Emma and I set out this morning to choose tapware, tiles, and a vanity/sink combo for the ensuite renovation. A simple task, you might think. Just a few decisions, a bit of browsing, perhaps a cup of tea afterwards. We had decided on the paint colour for the walls before we left the house so we felt we had a strong starting point. How hard could it be to pick taps and tiles to match my style?
“What style would that be Sharon?”
Yeah, not sure.
At the tile shop, the sales assistant showed us around and eventually led us to the back of the store where the wall tiles were. We figured we may as well start there. One tile jumped out at us immediately. Pistachio in colour, glossy, square. Gorgeous. We didn’t bother looking at others. We liked them … decision made. Plus the grandkids were with us and, at four minutes in, were already beginning to show signs that this wasn’t their idea of a good time.
But we’d made a decisive start. It boded well for the next half hour of decision-making.
Okay … two hours.
With the wall tiles sorted, we made our way, via the vanities, to tapware.
“Do you want a mixer or quarter turn?” Emma asked, standing in front of a wall of options.
“I just want enough water to come out of it to rinse the shampoo out of my hair,” I said.
“Not helpful, Sharon.”
The sales assistant approached, all optimism and obsequiousness. “What style are you going for?”
We looked at each other, knowing she meant overall style, but as we hadn’t yet decided on an overall style, we answered a slightly different question.
“Not black,” I said.
“Not matte,” said Emma.
“Not too shiny.”
“Warm but not formal.”
“Modern but not cold.”
“Classic but not old-fashioned.”
The sales assistant nodded once, sighed, and went back to her desk.
We did our best to meet somewhere between “that’ll do” and “actually, I quite like that one” … and ended up with matte black.
Every choice – sink, vanity, hooks, style of tap, towel rail – seemed certain for about three minutes. We’d decide on something, think we were done, then spot another option that made us question our decision.
In the end, I think we’ve landed on glossy pistachio shower tiles, dark grey floor, a Tasmanian oak vanity, and matte black tapware.
Our only firm decision – the paint colour – is now not at all firm. And, in fact, the gorgeous pistachio tiles might also be a tad tentative. At lunch we looked them up and discovered they’re three times over our allocated tile budget.
Ouch.
Ah, what the heck. I think I might get them anyway.
Musings from the cold 