On Saturday we stopped in at a tile store on Wellington St (near the Loeb on Richmond) that we had been meaning to go in for a long time. It was really on a whim as we were just wasting time before meeting someone at the house to sell some more doors. We have been really happy with the store we had been going to thus far but this place had some really awesome, different stuff. The store is called ‘Interscapes Tile & Stone Gallery.”
Rob and I were at different parts of the store and both picked up the same tile. It is a metallic glass subway tile - picture glass clear tile with a wavy surface and little bubbles in the back (obviously hard to explain). The one I liked best is almost a chocolate brown. So, after driving slate samples around with us over the holidays to show our families, we started to think about a new look for our main bath upstairs. We had a fun experience speaking with Doug and the designer (sorry – I missed your name) and came up with a new bathroom concept. A final decision has not been made but we are getting a quote to at least be able to compare. Also, the floor tile is made from 40% recycled material.
The morale of the story is the challenge of finishings selections. We have been going hard for two months trying to pick materials for our entire house – entry ways, 2 bathrooms, kitchen, etc, etc. So much energy is spent deciding on a look and then looking for the actual materials. Adding in other players is a good thing but also much more work. I wish we had gone into this store earlier but at the same time I am not second guessing the decisions we made thus far (or how these decisions have been made).
In the spirit of sharing information, I want to write something about slate in bathrooms. We have been getting lots of contradictory information. Some people say slate in showers can’t be cleaned (white scum from soap) and others say it is not an issue at all. The one I am going with from the professionals is that as long as you use a quality sealer it is not a problem. The issue is when you use cheap sealers that soap scrum wins. Since the “clean slate” problem now solved, the debate is a more natural bathroom (i.e., slate look) versus a more unique bathroom with this chocolate glass shower!
Rob and I were at different parts of the store and both picked up the same tile. It is a metallic glass subway tile - picture glass clear tile with a wavy surface and little bubbles in the back (obviously hard to explain). The one I liked best is almost a chocolate brown. So, after driving slate samples around with us over the holidays to show our families, we started to think about a new look for our main bath upstairs. We had a fun experience speaking with Doug and the designer (sorry – I missed your name) and came up with a new bathroom concept. A final decision has not been made but we are getting a quote to at least be able to compare. Also, the floor tile is made from 40% recycled material.
The morale of the story is the challenge of finishings selections. We have been going hard for two months trying to pick materials for our entire house – entry ways, 2 bathrooms, kitchen, etc, etc. So much energy is spent deciding on a look and then looking for the actual materials. Adding in other players is a good thing but also much more work. I wish we had gone into this store earlier but at the same time I am not second guessing the decisions we made thus far (or how these decisions have been made).
In the spirit of sharing information, I want to write something about slate in bathrooms. We have been getting lots of contradictory information. Some people say slate in showers can’t be cleaned (white scum from soap) and others say it is not an issue at all. The one I am going with from the professionals is that as long as you use a quality sealer it is not a problem. The issue is when you use cheap sealers that soap scrum wins. Since the “clean slate” problem now solved, the debate is a more natural bathroom (i.e., slate look) versus a more unique bathroom with this chocolate glass shower!
2 comments:
I love the look of slate too and its a great choice but I also found similar contradictory arguments.
Is slate fully waterproof? How often does it need to be sealed?
Is it easy to clean? I read somewhere that it can 'go green' after a while with dirt.
Also, does the sealant make the tile slippery on the floor? One of the best things about slate is the slightly rough texture that is naturally non-slip so if that changed then a key part of the natural appeal is gone.
Finally, depending on the colour (I would guess grey) and how much slate is used (walls? floor? in shower?) then lighting needs to be carefully thought through since you don't want a bathroom to feel like an oppressive grey box!
Oh, and I guess this is really finally, what is the 'green' impact of slate? Where does it come from? It's all nice having natural stone etc but if its transported huge distances across the planet then that pretty much uses up all the environmental brownie points right there!
Similar arguments can be made about the 'power-saving' new lightbulbs that actually probably cause more problems (chemicals used in manufacture and when they have to be thrown away, and carbon emissions in transportation usually from China) than just using locally-made old-school bulbs, but thats an argument for another day...
PC
That is too funny. The old vinyl flooring in your bathroom pictures is the same as the stuff we just ripped out of our kitchen and front parlor. I guess that was an "in-style" for vinyl flooring in Ottawa a few decades ago...
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