why is it so hard to pick the right tile for MY house

i have no issues picking stuff that looks good for customers. i do fancy high dollar tile work quite often. we have a reputation around here for the work we do, and half the time i get artistic license to do things my way.

but now it's time to get rid of the old lady maroon and stripes wallpaper, crappy tub surround, 70's tastic dungeon vanity and faux marble top in my bathroom and i'm having a hell of a time picking what i want. i found the shower tiles i really really want, but they're straight outta china and i can't get a firm shipping quote on $ or time from the company via my alibaba account. the language barrier hurts there. my 2nd choice is sweet, but clashes with the first choice of floor tile, so i need to change that. i believe i'm jaded from working with pedestrian materials most of the time that i want my house to drop jaws.

whatever, tile or not i'm gutting this hot mess the day after christmas. almost bathroom build thread time.

Do what I do when I want to go all out on tile. I dig around Craigslist for leftovers from the fancy hotel builds around town and use that. In the last house I did a Brazilian noche backsplash for the kitchen that would have been 8K for materials. For a 6 pack and 200 bucks and a 20 to the guy who helped me load the truck.

I'd subscribe to the bathroom rebuild thread!

I wish that I was as comfortable tearing my house apart as I am tearing machinery apart.

We recently replaced our countertops and backsplashes. The countertop was easy: I knew the one as soon as I saw it.

The tile? Took forever to find something we liked. I hate all of them. All. Of. Them.

In the end, we spotted something at Lowe's that we liked. Added bonus: on sale!

I am nearing completion of my master bathroom remodel. It has taken 2 years....but not because I couldn't choose tile. It was a little tough at first with a blank canvas. Once I picked one thing, it was much easier to start picking everything else to go with it.

So my advice...make the first decision. It will narrow down all of your other options pretty quickly.

should know tomorrow if my preferred shower tile is not discontinued. didn't make it today. now my wife is changing her mind on the floor. having to pander to someone else's ideas doesn't help.

the silly thing to me is this is what i do. every day. except i remodel everyone else's houses.

the good thing is that because i do this every day, i'm used to killing it and getting things done right and timely.

You know the drill, pick a base tile to build the palette off. Then pick other stuff that is cool. It will turn out great.

In reply to wearymicrobe:

Curious where do you search around on Craigslist or what terms do you used for leftover construction materials?

floor tile ordered, supposed to be here monday. going to virginia tile to see about my shower tile. not giving things away, but will for certain build thread it.

will need to make a run to the nearest menards(all 3 around me are 40-43 miles away) for some maple cabinet plywood and 1x for face frames to build my cabinets at some point, but having people over saturday night and again on christmas so need to work on other stuff. will probably build the cabinet boxes and faces thursday so i can order doors and drawer fronts. i have all the tooling to make my own, knives for pretty much any door panel profile, and the place i order them from is so cheap it's not worth it.

Because no matter what your wife (if you have one), is going to tell you that you picked the wrong one!

The real reason - you have to live with the one you pick. When you pick them for others you don't.

Daltile seems to have a particularly good selection of clean, modern European porcelain tile.

DanyloS wrote: In reply to wearymicrobe: Curious where do you search around on Craigslist or what terms do you used for leftover construction materials?

Most of it I find through contacts or by searching "remnants / tile" on Craigslist. The local stone guys will buy back as well for pennies on the dollar your overage material and sell it for a bit more profit as well.

i have my tile. will "build thread" the bathroom when it happens. floor came from wayfair.com, wall tile i got at virginia tile(supplier that we use all the time), other wall tile was all free as i was given dozens and dozens of cases of it along with bullnoses. got my speedset mortar today and the new fan. granite top is supposed to be in thursday. got a recessed $169 medicine cabinet on clearance at home depot for $25, and picked out the tub/doors and HD has them in stock. the only thing that's getting reused is the toilet, as it's a nice kohler and there is nothing wrong with it. sink faucet was a 75% off clearance score from 4 or 5 years ago that's been on the shelf in the basement waiting. need a tub faucet unfortunately. don't have any of those on the shelf.

Find what you want and spend the money. Some of you might remember my bathroom tile thread a few years ago. I am the ultimate penny pincher. I will gladly take 90% as good a look for 50% the money.

But I spent very good money on the tile I wanted and I do not regret it. Of course, the ex wife now has my tile because its "her" house, but that is a different thread.

I'm not looking forward to tile shopping

I'll have to choose bathroom, laundry and then something for the kitchen, dining and entry....

At least I won't have to live with them long term. So it'll just have to be something neutral and inoffensive.

HappyAndy wrote: I'd subscribe to the bathroom rebuild thread! I wish that I was as comfortable tearing my house apart as I am tearing machinery apart.

ask and ye shall receive.

https://grassrootsmotorsports.com/forum/build-projects-and-project-cars/the-get-rid-of-the-old-lady-bathroom-remodel-build-thread-of-sexiness/108930/page1/