Tile decorating advice-any artists out there? (hardwood floors, fireplace, tiles, grout)

[karenabcde]

I have 6 x 6 ceramic earth color off-white tile in my small galley kitchen and two bathrooms. The tile was installed not long ago, when I had the place rented out. I got it for functionality with the tenants.

Now, however, for the next few years, anyway, I am living in this place, which is a 1050 square foot townhouse. The townhouse is a big rectangle. As you enter it, the living room/dinette/kitchen are generally on the right side of the rectangle, and the two bedrooms and hallway are on the left side. Straight ahead out the French doors is a tiny patio.

I want to replace the carpet in the living room, hallway, and two bedrooms, AND I want to put tile on my tiny patio. Since the existing tile is in good condition, and functional for the kitchen and baths, I am trying to figure out what to replace the carpet with...and be on a budget at the same time, but have it tlook kind of "arty" still.

Idea 1: Put the same 6 X 6 ceramic tile that is in the kichen and baths throughout the whole place, and throw white area rugs over it. Put an earth-colored red/orange area rug under the piano. (I am going to place heating under the tiles under the piano as it gets cold in winter)

Idea 2- Put ivory travertine throughout and sprinkle a few orange/red/"sunrise" colored travertines in for fun, and only put a white area rug in front of the brown leather couch in the living room.

Idea 3-Put sunrise travertines (the ones mentioned in idea 2) throughout and throw white area rugs around-one in the hallway, and two in the living room, which would be one in front of the couch, and one under the grand piano.

I don't know if I can get away with .....12x12 or 6x6 if I use the travertine.... to integrate it in some way with the kitchen existing 6x6 tiles. I don't want it bigger than 12x12 as my place is small and too big tiles look wierd.

Am I totally screwed to make it look like anything, and keep the kitchen and bath tiles as they are??? Must I replace them to make the place look decent? I mean I know that would be ideal; It's just expensive! In my place, you cannot see the kitchen, when you enter the living room, and when you are sitting in the living room, you cannot see the kitchen, and of course you can't see the kitchen floor.

I know you artists are out there....and I know some of you love this stuff!

I hope you can help me figure this out!!

Thank you!!!!

[recuerdeme]

Pics please.

The kitchen and bathroom tiles should be different than the rest of the house... my opinion.

[karenabcde]

Recuerdeme-you made my day......that was the answer I was hoping to hear.......I will try to get pics; I am camera impaired too.

[glasshouses]

If you really want tile throughout the townhome and you think it is small, if you have the tile set on a diagonal, this will give the appearance of a wider view.

Hardwood floors are nice in the living room and bedrooms. Tile can look cold and feel cold in certain areas, bedrooms especially. Hardwood or laminates would work. Carpet in the bedroom is cozy.

Price wise, labor to install smaller tiles may cost more - 6x6 vs 12x12. Larger tiles will end up having less grout lines to keep clean vs smaller tiles with a lot more grout lines in the same space.

Tile will take longer to install. Carpet is quicker to install.

Your color choices sound nice. If you sprinkle colored tiles throughout, try to imagine furniture sizes and various placement of that furniture in case those tiles would not be showcased at some time of future rearranging or replacing of the furniture.

Some tile that is pleasing to you on the patio sounds great. Colorful and ethnic? Or, neutral and soothing? As you said, you are going to live with it for some time and you need to be happy with all of it.

Hope you have fun and these ideas were helpful. Tell us what you decide. Good luck!

[karenabcde]

Glasshouses-thank you so much.
As much as I love tile I can't think of how to blend the old tiles with new tiles and still have the place look integrated instead of broken up. So now I am thinking of just putting in hardwood......I prefer tile .....for functionality. There are so many choices out there.

Then when I look at hardwood say at Home Depot compared to hardwood at some "finer" flooring stores it takes me a long time to figure out which wood samples are good quality and which aren't. I took a few samples home with me; I liked the samples while I was in the store, but when I got home they didn't look as good. One sample looked okay as it picked up a color in my fireplace bricks, and the other sample looked grainy and not so good.

Now I am at the stage where I am just learning the diff between $5 a square food wood and $15 a square foot wood. And then there's the decision on doing engineered wood or not engineered wood. I am probably going to do the wood in the long run as I think that on resale people like hardwood when they are at an open house. It will look nice and I will tile my butt off in my next house which I hope is going to be in Europe!