Diamond in the Rough
My older sister September (yes, that’s her name despite the fact that she was born in January, long story but the gist of it is that my parents are nuts) has five amazing, albeit a bit rambunctious kids and a house that is holding on by a thread. Her husband is a principal at a local middle school, and because she has chosen to stay at home to raise the kids they’ve had to budget here and there where they can in terms of home improvement. Meaning, the cabinet doors in the kitchen are falling off, but at least the water heater is working!
Several weeks ago I stopped by her house to see how their basement renovation was coming along, and I’ll be honest. My first thought was, oh dear. This is going to take you guys ten years to finish. Because her husband was doing every single thing himself: from painting, to patching, to laying down every piece of tile:
And when I saw the arrangement of the tile my right eyebrow started to twitch and I began itching my neck uncontrollably. I mean, look at it. LOOK AT IT. That right there is a violation of every law of thermodynamics, am I right? No? I should up my meds? Point taken.
I guess everything I have ever learned from years and years of watching HGTV caused my nostrils to flare in agitation. I could see what an amazing space this could be and that it was headed in the opposite direction. So I said, Tember (that’s what we call her, you’re welcome to call her that, too), I’m going to take over and save you ten years of your life. In return, I only ask that you bow every time I enter the room. Fair trade.
And so began My Sister’s Basement Renovation. I asked around for recommendations on a contractor, and within a few days I had a tile guy staring at that tile with me in that basement, and I’m not even kidding, HIS RIGHT EYEBROW STARTED TO TWITCH. And then he started to point at some cracks in the concrete, and then the slope of the floor, and there goes my original budget!
Thankfully, we both agreed on a couple of design decisions 1) the tile needed to be bigger, and 2) it needed to be laid on the diagonal. HAHA! Look at me with the lingo! You know what that is? YEARS AND YEARS of worshipping Candice Olson.
What does that mean, on the diagonal? There is probably an official definition somewhere, but if I were explaining it to someone like me or my sister, I would simply say: think diamonds, not squares. Like this:
First, it’s a more interesting design, plain and simple. And second, I think it leads the eye more fluidly and elegantly than tiles laid in a square pattern. It immediately looks more intricate and expensive. Such a simple way to put a little dazzle into a design for no extra cost.
We also chose a bigger tile, mainly because we were going to be covering over 220 square feet of floor: one long hallway, one short hallway, the area in front of the wet bar, and a small bathroom. So I had my brother-in-law take back the stack of 12 X 12 inch porcelain tiles he’d purchased for the project and exchange them for a stack of ones that measured 18 X 18 inches. A bigger tile over that amount of square footage wouldn’t look nearly as crowded or bunched as something smaller.
You guys, look at me acting as if I have any idea what I’m talking about!
Seven days later the tile was in place and waiting to be grouted:
A few things:
1) Oh yes indeed, I had them remove that horrifying wet bar. I was not going to allow my sister to live with that atrocity any longer.
2) It’s still a work-in-progress, and all the trim work and errant holes and patches of paint will be fixed along the way.
Next up? Carpet. And a couch that seats a family of seven. Oh, and that one tiny request that my sister made before the whole thing began: a wall dedicated to BYU football. TALK ABOUT DESIGN DILEMMA. You can bet that it is going to be the best looking football wall in the history of football walls.
I really like the layout of the new tile. Maybe it's a difference in the lighting, but aside from being more interesting visually, it also seems to brighten up the room more. What is the ultimate goal for this space? TV room, play room?
This is going to be a family room where they can all gather to watch BYU football, have snacks, play games.
i really like the idea of the diagonal tile laying. it's a great idea that, like Heather said, makes sense, costs no extra money and looks way cooler. nice touch!
Wow, what an improvement! Too bad the BYU wall will make it just bad bad bad. (Says a true Utah fan.)
Thanks for getting rid of the wet bar. It was making MY eyebrow twitch.
What a simple design concept. It never would have occurred to me to turn the tile on a diagonal
"On the diagonal." That *is* sassy. Next thing you know, you'll be wearing a tool belt and clearing your nostrils without using a Kleenex.
Oh, I'm sure she's had the clearing the nostrils without a Kleenex down for quite some time.
Diagonal tile laying always creates such a pleasant look visually. The bigger tile also looks more fluid in the space.
Will you be posting a picture the couch & layout of the room? Even for those who don't have 5 kids (OK, I have 4) but even for those sans kids having people over & enough space to sit is a challenge.
BTW–I'm looking forward to seeing more of the progress in general
Love it! We laid our tile on the diagonal and – call me silly- but our long hallway looks so elegant! It makes me smile.
I know NOTHING about design, but I really like you, Heather, and I'll read anything you write. Even if it's about tile or BYU football. F'real.
Can’t wait to see it when it’s done!
We had the tile (12 x 12 inch) in our master bath and laundry room done in an offset layout (like brick) and we love it. Diagonal is way overused in my family, and we wanted to be different.
Not sure we're pioneers, but, hey, we made my aunt jealous so WE WIN.
Way to go Heather! It's going to be awesome when you're done.
Ditto Justine re: brightening the room, plus I suspect that color tile is going to afford them a lot more options when it comes time to choose paint color for the walls. I'll be interested to learn what they decide rug-wise, as I need a rug for a comparably-sized space for very little $$$.
It does look fabulous, but I think it's misleading to say it doesn't cost any extra to lay the tiles on the diagonal. I did it in my bathroom and it did up the costs – more tiles and more labour (you wouldn't believe the itty bitty pieces they had to cut and lay and grout around the edges). Just sayin'.
I should have read your post before I posted below–that's what I've always heard, too.
it's true, it adds about 5% waste (on top of the 5% you should figure for a straight-lay.)
back when my parents *REALLY* needed a new kitchent floor, but could only afford that peal and stick laminant they put it on the diagonal, it looked much better even with the cheap, cheap stuff. This looks awesome!
Candice Olson ~ how divine! I love her show . Aren't you a sweetheart sister!
very nice of you to help!
Why not keep the wet bar but replace the cabinetry? Was it just not useful to them or were there other issues (besides its ugliness)? The tile looks great and I look forward to seeing the completed look!
I've always heard that it does cost more to lay the tile on the diagonal, as it takes more time & therefore labor costs go up. Yes? No?
Yes.
I love this, Dooce! Both your writing for HGTV and the faboo remodel of Tember's basement.
It was cathartic to see the room go from straight to diagonal – phew! I'm enjoying your involvement at HGTV more and more!
I really like the idea that you did such a wonderful thing for your sister. Saint You!
But really, bravo.
The new design looks much, much better. Way to get it moving in the right direction! I look forward to seeing how you will design the football wall.
Did you do diagonal tile for your kitchen remodel way-back-when? I can't remember. I loved the design you came up with.
"on the diagonal" is a much better look, but I'm even happier that you are saving your sister from the atrocious wet bar.
Ooh, I like the idea someone mentioned of laying it down like bricks… Very cool idea.
It's been five years since we did it, and I still think it's one of the best updates we made when we bought the house. OFFSET TILE FOR THE WIN!
You = best sister EVER.
Phew! This is a much more lighthearted comment thread that the one in the last post. That one made *my* eyebrows twitch a little — the hate was back!! with a vengeance!!
Anyway, I have no time to read all comments, but I'd just like to point out that arranging the tiles diagonally is very very cool, I TOTALLY agree, but it DOES add to the cost because it takes more tiles (up to 30% more, if I'm not mistaken, because there's way more cutting) and also, the contractor should charge you more for it because it's much more work for him too.
I know that because two friends of ours (who work with this) tiled out hallway, kitchen and bathroom last year and they explained all that to us and we couldn't afford to go diagonal on the floors:-(. We only put diagonal tiles in our kitchen back splash (better than nothing).
OK, I gotta ask, why do a family of Mormons need a wet bar, exactly?
For a soda bar!
More please. Great job so far. Can't wait to see the finished product.
My first thought when I read the title of the post was "Whoo, boy, time to pop some popcorn and settle in to read some zingers"… and, nothing.
I love the tile too, and I'm looking forward to seeing what else you have in store for the space.
It does cost more to do the diagonal, we did the kitchen and dinning room and it kicked up our cost by almost 25-30% I’m a little confused. If your brother in-law is doing the work, how did the contractor figure into this? Who’s paying for the contractor, you, hgtv or your sister and bro-law? Because if they are covering this didn’t you just kick up their budget by a lot?
Is this a project that HGTV is paying for? If so I’ll be disappointed, because I love to see what people can do with a real budget, not a TV one.
But it does look MUCH better.
Who cares who's paying for what? The post isn't about the cost, it's about the design. We don't see Candice Olson walk in and say, "Gimmie the money". Looks great!
The tile as you have it now looks really good. What a great look. We all would like an update as you go. Would also like to see what you do with the BYU wall. Go BYU… ( Brigham Young University) Someone has to cheer for them with the battle with the "U" ( University of Utah), Blue against the Red. Utah football at it's best. Have a great day.
Dan and Deanna "Marketing Unscrambled"
Just had my kitchen floor tiled with bigger tiles. Love it. Considered diagonally but, it does indeed cost EXTRA!
HGTV is not paying for this project. I am. My sister had a need and I could help. My brother-in-law bought the tile himself, and had budgeted enough that there was going to be some left over regardless of the design.
The tile guy said that he could manage it that putting it on the diagonal would only increase the cost marginally, and considering what a fantastic job he did in terms of leveling the floor and prep work, it was worth the little bit extra.
This is not a sky's the limit remodel. There is a tight budget and we're squeezing everything we can out of it.
I'm glad the contractor was so nice and didn't do a big price increase (and it's great that your BIL was able to exchange the tiles). In our case, I think our friends were already doing the work for next to nothing for us and would flat-out refuse to put it diagonally, so they scared us with the 30% more tiles story. And, what everyone said, there's no doubt you're the best sister ever! (I loved the carpet, BTW, I hope you tell us what kind it is in the comment section. It seems to have some kind of a texture).
I am sad for all these people saying that laying on the 45 is 30% more tile/money! It costs a little bit more, but it should be more than an extra 5%. (MAYBE 10% if I am feeling nervous about lots of cutting around corners.) This space Heather is working with is pretty wide open and square, so I cannot imagine it cost that much more.
and now other flooring contractors are going to hunt me down and egg my house. haha
I think it looks great! I'll be interested to see the finished result, if you post that later. The diagonal makes such a difference – I wouldn't have thought of that, which is a little sad, given how many design blogs I stalk.
Great call on the tile–looks good. Can't wait for the next installment….
It's funny how some people can look at something and immediately know the solution, where others are stumped and know something is not right, but can't put their finger on it. We get this all the time with our business (custom furniture and upholstery.) Sometimes you just need another opinion. The larger tile and angles of the tile really make it flow so much better. I bet they're thrilled that you're helping. And I'm sure the bowing will come naturally to them in no time.
We are going with sheet vinyl to save a little. Some of it looks really nice.
Glad the wet bar is gone–it looked like it belonged in a bathroom.
Very, very nice! Such an improvement to turn the tile on the diagonal. It is true that our brain literally "sees" when something is not quite right. Good job, Heather! Hope your sister appreciates you !
I have a question. What did they do with the crack in the concrete floor? It was mentioned earlier.
Instead of the wetbar = storage or book case? How do I sign up for updates?
So why did you say in the post that it cost nothing to put them on diagonal and then you said in the comments that it does? Shouldn't the article be edited to mention this?`
Can we talk grout? I will go to all lengths to avoid tile – simply to avoid GROUT. There is NO WAY to keep group clean. I mean, it is porous for goodness sake. I will admit that going with a silvery gray in my latest project was an improvement. A heavy sealer also helped. Still, I will, however, try any and everything before going with tile again. I love my vinyl wood flooring which was laid in strips like real wood and my vinyl tile with vinyl gout lines.
EPOXY GROUT!. that's what you need. installers hate it but it's stain resistant. Look for Laticrete Spectralock next time.
Great ideas you had. Big improvement. Did you mean scratch your neck?
http://www.dictionary.com 'itch'
Well, look at that, poopalicious! #6 applies to Heather and #7 applies to YOU!!!!
………………………………………..
verb (used with object)
6.Informal. to scratch (a part that itches): to itch a mosquito bite.
7.to annoy; vex; irritate: Her remarks itched me.
http://www.dictionary.com 'itch'
Well, look at that, poopalicious! #6 applies to Heather and #7 applies to YOU!!!!
………………………………………..
verb (used with object)
6.Informal. to scratch (a part that itches): to itch a mosquito bite.
7.to annoy; vex; irritate: Her remarks itched me.
I never in a million years would have thought of going diagonal. Thanks!
I agree -Tember is one lucky sister!