Concrete Tile

Concrete tile merola

So, we are starting…or should I say finishing…a little project at our house.  Four years ago, we added on a master bedroom and ensuite onto the main floor of our house.  It was always our plan to create an “adult oasis” once the kids got old enough that we didn’t need to have our bedroom close to theirs. Part of the addition was a bathroom that is accessed from our deck for parties and for the kids to use when they are swimming in the lake…to avoid having all the sand dragged into the house.  Well, I got a little carried away with my closet as we were finishing off the reno, so we left the outdoor bathroom unfinished.

Jason decided about two weeks ago that it’s time to get this bathroom done…in time, that is, for Berkeley’s Sweet 16 Birthday party, which is about 5 weeks away!  So, I had to come up with a plan and make some decisions tout sweet!

For me, it all really started with the floor.  I knew exactly which route to go.  Lately, in Vancouver, I’ve been seeing a ton of black and white concrete tile…and I LOVE it.

I saw it at Boulevard….

concrete tile boulevard

Photo courtesy of Boulevard

I saw it at Earnest Ice Cream

concrete tile earnest

Earnest Ice Cream Quebec Street | Photo courtesy of Earnest Ice Cream

It’s retro, yet modern and pretty much anything goes with a black and white palette.  It looks great as a border or used en masse.

This was my floor…now to find it!  This article from Apartment Therapy was a great resource, providing information, sources and less expensive alternative.  It lead me to the Merola “Twenties” tile collection from Home Depot.  Unfortunately, it’s not available at Home Depot in Canada, but it’s worth ordering from Home Depot in the US at just $1.97/tile.

I really liked the Merola Twenties “Classic“.

Merola Classic

I also realled liked the Merola Twenties “Diamond“.  Jason preferred it as it’s less fussy, so I opted for that.

Merola Diamond

This tile isn’t actually concrete…it’s ceramic. The low sheen and the variation in color make it a very good imposter at about a quarter of the price!  And let’s face it…this bathroom is supposed to be for casual outdoor barbeques and kids in wet swimsuits, so it will do just fine!