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kshanahan

Kitchen tile pattern and scale installed over concrete

Kristen S.
3 years ago

The battle of the floor contractors has begun! I love slate and I love wood and I know if I polled Houzz I would get different opinions. I live in a wonderful house with concrete sub-floors. There is terrazzo on my main level, but my 1990’s kitchen is finally getting an mini-upgrade.

I love my doggies and my kids, so the budget is tight, so please don’t tell me to start from scratch! $$$

I am upgrading appliances, counters, backsplash, floors, painting cabinets, and getting new hardware.

When they grind and level the new floor, I have two choices: engineered hardwood or stone (I like dark slate) to keep the transition smooth from the foyer and dining room terrazzo.

Some have suggested an angled install since I have two rooms divided by stairs (basement and back stairs). I do love chevron!

What do you all think? Is that too busy? I have a diamond pattern with brass inserts in the foyer. We are not fancy.

Planning on a soft white paint for the cabinets and soapstone counter in the kitchen. Wood in the pantry counter since we only fill dog bowls in there.

Thanks!

Comments (10)

  • latifolia
    3 years ago

    What style are you going for? Table looks a bit country. Are you painting the cabinets yourself and what color?

  • Indecisiveness
    3 years ago

    Can you show the floor transitions you’re talking about?


    I wouldn’t put a slate floor with soapstone counters, that’s a lot of dark.


    If you’re cabinets look as nice up close as they do in the pictures, I’d suggest leaving them natural vs painting

  • PRO
    Patricia Colwell Consulting
    3 years ago

    I need to see the terazzo and IMO usually a bunch of different flooring is just a mess some more pics and a to scale floor plan could be helpful. Diamond pattern what with brass inserts? I think we need to see all the different fllors and how they relate to the whole floor plan.

  • Kristen S.
    Original Author
    3 years ago

    We are not country - but these cabinets are just were someone else’s design when we purchased the home. We are having a Pro do the painting. We are definitely going lighter to make it more modern. We have a lot of architectural details in the house and tall ceilings and I live white kitchens. This company will take and spray doors offsite do the rest on site.

    We are trying to keep floor transitions to a minimum. We had the wood upstairs and terrazzo refinished several years ago when we moved in and it has done a great job.

    Here’s a picture of the threshold. We have always hated the “old house” - “New House” switch.

    The other picture of where the dogs are napping is the step up from the old rear-entry garage-which we use as a family room and has stairs up to an attic-home office. I will put in the same floor in this room as the kitchen to keep things more consistent.

    Last picture was my “inspiration” cabinet and hardware picture from Houzz.

    Thanks!

  • Liz Court
    3 years ago

    Your doggoes seem to love the cool, tile floor! You can't take that away from them! ;)

    Your beautiful golden looks about the size of my 90 pound dog and I know how easily they can destroy a wood floor. However I have never had an engineered wood floor, so maybe they are durable enough to handle it? Are the dogs allowed upstairs and how is that floor holding up?

  • eld6161
    3 years ago

    I would do hardwood since you have it elsewhere.

  • Kristen S.
    Original Author
    3 years ago

    The dogs rule! The black puppy is actually 1/2 golden too. We only use the baby gate during feeding time because the older tends to over eat (go figure). The hardwoods and terrazzo have held up, but we did not go with a shiny finish, so it does not show the scratches. We have a lot of humans with allergies - so I use rugs sparingly for area rugs only. I have heard the engineered/glued down product will hold up well but one of the tile contractors will only tear up and install tile if I hire him (and he can do the backsplash too). The good ones are really busy right now and can make demands and only do the kind of jobs they want to do. This demo is not easy, so I I am lucky I have had anyone show up at all or return my calls!!

  • PRO
    Patricia Colwell Consulting
    3 years ago

    To keep things simple I would do hardwood unless you can find someone to copy the terazzo which would be perfect.

  • vsalzmann
    3 years ago

    Hardwood! I am doing the exact same thing in my house this month, only it’s hardwood and Saltillo. The foundation moves (I’m in California), and it caused the tile to crack in my kitchen and living room. We are going with engineered flooring to transition into the remaining Saltillo and to flex when the floor moves. Had engineered wood in Utah and it held up wonderfully to cats, dogs, kids, and snow.

  • Kristen S.
    Original Author
    3 years ago

    I did think of that, too! Unfortunately it is impossible to replicate the old world craftsmanship of this 100+ year-old house with terrazzo. Each room has different details and borders. Also, it was never in the original kitchen. I interviewed one of the original 7 children who grew up in the home.

    In my little town (of about 2 million) there is only one firm who will only repair the stuff, and it took me over a year and half to get off the wait list to restore it when purchased the home.

    Here’s a picture of the dining room transition off the butler’s pantry with my furry models blocking the view of the other terrazzo.

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