Let's Go Shopping .... Mosaic Tile Splash Back
Last week I had a change of heart about the splash back we had picked out for the laundry and powder room renovation.
I was going to be thrifty and reuse the leftover mosaic and white tiles from our bathroom renovation but after much deliberation, magazine reading, Pinterest trawling, internet browsing, and finally a day of shopping I have found the perfect splash back mosaic tile with the wow factor I was looking for and I'm much happier with my decision now and more than ready for the tiler to lay the tiles next week!
The white tiles and mosaics from our bathroom renovation we were going to use
The main reason I changed my mind is that I don't have enough of the silver mosaics to do a large feature stripe on the laundry splash back between the white tiles - I really like how we used a wide stripe of the mosaics in the bathroom and want to create the same sized feature.
There would only be enough for a thin mosaic feature stripe
I played around with different layouts of the leftover tiles we have, even using the wood panel wallpaper I bought, but just didn't think that any of these will work. Check out my photo editing anyways using our actual tiles and new vanity and sink.
Playing around with my tiles and wallpaper
So I took myself on a mosaic tile shopping mission !
Decor8 mosaic tile at Bunnings for $16.50 a sheet - This was the first shop I went to mainly because it was open late at night when I could shop after work! I really love these rectangle mosaics, the different shades of grey, and the mix of materials used glass, stone and tile.
But Mr P wasn't too impressed with the tile sample I bought home and wanted something with more colour ...... so the tile hunting continued!
Johnson Aqualite tile at Bunnings for $11.75 - I like the punch of blue and grey tones on this glass tile. But there wasn't enough of these tiles in stock and all the ones they had were scuffed and scratched because there was no protective film on them. Also because of the size I'd need to do a double row to get the thickness I want which would cost twice the price. If I used these around the vanity, I'd need to use some of the white tiles as well as these because I couldn't do the whole feature in just these tiles it would cost a fortune.
Gem mosaics from Masters at $20 a sheet - I like the colours of the blue/green tones but the tiles were made from really thin glass and a lot of the samples were chipped which wasn't a great sign. Also they didn't have the net on the back of the sheets to hold the tiles in place, they are stuck to plastic and you put the tile on the wall and then peel off the plastic front. It seemed like it would be a bit fiddly to install and the risk that the mosaics would be crooked once the plastic was removed meant this tile lost it's appeal to me.
That same day I found an identical tile at a fancy tile shop Ceramo in Osborne Park and they were $220 each for what looked like the exact same tile ..... Although there was clearly a $200 difference, I just couldn't see what it was!
These oval mosaics from The Tile Clearance Centre in Osborne Park (the warehouse of Osborne Park Ceramic Tile Centre) at $15 a sheet - I fell in lust with the shape, style and changing colour of this tile. It had a rusty water mark pattern which changed colours in the light and they had them in blue and black. But they didn't have enough in either colour to do the job and there would be no allowances if the tiler made a mistake. I also thought the round shape of the tile might clash with the square basin and vanity and tap mixer.
Eventually I talked myself out of these ones after debating with myself for a few hours and calling Mr P a dozen times to see what he thought .... Oh and get this Mr I Want More Colour said "I hate to say it but these might be too colourful!" you've got to be kidding me!!
I liked these tiles from Craft Decor but they were $30-$40 a sheet - Which was more than double the other tiles I found. They were nice but not that nice to triumph my other choices!
I find it really handy to use colour chips so you can see how the mosaic will look with the cabinets, bench top and other tiles and most tile shops have samples in store you can use.
So in the end Mr P changed his mind and said he quite liked the different tones of the silver mosaics from MY VERY FIRST shopping expedition.
This could have saved me a day of shopping Mr P but I guess all future design questions should only be asked whilst offering a beer and not after 10pm at night when we'd both been working all day and then come home to plaster up the walls ready for the tiler! Oh the joys of being a working renovating couple :-)
The price is fantastic at just $16.50 a sheet we can afford to do all mosaic around the powder room sink instead of just a stripe of mosaic. Plus my large feature stripe on the laundry splash back.
We also don't need to stress if the tiler cuts it the wrong way and needs spares, we can go and get another sheet as there's plenty in stock and Bunnings is open until 9pm every night if we need to do a last minute dash for supplies!
The tiling commenced this week but because of our cold winter weather the concrete and water proofing has taken double the time to dry, which means the floor tiles that were meant to be laid today are being laid on Monday.
We are making progress which I'll share with you on the blog next week! For tiling and renovation action as it happens follow me on Facebook and Instagram.
You can see all my Laundry/Powder Room renovation progress posts here: Laundry/Powder Room Renovation - Demolition Success Laundry/Powder Room Renovation - Demolition Weekend Plans Laundry Renovation - The Final Design Laundry Renovation - Wood Look Bench Top Laundry Renovation - Flat Packs Vs Cabinet Maker Powder Room Renovation - It's All In The Flush Powder Room Renovation - Basin and Vanity: Take Two Powder Room Renovation - Basin and Vanity Splash Back Choices - Be Brave Or Play It Safe Laundry Renovation - Picking The Tiles Laundry Before - Our 1960s Laundry/Toilet edesign Mood Board for the Laundry Renovating - 5 tips for planning and designing
Linking up with: This Silly Girls Life - Lovely Ladies Link Up Home Coming - The DIYers The Dedicated House - Before and After Wednesdays
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