I’ve Made A Studio Flooring Decision (and Purchase)!

I’ve struggled with house-related decisions over the last five years as I’ve worked on various rooms and projects, but I don’t think I’ve struggled with any other decision as much as I have the studio flooring decision. I’ve stood in the flooring aisles of Home Depot and Lowe’s for way longer than I care to admit. I’ve searched online. I’ve spent countless hours looking on Pinterest and Houzz for ideas. And I’ve considered just about every single option there is.

I thought I had decided on VCT (vinyl composition tile, which is really a commercial vinyl tile that’s not really used in residential applications very much), so I decided to throw that idea out to all of you and see what you thought. I just knew that at least a few of you would have experience with that kind of tile and could shed some light on it.

Well, plenty of you had experience with it, and just enough of you had negative experiences with it to change my mind. I don’t think I realized just how porous that type of tile is (it’s made of vinyl, limestone and other filler material), so in order to keep it from looking dirty over time, it really should be sealed with wax. I know a few of you said you didn’t wax yours, and it has been fine. But I’d be using it in a studio where there will be no shortage of paint, art supplies, etc. The last thing I want in there is a porous floor.

So VCT is out, and that brought me back to my other options — wood, real tile, or LVT (luxury vinyl tile). I also briefly considered plywood, but I just have a problem with two different types of wood floors meeting, and I already have real red oak hardwood floors in the breakfast room, and that floor will meet the studio flooring in the doorway between the breakfast room and studio, so I don’t want a different type of wood (or something that looks like wood, like a wood-look porcelain or vinyl tile) going into the studio.

If I’m going to put anything that looks like wood in the studio, it would have to be the same red oak hardwood flooring that’s in the rest of the house. But I just can’t bring myself to cover 500 square feet of studio flooring in real hardwood flooring that costs about $4/square foot (plus all of that time installing it, sanding it, staining it, and sealing it) knowing that it’s going to get ruined and probably have to be refinished every two or three years. And you can only refinished hardwood floors so many times before you’ve sanded away too much and have to replace them.

So for about three days, I was stuck on the idea of tile. Real tile. My objection to tile was that it was going into a large room in a house with a pier and beam foundation that’s constantly moving and shifting ever so slightly with the weather and seasons, and I could just imagine the tile cracking. But I thought that maybe if I use really small tile, I could avoid the risk of cracked tile. And by small, I mean really small. As in tiny hexagon or penny tile, similar to this…

I searched high and low for the perfect hexagon or penny tile at a price that wouldn’t be totally outrageous. I found one penny tile that was actually in stock at Lowe’s, and asked the guy if it could be used on the floor, or if it was just a wall tile. He looked at me as if I had just sprouted a second head out of my neck, and said, “Well, I mean, you could use that on the floor. It’s one of the only tiles on this aisle that’s rated for use on floors. But do you know how uncomfortable that’s going to be to stand on?”

And just like that, he snapped me back to reality. I wasn’t looking for tile for a bathroom. I was looking for tile for a studio — a room where I’d be standing for hours on end while working on various projects. I’m generally a form over function type of person, and I’m not ashamed in the least to admit that, but if ever there was a time when I needed to put function first, this was it. And there I was, seriously considering purchasing a tile that costs $6/square foot to cover 540 square feet of a room where comfort should be one of my main priorities.

I left there feeling so incredibly frustrated. I knew beyond doubt that the only reasonable option for my studio was LVT (luxury vinyl tile), but after looking at both Lowe’s and Home Depot, as well as searching online, I just couldn’t find anything that I liked enough to cover 540 square feet of my home with.

So I tried to just put it out of my mind, but of course, that’s easier said that done. I was obsessing over this decision.

Yesterday I took my daily trip to Home Depot, and once again found myself in the flooring aisle. I knew I was wasting my time. I had already looked at everything they had about 30 times, and yet, there I was once again. I made my way over to the LVT selection, and oh my gosh, there it was. Y’all, clouds parted. Angels started singing. I thought I was going to cry right there in the flooring aisle at Home Depot.

So what is this perfect vinyl tile for my studio? It’s the Trafficmaster carrara marble vinyl tile in the 12 x 24 size, and I plan to install it in a herringbone pattern with light gray grout lines.

I’m sure it must have been there this whole time. I’m sure that I’ve looked at it (and passed it over) every single time I’ve looked on that aisle. But until now, I had no vision for it. But this time, as soon as I saw it, I had vision for it.

I love the fact that it’s vinyl and will be soft and comfortable to stand on. I’ve had experience with this brand before, so I feel confident in using it again. I used this brand throughout the condo, and it held up incredibly well to a big dog, two cats, a wheelchair, and me dragging my tools around for five years. But if a tile gets really damaged, it’s also very simple to use a heat gun to lift that one tile out and replace it with a new one. And the best part? Well, that would be the price. It’s $1.19/square foot.

Y’all, I feel like a huge weight has been lifted off of my shoulders. And I don’t feel like I’m settling, either. I really love it, and I really do have such vision for it.

And this might be surprising, but at this moment, I’m leaning towards black cabinets.

Yep. Black. Or maybe a really dark, almost-black charcoal like this…

And if that’s not shocking enough, I’m also considering white walls. I know. Been there, done that, hated it. But I just think there’s a difference between me trying to live with with white walls in a living room and having white walls in a studio.

But there will be color. Lots of color. And I plan to cover the entire front wall of the studio (the wall with the long built-in work table and two windows) with something really colorful, as well as the entire back entry, all the way up to the ceiling. Yes, there will be color. 🙂

Which brings me to my last idea. A few days ago, I mentioned in the comment section of a post that an artist I follow on Instagram is doing resin tiles for a client to use as a kitchen backsplash. Take a look at these beauties.

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A post shared by Ann Upton (@annupton.art) on

Ever since I saw that photo a few days ago, I can’t stop thinking about it. It’s one of those projects that burrows itself into my brain and won’t stop until I try it.

So now, in my quest to resin all of the things, I decided that I must resin some tiles. But for where? The logical place is the half bathroom at the back of the studio. That’s fine, and it would definitely turn that little bathroom into an eye-catching space.

But seeing those tiles has made me wonder something. Why do we limit ourselves to specific “acceptable” uses of tile in our homes? We use it on bathroom walls, kitchen walls, and floors. I mean, there are other small areas that might be tiled, like a fireplace surround and hearth, or the back side of a kitchen island. But I’ve never walked into a house (either in real life or virtually) and seen the walls of the entryway tiled. I’ve never seen an accent wall in a bedroom or living room tiled.

I can understand that very plain tile would be used strictly for utilitarian purposes, but today there are so many tile designs that are like works of art. Why should those be relegated to only specific “acceptable” areas of the home?

So I’ve been contemplating that, and thinking that I’d like to break that mold. I’ve been considering the idea of making my own resined tiles and using them on the walls of the back entry, as well as on the front wall of the studio.

It would be bold, colorful, and different. But it would also be a huge job, so I’m just considering it right now.

Can y’all think of a good reason why gorgeous, work-of-art tiles shouldn’t be used on the walls in entries and studios? It’s different, but different can be good!

 

 

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84 Comments

  1. If you are doing charcoal/black cabinets I’m going to have to look up the color of my In-Laws used…. it matched dust pretty well, they paired with a bold yellow color for walls (everyone thought she was crazy till, it came together).

    1. I have black cabinets in my garage and every tiny speck of dust shows! On top, on the doors, on the sides. And everytime I knock the cabinets with my leaf blower or other tools, it either chips or flakes a little piece of paint. I love your flooring decision, but your workroom should be more practical. It’s either a “showroom” or a workroom. You’ve said before you get derailed by your followers comments and you were going to stop that, so I know you’ll make the decision that makes sense to you. Just had to throw in some practicality (function) over decor (form). You’re very talented and I do enjoy following your projects.

    2. I had white walls and black cabinets in my studio in our last house, and I loved that there wasn’t a lot of color near my work surfaces so that I could better focus on the colors in whatever project I was painting or sewing. That said, I do love the idea of a tiled wall made with resin tiles you would make yourself, Kristie. If you want some really colorful inspiration, take a look at some of Kaffe Fassett’s mosaic work: https://www.google.com/search?q=kaffe+fassett+mosaics&rlz=1C1CHWA_enUS654US658&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjO_brricPdAhX6HjQIHZ1nA-4QsAR6BAgGEAE&biw=1024&bih=463&dpr=1.88

  2. I like your choice of flooring for your studio. It should be easily cleaned, great to look at AND comfortable to work on for hours at a time.

    Not sure about the dark cabinets but with the amount of windows and light in the room, it might work out great. I rarely question your judgement as you always have a wonderful vision in your head. Some of the rest of us should be so lucky! LOL

    Lastly, the thought of you making beautiful, colorful tiles for your studio and back entrance, makes me smile. I know they will be gorgeous and so colorful! Can’t wait!

  3. I think that’s a great choice for flooring. I had a tile similar to that installed in my bathroom and I loved it. It’s crispy and clean, but has enough variation to hide the inevitable dirt that shows up 🙂

    In my new house, the previous owner installed a solid white tile with solid white grout in the kitchen and dining room. It is IMPOSSIBLE to keep clean. I’m brunette and I shed like a dog, so that shows up everywhere. And then there’s also the normal inevitable kitchen drips and crumbs. It’s so high maintenance, it’s not even funny.

    On the other hand, I had installed a relatively solid dark gray “slate” pergo in my old kitchen, and that was pretty difficult to keep clean, too (although, my shedding problem was well hid there)!

    So your choice of a light tile with pattern will be perfect, in my opinion 🙂

    1. I also would like to add that, I’m sure this is heresy from someone who claims to enjoy interior decorating, but I REALLY want sheet vinyl to come back into style 😀 It’s so low-maintenance!! And they make pretty ones now! Am I the only one who thinks this, haha?

      1. Nope, you are not the only one! I used it in my mud room, laundry, and powder room (which is the most-used entrance to the house. It was moderately-priced Armstrong and has held up perfectly for nearly 18 years. It is the easiest flooring in the entire house to maintain. I have been asked more than once if it is “real” tile. One person even said “are you sure?” When I said it was vinyl!

        1. I love that! It’s kind of along the lines as when someone compliments your outfit, and you say “oh thanks , it was only $5!!” High visual quality with low cost is right up my alley 🙂

        2. We have vinyl sheet flooring in two of our bathrooms….it looks like 12” x 12” tiles with grout. My sister-in-law lived with us for 6 months. One day she came to talk to me and said she just spent the last hour trying to clean the grout in the bathroom floor but couldn’t get it clean! I told her it was vinyl and she said NO….I just spent an hour scrubbing it! She didn’t believe me!

      2. NO — I Agree. It is easy to care for and inexpensive to replace if it gets too grotty. The options are quite exciting, too!

      3. I love sheet vinyl, too–especially the retro looks. I’d really love to have black and white checkerboard for a kitchen and laundry.

  4. So glad you figured out the flooring situation! I really like the idea of resin tiles. I bet it will be gorgeous. Perhaps do the smaller area first (the back?) to try it out.

    I don’t have black cabinets, but I do have black quartz kitchen countertops, and I HATE them. They show EVERYTHING. A minute after you clean them, they look dusty again. I would consider that factor “function over form” issue when making your decision about using any black or really dark surface.

  5. Gorgeous, elegant floor (and now I’m re-thinking the LVT ‘no’ for my own kitchen down the line)! And, you know, ceramic tile is used in all kinds of spaces in other parts of the world – mostly hot places not unlike Texas, so yeah – go for it!

  6. I really like the decision on white walls for your studio. You will have a bright light situation that will not reflect color on your projects. like you said, bright colors can be added in other ways. And yes to the resin tiles!

  7. I installed Stainmasters LVT in our large kitchen, laundry room and 3 bathrooms. The pros outweigh the cons. It’s so easy to install and maintain. My body thanks me in the fall/winter, as it’s not cold and hard on my knees/feet on cold days. And I cannot tell you how many people cannot believe it’s not a stone tile.

    My only suggestion is, use a dark grout. I used charcoal on all of the areas I listed above and my floors always look clean and newly installed.

    1. My suggestion is to butt the tiles together and forget the grout. We have LVT in our kitchen and 2 bathrooms. There is no grout, making installation easier and no grout to clean. Looks very nice. Very low maintenance!

  8. Entryways in Spain and lots of other parts of the world use show stopping tile in the entryways; on the walls, floors, stair risers… Sometimes on the exterior walls, in hallways…. I say put your tiles wherever you want to see them!

  9. Love the flooring! Really like the idea of dark cabinets, preference to the dark charcoal. Can’t quite envision the resin tiles, but I’m sure you’ll make them work

  10. I used that same vinyl tile in the “laundry area” of my garage as a temporary fix until we build out an actual laundry room and really like the look of it so far.

    When you talked about acceptable uses of tile, I was reminded of this house listing that was making the rounds. Although the house is definitely OTT, it has areas that I thought were creative and inspired, and no one can say the owner was scared of color! (Although it doesn’t appear they were quite as meticulous in getting a professional finish.) https://www.har.com/4006-timber-falls-court/sale_9985417

      1. You mean, you don’t like shards of tile and rock poking your butt cheeks while you bathe? Unheard of! 🙂

        That was quite a house! I do like the backyard!

    1. For some reason, your talking about making your own tiles also reminded me of an episode of Grand Designs: Australia, which is on Netflix. In Episode 2 “South Melbourne Brick House” the homeowner, who is a bricklayer by trade, hand glazes all 7000 of the exterior bricks with a custom combination of 3 blues and the effect was incredible.

    2. That listing has got to be the most outrageous tile jobs I’ve ever seen but I really enjoyed looking at it. Thanks for posting it.

    3. Gosh, why is this house priced so incredibly low? I have heard about the extremely low house prices in Texas, but why is that? No demand?
      Lots of colur for sure!

    4. Oh that’s horrible! I would soon be in a padded room if I lived there!
      (Speaking of the House shown in the above comment)

      But I do LOVE the choice of floor you have picked out for your studio! Not sure about the tiles but maybe try it out in a smaller area first.

      1. That house is crazy cool! Unique. Looks to be contract pending.

        That’s great you figured out the tile stuff.

        The resin tiles would be great in small doses for the intense pattern. I like it.
        And in an entry, why not? I once had a dream about a house with a pretty yellow-tiled entry.

  11. Love the flooring selection!! And, personally, I would love dark cabinets like that against that flooring. So, for me, that selection also gets a huge thumbs up!

    While I LOVE those resin tiles, I think you might make yourself crazy trying to tile such huge spaces. I agree that there is no reason to limit tile to the kitchen and bath. I just can’t imagine covering those walls! That would be a JOB. If it were me doing the work, I would stick to the 1/2 bath and maybe in the backs of the uppers in the pantry? I do think the mix of the dark cabinets, light floors, and intense resin tiles would have kind of a Marimekko-type look, which I LOVE!

  12. I love your floor tile, wish I’d thought of that when we tile! Love the idea of black cabinets and the resin tile idea as well! Your studio is going to be exciting I can tell!!!

  13. A lifetime ago I lived in Portugal and remember entryways, walls, stairs, floors being covered with amazing tiles. It would look beautiful. I have chacoal cabinets and they are stunning. Dirt hasn’t been a problem for us.

  14. I love your flooring choice.
    I put something similar in our upstairs bathroom–in a fun design and really love it.I did not put grout inbetwee my tiles. Is there a specific reason you want to do it?

    Are you still thinking about a fun floral mural on your front wall section?
    If so, I think white walls would be PERFECT everywhere else!

    1. I just really like grout with tile, even if it’s vinyl tile. I think it makes it look more like real tile, but also when doing a pattern like herringbone, I think the grout lines help to define the decorative pattern, whereas the pattern might kind of disappear without them.

      I’m not sure about the mural. I might do the tile, or a mural, or something else altogether.

      1. I have used this same tile without the grout lines and I learned my lesson. Because of the small void designed for the grout when you wash the floor water seeps between the tiles, stays wet underneath and warps the subfloor. What a lumpy mess! It is very easy to lay down and wears very well though so if I used it again I would definitely add grout to seal the gap.

        The resin tiles are gorgeous and would make a great accent. Too many would be overwhelming in my opinion, you wouldnt notice each one as the art they are. Background wall colour of one of the tile colours would be dramatic in small spaces.

        I love the idea of white walls and black cabinets. That would allow you to feature art of any colour, changing it whenever you wanted to. It will be a stunning and inspiring space to create.

  15. I love all of your choices. As a professional long-arm quilter I find the white walls are essential when choosing color for my customers. Not coordinating thread to their tops wouldn’t be good. Color on the walls skews my view of other colors. I also like how art stands out against white. I would love to have black cabinets everywhere but the dust and animal hair prevets me fron taking the chance.

    I CANNOT WAIT to see your tiles. I’ve been struggling to find something for my bath and love unique design.

    Thanks for your inspiration.

  16. LOVE THIS IDEA! The black cabinets, white walls and floors backing all the color-filled designs you will do… Lots of light, and resin tiles…I can’t wait to see the progress! So exciting!

  17. Glad to see you’ve had a breakthrough in terms of what to do in your studio! I’m sure things will start falling into place now. I can’t wait to see what you make it and then all the creative things you will make in there!

  18. I personally love black cabinets but dust REALLY shows up on them! It can be quite aggravating to dust them and turn around the next day and see them dusty again! I’m sure it would look very pretty though!

  19. LOVE the flooring choice! I gather it’s peel and stick, but not sure. Anyway, I used it once in a hall bath and was very happy with its performance. We moved after ten years, and it still looked new. I don’t understand why some are negative about it ( on tv.)
    Love the idea of tile on the walls, but yeah, sounds like a LOT of work! Wonder if you could create large, but not too deep panels instead? Kind of like your first forays into resin, but not as thick? Maybe 16×16 or so?
    Also kind of like the idea of cabinet color, but wonder if dust and fabric fibers etc. would get annoying. I think I would do a medium to light gray, like a file cabinet color. But it IS your place, and you should do what speaks to you! We have high gloss black cabinets as a bar area in our basement, and I’m not a fan. Hubs painted them without consulting me, or that would not have happened! LOL! Maybe that’s why he did it secretly! HA! It’s okay for now, but I know I will be changing that at some point, when he is not around for a few days. HEE-HEE!
    I also love the white wall thinking for a studio. I couldn’t take it in my living areas, but it’s in the basement ( which is mostly a man cave ) and I kinda like it there.

  20. The kitchen in my previous house had the off-white cabinets I had dreamed of and wanted for almost 30 years. My current home has matte black cabinets with a few stained wood accents (drawer fronts on built in buffet and under cooktop plus cabinet doors over venthood). It was a long and winding road trip that took almost 3 years to accomplish but now, I can’t imagine having white cabinets again. I love the black and I love that my husband, Charles, and I were able to accomplish the remodel before he passed last March. I love having his handiwork with me every day.

  21. I love it all…and that’s all I have to say…can’t wait to see it all installed. I love black cabinets and furniture.

  22. Love your ideas! Amazing transformation to your house. I love your idea of the luxury vinyl and have heard good things. I love that it is waterproof. Keep us posted.

  23. How about black walls, white cabinets? I loved your music room wall when it was black! 🙂

    Okay, I’m done commenting. I’ve been on vacation for a week, I guess I felt I needed to catch up! haha

  24. In love with the flooring and the resin tiles! Use those tiles wherever you want! Personally, I just want those in the picture lol! I needed a paint that was the darkest charcoal without being black and the man at HD recommended Martha Stewart’s Broadway. And it was perfect!

  25. That guy from Lowes sounds like a hoot. Aren’t you glad you didn’t get someone who just nodded and said yes with no helpful insights at all?
    Love the idea of the luxury tile for your studio. You’ve got me thinking about it for our laundry room but I’m unsure if the washer/dryer will dent it. Anyone know?
    I used a dark dark blue for our front door and the bench outside and the color was partly your doing. I was looking at gentleman gray, and my Benjamin Moore lady knows my house and thought I’d like the one darker on the strip- polo blue . It’s a dark dark blue, almost black but definitely not black. You might like it.
    Why don’t we use tile in more places? Well, taste change and it’s very hard and costly to tear out and replace so that’s one reason. If you live where it’s cold it’s a cold surface so if you’re standing on it or working on it it’s cold. I have a built in desk that the former owner put in the same granite we have in the kitchen. Here in Colorado it’s cold a good five months of the year and I feel like wearing gloves working on my computer on this cold granite. ;0( But an accent piece in your studio would be amazing so you go for it!

  26. I love it all! I have some black cabinets in my kitchen and I love them! I have also wanted to do tiles like that forever, I can’t wait to see yours.

  27. I’m happy you are going with a tile that will be comfortable underfoot. So important. I love the idea of the white walls, exactly for the reason stated above. You are an artist and the walls won’t detract your eye from the color in any projects you are doing. It can throw off shading and hues. I know you will be working with tons of color.

    BTW, I looked at that house listing and can’t understand why they left two bedrooms completely plain, albeit pink and orange. What were they thinking? haha

  28. We need that same vinyl tile in out last home in the coat closet turned cat closet for litter boxes and food. It worked so darned well! I also put it on th shelves of our pantry cabinet after pulling up the black noslip liner that left bits behind. After sanding that off the tile seemed like the only good option to cover the shelves since painting just wouldn’t look right because the shelves still had some imperfections in them that would be very noticeable. Everyone who saw that pantry cabinet LOVED it! We had the 12×12 version of the tiles though. Didn’t grout it because the box said it would voie the warranty. Instead we caulked between each tile to limit the amount of litter that would fall in the cracks. Worked beautifully!

  29. I love your choice for the floor! It’s beautiful!

    I will send one word of caution. You said you are planning on using light gray grout. Unless grout has changed a lot over the last 15 or so years, I worry that that color grout will not stay light gray for long. We installed light gray ceramic/porcelain tile around 15 to 18 years ago and went with a light gray grout. It was beautiful when installed but quickly, even though we had sealed the grout, started staining. It eventually turned an uneven, darker, dirty gray color. I tried everything to keep it clean and to get it lighter again but nothing worked for me. We are now in the process of laying new floors ourselves and went with a darker grout this time for that reason.

    The other thing I will say is to buy plenty of extra just in case you do need to replace some in the future, especially since you are going to be using these in a work area. They are cheap enough for you to buy plenty of them and it won’t hurt to have them on hand. We found out how quickly manufacturers discontinue flooring patterns and you might not ever be able to find it if you need it at a later date.

    So happy you found a flooring you love! I know it will be beautiful!

  30. You nailed it! Now get going because we can’t wait to see it!!! I dread the day when you finish this house because your talent and skill amaze me.

  31. Regarding the prospect of tiles on the wall, I have some photos of a royal palace in Poland that has several rooms with Delft tiles on the walls.

    https://ezine.codart.nl/17/issue/57/artikel/dutch-tiles-in-poland-a-short-survey/?id=351#!/page/3

    As my husband is originally from Poland, we have visited there, and I have never forgotten the blue and white tiles on the walls of some of the rooms. When we build our next house, I am considering doing this treatment in the powder room. I also thought that the most beautiful treatment was to have the tiles on the wall, with inset, plain, untiled panels that were bordered by white painted or guilded mouldings. The look took my breath away when we visited the palace.

    A note about this particular little palace, Łazienki Palace (pronounced “Wah-jzen-kee”). During World War II, after the Nazis invaded and occupied Poland, they took over this palace and stripped it in preparation to blowing it up, even to the point of drilling holes in the walls for explosives. The Polish Underground Army planted workers in the palace, doing menial and janitorial jobs, but these workers were all Polish architects. They made mental notes and took measurements of all the architectural decorations, mouldings, frescos, etc., memorizing every detail, so that after the war, they would be able to rebuild it as it was. And that is what happened after the Germans were defeated. It is a remarkable story.

  32. Love the flooring, Kristi. The tile idea sounds great. The dark cabinets sound appealing, too. Could you prepare a generous painted example of the black or (?) dark color choice you narrow down and then park it along the wall for a period of time? After that, assess the dust accumulation and see what you think.

    I have dark wood doors and kitchen cabinets in my apartment here Ecuador so I am a slave to them. Dust is a given. But, even though I try to remember to open and close them using only the handles to avoid smeary handprints, I slip up a lot.

  33. Two years ago I put Lowe’s peel and stick porcelain looking 12” x 24” tile down in my bathroom and closet. Some of it has yellowed. Why I have no idea. I even used that Bona floor cleaner on it. I am so disappointed in this product. If you want to see pictures I can send you some. Also we put down real porcelain tile on our glassed in porch about 9 years ago. It does freeze out there in winter but so far no problems with the tile. I am telling you this because I do a LOT of painting projects out there and honestly NOTHING sticks to this stuff. It is great. I clean it with a steam cleaner. It is white with dark gray grout. Sorry to discourage the peel and stick tile. I have followed your blog for a long time and know how particular you are with what you do. I would have taken it back but honestly jerking that sticky stuff back up is no easy job. Good luck!

  34. What a great flooring choice!! It’s so you, Kristi! When you contemplating all those gorgeous patterns before I kept thinking how will that go with the outrageous (in a good way) wall paper you were considering? No worries now!

    As far as the decorative tile… why not frame it on the wall… maybe a series across a large wall?

    Have fun dreaming and scheming!

  35. I really like your final flooring decision. I think the black cabinets will look great. I hope you do the resin tiles. I love the vibrant colors. I’ve looked at some of the more colorful tiles in style now but worry I would tire of them soon. I need to find a way to install on some surface and not directly to the wall to make them easier to remove.

    I too enjoy bright colors and mixed patterns. I was unsure about my choice and posted on a Houzz forum. Most people politely affirmed my doubts and had positive suggestions. But several people meanly ripped me to shreds—how could I possibly even consider these fabrics etc. I won’t post again.

    I admire you, Kristi. Thanks for all your posts.

  36. LOVE this! Your choice of flooring is stunning! I searched for this at Home Depot here, but they don’t carry it in Canada. 🙁

  37. Hi Kristi! I too like your choices for your workroom. I’ll bet you will use some nice hard surface for your work table, and your will have awesome storage for tools and supplies. Can hardly wait to see it done! I know, lots of work first. My husband used that tile on our boat cabin. It held up well, but began to yellow in spots so we recently replaced it. I though it was because of the extreme heat in Florida, but he says that putting a couple area rugs did it. Also, if you put some tape or something somehow something happens…chemical reaction? Not sure what brand we used, but they were expensive. (He was in the flooring business) Living in Florida, we have almost all tile floors, and I absolutely HATE our light colored grout. I wish it was darker, and would show a lot less dirt. Working on one room at a time right now with a toothbrush and strong cleaner. Maybe you could go with a medium gray grout – world look good and be less trouble. I think the white walls will be very light, and open, and great for your color decisions. Best of luck on this project – – we love to watch! Thanks!

  38. PS) I LOVE the resin tiles. I seem to be getting exciting about trying some resin projects. I will watch your tile work, and see how to do it! Thanks for sharing as always.

  39. I think your flooring, cabinet and wall color choices are spot-on! I understand what you mean when you heard angels singing – that flooring was meant for you. I think the dark cabinets make sense, given all the work you’ll be doing in there. The surprise for me was the white wall choice, but I think it will allow you to test your projects against a neutral color so that you can see them objectively. Brava to you!

    And go for the resin tiles. What the hell! It’s your house and your vision! Just promise you’ll post pics!

  40. Kristi, I am so excited for you. In fact, I walked into IKEA today and a kitchen set up made my head turn like 180 degrees. It was off black. I totally agree with one writer who does the long arm sewing/quilting. White walls with colour art is a great way to go. Hallelulia. And I love herringbone pattern, especially in a large space like yours!

  41. Last year I gutted & added an addition to my kitchen. The most difficult decision was by far my floor!!! I wish I could send you before and after photos, but I cancannot on your site.

  42. LOVE the floor, and I think a dark charcoal grey for the cabinets would be beautiful with the floor. With white walls, you would have a mostly neutral palette that would let you have a neutral background for you to work on future art projects. For durability for the cabinet paint, have you thought about looking into a catalyzed paint? My understanding is that it would provide a much more durable finish in a hard-working space. Can’t wait to see the pop of color from your tile, too.

  43. I think the tiles woulda make any kind of electrical, HVAC, or plumbing modifications or repairs extremely difficult.

  44. Per your tiles in creative places comment, I was on a home tour recently that included an artsy new build. The owner had her exterior entry tiled in beautiful red tile and her interior fireplace in the same tile where brick would traditionally been. Even though she used red tile in lieu of brick it was so striking and gorgeous, and just different enough to catch your eye.

  45. I love it and it will be so easy on the feet and legs! I just replaced tile flooring with vinyl plank and I can’t tell you how much easier it is on my feet and legs! You do need to be careful with it as I have scratched mine in a couple of places! That is the only down side! I love, love, love it!

  46. Love your floor choice, and especially love the pattern. I was thinking that a cool way to meld your two spaces together, floor wise, was maybe add a red oak border around the studio? Then it would marry the main house floors with your work space, but the oak would probably not get nearly as much wear and tear as it would if it was everywhere. Just a thought!! 🙂

  47. We are having LVT installed in our new home. It will look like wood. Reading the comments here I think we made the right choice….and so have you!!