It feels as if it’s been a while since I shared an update on the studio renovation. Most recent progress is the beautiful tile floors have been installed in the upstairs bathroom. As a member of the Shaw StyleBoard, I had the opportunity to choose some flooring for the studio.

My Choice: 

For the upstairs bathroom, I chose Presidio (whites) and Lombard (grays) from the same San Francisco design style. It’s a rustic and beautiful hexagon glazed porcelain tile from Shaw Floors with a reclaimed brick texture. And it’s absolutely gorgeous! My most favorite flooring to date!

You guys, it was love at first sight! The kind where you see it then continue to shop but always go back to it. Nothing compares. Nothing else will work. It’s this or nothing. I love when that happens! The alternative is so many choices and a hard time narrowing it down to one but this time around, I knew “THIS IS IT”! And for the record, this tile is versaTILE and can be used on floors, showers, patios, backslashes…just about anywhere. Since this is that the studio, it may show up somewhere in my house as well. 

Let’s revisit the scary “before” picture. It’s a good thing I can see potential past the nasty, right? 

Before:

The original old hardwood floors had to be removed. 

A plywood subfloor was installed and leveled to prepare a base for the cement board which then is the base for the actual mortar and tile. 

The seems were taped and sealed.

Flooring was installed by Rege, Mike and Tyler, subcontractors from A&S Carpet in Allison Park, PA. They did a beautiful job! 

Installation:

The white and gray hexagon tiles were placed randomly. I usually do prefer the symmetry of a planned and arranged design – stripes or checkerboard and even considered a flower-type design but this time because of the transition of flowing over into the hardwood, I really liked the random placement. 

Rather than the traditional ‘hump’ or straight cut line in the threshold where tile meets hardwood, we continued the tile across the threshold and into the next room. It reminds me of a glacier…moving/reaching into the bedroom. It’s SO cool and so different and it’s amazing! You can see the links to inspiration for this idea on my studio Pinterest board. 

Transition: 

Just wait until you see the hardwood next to it! You’ll drool! 

You may remember me asking about grout colors. I originally chose “Iron” at the store but after some thought changed my mind to “Charcoal”. Frank at A&S was very accommodating with my request! No problem!

Grout: 

Perfection!

Reveal:

What do you think? Do you prefer the standard transition piece dividing tile and hardwood in the doorway or would you consider a smooth transition and design feature? 

A BIG thanks to A&S for the installation. I’m THRILLED with the end result! 

Here’s a sneak peek of the vanity with the floor…I can’t wait for the finishing touches!

So pretty! And all three features: that gorgeous floor, the beautiful vanity against that original wood plank wall…

Next up on the bathroom remodel:

Paint, baseboards, {possible} vintage cast iron tub re-finishing, installing the toilet, vanity, sconce lights and my favorite part…decorating and the reveal! Oh. And probably cutting down 6 doors since re-doing the floors raised them. Not looking forward to that part but things are moving along. Stay tuned!

The building has so much historical charm. It’s about one block from our town’s Main Street. The bus stop is literally steps away. There are breweries, the YMCA, shops, restaurants, salons, florists, candy/coffee shop, holiday parades and festivals within walking distance. So fun! If renovation from blah to ahhhhh is your thing, stay tuned!

So subscribe and be reminded of updates as the renovations progress! I’ll share before and after photos, projects underway and updates, plans and design boards, sources and links as they relate as well as fun events going on in and around the downtown area. I’ll be using a specific hashtag on social media to keep things all neat and tidy and organized.

#helloredreno

I welcome your thoughts and ideas! And as always, thanks for your encouragement and support and for sharing in my joy and vision! Watch for #helloredreno!