One two three … testing

Much as I enjoy having found inspiration, time for work, and obviously benefitting from the abundant summer light, I must try to stay cool and not rush – many of my recent ideas must be tested in smaller, palatable steps. That is because I better do the mistakes before they are magnified.

So, follow me with the presentation of those tests, of variable success, but undisputable value to the project!

You remember my tiling quarries and worries, and how I nearly settled for a combination of a plane tile and mosaic-like tile? So, on a beautiful Brussels morning I headed for the shop, hoping to find that perfect combination. For a start, few of tiles exposed were really in stock, and then once you choose and pay and make it to the backroom, they give you a different product.

I knew it when I saw it (the vendor acted surprised), asked the right questions and ended up with a take it or leave it situation. So, I took it and you can see it hereunder… it is good because it is fairly neutral. It is bad because anyone can produce this combination, while the original choice had more of a challenge.

Next – my future master bedroom – code name project 2. At least two big questions right away:

-      The walls colour

-      The curtain rails colour

The walls must tie to the wall paper – Kelly Hoppen’sikat in bleu, which was at the heart of the design. However, it is not a simple bleu – there are at least three different streaks which come together. I’d go for the closest colour – the brand is Perfection, colour is Atlantik 3F.

Luckily, tests exist, and this is what they are for – I am not happy with the result – it is a kind of purple. Isn’t it nice to have this done, before paint for the entire room is purchased?

So, I will move on and do the next test with ShadyPurple A70 from Levis!

As to the curtain rail – after the very successful copper rail in the living room, I like the one in the master bedroom to be silver – so this is the paint chip you see next to the wall paper. Once again two choices: the actual silver is kind of muted, and there is a mirror-quality colour known as chrome – this is going to be another test.

Next – plan layout – the hundred times re-drawn project 1! Two things are to be tested:

-      The volumes – that is the table composition, but the choice of table and seating is naturally going to be very different

-      The elevations – old with the new – given that I already have the “old”, I shall place them where I’ll want to find them before buying the new.

So, for this one, no complaints, second thoughts or whatsoever – the decision is to go and buy those Billy bookcases.

Finally, if you remember from the post – the bookcases need to be tweaked a little – again this beautiful copper colour. Well, before spraying the whole thing, it makes sense to check how the paint meets the surface small scale – here is a single shelf from the bookcase sprayed in copper. I will only know how to proceed after it is dry.

And this is it – only two days in a weekend – so much done and nothing completed. Stay tuned, because most certainly the tests will mature into project results! And don’t forget to leave comments!

Tiling dilemma, opportunities and limitations

You certainly remember that I have my kitchen in full disarray and waiting for important upgrades?

Well, part of the work is on the way, and yet more importantly decisions have to be made and it is so hard.

Now, you may wonder why – tiling is such a massive service, sold at every corner! Why wouldn’t it be possible to go to the nearest biggest thing? I’ll tell you why – it is illusory. Many things you are made to believe, but in the end there are corners you cannot cut (with the Belgian market in mind):

-      Few companies keep stock – the delivery time may be important

-      Small clients are not liked – for an area above the kitchen sink and hot plates, such as mine, you’ll find few candidates. And the ones you find will not jump with jot, but overcharge you to compensate for the small works’ volume

-      The handymen – quite a hitch again – often price a small piece of work for the equivalent of a big one… in my case it is about 2,5 m2 but I am likely to pay the price of a small bathroom. On top of that they are trying to influence me to go for a cheap and quick solution, and still collect the same amount of money. As said before, it is a shame nobody teaches us tiling or carpentry at school!

I hope to get people involved in this one, so let me make a quick tour of material, location and options.

Materials

While there are numerous materials for tiling, few are freely sold in the shops. They often go down to basic tiles such as 15x15 or 20x20, in the white colour and that’s it. On the other hand, the tendency is for larger tiles, ideally with no joints – because it is the joints which are so hard to clean!

So, one way to bring interest is to include some mosaics like the ones here-under. Handymen dislikes it (a very lengthy process of installation), mistakes can be very obvious – that is another one of their pet hates.

Mosaics have cheap substitutes – now follows a tile which is 25 by 50 and already gives the illusion of mosaics:

With the last tile there is a number of choices – the main colour may be aligned with any tile on the palette. Question is light – like the walls and furniture in the kitchen, or dark – for some contrast and different feel altogether!

Location

The kitchen is sadly dark – so choices are between the lightest tile out there (white, anyone?). Maybe I should say lightest but white? I wonder, and this is the question to connoisseurs, whether the gloss from a tile could compensate for a darker colour?

Last but not least, the tiling ideally should match the notorious dark kitchen, but also the work surface, which shall remain the same!

I give you more over a few photographs of where we started, and the present condition of the kitchen:

Options

Big tiles can be arranged vertically or horizontally, with mosaics or mosaics imitation on top:

For the horizontal option, one scheme not explored is when the rows do not repeat themselves – the join for an upper row appears in the middle of the tile of the lower row.

Obviously – the question about the tile colour still has to be answered…

Another question which may be explored with those schemes in mind is where we cut – lower end, upper end, corner?

To me, particularly interesting is a scheme where I use every last tile from the set – however it is a mystery if the patchy effect will be as good as expected. Handymen expects to break about 10% of the tiles.

Lastly – version where the mosaics (or mosaic imitation) goes in the middle:

I still have the tiles to buy, and it is embarrassing that the choices are that limited. Advice of all sorts is welcome!