#ILovePrettyFloors, Part 1

Woah. I just looked and it has been 7 months since I've last written an update. Better late than never, right? As you can imagine, a ton of work at the Catty Shack has been completed and a ton of changes in the Mintus household have taken place. I took a new job, the kids had a season full of rainy soccer, club team tryouts, and completed the 5th and 7th grade (I now have two junior high students, yikes!), and Scott has taken on some side projects. It's been a very hectic several months and unfortunately this blog has taken a back seat. But I'm here today to tell you the dramatic tale of our flooring experience.

I had chosen, or at least had an idea of the flooring for the shack long before the building process ever started. I knew I wanted all the flooring to be casual, durable and have the feeling of age as if it was installed in a home long before I was even a glimmer in the eyes of my parents. If you are wondering, that's pretty old, I'm old. Most of the options with that type of vibe far exceeded my budget so being the bargain shopper I am, I had to compromise and get creative.

For the main spaces and the majority of the home, I dreamt of reclaimed hardwoods with patina that only comes about with decades and thousands of footsteps treading over them. However, I was working with a very limited budget, one that would be about 1/4th the budget of real reclaimed hardwood so I had to research other options. After scouring the internet, Pinterest, and ordering approximately 50 sample pieces, I found Mannington Restoration Collection Historic Oak in Charcoal. This laminate flooring possesses the characteristic of reclaimed hardwood with realistic looking saw marks and nail holes. It was perfect and exactly what I was looking for...except for the fact it was approximately $1.50 per square foot over my intended budget. I'd have to figure out a plan to make this work, because seriously, I could not look at another laminate flooring sample and there was no way I'd find another that looked this good.

Mannington Restoration Collection Historic Oak, Charcoal

The black and white ceramic starburst tile for the entry hall was picked before we even broke ground on the build and it was purchased months and months before floor installation was even on our radar. This tile was also over budget and I would say our splurge item regarding the flooring. Since the entry hall area is relatively small, it wasn't going to blow the budget out of water, just stretch it a bit. Because it is the floor you see when you first walk in, I felt it was necessary to splurge on that statement piece but I still waited until a sale to purchase. I found that sale, stored it for safe keeping and patiently waited until this beauty could be installed. It was still over budget, just less so. In the end, the price ended being a non-issue as you will soon discover.

Royalty Galactic 18 x 18 Ceramic Field Tile, Elite Tile

Both bathrooms were getting hexagon tiles. Is there anything more classic and stands the test of time than a hexagon tile? They've been used in tile for a hundred years so I know they won't go out of style any time soon, and listen the last thing I want to do in the next 5, 10, 15, years is redo a bathroom (or any other room for that matter). Plus, they are just so cute and add so much character.

I chose a white with black dot small hex tile for the main floor bathroom to give it a graphic, yet traditional punch while tying in the black and white tile of the entry hall.

Retro 1 x 1 Porcelain Mosaic Tile, Elite Tile

For the upstairs bath, I chose a 1 x 1 all white hex tile. I really wanted a clean, bright vibe in this bathroom since it will be mostly used as the kids bath. The accent colors for their bedroom and bathroom are going to be aqua, coral, and a buttery yellow so I really wanted this bathroom to have a light and airy feel. Hopefully they will do a good job keeping it white and bright, lol.

Retro 1 x 1 Porcelain Mosaic Tile, Elite Tile

The final flooring option to chose was for the laundry area. I went with a 12 x 24 slate tile for no other reason than I saw a photo on Pinterest of a laundry area that I loved and this was the style floor they had. Luckily, this slate tile is also a classic look that will stand the test of time.

MSI Montauk Black 12 x 24 Slate Floor Tile

All the flooring had been chosen. I was in love with my picks, now I just had to figure out a way to get them all at or under my flooring budget since every single option was a bit over. I could have never dreamed of what happened next. It really made me think there is such a thing as luck and I had all of it in my corner. Check back for Part 2 to see how I came in a couple thousand dollars under budget despite going over my allowance on every single product. And you'll get to see the final results installed!