I'm too nice, my wife is not
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For reference, this is what my FIL had done* and is what I am expecting... slightly different tile, but same size tile.
*the guy who did theirs is notoriously slow/OCD, like 3 days staying until 9pm each day, cutting each tile. That's who we requested but he was not available based on scheduling.
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The first guy didn't know what he was doing and was probably trying to save tile by using scraps. Where those 1" pieces were could have been a single piece. Setting tile is all about planning. Start right, end right.
The dings in the counter are unacceptable. It's a brand new counter ferchissakes. It should have been covered by a tarp. Let your wife handle it and do not give them another red cent until it's done. It's not difficult but you have to know how. The counter people should do it and the cost deducted from the tile job payment.
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Yes they had a tarp but a thin one it seems, and if you dropped the previous 3x3 tiles just right, I can see how the dings happen. They are Cambria countertops so they will fix it (and the cost out of the installation job).
Your tile comments are spot on. It's about planning, and the 2nd time around I talked through the strategy with the guy. I'll be sure to post after pics later today when the grout is done.
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Last time I commissioned a remodeling that involved tiles, I made it a point to choose bigger tiles to minimize grout. Except the ceiling and the bath stall floor. Ceiling because if a tile were to fall I would rather a small piece falls rather than a big piece. Floor because it's supposed to be slightly curved to facilitate water draining, smaller tiles can accommodate curvatures better.
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Glad it turned out well in the end. I've replaced a few tiles but never done a wall or floor.
Spacer size is important; over 20 years ago in previous home, we had the whole ground floor done in non slip fake marble, and the cowboys used small spacers
. Looked great but who knew a few years later I'd be replacing grout here and there and there and there.Agree that split sinks aren't as easy to use as a single large. Maybe we don't have the discipline necessary to use it as it ought to be, but the divider gets in the way and I much prefer our singles.
Also I cracked our glass kettle on the divider of our double belfast. Stainless steel kettles rule. -
We have a grate too. Yes, love the sink.
Thanks @blondie I actually liked the kitchen before, it was warm and conventional, but the off white counter tops and backsplash really brightened it up, and it’s literally the center of the home so a good place to invest in.
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@89th .. Your updated kitchen is modern, yet your choices will endure through what’s trending now for a long time. Good design decisions.
I’m still a split sink person. I don’t know why .. maybe because I don’t use or wash many large pots? or cook much? Lol. No grate for me either .. I’m good with scratches. But I need that garburator. I’m a heavy gauge stainless girl too. In the most recent (2025) house build, I decided to heck with the tile backsplash and went full-on Vicostone (I sourced their hush-hush price list & chose an older thus cheaper neutral pattern for the island, counters and backsplash). I get so upfront stressed with interior designers & design decisions, then get easily bored afterwards with the color & pattern of tile. And I don’t want to spend $$ & time to upgrade. I also spent 3 decades worrying of sauce & grease stains on grout, so here, now, it’s full-on same-on backsplash & counters for me. -
It's a nice look, Blondie, and very durable. I would never be without my bigass single sink again. It's especially great for young families as a great place to bathe infants. Leaning over a full size tub is not ideal. Worse in our house when Lauren was little because we had sliding glass shower doors.
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@Mik I’m having flashbacks. Never again will I live in a place with sliding glass door on a tub.
I prefer full 1 piece acrylic tub-showers and large single shower units with non sliding glass doors (like for new builds). I dislike cleaning tile this much, and just use tile to the ceiling above and as an accent for surrounds. Saying this, I did do a stand-alone rectangular tub in the most recent master bath. For resale reasons only. I searched quite a while finding one that was long enough & shallow enough .. like retiree friendly. That area got half height large format rectangular tile on 3 walls. Good for hanging wet towels on both ends I suppose. -
@89th .. Your updated kitchen is modern, yet your choices will endure through what’s trending now for a long time. Good design decisions.
I’m still a split sink person. I don’t know why .. maybe because I don’t use or wash many large pots? or cook much? Lol. No grate for me either .. I’m good with scratches. But I need that garburator. I’m a heavy gauge stainless girl too. In the most recent (2025) house build, I decided to heck with the tile backsplash and went full-on Vicostone (I sourced their hush-hush price list & chose an older thus cheaper neutral pattern for the island, counters and backsplash). I get so upfront stressed with interior designers & design decisions, then get easily bored afterwards with the color & pattern of tile. And I don’t want to spend $$ & time to upgrade. I also spent 3 decades worrying of sauce & grease stains on grout, so here, now, it’s full-on same-on backsplash & counters for me.@blondie said in I'm too nice, my wife is not:
@89th .. Your updated kitchen is modern, yet your choices will endure through what’s trending now for a long time. Good design decisions.
Thanks - our house has maple or medium cherry (?) brown wood trim along the baseboard, the doors, the windows, the cabinets, and nice millwork around the fireplace and stairs. Lots of neighbors have converted/painted it to a mostly white trim everywhere and white kitchen. It certainly looks nice, but I like the slightly darker wood throughout the house, feels warm to me and I'd imagine it's a design that'll come back into trend one day too, not that I give 2 sh!ts about trends.
@Mik yeah in our old virginia condo we had a big single sink where we'd give the baby a bath. Very easy.
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