@Beth H thank you!!! I love the one you bought - it was so hard to choose! Yes, he knows to wet the backs. But the people at the Cement Tile Shop told my tile guy he didn't need to seal before install, only after (no one in my area has worked with these so I hired a strongly recommended guy and he's been researching how to handle it). I was surprised and suspicious of that advice and told him I wanted them sealed.

Yes, the one on the left will be soft enough that you won't tire of it over time. Then when you add things to your countertop, the are framed by the soft swirls. When the backsplash is too busy, it competes for attention with the cabinets.

Great kitchen! I would vote left as well because it's more subtle and covers a larger area. If you really like the other one, you could consider having an accent area where it would make a big impact in a smaller space. But with only one kind of tile, I would definitely recommend the left one. Good luck!

Beth, that is a nice tile combination. I was considering some of the cement tiles for our basement bathroom, but since I wanted to finish it faster, we went with porcelain..I might use it for another bathroom

lwfromny,,,oh yes,,for sure seal top. the issue is if he gets any thinset on the front it will be near impossible to wipe up if it's had a chance to harden. that's the main reason why you want to do it ahead of time. just make sure that the sealer does not slide down onto the sides or the grout won't adhere.

I've already given mine 2 coats. it really sucks it up. you'll know when it's good when the water beads.

printesa, thanks. hopefully will do all of the tile work in the next few weeks. there's so many cool places you can tile with these.

Tile on the left. Your finishes are more classic and the left time mirrors that. The tile on the right comes across more modern and takes away from the rest of the kitchen.

@TJ it's funny you observed that. One of the only concerns I had about the left was wondering if it wasn't right for the feel of the kitchen and house (which was built in 1930s so I do indeed want to be classic on my choices). The reason I like the one on the right is that the full pattern looks like a quilt, which feels old fashioned to me. Here's a picture of a larger application - do you think it still looks modern?

both are beautiful, but I think that the softer one would do better on a smaller surface..The other one looks really nice, but I think it needs a larger surface as in the photo you posted above

I agree with TJ.

I think that one above looks best on a large wall like that. its beautiful in that bathroom scene. with a backsplash a lot is lost because the pattern gets chopped. your more muted patterns will look better in that spot.

also, an option for the area around the window. if you don't want to cut the heck out of the cement tiles, you could use a hex or something similar. just an idea.

left! And I LOVE it! :)

Not to add to the dilemma, but I saw this one, which seems to have a smaller pattern

Left, that would make he dizzy!

i believe you need a smaller tile to do the job. "one tile and a bit" wouldnt be a great look for the area, and i think you'd kick yourself for choosing it. unless you'll fill under your cabinet with trim wood?

I think using a grey glass rectangular tile at the counter level is the way to fill in--like printesa showed above, in the pic with the red phone.

ill go with the left. I think the tiles should be smaller and I love your new remodeled kitchen

I've given a lot - and I do mean A LOT - of thought to the extra inch and a half or so that will be left over using this tile. @lindsey I've ruled out using a bottom tile like in the picture above. It looks beautiful in the picture because of the angle it was taken at, but in real life when I tried setting the sample up that way, it means you can't see the whole pattern when standing in the kitchen because the upper cabinet hides the top of the pattern. So instead you see the filler tile and most of the main tile. Not a great look. So I had decided I was just going to have a small cut row of the tile at the top (as in picture below). However @nnigrt I hadn't thought about a molding or something to match the cupboard running along the top. This could be done pretty easily because the cabinets are custom. I'm going to mock up a piece and see how it looks. Thanks!!

You could also do the rectangle tile at the top--save your installer lots of cutting and you lots of labour cost :)

you could also tile infill with a contrasting tile at the top (under the cabinets). decide on every area... see if there is some place you'd like a pencil strip anyway... and use that under the cabinets, perhaps.

ha lindsey and i typed at the same time.

thinking more, you'd need a filler tile that was an exact multiple of the space. wood would probably do better after all.

Always fun when that happens nnigrt! :)

Yes I love the wood idea. Much easier and cheaper than tile, and best of all no hunting for what would match. I'm SO tired of hunting for the perfect materials. This house was destroyed top to bottom in a flood that started on the 2nd floor, and for the past year I have had to hunt for just the right one of seriously EVERY material that goes into a house. From doorknobs to floors to lighting to window handles to stair pieces to molding to hot water heater to siding - EVERYTHING. It's just exhausting. And it's been made so much harder by the fact that it's a 1930s house and I wanted to preserve the feel of it. So at this point I just really don't want to look for a complementary tile. But a painted wood molding or something isn't bad at all - my cabinet guy could make it in an afternoon. Thanks!!

I think wood to match the cabinets will look great. You were smart to mock it up and realize the pattern would not be visible at the top.


I've been looking at cement tile for forever. I have even had some custom samples made up, but still can't decide. I am definitely going with a smaller pattern with all of the repeat within one 8" X 8" tile. I am also hanging my cabinets at about 20". At first glance I thought both your patterns were way too big, but after looking more closely, I think the softer pattern on the left without any vertical repeat will look great.

You've done a great job--chin up! It's going to be fantastic to be finished, right? And if we're at kitchen tile, we must be nearly there!!

I for one (and I know there are multitudes more) really appreciate the care you've taken to make the right choices and to try to preserve the appeal of an old, well-built and well-cared-for home. GREAT WORK!!!!

@janedoe2012 it's hard to choose isn't it? I have looked at so many samples on the way to these two. It has helped me a lot to make up boards and take pics and then look at the photos. Somehow I see things that way that I don't when I'm standing in front of them. I also found a service (although I didn't end up using it) where you can send them photos of your kitchen and photos of the backsplash and they will do a graphic rendering of what it would look like. But I'm feeling confident enough now not to use it. If you're interested I'll dig up the info and post it for you.

Here are a few options for fill ins. See our designs attached?

I love the one on the left, so pretty and soft. I think it goes well in a 1930s house to be honest. Our house was built in 1930 and my kitchen is quite similar to yours! I'm deciding on tile now as well, but thinking arabesque

@mmeli I love arabesque tiles!! I really was drawn to them but was afraid they wouldn't look right in my space. If you pick them I'd love to see photos!

LEFT!

lwfromny, have you looked at tilebar.com? they have some of the best tile.

these are some of my faves

i actually ordered these (they're identical to tilebar) myself straight from China. i couldn't pass on the price! just have to find a place for them.

LOL Beth H you are trouble!! Before this remodel I paid no attention to tile. Now I'm obsessed with it and want it everywhere - I would tile my dogs if they would hold still long enough. And here you go giving me ANOTHER source for amazing tile. But of course I'm gonna go look - thanks!

Hahaha and now of course I go there and the first thing I see is this, which I would absolutely have considered for my kitchen. I have to STOP.

omg, well girl, i need some company. If I showed you my sample pile and tile collection, you would lose your mind. I have enough tile to do your dogs, my cats, and the neighborhood children!

oh just wait, you'll pick a dozen others you like!

oh man,,,i just saw these! they must have just gotten these. macauba. I would have loved these in my shower

Omgoodness the tile on the right is amazing ....I think it will bring it all together the gray cabinets and the dark island and the larger pattern will be gorgeous!

Will kinda give it that new modern vintage look:))

Careful with the tile from China..It tends to be uneven, not the same size and the colors also not very consistent. They are cheap for a reason

Beth is the "tilegirl" so trust her judgment! She is my expert for all things tile. And she has laid this stuff herself, plus wood of all kinds and patterns. Amazing work. Check her blog out!

printesa,,,this is a marble company that actually makes everything by hand. they cut their own marble. the tile that I got are exactly the same from tilebar (minus the mark-up) I know some things are cheaply made over there, but these tiles I got are not. took them 4 weeks to put them together for me. this is all very nice material, perfectly measured. (where do you think these high-end tile companies get their tile? not from here!)

thanks Flo!

here....tilebar 1st,,,,,mine I got, 2nd. I have an actual sample that I ordered from tilebar and compared them. then I saw that the overseas place made these. didn't actually need them, but the price was so good, I ordered about 25 sheets anyway! they are identical.

The reason most people don't do it is shipping containers. I'm near the port of los angeles so all I had to do was file the customs fees and hire a broker to clear it through the port. now if it had to be trucked somewhere, then it wouldn't have been cost effective.

You're welcome Beth!

Bet, it's good that you found a place where they make it well. Whenever I buy something, I check where it was made,,if it's China, I put it back on the shelf. For the tile and counter I did the same

oh i hear ya,, i often do the same with products. but i've come to realize that anything having to do w/tile or stone, none of it is made here. none. It's all imported. (well wait, Fireclay tile is made here but it was $40 sq ft. with a few hundred sq ft of tile needed, that wasn't happening) Even the italian marble is sent to china to get cut. I lucked out and found a reputable company that actually spoke English. Without getting political, i really hope things can change and businesses are given incentives to manufacture here in the US

I hope so, too..it really doesn't make sens to send stuff overseas and have them processed there and then shipped back. I found a nice limestone tile from Sonoma Tile, but it was $40 sq ft and that was too much for a basement bathroom..Italian porcelain was cheaper and went with that. There is also the Ann Sacks tile, which is made in Oregon..pricey, but pretty

Placing order in the morning. Going with the left, although the "right" voters almost convinced me! Thank you all SO MUCH!!

Please post a picture of the finished product. What a beautiful kitchen...glad you went with the left tile.

Will do :).

Your kitchen is great! Where are your cabinets from?

Hi chinster12 - thank you! They are custom - my house is old and wonky so they had to be, lol. Made by a guy in Western NY near where I live. The color is BM Coventry Gray.

Good choice!!!

Tile on the left. Love it so much!

Looking forward to finished product!