Project Snag

We just finished with the second week of the Master Bathroom Remodel.  So much has been done and things have been going almost too smoothly.  There have been a few minor problems....like the plumbing in the shower put in at an upward tilt.  Or the electrical sockets for the vanity lights not set in the right place.  But everything is fixable even if back tracking for the workers.

 

We have moved upstairs to sleep and shower and are trying to keep a handle on the dust. I'm thinking this is going very well.


 But then, the wall tile started going up.


The wall tile, which is Emperador Light marble, was going up in the shower and on the opposite wall.  I was not extremely happy with it because it was not the color I thought I was getting.  But I would go in there in the evening and try to convince myself it was okay. 

For example: 

 

We put Emperador Light marble in our Powder Room last spring.  I love it!  It's a great "color" and it makes me happy. 

 

But this is what was going up on the shower wall.  The tile on the inside of the framed out part is much more like the Powder Room and what I thought I was getting but I came home to all of this done and set in concrete. A lot of variation in hue.  Okay.  I am stressing but trying to like it.  I love the creamy tiles inside the frame...but the others?  Brown with a few lighter ones here and there.  Not what I thought I picked out.

We make a call to the tile people.  Everyone tells me it's "natural stone"....and they think it's beautiful....and look at me like "what is wrong with you?"

 

I call this taupe.  What would you call it?

 

And then the slabs were brought in on Tuesday.  SNAG.  They're taupe in color.  And the floor tiles which haven't been put in yet are very, very golden.  So I have cream, brown, taupe and golden tones of the same marble.  And call me a perfectionist (several did) but it was agitating me every time I went in there. 



So after much discussion and everyone (all men) telling me it was "natural stone" and basically get over it, I had an awakening.  Nope.  Not getting over it.  Because at the end of the day, this is the room I will come in to and at the beginning of each day, this is the room I will go in to.  And it has to work for us.  (Chuck is not seeing a problem with the tile....but begins to see I have a huge problem with it so he is willing to "fix it")

 

 

 

So we are taking down the wall tile  (about 40 have been put on so far) and starting over.  The slabs are the major expense and I like them...not that they are what I thought I was getting...but they are a very soothing taupe color.  So we started over, basically, on Thursday and went back to reselect a new marble for the floors and walls. 

This is definitely one of those First World Problems...and I have it put it in perspective. But it's a lot of money and if the color was bugging me now, it was only going to get worse in time and I would forever wish I had done something about it.  So take it from me, You Can Say Nope, Not Getting Over It.

We are going with Crema Marfil (there's a sample tile above the sink) which is, oddly enough, the first one I picked out and wanted but then chose Emperador Light because I loved it so much in our Powder Room.  Ugh.  Crema Marfil is creamy with white and some taupe and gray feathering so hoping it will compliment the slabs. 

On a positive note, the slabs are in, plumbing is in, new canned lighting is in and the vanity lights are wired for but not installed yet, walls are repaired and textured.  Cabinetry is almost finished and getting primed and painted.  Hopefully, the new marble will be delivered early in the week and we can pick up where we left off. 

I was asked to pick out paint early last week.  I did something I never do....pick from the tiny swatch in the fan deck of paint colors.  Normally, I buy samples and paint them on the wall, but I was feeling rushed.  So they put one coat on the walls and I asked them to wait until all the tile is in so I can decided if it works or not.  Right now, it doesn't look like it works.  So we'll call this the primer coat.  We are going with a "white" on the walls and a "creamy"  color on the ceiling.  Should be easy but there are a million whites and creams to choose from.  As you can see in the above picture, the walls are looking a little yellow but blue at night (?) and there is a peachy look to the ceiling.   So add this painting dilemna to the tile dilemna and I was somewhat a little freaked out.  Not stressed.  Not anxious.  Not worried.  Just freaked out.  The difference is it is a fixable problem.


Three things that I want to pass on to you...

1.  It's not a personal hit on anyone.  It's not the workers or their workmanship I'm unhappy with.  It's the color variation of all the marble going in to one very small area.  My vision is for a very serene look and it was not serene. We hit a snag, but that's all it is.  Do not be afraid to stop mid project and regroup.  Much of design is planned on paper and while shopping in stores and online. But when everything is finally coming together, there may be something that is just off.  It's okay to stop and rethink.  I definitely think if you're going with natural stone to ask to see all the variations.  Wish I had done this.  But ultimately, we had to be happy no matter how many people told us it looked good.


2.  Men see differently than women.  Every woman that saw my pictures agreed that it was off but all the men said, "naahhhh, it's natural stone....that's the look."  Well, yes, it's natural stone, but there is a process called culling.  Culling is where you pull from the boxes those tiles that look most alike in hue.  You may have to buy 10 boxes to get 3 boxes worth of tile that is the same hue.  Not done here...and I wish I could go back to last Monday and do this...but too late.   Most companies take back the unused tile with maybe a slight restocking fee.  Always ask.


3.  Do not choose paint colors under duress. I like to pick 2 or 3 paint colors and buy them in the smallest quantity possible.  Sure, it costs something, but not as much as buying the gallon then hating it and having to buy more of another color.  I usually buy a white poster, cut it in to fourths and paint on the matte side...leaving no white exposed because that fools the eye. Then I can move the painted poster to different areas of the room to see if it changes much with the lighting.  But under duress, I quickly picked 2 colors from the 1 x 2 sample and yikes!



So Project Snag should be back on track this coming week. 

 

 

In the meantime, Chuck and I are stopped up, sneezing and coughing. Could be a cold, seasonal allergies or just plain old dust.