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You Know You Make Me Want to GROUT! (throws hands in air)

With apologies to the Isley Brothers.

The tile was up, it looked fantastic, and T.K. was awaiting the decision from Aaron and I as to what color grout we wanted between the tile. Which sounds like it should have been straightforward, right? I mean, doesn't everyone want white or grey grout between their tiles?

Not us, because we are notoriously difficult. White or grey might be the "safe" colors for homeowners everywhere, but we laugh at safe. We titter at predictable. We guffaw at easy. Obviously. Because safe and easy choices would have made this whole house renovation adventure end long ago, and who wouldn't want to drag this experience on forever?

The tiles are not one solid color. Behind that lovely green is a little bit of yellow, a little bit of blue, maybe a whisper of gray. So, yellowish beige grout? Perhaps a brown grout?

Aaron nailed it. He wanted dark grout. And the only dark grout that really seemed fitting was a dark green called Onyx Green. A bold choice and one that made me a tiny bit nervous. But T.K. thought it would look great and we enthusiastically plunged ahead.

Until T.K. popped by the back door of my in-law's house while I was working one afternoon to inform me that the local big box store didn't stock Onyx Green and it would take six weeks ( 6! Weeks!) to get it via special order. Noooooooo! Gray? White? Beige? I could get it today. But a crazy color like Onyx Green? Only weirdos like us use such a dramatic color and no one stocks it. And, because the tiles are handmade with joints between tiles that were larger than 1/8", the grout had to be sanded grout. Very important to have a thicker grout between those large joints.

I became obsessed with getting Onyx Green and I wanted it to-DAY. So, I called Customer Service at Custom Building Products (the manufacturer of the grout) and talked to Linda. We went through a long list of possible companies in the Chicagoland area which might have that color in stock. And then, she remembered! She had sent 7 lb boxes of Onyx Green to a tile place on Fullerton. They must still have them! I told Linda how much I loved her and hung up. T.K. went on an errand to hunt down Onyx Green and I kept my fingers crossed.

It is perfect. Pretty spectacular, actually. I can't imagine having used any other color.

I love, love, love the contrast. And it hasn't completely cured yet.

Posted by jeanne on April 21, 2008 at 8:33 AM

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