Tile decisions...

We have two areas of the new kitchen that we're going to tile. One is the small area above the sink and cabinets on either side, up to the window and up to the top of the microwave cabinet to the right of the window. The other area will be the wall with the range, range hood, and lower cabinets. Soooo many options with what we could do! 

For example, on the range wall, do we tile the whole wall? Just from the cabinet line all the way to the ceiling? Or take the tile to the ceiling only in the section of the range hood, like in this picture:

Or in this super nerdy craft moment I had with my IKEA home planner print out and the Granada Tile Fez tear sheet:

Which brings me to tile option, #1, also which happens to be Jeff's #1. The Granada Tile in the Fez pattern, in the bright blue and white. We ordered some samples from their website which were "free" ($24 shipping and handling for everything you see below, but it was HEAVY and came super fast so I guess that's why), and I got their 4x4" tile color samples too for some options. Jeff is set on the blue and white tile if we end up going with it, but I thought these color sample tiles were too pretty not to get. I'm going to seal them, gild the sides with gold, put felt on the bottom, and use them as coasters!

I really love the Fez too. I think it'll be a nice pop of color and pattern in our new black/white/gold/wood kitchen. And if we keep it to just the range wall, doing a simple and classic white subway tile on the sink wall, I don't think it'll be too much or too crazy. 

Here's another cement tile pattern that I really like:



I like the black and white too, but maybe that's not enough color in the kitchen. I guess we're colorful people that live in a colorful house, but Jodi's house makes me want to tone down ours a bit. It's really gorgeous and makes me jealous.

I do have issues with this tile though. 1) It is SO dang heavy. Like ridiculously so. I understand why it'd be used on a floor, but I don't get how these tiles stick to the wall because they're so dense. I've seen a bunch of pictures though of people using these on the walls so I know the laws of physics and building materials make it possible. 2) The tiles are really thick. Probably why they are so heavy. Here is the side view: 

They're 5/8" thick, which is pretty thick for a wall tile. Pretty neat though that the color goes down about 1/4", great for if you get minor chips in it because the color will still come through. But that exposed edge is an issue for me. We could get a quarter round tile in white to cap off the exposed edges I guess, or paint the sides?

3) It's not the cheapest. It's not that expensive either, considering we're doing a small section in it (they are $7 per 8x8" tile and so our area would be ~$300 plus labor and liquid nails or whatever they use to get them to stay on the wall).

And,

4) It's not Heath Ceramics.

Which brings me to my other option. Heath Ceramic tiles. *Swoon* I love everything about Heath Ceramics, and was so dying to register there for our wedding dishes but felt kind of guilty because they cost what they look like they cost. Anyways, their tiles are amazing, but there is no way we could afford them. Even if it's a small area. They start at $16.50 a square foot for their most basic tile and go up to like $77 a square foot for the fancy ones. So why would this even be an option? Because of their OVERSTOCK SECTION!! Those prices are way awesomer at $6 a square foot for the 2nd's and $15 a square foot for the 1st quality. They'll often sell the same tile in both 1st and 2nd quality, so I bet you could mix them up and come out with a pretty great looking tiled area. The overstock tile is only sold at their Sausalito factory store though and in person (they won't ship the overstock, you have to see and buy it in person). They post what they have in stock on their website every Thursday or Friday so you don't have to make the trip if they don't have what you'd want. I'm planning a trip to go and fiendishly sort through their section when I'm up in the Bay Area in March. Max and Liz live like 10 minutes away in Mill Valley so I'm going to convince them to come with me and prevent me from hoarding tile.

Anywho, pictures?

Love the color and the size of these tiles above and below. I like how the tile is stacked vertically in the picture below. You don't see that very much with the subway tile sizes.

This one below is hard to see in the picture, but they are their dual-glaze tiles. A section of the tile is glazed in a shiny white, and the rest in a matte white. The sections vary so it makes a random pattern of shininess which is subtly awesome.

I mean, c'mon. That color!! So pretty.

These are their $77/sq ft tiles, called "Crease". Some have the crease going in, and some have them poking out. Dimensional and really cool. I kind of doubt these ever make it to the overstock section, or stay for long. Bookmark this for when I'm rich. 

Decisions, decisions. AND THEY ARE ALL MINE TO MAKE!! Maybe. Jeff will probably want some input if I'm spending $600 on tile. I guess.