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Help! What floor goes w/1936 Lavender Tile?

SusuLo
16 years ago

I hate the floor that is currently in my bathroom! And I need to change it ASAP. The lavender wall tile has grown on me (and I actually like it, scary, huh?) and changing it right now is not an option....so I need to come up with something that will go with it. I really like the hexagonal tiles, especially the classic white w/black dots but do you think it would be too busy? Underneath the current tiles are 1x1 white and lavender tiles. I'm not sure what shape they're in, I was only able to view a bit of it at the door jam when we were having our hallway floors done, but I'm guessing it isn't in good shape and that is why it's covered over. And also I didn't want to pull up the existing floor to check it out as we weren't ready to re-do it right then if it was in bad shape. Now I wish I had. Maybe it would have been in good shape and I would have liked it? Any suggestions on what I could do? What about all white hexagonal tiles? Maybe the white hex w/a few black dots? Maybe larger tiles? Please help!! Thanks.

Sample of Dal-Tile Octagon & Dot

Comments (44)

  • budge1
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I agree with hidiane completely. As soon as I read the post title, I thought black and white hex, but if you can save the original go for it.

    Love what you've done in terms of decorating with the curtain, towel, etc. It really makes the most of the lav. which looks in execellent shape.

  • dainaadele
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    If you use the B&W floor tiles you would have a "black and white room with lavender accents" if there was lavender in the floor, you woud then have a "white and lavender bath with black accents". Does that make sense? The impression of the room would change. The colors look beautiful in your pictures, either way it coud work. I'd be curious as to what is below also...

  • rococogurl
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    First check to see condition of old floor and if it can be restored. Would be terrific to have it.

    If not, you almost can't go wrong with their alternative.

    Have you tried more or less matching the lavender tile? A white and lavender hex or dogbone would be super. A black liner could be put in there too for a border.

  • SusuLo
    Original Author
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Thanks for the feedback! After posting and reading the responses I got really curious as to what was underneath those tiles. So I went ahead and pulled up a few and below is what's there....didn't realize there was black in the floor too. It appears to be in pretty good shape...who knows about the rest though? I think I like it (I like old/vintage things)? But am not really sure....may be too busy? It looks different to me in person. Any thoughts?

    Since the tiles on top were those peel and stick kind, there is adhesive all over them. Any suggestions on how to get that off? Can the floor be saved?

    BTW, the vanity will be going as well (I hate what's there too!). Unfortunately, we can't go with a pedestal sink (which I really want), as we need the storage. If we ever add another bathroom, then we'll go with the pedestal....so until then a vanity it is.


  • sweeby
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    It's busy, but charming! I hope the rest of the floor is intact and will keep my fingers crossed for you. Those lavender minis would be hard to find if you need to make repairs...

    A pedestal sink would be so perfect in that space! You're sure there are no other acceptable storage options? Lined tower? Hutch? Closet outside? Baskets?

  • HiDiane
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    What a fun floor!

    I don't think it is too busy... I think you are maybe seeing it too up close and paying a lot of attention to it right now.

    Perhaps if it continues to grab your eye you could use a scatter rug? In black to keep the look you have (which is adorable) going?

    As for the sticky residue... different glues leave different stuff behind. I would try hot soapy water first... then if that isn't working... something like "goo gone"? In an inconspicuous area first.. to make sure the tile can take it. I'm no expert, though, so hopefully someone else knows more.

    All I know is I think it is just too cute. I want an older house so I can find hidden treasures!

    What kind of vanity are you going with?

    Diane

  • budge1
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    What about a pedestal with a fabric skirt and then you can store stuff under it?

    Having said that, I completely understand. We just had a tiny vanity custom made b/c I just couldn't see living with a pedestal - as much as I like the look.

  • kgwlisa
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Wow, can I tell you how jealous I am of you right now? Now that I see it, I can't imagine any other floor looking as good! It might even run under the vanity since it doesn't look like that vanity is original to the bathroom from the side. What a score! I'd be in there getting up the rest of the tile.

    Have you tried some of the tile cleaning products that people like here? Oxy clean for example?

    Could you possibly go with a pedestal sink and then a free standing cabinet next to it (to provide some counter space and storage)? It looks like you might have room for a narrow (12" deep or so) cabinet between your current vanity location and the door.

  • duffy0401
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I think that the original floor looks really nice. I would say pull up the vinyl floor clean and see how the tile looks and cleans up. Live with it for a while and if you hate it, put in the octagon and dot floor in.
    You could end up saving a lot of money on tile :)

  • dainaadele
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Wow! Hopefully that stuff is still all intact, maybe if not, it would be possible to salvage some of them to do an 'area rug" in the middle. What about one of those old dressers that you see with bowl sinks cut in? If it was off the floor with short legs, it would still give you the same feel as a pedestal.

  • johnmari
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Oh, I absolutely ADORE those mosaic floors - they're not busy at all, they're perfect! (Remember, you can always toss a bathmat down to break up the pattern some if you find it a bit dizzying.) You just cannot get workmanship like that nowadays unless you are made of money. Grand kudos, too, for not just smashing the whole thing to smithereens and sticking something generically "trendy" in there. I don't think the lavender/black/white color scheme and tile is scary at all, I would absolutely LOVE to have it.

    I do agree with Sweeby - are you sure there is NO other storage option that would permit a pedestal or console sink? I'm thinking that shallow wall-hung cabinetry would solve most bathroom-storage needs as far as toiletries and the like are concerned. If you have only 10x15" floor space you could fit one of the Dexter Tower cabinets from Home Decorators Outlet.

    For backup towel storage, these hotel-style rolled towel racks store an amazing number of towels in a tiny space. More towels than that would hold could be stored in, say, a shallow dresser in the hallway. Or if you have high ceilings, put a shelf just wide enough for snugly folded/rolled towel a foot down from the ceiling around the perimeter of the room outside the shower area. For the backup TP, a storage cylinder tucked behind the toilet would store it attractively and effectively.

    There's a specific sink I have in mind, see - the American Standard "Standard" console:

    {{gwi:1453519}}

    Who says that all the bath stuff needs to be in the bathroom proper? ;-) Get creative!

  • cocooner
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I love the tile and the floor and hope that you're able to save it. I have a vintage bath with pink tile and fixtures but the floor is an ugly beige linoleum that's wearing out. You're fortunate to have a tile floor as well.

    For the current vanity area, perhaps you could consider a semi recessed sink (I like Whitehaus' style) with a cabinet underneath. Or maybe one of those "euro" style vanities could work. You would then get the look of a pedestal sink with some storage.

    cocooner

  • rococogurl
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    So glad you checked the floor. It's a terrific vintage floor and I hope you'll be further encouraged to uncover and resotre it. I'd love it! I'll keep my fingers crossed for you that it's all in good shape.

    You could try that Goo Gone or that Goof stuff to remove the adhesive (a hardware store could advise on that).

    Afterwards, post an email to Bill Vincent and ask him if it's ok to clean the floor with muriatic acid. I don't know if that's tricky for someone who's not experienced with it but I know it's used to clean older tile floors.

    If the grout is in good condition and you want to lighten it, I'd go over it with a Clorox bleach pen and see if you get any results.

    It will be a terrific looking bathroom with that floor and a vintage pedestal of the period -- if you can manage it and if it will cover the spots in the floor adequately would look great.

    For a forties bath I'd personally go for the Porcher Lutezia which is a dead ringer for my vintage sink.

    But there are many other styles (if you're thinking of replacing the sink).

    Also, Homeclick has a new discount site with one of the consoles on there at half price (though they are still quite expensive).

    It's called Cliquidate.com

    Here is a link that might be useful: Cliquidate.com

  • budge1
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Not sure if this will work but when I was pulling up some very old tile in the basement someone told me to use windex (ammonia) to dissolve teh old glue and it worked great.

  • dianalo
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Hi,
    I just want you to know I have been killing myself for about 10 months trying to find lavender ceramic tile to do my kitchen backsplash in a 30's - 40s look with the black trim! I finally found my lavender tile a few weeks ago. It seems like you can find glass in lavender, but ceramic is much harder. I love the look and I can tell you firsthand that it is not common, lol.
    I think you should save the floor if at all possible and work the vanity around what floor you might need to cover if it is not all through to the wall. Goo be Gone is good stuff and is carried everywhere.
    As for replacing the floor (only if you absolutely have to!), I would go with the hex with black & white, but not the octagon. It may sound silly, but there is a real difference to my eye. You could also consider a baksetweave with white and black. It would blend well in either the marble look or the ceramic one.
    My best advice is to thank your lucky stars that you have such a great room to work with. ;)
    HTH

  • redbazel
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Try the Goo Gone, or you might even go to a flooring store and get Bosticks adhesive remover. Use one of those blue scrubby sponges they carry at Target and use the scrub side with the remover. Keep your original floor and keep your big items fairly simple to keep things from becoming too busy. You might even be able to find a cool antique buffet or sideboard (I'd go dark wood if possible) to add a top and sink to. That would look awesome with the vintage tile on wall and floor. Keep your towels simple, maybe in an ivory. What a gorgeous bath you're going to have!

    Red

    Here is a link that might be useful: GW Antique Vanity link

  • crl_
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I love that floor! I hope you can save it.

    Catherine

  • SusuLo
    Original Author
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Wow, thanks everyone for the feedback and the encouragement to go with the original floor, its what IÂm going to do!!! It would have made me sick to rip it out. As I agree with johnmari, you just donÂt get workmanship like that anymore!

    I had taken yesterday off to get some much needed yard work done, but needless to say, I didnÂt get much done as I was too busy running in and out of the bathroom trying to figure out a way I could go w/out the vanity (thanks Sweeby...you really got me thinking!!)! Because I really do want a pedestal sink! Unfortunately this is our only bathroom and it is tiny! ItÂs about 5Âx8Â and there really isnÂt any room to put in a free-standing cabinet/hutch and we only have a tiny little linen closet in the hall. Guess in the 30Âs, they didnÂt believe in closets. But after some thought, and rearranging of things, I think I can make it workÂitÂll just take some getting used to. Like getting rid of the dish drainer on my counter!! If not, weÂll probably go with a small white vanity, new sink and new faucet. The sink that is on there now is off-white and it clashes with the toilet (that bugs me) and the faucet is some ugly builders grade junk.

    So after my yard work and in and out of the house, I removed the rest of the tiles (as a lot of you suggested, thank you). And they are in very good condition! And I was totally surprised (and am ecstatic)! Surprised because a lot of the floors in our house are/were damaged. When linoleum was the big thing (back in the 70s IÂm guessing), someone put it down over beautiful hardwood floors in the kitchen, and when they did it, they nailed a gazillion nails into it. So when we remodeled our kitchen we were unable to salvage the floor and it and two layers of linoleum and vinyl had to be removed. Same in the hall, someone put pergo on top of the hardwood floors and ruined what was underneath. Why?

    Thank you all for all your suggestions on getting the adhesive off. I had tried everything I had in the house with no luck so I went to the hardware store this a.m. and got some Oops. I just did one cleaning and it seems to be working! IÂm going to go over it again once my throat stops burning.

    Johnmari, thanks for all the links you provided, very helpful! I like that American Standard console, very similar to one my grandmother had! IÂm going to keep that in mind. It should go with my vintage American Standard toilet. The toilet is from 1935!! ItÂs date stamped on the tank cover.

    cocooner, my in-laws have something similar to the one you suggested, I'm going to look into that too if we decide we can't do the pedestal.

    Rocogurl, the Porcher Lutezia is exactly what I had in mind. I love it! Thanks for the tip on the Clorox pen, I may want to lighten the grout. It would take me a long time to do all of it w/a pen though, is there any other way to do it that wouldnÂt be so time consuming?

    Dianalo, too funny! Who would have thought youÂd be looking for lavender tiles like mine. Because you are right, the look is not common. Most people, I would think, would want to rip whatÂs in my bathroom out!!

    Redbazel, I would love to also have an antique vanity. But I donÂt think in the space I have I can find one to fit. If we stay in this house and add a bathroom or even if we move I will definitely have one! I took a look at yours and yours is absolutely beautiful! Nice job. IÂm going to save that link.

    Well, the throat burning has subsided. Once IÂm done getting the goo off, I will post another picture of the floor. IÂm just so excited about this! Thanks again for all of your responses and feedback!

  • rococogurl
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Susulo -- cleaning grout is tough. That's why I suggested muriatic acid, which was used on an original 1896 tile vestibule floor in my former house. It helped brighten but that was some time ago. There may be new products. A check over on John Bridge might turn something up and our resident expert, Bill Vincent may have a suggestion as well.

    There is grout cleaner (from Home Depot) which comes with a scrubbing brush applicator. I've used it as my apartment bath, equally tiny as yours. It did remove some dirt and then I live with the results. I'm completely sympathetic about the grout having 1" white tile floors with white grout (not my doing) in a NYC apt. They were put in during the 60s or 70s over the original tile. Same deal: what were they thinking?

    Honestly, yours didn't look all that bad in the photo but I'm not down there on my hands and knees looking at it close up as you are.

    Trust you're ventilating adequately to offset whatever fumes you might be getting. It's important to be careful. I was sick for a few days after not having sufficient ventilation while I was painting.

    BTW -- we have pedestals also and 1910 closets. A large deep medicine cabinet with mirror front helps a lot here. Perhaps you're already set on that.

  • johnmari
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    So when do we get to see a picture of the rest of the floor? I need to save it to my "this is too cool" daydream file. :-)

  • SusuLo
    Original Author
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Hi All! Im finally done with getting the adhesive off! The floor is still a little sticky, but I think that will subside as we continue to walk on it. I went over the floor 2x with Oops, and I scrubbed and rinsed with soap and water 2x as well.

    Rococogurl, yes I made sure I had enough ventilation! Opened the window, had a fan, etcbut the smell was still over-powering. Im going to look into muriatic acid and the grout cleaner at home depotas Im on a mission to get this floor as clean and as good looking as I possibly can! Also, we are having our living room hw floors re-done the first week in July (those were ruined by the POs as well) so Im going to ask our contractor if he can clean up the bathroom floor even further. He was going to do our bathroom floor for us before I discovered what was really under those tiles! Hell be bummed he lost that job.

    DH was also excited about the new old floor! We both keep walking by it to check it out; its like a totally new room. He was so excited that he insisted on getting a new all black shower curtain (dont know if its too much black in there now?) so we drove all over creation looking for one. We went to LNT, Kohls, Macys, JCP, Country Curtains and finally found one at Bed Bath & Beyond. Who knew finding a black shower curtain would be so hard?

    As you will see in the pics, the sink and toilet are very close to each other (I think a pedestal will really open that space up and won't seem so cramped) and right next to the sink is a built-in towel bar, so that really limits me putting in a free-standing cabinet. On the wall, we do have some built in shelves in the corner. I was thinking of asking our contractor if he could make that into a cabinet (we're not handy)? I think all he would have to do is build a frame so I could add a door? And if he could do that, that could possibly be a storage solutionI could then hide all the junk that is in those vanity drawers in that little cabinet.

    We have pulls, they were taken off when it got painted....and never got put back on. No need now, now that it is going to the trash! LOL.

    Johnmari, if you look to the left of the toilet, and you can barely see it, but next to it is the chrome toilet brush holder! I showed DH the link you provided and he wanted to get that! Thanks for the tip.

    Possible cabinet?

  • HiDiane
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Wow Susulo!

    It looks GREAT! I love the black shower curtain.

    Is that a radiator opposite the sink? How about putting something on top of that? like a little cupboard on legs? If it were narrower and less deep than the radiator cover and painted the same color it could look like it was meant to be. A bit of silicone adhesive caulk (that could take the heat of the radiator) and it wouldn't be inclined to fall off.

    Diane

  • kgwlisa
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Wow, I'm thrilled for you! What a find and how BEAUTIFUL. Now that I see that way cool toilet I DEFINITELY think the vanity needs to get the heck out of there... it's blocking the view of the toilet. I love the Lutezia and it was on my short list for the longest time (Porcher is also the high end division of American Standard).

    What I would probably do for storage is get a wall hung kitchen upper cabinet as close to the width of the radiator as possible (I'm guessing a 30" wide cabinet would be perfect, AND standard!) and mount it to the wall above the tile, centered on the radiator. A rectangular cabinet mounted on the face of the wall will give you more storage than a corner cabinet and kitchen cabinets are only 12" deep so it won't stick out past the wall it's next to. I would not buy a white cabinet though, I would buy a maple cabinet (can be gotten off the shelf at HD/Lowes) and paint it white for a more authentic look (the whites they have are plastic).

  • sweeby
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    It looks fabulous! IMO, the black shower curtain is great - a good change that lets the tile reclaim the show.

    And I'm totally with kgwLisa on the Lutezia sink and on using the radiator space for a cabinet. You know, it might be worth having one custom built that includes a radiator cover on the bottom (maybe with a louvered door?) and drawers, tilt-out bins, and/or doors on top all the way to the ceiling. You could also (if you go custom) recess the upper portion into the wall so you'd get more usable depth. It wouldn't be cheap, but if it solves the storage dilema, it would get you a gorgeous authentic vintage bath...

  • rococogurl
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Susulo -- Floor looks amazing!! You did a super job.

    Why not ask the contractor about the muriatic or other treatment? Maybe he could remove the current vanity (if you go with that), clean up the floor and then install the pedestal so there are no gunky marks around it afterwards.

    I'll venture there was a previous pedestal there and you might find an old mark underneath. I'd check ahead to be sure the footprint's ok, no missing tiles, etc.

    Any pipes in the wall adjacent to the corner shelves, where the picture is hanging? If not, it's a perfect spot to recess a medicine cabinet -- either 4 or 6" deep. A 6" is deep enough to store toilet tissue. Fancier ones have a light and a plug inside -- handy for hair dryer, etc.

    It isn't cheap but it would provide ample storage, be flush, and no more intrusive than a picture on the wall. You'd probably lose the bracket shelves but gain the needed storage. I think they start at 24" width and go to 30-something.

    Surface mounting is ok though depending on size it would protrude slightly. Added benefit would be mirrors across from each other, which would be practical and help enlarge the bath visually.

    Please post again with new sink. Very exciting and the shower curtain is perfect.

  • mahatmacat1
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    WOWIE.

    You know, even though you're several thousand dollars ahead now that you have uncovered that architectural beauty of a floor, you might want to go to an architectural salvage place, if there's one near you, to see if you can find a pedestal sink that looks like the Porcher that was linked here. In fact, when I was at our ReBuilding Center yesterday, I had just read this thread and I did indeed find one for the princely sum of $175 (the relatively high price reflecting that they knew it was something special). Very similar to the Porcher: nice bulky pedestal, beautiful lines, space on the sides of the sink...most of the sinks there go for bet. $25/75, but this one was a special case. Unfortunately, you're kind of NOT near Portland, OR. But I bet there are architectural salvage places near you for when people get rid of gems like the one yesterday...it's worth checking first. I'm guessing that $175 is less than *any* of the new sinks people have linked to :)

    You lucky, lucky girl!

  • dianalo
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Hey again,
    Just wanted you to know that I showed your pix to dh and he was drooling as I had. If even my dh is excited about your bathroom, it must be something special ;) .....
    and it shows that I have created a monster, lol.

  • youngdeb
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    That floor is a real find...as you are hearing from everyone here! I think that shower curtain is a bit heavy color-wise, though. It may sound strange, but I actually think a simple white cloth one might be pretty...I think that's probably what would have been up there originally. I'd even suggest a lacy-patterned one, but I think that might be too much pattern with that fab floor.

    As for the sink - we have a similar style in our baths, and just redid the master and kept the same general style. Here's the sink console we chose - it's also an American Standard, and one of the reasons for the choice was that we get a little space to put things down...contact cases, toothbrushes, etc.

    You could definitely find a pretty simple hanging cabinet to put over the rad to give you some storage. That seems like a pretty necessary step for that bath (both ours are tiny, too...)

  • talley_sue_nyc
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    if you do still need the vanity, maybe you just need one that looks more "period"?

    like

    Or this one?

    or this Craftsman one?

    they have a 22"-wide one, as well, but it's too ornate, i think

    I have an oak one, w/ a white china sink sitting on it--it looks sort of old, but gives me the storage underneath.

    Also, I think you could put a cabinet behind the door, over the radiator cover. Either in the corner, or a 4"-to-6"-deep one on the wall above, where the photo is sort of. (I found that you can fit a LOT in a shallow cabinet.)

    This one is 8" deep--but you don't really need it that deep. I looked and looked for a shallower one, and found one at Bed Bath & Beyond (but glass doors, which I don't love), but they've discontinued it.

    Next bathroom, I'm going to have one made, so I can get one that's sort of shallow.

    corner cabinets--this one has an open back--may be too industrial? not sure.

  • SusuLo
    Original Author
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Thanks everyone! Sorry if Im repeating myself, but I just cant tell you how happy I am about the floor! Hate to admit it, but I think I may be more excited about the bathroom floor than I was about finally remodeling the kitchen. Well, I think its a different kind of excited though? Unfortunately, I didnt find any cool stuff in the kitchenonly some really ugly brown and gold linoleum!

    Diane, yes, thats the radiator! I was thinking of putting something on top of the cover or having a new one built as Sweeby suggested. And as you noted, Id have to anchor it down because with my luck, it would topple over! But if I can find something that is narrower, it might work and with out that ugly vanity there, thatll help to open up the space. Im just worried that it may feel too cramped in there? Maybe Ill see if I can find something in the basement that I could test out.

    Kgwlisa, I also thought about a kitchen cabinet (and also worried about feeling too cramped and some how whacking my head on it). I would get an unfinished one, probably from the same place I got some of our kitchen cabinets from and then Id paint it White Dove to match the trim and walls. The only reason I was thinking of adding on to the corner shelves is that that would be the cheapest route. And yes, that vanity is going to get the heck out of there, oh I cant wait. Ive hated it ever since we moved in.

    Rococogurl/sweeby, I would love to have a cabinet recessed into the wallthat would solve the issue of feeling too cramped. But Im sure its going to cost more than I want or can spend. To the left of those shelves is the furnace chimney, so it couldnt go there which would be ideal. It would have to go on the wall where the picture is. I dont think there are any pipes behind there but there may be electrical? As the kitchen is on the other side and the range hood is there. The gas line and electric for the range come up through the floor. But Im going to have Antonio (my do it all contractor) come over and check it out and give me a pricemaybe it wont be as bad as I think? If I cant do that, maybe he can build me something else. Im also going to ask him about the muriatic acid too. As hes the one who will be doing my hw floors and removing the vanity and installing my PEDESTAL SINK!!! Yippee!

    Flyleft, too bad Im not near Portland, thats a great price!! Funny you mention salvage, I was actually just thinking of going to a local place to see what they have. But knowing this place, it wont be cheap! Perhaps I can get a better deal away from where I live in Fairfield County. A friend of mine had offered me a pedestal sink years ago and I turned it down. I just wasnt ready to do anything with it and I could just kick myself now! Maybe Ill call her and see if she still has it, she had several as a matter of fact! If I cant find one at a salvage place, Ill go to a local Porcher dealer and check out the Lutezia Id like to see it before I buy it on-line if at all possible, as its not returnable (at homeclick).

    Dianalo, thats too funny! Never in a million years would I think someones DH would be excited (drooling no less!) over my lavender bathroom! Its amazing what monsters we create because Im actually surprised how excited Matt is! So excited he wanted to rush out and get that shower curtain. What DH wants to do that and drive all over creation to get it? LOL. Do you have pics of your lavender and black tile?

    Youngdeb: I sort of thought the same about the curtain, but DH wanted it and I didnt want to shoot him down (since I seem to control all other decorating aspects). I do have a white one (along with white towels and mat), so Im going to hang that and see what I think. I can tell him the white one is for summer. Thats a cool console, what size is it? 24" or 27"? I think I will need 24" as 27" is too wide, it would touch the toilet. But I will definitely need something that has space to put things (i.e. contact cases.ugh) down on.

    Tally_sue_nyc, thanks for the links! I havent totally ruled out the vanity, because I dont know what lurks underneath the one Ive got! And the wall cabinet is still an option as well. Once I get home (Im at work and am supposed to be working LOL) I will further investigate your links.

    So many things to think about!! And so many good ideas! Thank you.

  • mahatmacat1
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I feel it is safe to say that you will get a better deal on *anything* outside of Fairfield County :)

    (I lived in Norwalk for 3 years, back in the 80s before it caught up with the rest of the county, while I was going to grad school "in New Haven" --we used to call Norwalk (affectionately) "where the help lives" :))

  • youngdeb
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    It's 27", but all of the width is in the back 15" of the sink, the front quarter is more like 14" wide. If you got the pedestal instead of the console, the depth of the "deck" of the sink is much thinner at the sides than in the center, giving you more room to play with too.

    We have a TINY space (smaller than yours if you can believe it) and replaced a 24 incher with this one.

    You can see a pdf of the exact dimensions on the AS website...you could even trace it out on paper and see how it'd fit - I'd actually recommend you do that no matter which one you choose.

  • dianalo
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Hi again,
    The link below is of dealer boards from the company we will get our lavender tiles and some border tiles from. I will probably get the plain black bullnose edge tiles from a cheaper company as I don't need special for those and black is black. I will have to make sure to get the same thickness, but the tile person said that should not be a problem. I had searched high and low for lavender tiles and these are perfect. I wanted the subway shape, or 4 x 4s if I had to, and could not find either anywhere. I could find glass, but not ceramic unless I wanted a 6 x6 square shape. It could not be cut in half because there'd have been a sharp edge and 3 eased ones on each tile.
    I sure wish I found something cool anywhere in this house like you found! I am sad to say that this house has no style whatsoever and no one put any in in its 57 years.
    By the Fall, that should all change ;)

  • johnmari
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I thought I had already posted my reaction but let's just say that it was very loud, very unprintable, brought my DH running and he said something just as loud and unprintable. It could be translated and bowdlerized as "revered engaging-in-coition-with-a-female-parent excrement!" LOL One a-mazing floor and I am so glad you didn't just tear into it. DH wants that floor for a powder room in our next house... and he even said I could have it in purple, like that one. ;-)

    We had also bought the console that youngdeb posted - however, we didn't use it partially because it's very TALL! I'm short and it ended up hitting me just below the bodacious ta-tas, making me feel about eight years old. ;-) Because of the way it is put together, we couldn't just cut down the legs. (Once in place it was also too modern for the style of the room.) It got sold for half price on Craigslist. :-( Happily for the gal who bought it, she already had the Retrospect toilet to match, but couldn't afford the $500 sink.

    Vintagetub.com has a nice selection of pedestal sinks in somewhat smaller sizes with *cue the hallelujah chorus* free shipping. (They do not charge sales tax outside of PA. Whether you pay your sales taxes to the state in April is up to you. When I lived in sales-tax states I always guesstimated a ballpark figure that was undoubtedly too low, but it satisfied my sense of karma.) I have a Cheviot sink (a console though) and it is really great. With the clipped-corner toilet (which absolutely must stay, if you need repair parts for it contact deabath.com or antiqueplumber.com, and if you need to cut down the water flow put a quart bleach bottle filled with water in the side of the tank), I would consider looking for something with clipped corners for the sink. Definitely look at the Cheviot Art Deco, which I think is perfect! Also look at the Cheviot Mayfair (25" wide; also comes in a small 20" size); the Cheviot Classic bears a significant resemblance to the Porcher Lutezia at over $100 less (the Cheviot Essex is a close ripoffresemblance ;-) to the Porcher Pomezia and again over $100 cheaper), and the St Thomas Creations Neo-Venetian (22" wide, 34" high at front rim). I was able to find both Cheviot and STC at local bath showrooms. Contact Cheviot at 604-464-8966 for dealers, and STC has a dealer locator on their website. Try to get multiple names, call around to see if they have the models you want to see on display, and bring a picture of the toilet along.

    You will most likely have room for at least one nice shelf - glass or wood painted to match your trim - above the sink or the toilet to put down your lens case on.

    If you put a cabinet or shelf above the toilet, if it's the same depth or less as your toilet tank you are much less likely to bonk your head. Learned that one the hard way. :-)

    Don't trash the old vanity and its top/faucet - Freecycle it! I have found homes for my bathroom fixtures almost immediately.

  • youngdeb
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    JohnMari's dead on, our console is high. I actually love it,less distance to aim the toothpaste spit! As for 6'6" DH...he hasn't even noticed that it's high. It's still low for him...

  • SusuLo
    Original Author
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Good morning!

    Flyleft, Norwalk has definitely caught up! My company jumped on the band wagon and moved from Stamford to Norwalk last year and a lot of companies are still following suit, so housing prices have continued to go way up. The "help" definitely cant afford to buy a house/live here now.

    Youngdeb, its hard to believe you have a bathroom smaller than what Ive got!

    Dianalo, which one of the boards/lavenders are you going with #001? The lavenders do look similar to mine. Ive always wondered what I would do if we needed to replace a wall tile, wed never find that exact color. Your house may not have any great finds now (as you state), but by the sounds of things and reading some of your kitchen posts its all about to change! I cant wait to see pics!

    Johnmari, youre too funny! And quite the wordsmith as well! I had to look up bowdlerized!! Wow, you did a lot of homework for me, thank you! Vintagetub has some great items and great prices too. I like the Cheviot Art Deco (have to see where it hits as we have a built in cup/toothbrush holder and soap dish that might conflict) and that Cheviot Classic is perfect (and is also a very close ripoffresemblance to the Lutezia, I just compared them)! It comes in 2 sizes, which is good: 24" and 26" (which may just fit). But the best is the free shipping!! Gotta love that. The height of the console youngdeb posted is fine with me! I actually prefer it to be higher. As Im 510" and DH is 63". And dont worry; I wont actually trash my vanity. Ill most likely give it to Antonio as hell find some one who can use it. He took my old stove and gave it to some one in need.

    In addition to sinks, Ive also been checking out faucets and I think I will go with (or something similar to) the one pictured. As its very similar to the faucets in my tub (which are original I believe).

  • kgwlisa
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    If you're in love with the Lutezia, it's available at www.homeandstone.com for $302.25, free shipping, no tax outside of NY. I ordered my faucets from them and they arrived in perfect shape and even with me having to pay tax (boo hoo) they were the best price out there. That's the same price as 24" cheviot classic, no rip off required ;).

  • SusuLo
    Original Author
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Thanks kgwlisa! I will check them out! I got my kitchen sink from them and had a good experience. Heck, if I can get the Lutezia at the same price as the knock off, I should go for it!

  • kgwlisa
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    If you find your faucet there and somehow get your order up to $499, there is also 10% off every so often (going on right now until friday at 7pm, but they do it every week). Actually I found with my faucets I used the code "weekend" there and it gave me the discount at $399. Worth a try. Their discount codes don't seem to expire.

  • gabeach
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I wanted to add that I love, love your bathroom. You are so fortunate to be able to resore that floor. You could never duplicate that color scheme.
    FYI, I am in the middle of installing a Daltile black and white floor in two bathrooms. One is similar to the one you posted. Mine is a daisy pattern, white hex with black centers. They were laying it today. It comes on sort of a mesh backed sheet. The tiler spent a lot of extra labor reworking the daisy pattern. There are a tremendous amount of mistakes in the pattern. Instead of the black hex being in the middle of each "daisy" they are much more random. Often, there will be 2 black tiles together. This means the mistakes have to be peeled off and corrected from another sheet, which sort of creates a never ending cycle.

    Of course, I guess I would have the option of returning the tile, (which is heavy and requires a truck). However, this is not an option when the tile men are all set up and they have other jobs waiting in the wings. Excellent tile installers are in high demand, and I had been waiting for my turn. Plus, returning the tile would set back the hardwood floor men who are waiting for the tile men to finish.

    So, be glad you were able to save your gorgeous tile. I can tell you from my experience today, the quality of today's workmanship is inferior to what you have.

  • SusuLo
    Original Author
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Thank you gabeach! I am very happy that we were able to restore that floor (as is my pocket book)! And you are right; I dont think we could ever duplicate that color scheme. My contractor had stopped by over the weekend to go over his next project and he was amazed at what was there and the quality of it. And even though he is losing out on some money by not being able to do our bathroom floor, he was glad that we decided to keep it. Luckily, he has the same sort of tastes that I do!

    Sorry to hear about the woes on your floor, thats got to be very frustrating. Have they figured out the pattern since your last post? Youll have to post picsId love to see it.

    Update: I decided on and have ordered the Lutezia 24" pedestal sink (and of course I'm second guessing myself)! And Im going to order my faucet today. Both items are in stock, hopefully they will deliver by next weekend so when my contractor is there doing our LR and DR floors he can hook up the sink and faucet as well. As far as storage goes, Ive decided that for now we will work with the medicine cabinet and the hallway linen closet. And if that doesnt work, then well decide on what to do. Im very excited, but nervous at the same time. Thanks to all who helped me with my decision and thanks for all the very helpful advice and links!

  • rococogurl
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Please show us the result when you get it finished! Very exciting.

  • kgwlisa
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Well I think you made the perfect right decision! I can't wait to see the pics! Sounds smart to wait and see what kind of extra (if any) storage you really need before taking on that project.