Design: Grout Colour Options

You’ll see an increase in reno-focused posts over the next little while as I have quite a bit on the go at my house, and I like to share. I hope you’ll enjoy learning about the reno process, too.

In my new bathroom, there will be white subway tiles in the shower. This means that I need to settle on the grout colour. Originally, I was all for white grout, but considering the hard water we have in Waterloo, my lack of desire to scrub showers, and a conversation I had with my tiler, I’m reconsidering the white (dramatic, I know!).

Here are the options:

Option 1: white (subway) tile + white grout

HGTV

Apartment Therapy

via

Option 2: white subway tile + grey grout

Est Living

Decorecor

Sarah Baynes

Sweeten

Apartment Therapy

Option 3: white subway tile + black grout

Inside Out

Domino

Apartment Therapy

Love Create Celebrate

I do prefer the white-on-white because the grout lines would just blend in with the tile, but I really want this space to be clean for a long while, so I’m almost certain I’ll go for grey grout. I think the grey will look nice with the flooring, too.

Design: White Bathrooms

2018 is the year of a couple of reno projects at my home. These are big renos that I’ve been putting off for a while, but this is the year. One of the projects to tackle is my basement combo laundry-bathroom (I’ve talked about this room here and here). It’s a well-used space, but it’s poorly designed. The sink is too small, the wallpaper is too floral, and it is well-past its 1990’s look.

I’m not going wild with my design – white, white, white – with hints of grey and black. I’m drawing inspiration from these spaces that have some common elements: white subway tile walls and grey/black floor tiles.

via Sarah Baynes

via Decorist

via Kristina Lynne

via DigsDigs

via Residence Mag

via Velvet and Linen

via DecorPad

I think I’m set on chrome fixtures, and I’ll have a fantastic white laundry sink. I’ll be replacing my 90s washer/dryer and installing a stacked washer/dryer system (either separate units or an all-in-one). There’s much to do, that’s forsure! Care to follow along this makeover story?

 

The Friday Five: Tiles Up to Here

I like fully tiled walls as much as I like Friday (and that’s a lot!)!

1116-meg-ryan-soho-loft-11

Architectural Digest (Meg Ryan’s loft in NYC)

1116-meg-ryan-soho-loft-9

Architectural Digest (Meg Ryan’s loft in NYC)

christine-dovey-kitchen

Christine Dovey’s kitchen

white-subway-tiles-bathroomRalph’s Coffee, via Kristen Nichols

jcd-brasskitchen-138

The Style Nest (Jennifer Cavorsi Design)

Have a great weekend, dear readers!

The Friday Five: Subway Tiles in the Bathroom

I am still a ways off from tearing out my basement bathroom and redoing it, but I’ve been collecting tons of inspiration photos. These days, I’m leaning toward white subway tile walls and dark flooring. The goal is to install a shower, invest in a more energy efficient washer/dryer combo, and injecting a whole bunch of sleek into the room.

Here are five of the photos from which I’m drawing inspiration and the features I like about each space:

1. I like that this bathroom is all-white. It’s so clean and bright and spa-like. I like the white subway tiles with white grout as well as the white floor. The shower head is sleek, and while I doubt I’ll be going with a full wet-room in my own space, I really like the idea of a seamless floor.

casa-na-bright-bathroom

via Dwell

2. The subway tiles are a little larger in the bathroom below than in the one above, and it looks like dark grey or black grout was used instead of white. This really highlights the shape of the brick pattern (and any imperfections, I’m sure, too). Again, I like the seamless floor in this bathroom. While I do have a thing for hex tiles (see my powder room and my fireplace), I’m thinking that in my bathroom, I’ll opt for something different.

 

 

3. Shannon’s basement bathroom below is just about what I want. Again, the seamless floor caught my eye in this space, and I think the glass divider was a wise design move. I appreciate the stacked subway tiles, but I don’t think it’s for me.

IMG_4448

via 8foot6

4. A double shower? Cool! My basement bathroom is much too small for this type of installation, but it’s really neat. I adore the shower heads in this bathroom, and the herringbone floor is pretty. Again with the seamless floor! I must figure out how to do this in my space, because I most definitely prefer it over the lipped shower install. When I see this space, I’m getting the feeling that I do not want the high white-black tile-grout contrast in my own bathroom.

blog_black-bathroom-flooring

via Greige

5. I’ll take just about everything from the bathroom below. Add a larger sink and a washer/dryer, and this room would be perfect. The gold fixtures are divine, and the marble floor is beautiful. I love the larger subway tiles with white grout, and it looks like the shower door sort of swings out very neatly.

Shades-of-grey-12

via Nordic Design

Now all I need is to be showered with money so that I can get this project done! No big deal, right?

How about you? Which is your favourite from the five bathrooms above? Any advice to share in terms of a major basement bathroom redo?