely incredible and I’m a little sorry I didn’t do something similar in my kitchen now. I think that style and pattern of tile is going to age very well and transfer across a lot of styles.

    Nicely done!

  21. I just love a happy ending!! I’m hoping to find a place to use the cool herringbone design some day. Considering all the hassle, the end result was really, really worth the wait.

    ~Lynn

  22. Ah! Love it! Even though I am generally anti-tile (perhaps because of the same Southern Utah builder grade crap I’ve always had), this is a really good look. Love the color, shape and herringbone pattern. I’m so glad you hired a pro, seriously some things are worth the money!

  23. LOVE IT!! and omg, those spacers. How I wish I had those last time I did tile! Makes those dinky T ones from Home Depot look like a joke! If I ever have a house and need to tile a floor, soooo doing this. Its amazing

  24. Why can’t I get my wife to see that herringbone is the way to go!? Umm I know, I’ll just how her this awesomeness and then she’ll be convinced! My gah this is just freakin amazing! Oh and am I the only one who doesn’t know what the biggest moment in your blogging career is? I hope not?

  25. mandy i am IN LOVE! seriously. we have some tile that my parents gifted to us that’s leftover from their new home that i’ve been going back and forth about … its like that tile that’s in planks that looks sort of like wood but not. and i’ve been hesitant to use it because a) i hate the tile in our kitchen currently and b) because i was worried about the grout problem. but now that i see this! hello, you have totally inspired me! i think i know what i’m asking for for christmas. your tile guy. not him, but his installation! out with the old, in with the new. thank you for posting this!!!

  26. Absolutely brilliant. They turned out amazing! Way to take the tragedy of the mis-matched wood and create something even more stunning! You are my hero Mandi! 😉

  27. Oh my gosh!!! How are you so amazing?! I LOVE it!!!!!!!! I love that the tile planks are big! It makes it so modern and sleek and lovely! I want to live in there!

  28. The floors look great! I love herringbone patterns: small, big, dark, light–I’ll take it any way available. Great choice!

  29. Do you mind spilling how much you paid to have someone lay the tile? I’d like to know what your total cost was, financially speaking.

  30. This is so awesome, We are redoing our kitchen floor – someday, but I need to be prepared so that when my husband says go I can move with exactly what I want before he can change his mind! I had pretty much settled on the 12×24 tile in a herringbone pattern with very small grout lines and you sold me! Does your tile guy travel to Provo? I would love to ask him. I worried that it would be a lot more expensive to have him lay it in a herringbone pattern than one of the other ones. Is that a legitimate worry?

  31. Mandi, It turned out great — as I knew it would! We used tile very similar in our bathroom — It is gorgeous! Ours tends to be a bit hard to keep clean, so I hope you do not have that problem also. Lovely!

  32. I second Rachael-would love to know the cost! That crazy financial lady says we shouldn’t be afraid to talk about money, so I’m just advocating good financial conversation. HA! 😉 Also, have you been having any trouble with emails? I haven’t been receiving anything in my inbox from you for a couple of months and I’ve checked spam. Confuzzled. And I too would love the deers for your tile guy. Anyhoo… looks gorge!!! Thanks. lady!

  33. Love that tile! I’m obsessed with both 12 x 24 tiles AND herringbone pattern. So awesome!

    Thanks for the inspo 🙂

  34. Looks really great! I wish I could pull up my reddish brown flooring that’s throughout the entire house. yuck. I gave a few shout outs to you today, so in case you miss it, I’ll say it again here. Thank you for all of your hard work and inspiration you share with the DIY community. Sorry, feeling a bit hormonal, so I hope it’s not reading all mushy over there. LOL https://www.younghouselove.com/2013/11/reader-redesign-whats-black-white-purple-allover/

  35. Looks fabulous! Wouldn’t expect anything less from you… I’d love to see what the transition looks like between the tile and hard wood. That’s always the most difficult part for me to imagine so I’d love to see your solution. Thanks!

  36. I need your tile layer to come to Bountiful….Freaking love the herringbone…tried it on a back splash..and total ‘no go’. Had me crying like a little girl….I need the herringbone on the kitchen floor like I need water….

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