G’day ladies, checking in from a sunshiney & hot Sydney today…we had a warm and stormy weekend on the beaches and it looks like there’s more on the way by the look of it.
So, if you are part of the Beach Cottage Club and have subscribed to the newsletter, you’ll already have an idea of how the bathroom is going…there was a sneak peek of the tiled walls with this week’s edition.
So here’s a bit more on how it is going.
I had a few emails on subway tiles…one that didn’t I think they were too old-fashioned for a coastal beach decor look and the other on how easy it is to get them fitted.
Well on the old-fashioned look? Possibly. But then I don’t go for ‘fashion’ and trends in home decor…if anything I like to go the opposite way…nothing worse, to me, than that cookie cutter look you see in every other homewares shop. I like to collect vintage things I love and then work that into a coastal beachy look. So subway tiles for coastal-style? I think yep you can make it work for you.
On fitting them, we had about 5 tilers quote for the bathroom (we are co-ordinating the tradies ourselves for budget reasons)…one of them said no to the job because of the tiles, one of them had never worked with them and wasn’t too sure about it…the one we went with has been tiling for 30 odd years and hasn’t fitted a small tile like this for a very long time…he’s a great bloke and knows his stuff…so I guess you just have to get a few people in and ask them what they have worked with. I do know that all of the tilers we spoke to mainly these days work with a much much larger tile…a whole different ball game and they certainly don’t do the brickwork look I was after.
We brought the old lady in for a trial to see how she fits in her spot…not got a name yet, but I think I have decided on one…any more ideas for me leave them in the comments please
I am pleased we decided on this area for the bathtub…we had initially gone for the other corner and the vanity in this bit but I think this works well and separates the bathing section a bit, plus I will be able to have the window open and look out at the stars….and the neighbours …they already think I am a loony anyway so that’s not a problem
On the floor.
Well, this was the first tiling to be done and took the longest…I don’t know if you are thinking it’s a bit odd to one have a tiled floor and two to have drains in it…that’s how it is done in Australia…when we first came here we thought it was odd too…no overflows in the bathtub…the overflow is in the floor…
…and certainly no CARPET in bathrooms like in good old Blighty….I don’t think, before I moved to the Lucky Country I ever lived in a bathroom that didn’t have carpet…now that TOTALLY grosses me out, like big time…!
…so the laying of these floors is a skilled job…and we know to our detriment that if you get it wrong, it’s not good…the floor in our en-suite bathroom has not been laid properly and the shower will leak because the water does not run well…so on the top of our list for recruiting a tiler was one who knew his run-offs well…there was much talk of this, including the use of golf balls and how they run to get the perfect measurements…it’s all looking good.
So the colour, when it went down I did NOT like it at all, as he put it down I was like euuuuh, nooooooooo why did I not go with what I wanted??? That was more of the same on the walls but the floor version, a white vintage style tile…but absolutely everyone involved in this project advised me against that floor for a few reasons, firstly that its main users will be children and a white floor would show everything at any given time and secondly that there would be a lot of lines in there..
…the third reason was actually mine…this is not an old Victorian cottage, if only and I thought that bringing in a pebble grey would add a coastal feel and would balance the reality of what we are working with (in the 80′s extension to the cottage), with the vintage feel that I want…
So I looked around for grey inspiration and I took in a pebble found on the beach that I loved…there were a few colours that I liked that run through it and I tried to replicate that in the choice…it was tough because there are a lot of tiles out there at the moment that are a dark slate grey with no colour variation and a lot of them are in the more fashionable large tile size..
What do you think?
And do you have any tips on tilers and tiling for any Beach Cottage readers? I think this makes or breaks a bathroom…must say I have seen some hideous tiles in my time…worst ones were our best friends first house…they were like a bottle green with a black pattern, very 70′s and not in a nice way with some orangey/gold touches in places..that girl cleaned those tiles a million times and it always looked gros lol
Our rental in Australia was pretty horrid too…brown mosaic…60′s brown…I bleached the life out of them, but really, they never felt clean…
Love to hear your tile stories today! Are you living with the yuckiest tiles on the planet? Been there, done that, got the t-shirt baby
See you another day, I am off for coffee at the beach..
The bath is coming along nicely Sarah! Personally I love…..the subway tiles and think you made an excellent choice. I agree with Carin Dorothy is spot on for your tub. I know how you have missed it in a bathroom. Happy day!
Love the tiles, I have them in bathroom and kitchen, laid by my favorite tradie my man about the house. We also have a chandelier in the bathroom, a pretty pale blue one, one would look great above your fab bath, the floor tiles I chose are big square sandy stone ones with a shine that don’t show any dirt with a stone coloured grout, this is the trick match the grout so that it blends in. I look at all the tiles in my house with love, every day and never tire of them, you will too. To finish I found a round Villeroy & Boch flower shaped bowl on Ebay for 99 cents which now sits atop of cedar cupboard in my white ensuite. Maybe not so pratical but gorgeous. Recylcing is great for the budget, creating your own style not to mention helping out Mother Earth.
Hi Sarah, love the ‘subs’ and also the pebble grey floor tiles. Are they 300 x 300? I keep getting steered towards much larger tiles but I am worried the bigger tiles are going to make small rooms look even smaller. Can you give me the name or code of the floor tiles so I can find them too? Thanks heaps. Love your blog..
Subway tiles are growing on me as well… Really couldn’t care less about their “old-fashionness”… I love how your bathroom is coming to life… And really enjoyed the explanation about how plumbing is done in the other part of the world!!! But nothing comfortable to put your toes on while you pamper yourself, how can you survive???
Just to defend the Old Country and say that I live in Britain and don’t have carpet in my bathroom!! ; )
We have the tiniest bathroom you can imagine – think the length of a bath and the width of bath/toilet/basin. My other half designed the tiling (mini palest blue mosaics) so that we have curved corners – looks great and always gets a comment from new visitors. Somehow you forget that the room is so small. Having a glass basin with no pedestal helps too – when you can see more of the floor you get the illusion of more space.
Looks fab…………….. oh and I like how when you interchange the word “vintage” for old fashioned it becomes cool! You found that out in the op shops right? ROFL.
We r doing a new build but as owner builders we have chosen all our materials based on the non-cookie cutter route…..I am always being told that what I choose is not in fashion…..and that is when I know I have made a good choice!!!!!
we’ve just had our subways done in our kitchen………they are smaller at 150×75′s and they look the bees knees..I’ll e-mail u a picture when all done….
Just for readers who might want white grout in kitchen we were recommended to not use grout but to get tiles “grouted” with epoxy (only a few tilers do this)……epoxy does not stain as white grout does…
We then got the 300x300s in our pantry and in the laundry……brick pattern too….
Hi Sara. Your bathroom is gonna look great. That sort of tile is to me, timeless. I’m surprised your tiler hasn’t done any in a long time. I wanted to go with them in our still unfinished master bathroom but we have alot of iron in our well water and they’d be brown after the first shower. So we went with a 12×12 putty (and I know how you love putty) colored tile in a sort of corridor shower. It’s not the look I had invisioned but a small thing really in the great scheme of things when I think about it. Sooo… I’ll just enjoy your light airy beachy coastal vintage style bath. Small thing, small thing, small thing. Im convinced now?
Good golly, Miss Molly! What a bathroom! LOVE those tiles! My sister used them in her BATHROOM , but only in the shower. What a big job, but it already looks amazing. Can’t wait to see the finished room!!!
G'day! I'm Sarah, I live in a tatty old cottage, near the sea in Australia with a battered old deck & a big old fig tree out the back...stripped wooden floors, old sash windows & a jumble of vintage furniture. [Read More …]
Beach Cottage ladies, we have some vintage linen and some wood/twig washed up on the beach today here in Beach Cottage Land….don’t say I don’t keep you entertained now will you . Come on in. So, yep I have posted about colanders on this blog, about things sourced from the side of the road, about [...]
G'day ladies, let's have a Too Easy Beach Cottage recipe yeah? The original place for Too Easy Recipes on the web ;-)
So, after my last salad went down a storm in my inbox, that's here if you missed it, I had to do this one seeing as I make it most weeks.
There is a problem with this salad and kiddos though...it looks, well, it looks, kinda yucky...but once they try it, they'll ask if and when they are next having it....at least that's what happens in this ratty old cottage...but I must interject here that my kiddos are 'good eaters'? ...they didn't get a choice in that ;-)
Now, stop, don't start running and hitting that next on your blog reading list, pulses are your best friend in the Too Easy Dump & Go kitchen for the busy mum, or busy anyone for that matter...that reminds me I must blog the garlic canneloni Go To for when you forgot to do dinner, feel like a bath but have three ravenous young Beach Cottage Kiddos on your hands...another day.
I am almost embarrassed to tell you how easy this is, we have it so much that I always have a couple, make that six, cans of lentils around and a jar of goat's cheese in the fridge...the great thing about this is that it's all too easy to get ready in just a few minutes, but it looks, tastes and seems like you did oh so very much more than that.
You can obviously too change it up a bit depending on what you have to hand in your kitchen, and I must say that is how I settled on this version...because one day when I made it I didn't have enough Parsley in the garden and so I chucked in some basil too, and liked the Summer feel it added.
I think of this as being a rather posh salad, not sure why, because it couldn't really be further from the truth...the great thing is that it works so well for an average run of the mill day, (when I did this for this blog post, it was a hot Sydney Sunday and I did it just simply to go with Rosemary & Garlic stuffed pork, you can see that pork here),
...but just as easily it works on a regular old Wednesday night when you have lost all enthusiasm for rustling up yet another meal, or indeed on Saturday night, when your friends are on their way over for dinner and you my friend, are in your new vintage inspired clawfoot bathtub (that's me in a few weeks time, k?) without any clothes on, a tipple and no idea what to cook for dinner...
I have a complicated and ever-changing relationship with goat's cheese...it never fails me in its performance and it never fails to impress me (you can find out a bit more on what I like in food here if you like) and I kinda collect it...because it's very easy to collect and has a fairly long fridge-life, I love trying out different ones and there's not many things I love more than goat's cheese on sourdough...but I think the best thing about it is not thinking about it exclusively in the toast/salad department...I've stuffed it in chicken and all sorts of things as a last minute and it's been fab.
But let's get down to the nitty gritty of this super salad that makes you look like an angel who has been on her knees all day scrubbing the front step when really you are in the digital world and spent most of ...
G'day Beach Cottage ladies, howdy, howdy howdy today for a Beach Cottage Too Easy recipe.
If you like cake, cream, sugar and chocolate, make this.
This is, rather than a recipe, a putting it together...as you know I am no dessert maker, but, I do make quite a few sweet things, because, somehow I have ended up with kiddos, who in their roles as offspring, believe that part of the deal, is that not only do I feed them a home-cooked meal with a few homegrown ingredients in there, yes, they also believe that dessert and not the kind that comes out of a packet is included too in this All-Inclusive Deal they call Parenthood.
So, this, for sure, is no culinary masterpiece, but if you are looking for something that is so very easy, dump-able, uses everyday ingredients and at the same time makes you look like you spent hours pulling things together plus tastes good....well, then this is for you.
Best though, you don't make this for yourself, if you have spent the most part of your week sitting on your derriere reading blogs...this my friend ain't low in the calories department...if, however, you are treating yourself to a delight in a mason jar, this is so for you.
I first had a version of this when at dinner back in Old Blighty with a girl, I once, in another life, caught the train up from our village to London with...she was a funny thing really...I am not quite sure how we got on...she was kinda prissy and a bit bothered by too much...I would run to the train flustered, having got up late, and she would have a spreadsheet on the train times, if you know what I mean.
Anyway, a few years later when we both had bambinos, I bumped into her again and we met up for playdates and dinner sometimes....this particular night, after a lovely meal she served up little bowls of creamy, cakey fruity stuff topped off with chocolate flake...it was delicious!
She didn't serve hers in little jars like this, hers were in a champagne glass and not quite so layered as these ones, plus she used tinned fruit not fresh or frozen.
Years later when said offspring kept requesting dessert, one day I wangled together somehow these from what was around in the fridge and they've been with us ever since.
Most likely, if you ever come here for dinner, and shock horror, you dont' bring the dessert with you, this, if you are lucky, will be what you will get.
Throw it all together, sprinkle a lil bit of chocolate on the top and the blog reading past-time you so rudely left in order to make this, is my friend, your oyster.
Beach Cottage Too Easy Layered Raspberry, Cream & Sponge Dessert
1 small maderia or butter cake or a pack of cupcakes (or of course make your own)
1/2 cup whipping cream
1/2 cup cream cheese
1/4 cup sugar
8 tbsp fruit
1 x chocolate Flake or chocolate bar for grating
1. beat the cream cheese until it is soft
2. whip the cream until soft peaks form
3. combine & add the sugar through
4. cut your cake into portions
& layer into the bottom of your jar
5. add a tablespoon of fruit
6. layer on top the cream combo
7. repeat
8. grate chocolate or Flake on top
*Beach Cottage Recipe Notes : this is just a guide really, you can use any cream that you have on hand...I have made this with clotted cream (don't even go there unless you want to seriously get these babies on your thighs), with double cream and I have even, in desperate times squirted in that, ...
G'day Beach Cottage ladies, well I thought it was time for some blogging tips here today, alongside a few nice flowers and shells ;-)
I was recently part of a blogger discussion group over at Kidspot and a couple of hours later had a few questions from girls who couldn't make it to the live chat, one was on my Facebook page and one via email, the Facebook one I will deal with in another Real Girl Blogging Tips post...the email one asked me what essentials do I think every blog needs?
Well I have been around here for a while now doing the blogging thing, so I should know this, yeah and I mused this on my walk by the sea this morning I thought well what do you only need?
...I think it is really very easy when blogging, whether or not you are blogging up there in the lofty heights of the Super Bloggers or you are just dipping your toe in the water, to get side-tracked by 101 million different things that are 'essential' to your blog and if you are someone like me who actually gets a thrill from reading blogging tips then you are in an even worse place because you will find yourself literally buzzing with these essential things to add/do/implement on your blog.
However, walking along, gulping down that brisk sea air today (no sunshine & clouds) I thought you actually don't need any of that professional blogging stuff to be successful...but there are a few things that are pretty much crucial ...and once I started to think about it I got it down to about 5 - these are the only things that you need to concentrate on...once you have read through take a look at some of the big girl's blogs...you'll see that actually they don't have bundles of stuff on their blogs...but they do have all of these...
So here are my top things that your blog must have
1. About Page
There are all sorts of About Pages out there, and if you search on it there are many different tips and ideas for what to have on yours
Whatever blogging platform you use, adding an About Me Page is easy, quick and simple and will do everything to grow your blog.
I like a long-ish About Page, I am inherently nosy and I like to know a bit more about the person but at the least you should have on it your name and where you are located. I also think a photo is good too...over the last year or so I think this has become more important in blogging - if you are hesitant about that as I was, you can try using sunglasses or a behind shot until you get comfortable.
There is nothing worse than stumbling upon a new blog and going to find out more to only be faced with a piddly little one liner About Me Page...well there is something worse, not having one at all!
2. Contact Page
The chances are someone, somewhere will want to contact you and you will be surprised what lands in your inbox once you put yourself out there on the world wide web with a blog.
Many bloggers also use this page to include details for PR's/brands that may want to contact them and some bloggers put their stats on there too.
A short, to the point and simple Contact Page works really well...whenever I have wanted to contact another blogger I am often very busy and have limited time so I don't want to hang around sifting through information looking for an email address, so concise and clear ...
G'day lovely Beach Cottage lovelies.
So, yeah, so on a roll people, so on a roll.
I feel kinda home accessory wired right now.
I am always telling people, if anyone ever listens, that blogging is all about passion, not that sort of passion, but about passion that makes one tick.
Things like this make me tick tick boom.
I love finding things that suit my budget and let me treat my home but look amazing too.
So without further adieu I introduce you, ladies of the beach, to the blue vintage glasses that I have been stroking for about a week or two now...
These glasses are from a little boutique I sometimes happen upon, this boutique sells also pet accessories, carpet cleaner, bras and compost...it's quite unique though.
And, thanks to my friend Marnie (she blogs over here, go take a look at her praying position, interesting), who just so happens to be one day having me over for a lil' Greek dinner, has let me in on the fact that we call Kmart....The KMart...with an accent ....as in 'I love The KMart'...just like her MIL does. Oh yeah. Love that.
So I have had my eye on reproduction vintage glass blue wine glasses and being trying to find real true vintage blue glasses for like ever.
Oh yes I have spied them in Frenchy boutiques, I have lusted after them in stores that I shouldn't even enter and I have put them back pretty quickly in those shops with the hand-written price tags. C'mon, you know the ones.
And, though all of the above have tempted me, muchly, really, even with my wardrobe stashing skills I just thought that, actually, I'd rather be saving that casherooni for our next trip overseas..
Hello The KMart.
Tick Tick Boom
Vintage style blue wine glasses.
Do not come to my old place and think you might pick up one of these and smile with pleasure at their handblown quality, their weight, and be secretly jealous that my wine glasses cost more than your car...friend, that would not happen...these do not feel like that...indeed these in a funny way reminded me of my baby girl, she was a tiny little thing, with stick legs, the tinsssssssiest ankles and wrists you ever did see, she slept sideways in her cot wedged in between rolled up blankets and would only settle attached to Mr Beach Cottage or I or a (dirty) pj top of mine scrunched up under her nose...the first few times I picked her up to cuddle, being used to Honeymoon Baby who weighed in at 9lbs at birth and has never really stopped growing, I nearly threw her little bird-cum-rat down covered body over my shoulder.
These glasses are like that...be careful or you might lose your wine down the front of your shirt.
But oh baby, we are not talking picking up here, we are not talking quality, we are not talking house accessory snobbery.
Beach Cottage ladies, we are talking aesthetics.
And this is what I need in my cottage.
Blue vintage style glass, paired with coastal / nautical / beach stuff on my deck.
It's The KMart.
Tune in tomorrow, tomorrow, I have more budget foofing for your home, or maybe it will be the dress that wraps me up in supermarket-chic and makes me feel like me again.
Good Day to you my friends, wanna come hang out on my deck, talk house accessories, The KMart and drink some wine from blue glasses?
Sarah
The bath is coming along nicely Sarah! Personally I love…..the subway tiles and think you made an excellent choice. I agree with Carin Dorothy is spot on for your tub. I know how you have missed it in a bathroom. Happy day!
Hi Sarah,
Love the tiles, I have them in bathroom and kitchen, laid by my favorite tradie my man about the house. We also have a chandelier in the bathroom, a pretty pale blue one, one would look great above your fab bath, the floor tiles I chose are big square sandy stone ones with a shine that don’t show any dirt with a stone coloured grout, this is the trick match the grout so that it blends in. I look at all the tiles in my house with love, every day and never tire of them, you will too. To finish I found a round Villeroy & Boch flower shaped bowl on Ebay for 99 cents which now sits atop of cedar cupboard in my white ensuite. Maybe not so pratical but gorgeous. Recylcing is great for the budget, creating your own style not to mention helping out Mother Earth.
Hi Sarah, love the ‘subs’ and also the pebble grey floor tiles. Are they 300 x 300? I keep getting steered towards much larger tiles but I am worried the bigger tiles are going to make small rooms look even smaller. Can you give me the name or code of the floor tiles so I can find them too? Thanks heaps. Love your blog..
Subway tiles are growing on me as well… Really couldn’t care less about their “old-fashionness”… I love how your bathroom is coming to life… And really enjoyed the explanation about how plumbing is done in the other part of the world!!! But nothing comfortable to put your toes on while you pamper yourself, how can you survive???
Looking fabulous so far!
Not sure what happened, but I have subscribed to the newsletter, but haven’t rec’d any yet? Are they available online?
Just to defend the Old Country and say that I live in Britain and don’t have carpet in my bathroom!! ; )
We have the tiniest bathroom you can imagine – think the length of a bath and the width of bath/toilet/basin. My other half designed the tiling (mini palest blue mosaics) so that we have curved corners – looks great and always gets a comment from new visitors. Somehow you forget that the room is so small. Having a glass basin with no pedestal helps too – when you can see more of the floor you get the illusion of more space.
it looks clean and fresh
Looks fab…………….. oh and I like how when you interchange the word “vintage” for old fashioned it becomes cool! You found that out in the op shops right? ROFL.
We r doing a new build but as owner builders we have chosen all our materials based on the non-cookie cutter route…..I am always being told that what I choose is not in fashion…..and that is when I know I have made a good choice!!!!!
we’ve just had our subways done in our kitchen………they are smaller at 150×75′s and they look the bees knees..I’ll e-mail u a picture when all done….
Just for readers who might want white grout in kitchen we were recommended to not use grout but to get tiles “grouted” with epoxy (only a few tilers do this)……epoxy does not stain as white grout does…
We then got the 300x300s in our pantry and in the laundry……brick pattern too….
Can’t wait to see your reveal…………
Hi Sara. Your bathroom is gonna look great. That sort of tile is to me, timeless. I’m surprised your tiler hasn’t done any in a long time. I wanted to go with them in our still unfinished master bathroom but we have alot of iron in our well water and they’d be brown after the first shower. So we went with a 12×12 putty (and I know how you love putty) colored tile in a sort of corridor shower. It’s not the look I had invisioned but a small thing really in the great scheme of things when I think about it. Sooo… I’ll just enjoy your light airy beachy coastal vintage style bath. Small thing, small thing, small thing. Im convinced now?
Good golly, Miss Molly! What a bathroom! LOVE those tiles! My sister used them in her BATHROOM , but only in the shower. What a big job, but it already looks amazing. Can’t wait to see the finished room!!!
m ^..^