I got the most fantastic tile score tonight!! I'm so excited.
Sadly, Designs in Tile is going out of business. They made some beautiful hand painted tiles. I was bummed when I heard they were quitting, but I was very fortunate in my timing in looking for subway tile. I guess their tile has been on sale for a while, but the last of it was all listed for auction in large lots this week. I was fortunate to be able to win all the auctions I was hoping to. Unfortunately, I am also getting a LOT of tile I don't need, but that is a problem easily remedied.
I recently called Subway Ceramics and they told me reproduction subway field tile runs $17/sq ft. American Restoration Tile told me it would cost $25/sq ft. So, it would have cost us over $1600 for just the field tile for our master bathroom, not including any specialty trim pieces, borders or shipping.
Tonight I paid just over $3/sq ft, and if you adjust the total for the amount we actually need for our project, it is still only $4.25/sq ft. Because I was so lucky on the field tile price wise, I was able to bid on several of the misc. trim piece and bullnose auctions. So, I am hoping that in the end, we will have enough pieces to tile our entire bathroom. The grand total for everything is just over $1,000. And that includes tons of border pieces, and colored trim pieces.
Of course, the rub is we have to drive down to Mt. Shasta, California on Saturday morning to pick up all the tile. We're going to have to borrow the Ford Ranger back from our friends we sold it to, and I'm actually a little concerned about all the tile fitting in the bed of the truck. I guess we shall see how it goes. I suppose we can always get a one-way trailer rental if we absolutely have to. It will still be a good deal.
And now we have to find an installer. I don't even trust myself to install it to my standards. I don't know why I'm so picky about evenly installed tile, but I am.
SCORE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteI hear ya on the spacing. Every time I use the bathroom at the Torrey Rd house my eyes goes right to the one tile where the spacing is not perfect.
My parents had some slightly-mismatched tile installed in their bathroom and everytime I used the bathroom my eye was drawn to that tile. Every time.
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