Please show me your backsplash...

[kmarla]

@mrs-b, thanks for the beautiful pics. The colours of your house look great together . I love the softer yellow shade you chose for the body of the house. It looks super right now but adding the shutters will just give it an extra little pop. The white handrail is perfect.
I’ve been contacted by the design centre to set up my appointments for pre-construction. These appointments will be more about locating electrical outlets etc as well as choosing the colours for the exterior facade. Construction is supposed to start Oct 2.

 

[kmarla]

Thank you @missy! We’re really looking forward to this adventure!

 

[mrs-b]

@mrs-b, thanks for the beautiful pics. The colours of your house look great together . I love the softer yellow shade you chose for the body of the house. It looks super right now but adding the shutters will just give it an extra little pop. The white handrail is perfect.
I’ve been contacted by the design centre to set up my appointments for pre-construction. These appointments will be more about locating electrical outlets etc as well as choosing the colours for the exterior facade. Construction is supposed to start Oct 2.

I really hope everything goes well for you, @kmarla. It's such a huge deal while it's being done and so fabulous when it's finished! Wishing you perseverance, patience and a sense of humor to carry you through to completion!

 

[Loves Vintage]

Thank you!
We went with engineered quartz. Originally selected Caesarstone Calacatta Nuvo which is white with grey veining, but swapped it for ColorQuartz Bianco Gioia--also white with grey veins but they are more delicate and 'splotchy'--for budget reasons.

Elizabethess - Your quartz is very pretty! Quite similar to mine, which I will post a little later. Remind me what you are doing for your backsplash? Do you have a wall color selected?

 

[elizabethess]

Elizabethess - Your quartz is very pretty! Quite similar to mine, which I will post a little later. Remind me what you are doing for your backsplash? Do you have a wall color selected?

Hi! Thank you! Yes, post what you have!

Backsplash will be Bliss Fusion Plantation linear glass tiles... a mix of neutral beige and grey tones. I think the grout color is Straw. Here's a pic I snapped when we made the selection:



Paint color is Sherwin Williams Techno Grey, a light greige that can trend sage in certain lights.

You can see the tinted primer painted in some places in the last room shot I posted (the walls and ceiling were both painted Lemon Chiffon by sellers... very pale yellow everywhere...) Painting started yesterday! Now just waiting on those counters!

 

[Loves Vintage]

Wow, I love those glass tiles. And, it will all look really pulled together with your paint selection. What's the status for your counters? Have they done the template already?

Wanna help me pick out a paint color? I'm the one with the designer, who told me we didn't need to pick paint until everything else was completed. Contractor is now wanting to paint now, which makes more sense to me, before crown molding goes up. I was thinking light grey, which designer is against, haha.

Pics below are of the countertops. Ignore the beautiful glass blue arabesque tile. We are doing the white tile in third photo. Also, ignore black countertop. I included the close-ups because you can't see the detail in the big slab photos, but I always think the slab photos are so cool so I have to include them.

 

[Loves Vintage]

Maybe I could do something like this color? in bottom corner. I did email the designer, but he is on vacation, and I am planning to buy at least the primer later today.

 

[Austina]

Looks a bit like the colour we have in most of our house, Off White estate emulsion by Farrow & Ball. It’s lovely and does change in different light sources.

 

[Loves Vintage]

Looks a bit like the colour we have in most of our house, Off White estate emulsion by Farrow & Ball. It’s lovely and does change in different light sources.

Looks like the equivalent in Benjamin Moore is Jute, which appears in here if you scroll down a bit: https://paintersplaceblog.wordpress.com/category/search-by/colours/neutrals/ I think I'll try to get a sample today. I for sure will make myself crazy with this selection, so if the Jute sample works, I'm going to run with it. Wish I had the sample of the counter with me still.

 

[Austina]

That looks great, and like the F&B paint, changes in different light conditions, which I really love about it.

 

[elizabethess]

Wow, I love those glass tiles. And, it will all look really pulled together with your paint selection. What's the status for your counters? Have they done the template already?

Template was on the 2nd or 3rd I think, and I just heard they just installed TODAY! Can't wait to get home! I wish I could claim credit for tiles or paint, but both were suggested by the designer from the company we hired.

I love your countertops! You are going to have cabinets painted white, right? I think the color you picked would look nice... a little contrast to make the white pop, and based on the tones I see on my computer screen looks like it will play nicely with the counter.

 

[MaisOuiMadame]

Hi everyone, after the full refurbishment of the interior of our home with plenty of construction company drama...(which STILL needs some finishing touches, built-ins, lamps....), we're now heading into phase 2 (of three):
The terrace.
We have about 3000 square feet of terrace with rooms underneath.... We're currently looking at the technical aspects and we have restrictions regarding some elements due to urban heritage conservation laws.
My main questions after three thorough inspections and offers from well established firms are:

Two companies advocate strongly for a ventilated terrace (tiling on decking support pads) . They say it's much better for maintenance in case of a leak (true). But I'm not a fan of the look without grout.
The last company says that the waterproofing needs to be top notch (obviously) and will hold up around 30-40 years . In case of leakage all three give us 10 years of warranty, so any leakage repairs in that phase would be on them. His logic: no leaks within the first 10 years, most likely the waterproofing won't be an issue for a good 25 years at least. If we want to redo after 25 years, we'd be changing the tiles anyway.

Any thoughts on that?

Second issue:
I keep looking at terrace tiles and haven't found anything that WOWed me.... We have visited a max. of design hotel terraces and fancy restaurants during our holidays (HUGE sacrifice, I know ), hoping to see sth. stunning, but no luck.... The only special look I found like this were black and white cement tile style outdoor tiles by Philipe Starck , but they're not timeless enough... I won't be redoing this after 5 years.
Our home is from 1880, colour is a light cream with red brick elements (we don't have a say in the paint colour). So we need classic, beautiful, classy.
Neighbours with nearly identical house redid 10 years ago with smallish glazed cream marbled tiles and I don't care for the look at all.... Leaning towards big ceramic tiles ATM. But those aren't WOW, either.. Just pretty neutral I guess(see attachment)


Any ideas?

 

[Loves Vintage]

Austina - I just got my sample! Will report back.

Elizabethess - Ohhhh yay for you that countertops are in. We expect to have templates done on Monday. Yes, white cabinets. I bought the white paint too -- BM Chantilly Lace. The guy at the hardware store cautioned about its brightness, which I also read on-line, but I had to stick with it. I can read about paint colors all day long, but it's not going to get me anywhere in the real world!

New question -- do most people use the basic white for trim? Again, the guy at the shop told me that people are starting to use different white shades -- he said maybe half of his customers make themselves crazy over different whites for trim. Uggh. So, I didn't buy trim paint. It's really funny because I did buy basic white trim paint there, for another room (still haven't used it) and bought it without a second thought because the paint guy didn't say a thing about it.

 

[Loves Vintage]

Austina - Benjamin Moore Jute it is. Looks really nice and will work well with the counters I think. Easiest time I've ever had picking a paint color. You're now my PS BFF, Austina!!!

 

[elizabethess]

Any ideas?

Sorry, kipari! I am entirely out of my depth with exterior design, but I didn't want to read and run! Hopefully some others come along to chime in

 

[elizabethess]

New question -- do most people use the basic white for trim? Again, the guy at the shop told me that people are starting to use different white shades -- he said maybe half of his customers make themselves crazy over different whites for trim. Uggh. So, I didn't buy trim paint. It's really funny because I did buy basic white trim paint there, for another room (still haven't used it) and bought it without a second thought because the paint guy didn't say a thing about it.

We use Sherwin Williams Snowbound for trim. No particularly great reason why; my husband used it for trim in his house (before we met) at the suggestion of the person at the paint store. I thought it looked nice, so that's what we've stuck with in an attempt to avoid going down that white paint spiral

 

[MaisOuiMadame]

Sorry, kipari! I am entirely out of my depth with exterior design, but I didn't want to read and run! Hopefully some others come along to chime in

Thanks @elizabethess!

 

[Tekate]

@kipari me too on the outside, but I do like those big tiles! keep posting so we all can see what you are doing, I love these posts!

 

[kmarla]

I really hope everything goes well for you, @kmarla. It's such a huge deal while it's being done and so fabulous when it's finished! Wishing you perseverance, patience and a sense of humor to carry you through to completion!

Thank you mrs-b!

 

[elizabethess]

Getting close now! Appliances in and backsplash up (still needs grout). Was told they *may* be finished today, but I'd be happy for anytime this week! Crossing all my fingers! Mama needs a proper kitchen again!!!

 

[kmarla]

Getting close now! Appliances in and backsplash up (still needs grout). Was told they *may* be finished today, but I'd be happy for anytime this week! Crossing all my fingers! Mama needs a proper kitchen again!!!

Fingers crossed for you and we need lots of pics!!!

 

[BlingDreams]

Hi everyone! Popping my head back in to see how the projects are going! @mrs-b, everything came out so wonderfully! I love the colors on the outside of the house too; be sure to post photos once the shutters are up! @elizabethess - You've made so much progress! I can't wait to see how it all looks together!! @kmarla - your new home is too adorable, and I love that you're taking the opportunity to make changes specific to your wants and needs instead of doing just the stock home. How long do they think it'll take to build? @Loves Vintage - I really like the color you ended up choosing. It should be a very well-rounded color that goes with most anything you want to put in that area. @kipari - Do you have photos from Pinterest or anything you could share that either shows examples of things you think are "ok", design of your current home, or decoration ideas you like? @Tekate - What's new in your world?!

As for us, we're in limbo. No new house, no old house. DH is adamant about not trying to build again, but also had a change of mind and has now said he doesn't want to start looking at this point either and wants to wait until the new year. So, I'm consequently struggling with the anxiety of no plan.

Before I knew that we weren't going to look/decide right away on another house I happened to stumble upon one that didn't make me want to cry (I know that sounds weird, but after losing my dream home absolutely NOTHING compared to it and all I could see was all of the ways the homes we were looking at were "wrong" or would need changing). I even went to see it in person, as we all know that pictures can be deceiving, and I loved it even more. It's about 20 years old but feels more like it's 100 years old with its wide plank flooring, heritage design, and very mature landscaping. It's not huge and glamorous like our other house was to be, but it has a very "lived in" and "loved" feeling that radiated through the walls and really drew me in. I could almost see the family gatherings and hear kids laughing . It even has an adorable "Hansel and Gretel" feel to its exterior. I stalk it every day online to see if it's been sold yet and pray it's on the market when we're ready to make an offer . I just want at least a chance to get it! As usual though, if it's meant to be it will be...

(But I'm REALLY ready for something to "be"! )

 

[Arcadian]

Hi everyone, after the full refurbishment of the interior of our home with plenty of construction company drama...(which STILL needs some finishing touches, built-ins, lamps....), we're now heading into phase 2 (of three):
The terrace.
We have about 3000 square feet of terrace with rooms underneath.... We're currently looking at the technical aspects and we have restrictions regarding some elements due to urban heritage conservation laws.
My main questions after three thorough inspections and offers from well established firms are:

Two companies advocate strongly for a ventilated terrace (tiling on decking support pads) . They say it's much better for maintenance in case of a leak (true). But I'm not a fan of the look without grout.
The last company says that the waterproofing needs to be top notch (obviously) and will hold up around 30-40 years . In case of leakage all three give us 10 years of warranty, so any leakage repairs in that phase would be on them. His logic: no leaks within the first 10 years, most likely the waterproofing won't be an issue for a good 25 years at least. If we want to redo after 25 years, we'd be changing the tiles anyway.

Any thoughts on that?

Second issue:
I keep looking at terrace tiles and haven't found anything that WOWed me.... We have visited a max. of design hotel terraces and fancy restaurants during our holidays (HUGE sacrifice, I know ), hoping to see sth. stunning, but no luck.... The only special look I found like this were black and white cement tile style outdoor tiles by Philipe Starck , but they're not timeless enough... I won't be redoing this after 5 years.
Our home is from 1880, colour is a light cream with red brick elements (we don't have a say in the paint colour). So we need classic, beautiful, classy.
Neighbours with nearly identical house redid 10 years ago with smallish glazed cream marbled tiles and I don't care for the look at all.... Leaning towards big ceramic tiles ATM. But those aren't WOW, either.. Just pretty neutral I guess(see attachment)


Any ideas?

Have you considered stamped concrete?

 

[MaisOuiMadame]

Wow, @Arcadian , never heard of it, off to look at examples right now...thanks

 

[MaisOuiMadame]

@ILikeShiny I can soooooo relate. Sorry this happened to you!
As others already said: something even more fitting / better WILL come to you eventually hugs!

 

[Tekate]

Hello ILS!!! nothng new wth me! I can understand your husbands feelings.. what a damn trial you guys went through. Your new choice in a house sounds beautiful! I love houses that have the feel of love and lived in.. Here's hoping it all works out!

Hi everyone! Popping my head back in to see how the projects are going! @mrs-b, everything came out so wonderfully! I love the colors on the outside of the house too; be sure to post photos once the shutters are up! @elizabethess - You've made so much progress! I can't wait to see how it all looks together!! @kmarla - your new home is too adorable, and I love that you're taking the opportunity to make changes specific to your wants and needs instead of doing just the stock home. How long do they think it'll take to build? @Loves Vintage - I really like the color you ended up choosing. It should be a very well-rounded color that goes with most anything you want to put in that area. @kipari - Do you have photos from Pinterest or anything you could share that either shows examples of things you think are "ok", design of your current home, or decoration ideas you like? @Tekate - What's new in your world?!

As for us, we're in limbo. No new house, no old house. DH is adamant about not trying to build again, but also had a change of mind and has now said he doesn't want to start looking at this point either and wants to wait until the new year. So, I'm consequently struggling with the anxiety of no plan.

Before I knew that we weren't going to look/decide right away on another house I happened to stumble upon one that didn't make me want to cry (I know that sounds weird, but after losing my dream home absolutely NOTHING compared to it and all I could see was all of the ways the homes we were looking at were "wrong" or would need changing). I even went to see it in person, as we all know that pictures can be deceiving, and I loved it even more. It's about 20 years old but feels more like it's 100 years old with its wide plank flooring, heritage design, and very mature landscaping. It's not huge and glamorous like our other house was to be, but it has a very "lived in" and "loved" feeling that radiated through the walls and really drew me in. I could almost see the family gatherings and hear kids laughing . It even has an adorable "Hansel and Gretel" feel to its exterior. I stalk it every day online to see if it's been sold yet and pray it's on the market when we're ready to make an offer . I just want at least a chance to get it! As usual though, if it's meant to be it will be...

(But I'm REALLY ready for something to "be"! )

 

[Confection10]

I have drooled Metro tiles for years and finally I got it. We reshuffled our kitchen during our vacation and I couldn’t be happier. I found a new place to my Timo Sarpanevas’s Festivo candlesticks, I adore.

 

[Austina]

Austina - Benjamin Moore Jute it is. Looks really nice and will work well with the counters I think. Easiest time I've ever had picking a paint color. You're now my PS BFF, Austina!!!

Sorry, only just seen this @Loves Vintage so glad you found a colour you like.

 

[missy]

I have drooled Metro tiles for years and finally I got it. We reshuffled our kitchen during our vacation and I couldn’t be happier. I found a new place to my Timo Sarpanevas’s Festivo candlesticks, I adore.

Beautiful!

 

[AV_]

We reshuffled our kitchen during our vacation and I couldn’t be happier.

I LOVE the chairs!