The Zirkel House: Some Progress

The main bathroom finally has new tile! We went with something timeless and appropriate for the house, instead of succumbing to the latest renovation trends in tile. The wall tile is the classic subway tile, but with a matte finish. That was my Wife's choice and it was definitely the correct choice as it looks fantastic!. For the floor, we used hexagonal tile with a few "daisy" patterns added, which is period appropriate. While they are spec'd as 1-inch tile, they're not true to that size. It's next to impossible to find a true 1-inch hex tile, but they can still be found, specifically, from this company. I would have used this company if the timeline would have allowed. We were still holding out hope there was an original hex tile floor underneath the square tile floor, due to the obvious buildup at the door threshold.

What was interesting about the original bathroom is that the red oak flooring throughout the house was, also, in the bathroom. That was, actually, a big surprise, but it was in very rough shape and not only had been exposed to water but had an underlayment added in order to have 12-inch tile laid on top. It seemed more practical to install hex tile and stay within the spirit of the 1920s.


Original Red Oak flooring

"Original" configuration

Here are a few "in process" demo pics, along with the new tile. It's difficult to tell from the light, but the walls are now painted slate, which is a softer version of a medium gray.

The tub is an original fixture of the house and in very good shape: I believe it was a Kohler "Cardinal" corner rolled-lip tub. When we purchased the house, it had a knee wall surrounding the side and a full wall to accommodate modern fixtures. We will be installing what would have been vintage-styled nickel plated tub faucet and shower riser--chrome plated faucets didn't enter residential areas until the early 1930's and I'm not a fan of the bluish cast of chrome versus the warm tones of nickel.