Wow, looks like you had a fun day! You're lucky to have such a high end tile place available to you. Those are some unique tile choices and I'm not familiar with your other choices for your kitchen. Before you settle on lavender, I would recommend you do research on psychology of color because certain colors, like lavender, should be used cautiously in areas where food is prepared and served.

Tumbling blocks is a favorite graphic pattern for me, so of course I approve that choice.

Tile is like shoes. No idea why. Just is. I went to a seminar at Ann Sacks and fell in love with a floor.

Dianalo - Wow - I wish I could see the final results in person. I love borders with tile - so finished looking. I love the simple look of the hex with the more elegant border in your kitchen inspiration - nice contrast. And the tumbling block has great depth. You have great vision and are very bold - bravo!

I also can relate to irrational joy regarding tile. We have a beautiful tile place in the Boston area, but I was afraid I would have to leave my daughter as a down payment - no luck negotiating there. It was almost like I could not get the idea of certain tiles out of my head and if I did not get them...forget it. So I stopped looking for a while and sanity finally returned. I had some luck with getting a different shaped tile in my bathroom that was significantly cheaper that the original one I picked out, in the same material - calcatta marble (swoon.) Then we choose a slightly less expensive field tile for a simple border and to use under the toilet. As you said, any way you can cut corners in the whole project to save money for the tile!

I was a little afraid I would be disappointed, but no way it looks fantastic. Pretty soon I need to hold my breath and dive in again to finally pick a back splash for the kitchen.

And rococogurl - I hesitate to admit but I think I may like tile more than shoes...I guess I can see both of them when I look down :)

Cannot tell you how many visits I have made to the two local "fancy" tile stores. I did buy my bathroom marble floor tile from one of them so I don't feel too awful, but I have visited them so often -- they just nod and smile and let me walk around and look. I have borrowed endless samples and returned them. I have dragged countless tiles from the back of the store to the natural light in front windows. I have asked for pricing for so many kinds of tiles . . . . I have been haunting these stores since well before Meredith went out of business. But I have finally ordered the tiles for the kitchen floor and have narrowed down the choices for the backsplash, so my days of haunting the tile stores have come to an end. For now.

LOL!!! Been there (MTW), done that. :D

Congrats!

(Tumbling Blocks is the quilt name for that pattern...)

This is my one big reno and I have been waiting what seems like forever to get my teeth into a design project. As a real estate agent for 20 years, I have walked through other people's houses every day and seen how they did things and had strong opinions. I love how some rooms came out and more often, can improve just about everything if they'd only let me at it (at least in my mind, I can).

As much as I like nice looking shoes, I'd have to say, I like tile so much more. I will be sad when my tile choosing is 100% complete. I still need to choose the border for my kitchen floor and there is a chance will need to re-choose part of my backsplash if the color cannot be made right.

I don't want to be timid nor copy anyone, yet I am often inspired and hope to pay homage in different elements but in my own way. I am going classic in a lot of patterns and materials, but hope it looks fresh at the same time. I see some people here who do things like I can really appreciate, yet in the real world, in our area, it is a ton of travertine, old world stones, burgundy walls, crown moldings and all done in a predictable way.

People here seem to put in the effort to not have a cookie cutter kitchen even when using popular choices. I can't tell you how disappointing it is to walk into a million dollar home and plus, and see so little creativity or style other than looking nice but generic.

It is funny, but I will see a well done kitchen and think that the person must be a fellow GWer because the difference in end result is noticeable.

Steff - the lavender with black backsplash was the first element I knew I wanted with absolute certainty. I had seen the combo in a older home years ago and it stuck in my heart and mind. The liner tile is my twist on it, but the lavender is key to the plan. I have searched high and low to get the right color purple and it is amazing how every other color in the spectrum is easy to find, but the one I want. Even my dh really likes it and I think it will be the part that is most likely to make me smile when I walk in.

Sparklekitty - I am being bold but containing it to doing a faux rug in our den rather than the whole room. This way the pattern is featured without overwhelming everything else. I am doing the basketweave in the bathroom in a similar way but for a different reason. In that case, I think the border will highlight the pattern more and make it more special, than to just see it go behind the toilet and under the baseboard heat. It doesn't hurt that the surrounding "field" tile for the bathroom floor will also be much cheaper than the rug (although the expense of the border probably cancels that out and then some, lol). Luckily, the bathroom floor is small since it is a 5 x 5.5' half bath in our master, so not much floor overall.

I really tried to find the rope border I am going with, but a web search did not bring it up. I am linking to a website that had some beautiful pix, none the less. Someone painted a tumbling block/Hermes pattern on a wood floor and some of the others photos are stunning. If our den had a wood floor, I might try it, but it will be newly constructed, so would not put wood in only to paint it...

Here is a link that might be useful: pretty pictures for fun or inspiration

Your painted floor inspiration link was amazing! And when I said bold, I meant strong, creative, unique -- good bold (not backhanded compliment "bold" :) A gut reno of our old house was my first serious foray into "decorating", that combined with the style/scale of house (simple, not large), scope of the project (having to pretty much rebuild the house, including systems & exterior) and investment concerns for our "hood" (not a super affluent neighborhood) was the real driver that stopped me from buying some of the amazing tile.

What a fun, bumpy ride a renovation (or new construction in your case) is. During the entire process I kept telling my husband never again, but now that we are nearly done and back in the house (woo-who) I imagine new kitchens and MORE TILES in my future. Look forward to updates on your tile.

Sparklekitty _ I took your your bold comment as a compliment all the way. I would rather be called bold than timid any day (whether it was decorating or life). I may be using a bunch of understated classic elements, but there will also be things done for style and panache. I'd consider myself more of a Katie Perry than a Lady Gaga, lol...
I love my new "vintage" paper towel/tin foil holder (ebay), vintage chrome canisters (ebay) my old hardware (ebay) and vintage sink. While those are decidedly "old school", they are interesting and functional at the same time, and I think they add to the look.
I think my backsplash is the one true risk I am taking, but also will have a big payout if done right. I'd love it if no one could ever quite figure out when the reno was done. I also am trying hard not to make it too campy/retro, yet still whimsical. In any case, it should be casual, friendly and different from my neighbors' houses. For resale (many years from now), someone who "gets it" will probably be the next owner.

Luckily, I live in a desirable neighborhood, so someone with good money and no taste may also want it just for the location, schools and layout, lol. I just hope they'd never tell me they are taking anything out, unless it is to let me take fixtures with me in that case!

I know what you mean about walking into a place like that! I've been through the "Luxe Home" part of the Merchandise Mart in Chicago a few times (it's not too far from my office) and I just drool over some of the things there.

Love your inspiration pics! Have fun!