My tile mini-series launched by EarthaKitsch’s quest for vintage gray and pink tiles continues with more ceramic field tile choices from Waterworks. Waterworks is high-end company with gorgeous faucets and sinks, too, although nothing that really makes my mid-century modern or modest list. If you are on a quest to find Just The Right Color for your basic 4¼” x 4¼” bathroom field tiles, and can’t find what you want in the more obvious and less spendy places like Daltile, American-Olean or B&W, check these out.
Sorry, I can’t see any prices — a very difficult website for me to navigate — but I’m pretty sure these are mucho dinero. Link: Waterworks Echo line. To view slide show, click on the first thumbnail to enlarge, then move forward using the arrow below the image.
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Oh my aching head! I’m about to paint the wood on the bathroom floor and put a crappy fiberglass shower surround in! UGH! I’ve searched for/seen more tile than a human should have to…..I can’t find what I need!
I went to Daltile here in Columbus yesterday, and found that the mosaic stuff you can play with online is a matte finish. I wanted glazed but what’s a guy to do. Some will argue that matte is better so you don’t slip, while I prefer authenticity in my restoration.
On the other hand, I DID finally find the 4″ aqua field tile I want! American Olean at Lowe’s has this color but if you want glazed, it’s a wavy pattern. Daltile had the smooth glazed! WOO HOO!
Now to find an installer…some things you don’t want to experiment with.
Most of the bathrooms from this era are rather small, so maybe the more expensive stuff is do-able. If you were tiling a bathroom in a McMansion it would be a different story.
I put an expensive laminate floor in my kitchen because what was down there was a layer of ugly press&stick linoleum that was stuck pretty good. I thought the laminate was gorgeous. It cost me $750 for the flooring & installation for an 8×13 kitchen, but it was worth it to me to have something pretty & low maintenance.
Some folks would have spent the time scraping that old stuff down to the floor joists. I did pull it up and try to see what the bottom layer was. I couldn’t really tell for sure, and by that time I had my heart set on the laminate. So I went and got what I wanted.
If you find something you absolutely love, then go ahead and spend the money.
The Chinese have an expression, “Buy the best and you only cry once.”
Amy, that is a GREAT expression! Plus, everyone, before you start scraping — do your homework, get the stuff tested, you don’t know what noxious stuff is in those old adhesives and floors until you get them tested! See all my links to the EPA sites on asbestos, lead, etc. and get professional help in this regard.
Another great link! Thanks, Pam!
I have to say that “Buy the best and you only cry once” is going to be remembered and used on the hubs from time to time. That’s a great quote!