I thought this would be easy to find, since you can easily get simple white ceramic tiles for super-cheap, and surely lots of people like blue? And especially blue in bathrooms? But even when I widened the search to include small mosaic tiles, I have almost completely failed. Daltile used to make these, but has discontinued them, it looks like -- I went to the Daltile showroom yesterday and had no luck.
There are lots of blue tiles available at tile showrooms, but they're either not floor-rated, or more than $20 sq. ft., it seems. I have looked and looked and looked. Finally, Pam mentioned that she'd found (and used) some blue glass mosaic tiles at Menard's, and I went there yesterday, and found two (one with white ceramic mixed in and one with just blue glass), and I picked up samples to bring home. This is the blue one ($8.88 sq. ft.), which is what I'm leaning towards, pictured with the kids' octopus towel hook:
Kevin doesn't like it much -- he basically doesn't like colored tile, I think, except for the very fancy high-end stuff. But he's okay with it. And I guess that's where I am too -- it's fine, it looks a little plastic-y (and feels it too, but I guess it's really glass -- hard to tell). But for a kids' area, I'm probably okay with that. And on the floor, in a wide swathe, maybe it'll look fine?
But I'm still wondering if I should keep trying to look online at least, maybe get a few samples? I think I may be tapped out on going to tile stores. Do you think this might be better, worth ordering a sample?
Any other suggestions? Should I keep shopping around, or just go with what I have and call it done?
This is the room in question -- it's tiny, and will have a big clawfoot tub in it in front of the bench. Probably leaving that white, although at times, I've been tempted to paint the tub exterior cobalt blue, or purple. The inside would stay white. The fixtures are white. And the walls will stay white, at least the slanting bit. Might paint the straight part blue or purple, just to chair rail height? So the white tub feels like a boat, swimming in a blue sea...
And it'll have this light fixture:
I don't know if I can convey just how frustrating this whole process has been. Enough to drive me to drink. Literally. Yesterday, I was so upset I had two glasses of shiraz with dinner, which is enough to make lightweight rarely-drinking me quite tipsy. And then I felt better. But I'm pretty sure wine is not a long-term solution for my tile woes.
Sometimes I wish I cared less about aesthetics. But I suppose I would be a different person then.
Have you looked at Susan Jablon Mosaics? Great product at a good price, and made in USA. I used her glass tile as a backsplash in my kitchen and absolutely love it. She’s got a ton of stuff, but in particular I would note that she’s got some cobalt tile on sale on this page: http://www.susanjablonmosaics.com/glass-tile/super-sale-value.html?linkid=bd6 Scroll down. She will send samples.
Keep looking – otherwise everytime you go into the bathroom for years to come it’ll bother you. Even if you don’t find anything else, you’ll feel better knowing there really wasn’t anything else rather than you gave up because you were exhausted. Once your not exhausted anymore, it’s hard to remember what that felt like. And I would paint the walls blue to the chair rail and maybe paint portholes on the wall above so it’s like they are Captain Nemo!
Thanks, Megan — I’ll take a look. And Andrea, cool idea with the portholes. 🙂
My mother put large blue tiles in one of her bathrooms, just like what you want. I’ll ask her where she got it. It was 10 odd years ago, so it may not still be available.