K I N D L Y N O T E: I haven’t received any deliverables for this review nor was I offered any incentives, all the opinions expressed here are personal and I am not doing any promotion.
These are some of the most common and popular styles in bathroom & kitchen tiles/flooring (maximum of them are only available overseas)
Subway Tiles
Chevron
Mosaic
Moroccan
Marble Effect
Terrazzo
Honeycomb
Patchwork Tiles
Digitally Printed
Most people put tiles halfway & then they either opt for wallpaper or paint… but always remember you can’t put wallpapers in a bathroom no matter how attractive they’ll look in Architectural Digest or Pinterest… I’ve done enough research. So first of all, the adhesives that are used to glue them are combustible, which is dangerous if you don’t have proper ventilation, secondly, most modern wallpapers are made out of inflammable material such as plastic particles, pvc etc. to create proper woven or imitation designs, third - fungus loves cellulose and it can be a serious health hazard, it can cause respiratory issues as fungal growth only takes 24-48 hours to create a disgusting layer of black mold behind your wallpaper, it is not even ideal for powder rooms ‘cuz a single splash of water or any kind of moisture/steam build up can breed fungus.
Coming to my bathroom, since I’m not too well I’ll be keeping it short, I was in love with Amalfi Tiles as in anything in satin matte Amalfi sand shade… so it’s neither brown nor neutral, it’s not like those warm Mocha or nude Bottega tiles that you usually get but more like Chanel’s Camel coloured Classic Flap Bag, it’s a beautiful combination of Golden Beige which is currently trending a lot, it’s very Modern and at the same time luxurious because lighter shades make your space look bigger and it gives that typical “Modern Hammam” feel… It also looks excellent when paired with Black accessories
So I traded my white bathroom set for the black one, the one who’s dispenser was looking more like an amber perfume bottle…
And Voilà we had a nice luxurious bathroom ready! I didn’t get Amalfi tiles but I got something close in a glossier version, it also has a marble effect so those veins remind me of the one that I had seen at Ritz around their bathtub… the tile has an ultra gloss lustre which means it literally looks like you’ve either splashed water on it or it has a coating of oil! I’m sure it’ll dazzle in all those spotlights. I don’t remember the name of this brand as I’m not very “brand conscious” but it’s from Morbi which is the best for marble/faux marble Tiles. They usually don’t give heavy discounts but they did it for me and store owner was very helpful, so I got ‘em for 95/- per sq.ft the original MRP was 110/- I got Botticino tiles, well I think it derives it’s name from Cappucino because it has a beautiful blend of cream and gold… if you’ll Google it, it’ll look more like a nude beige but it’s actually golden in real life…
Please excuse us for all the mess, this over here is my IKEA furniture, hope you are able to figure out where the tiles are haha… Botticino is on the left, the video was taken at the store, it is looking nude there but it is actually more on the golden side
The veins look exactly like Ritz and it’s very pretty… for the flooring I wanted something light as I have beautiful Crochet bathroom mats (in lilac, coral and celery) so I got a matte Botticino which has a beautiful milky caramel shade. I think my lilac Bath mat will look great with that…
Again, you won’t be able to make out the exact shade but it’s a gorgeous vanilla caramel colour
I was unable to find proper highlighter tiles because even when you ask for beige, all you get are matte ivory tiles everywhere & they are meant for living room panelling not the bathroom… so I thought at least if I could get border tiles I’ll be able to make my bathroom somewhat interesting and long story short, Bhogilal guy was charging 850/- per piece for 4 inch carved tiles (I love those as they look very vintage) but it was exceeding our budget, if we would’ve taken them for the whole area to put wrap round, they would’ve costed 30k; they were also looking very old and tarnished, it seems like some of the tiles had become darker with time, considering how much we were being quoted it was as if he was auctioning some old stuff, he should put it on EBay… I found another store on Google which was situated in South Bombay.
They had these cute imported tiles and the reason why I picked them is because they were whimsical and vintage… I love such things, my next book is supposed to have a similar feel.
He had initially quoted 110/- then 130/- per piece (not Bhogilal) he also said at some point we’ve sold these tiles for 230/- pp but since you’ve spoken to our owner you can put forth whatever price you want. So my father said 75/- but he wanted us to settle for 80/- so we got around 30 pieces for 2500/-
Update: Well, well… they had a hard time fetching those 12 inch tiles which we had chosen earlier, they had different motifs… they were untraceable at their warehouse and at some point we weren’t even sure if it was in stock so when the owner went to one of his warehouses which was located on the outskirts, he got another set of 80 tiles and I actually fell in love with them; they look better they have a watering can in coral colour - which is my fav, it would look great one of my bathroom mats and there is a small kettle + waffles 🧇 & maple syrup. So we got 60 tiles in all for 50/- pp because these are smaller than the 12 inch ones (8 inches) & our dealer Mr. Arun wavered off all the remaining difference which was due as the other tile was unavailable except for the extra set of tiles which we added later on… I was wondering if they were a lil’ too odd for the bathroom but then I thought no one would actually notice what these things are unless they’ll lean in & have a closer look… Each tile is hand painted; I love the shades and the make, it’s not only very quaint or aesthetically pleasing but also Pinterest worthy. From a distance all of these icons look like small pastel flowers. Personally I feel they have spa icons like a Tea Kettle, a Vase, Leaf & Honey Pot along with waffles!
Although I am more keen on keeping the lavatory part separate, more like a powder room ie. without any proper divider… glass enclosures make me very claustrophobic (people are putting them halfway on the bathtub itself which is a little weird) and all those tension rods for shower curtains keep falling so it’s a little difficult to separate out that part. I will be putting them like a border across the whole area because the tiles are blending in really well, they are not that big or white (it’s hard to capture the real shade) but nude-beige-cream… almost like the edges and part gloss part frosted matte. They are also very cute, dainty and small, the gap between each square or motif is not as wide as it looks in the pic.
It has a nice fancy design on the edges and the top shelf is made out of glass 1990/- most Novelty Boutique hotels have such inexpensive racks.
I created this Logo ‘cuz I was bored… It has my Birthdate in the Room no. & the name of my “Hotel” is supposed to be very unconventional & meta. All elements used here are non-copyrighted or free (open source) for commercial purpose
Next, I was looking for a Bathroom Set in French Country style since long and I finally stumbled upon it while looking for a bathtub 🛁 shaped soap tray! Luckily it was under 1500 bucks.
I spent some of the amount which was refunded after returning the larger vanity… I got one in 60 cm cuz I find that size much more comfortable, I have also opted for a smaller alcove bathtub this time to retain more space, the 80 cm one would’ve taken up 50% of the remaining wall and I had one more standing rack to fit there (I’ve not taken any wall cabinets) so I didn’t want my bathroom to look cramped up…
I got the following stuff:
1 x Set of French Country style Bath Accessories + here’s a humble request to all my guests, if you notice something like Candy please don’t eat it, it’s not edible… unless you want to blow bubbles with your mouth, I got these hand soaps in Hot Chocolate, Creamy Vanilla, Bubblegum Blast & Cold Coffee + this lovely Glass Crown (it’s selling like hot cakes on Walmart & everywhere… I got it from an online store in my region) the crown is perfect for my Hotel theme/logo so I’m gonna keep it like a souvenir or collectible on stacked towels, napkins etc. no, sorry you can’t take it home :/ it is not complimentary I also got this Iridescent Swan trinket dish to emulate Ritz Carlton which is known for it’s Swan Faucets… I love the pink colour!
Since the Bvlgari Guest set was exorbitantly priced, I curated this as Hotel toiletries🧴 to match my theme.
The toiletry set consists of 1 x Gentle Honey Moussé Shower Gel + Body Milk + Hand & Body Cream + Milk & Honey Soap Bar + Handwash
I got these fancy Guest towels & monogram ones with the letter ‘B’ because it stands for Boudoir… the diffuser set with that cute teddy has an equally amazing fragrance,
it smells like vanilla + fresh laundry 🧺
I also got this Shell 🐚 light, the Beige tinted glass is of a very nice quality and it looks extremely pretty in real life…
I got this (Diamond Eyed Bird) Set of 3 Robe Hooks in Brass/Gold PVD because the other one which I had taken for 199/- (it only has 3 loose hooks) required 6 screws and likewise more drill holes & I can’t risk my Botticino tile for 200 bucks :/ This one will only require 2 screws… it also looks very quaint and vintage so it’ll blend perfectly with my Danish Hotel theme
This is on my wishlist for my matte Botticino Flooring… it’ll look very vintage. Using traditional rugs as bathmats in Beige bathrooms was a huge trend in the 90s Back then, warmer colours & jewel tones were more popular, people liked merging Traditional Indian and Middle Eastern Shamiana/Ethnic designs with Modern European styles… it would add more richness & grandeur to the overall look Price 999/- It’s a beautiful combination of Maroon & Turkish Blue
Ref. images
Speaking of my Room’s flooring:
As for my Bedroom I chose something which would easily go with the wallpapers all three of ‘em - the Satin Stripes, Geometric Ecru Prisms & Checks… I opted for Pine Wood 🌲 to accentuate my Nordic, Doll House/Suite themed Bedroom. This faux pine wood is both, water absorbent and hypoallergenic, it doesn’t any collect dust and I have dust allergy nor does it develop any termites. If you are wondering how it looks, then it doesn’t look fake at all, it looks very natural because it has a those typical (lookalike) “wooden marks” and imperfections and no they don’t look printed. You won’t find this Pine shade anywhere in the world except for toy dollhouses because it’s faux, you’ll only find real varnished, laminated plywood which is yellow-ish… The store owner was very co-operative, he asked my dad to bring home the entire wooden slab (which was on display) to show me ‘cuz I was not able to visit his store due to fibromyalgia + atypical depression & coro stress… I’ve shared their contact in the directory below, normally I don’t share recommendations or reveal my sources but a lot of businesses are desperate to get back on track, they are going through a really hard time (due to the ongoing “new norms”/trend) so it would help them as well as my readers - if they are looking for references.
I had several reasons to choose a light🌲pine flooring…
A. It’s not that common, most people prefer warm browns or darker shades
B. I love Dollhouses & they are all crafted in birch/pine wood so naturally… they have lighter flooring
C. It has the Charm of a Nordic Cabin
D. As someone from Gen-Z, I’ve grown up watching older millennials starting their cool “urban life” in Uni Dorms & somewhere the whole idea of Budget planning with Modern Luxury was etched in my mind (subconsciously) I just knew that ‘Dark Antique Rugs on Light Pine Flooring’ have always been an Abercrombie fav!
E. The reason why it looks more expensive inspite of being affordable is because rich colours & darker tones are far more common, so these look really rare and they retain that exclusivity. F. Light Neutral colours such as Cream, Beige or Ecru can definitely make your room look bigger but when they are combined with dark wooden flooring, they remind me of Heritage Villas & I feel they give those traditional Ancestral home kinda vibes (especially if you are opting for paint)
I have chosen this one, the exact colours & textures may slightly vary
Inspirational Post: The Imperial Ritz Carlton, I love their elegant swan shaped faucets & Heritage style logo/monograms… they have such an inimitable emblematic charm. That’s how branding and decor are done, it’s not about money, it’s about creating something timeless and classy.
The (faux) terrazzo slab which I got for my Countertop sink is not pure white, it’s egg white and it has small light green bits & marbles with sparkly glass pieces, they dazzle like crystals, overall it looks like a refreshing light foamy green slab with powdery dots & bits… it’s perfect for a bathroom, will be giving it a piano cut for tabletop. I’m not able to capture the actual colours so I can’t upload a proper pic but it will go with Botticino tiles because my border has green leaves & it will be situated on my White Vanity. Getting a counter top sink, gave me more freedom to go in for terrazzo which I like more because marble is too common and also very expensive.
Update: The labourers in spite of being “skilled” (I don’t expect much in this country) were not able to do any moulding, they had taken enough money for all the equipment but they neither did a simple 90 degrees cut nor a normal piano cut… they were worst at that and they ruined my terrazzo too! In US/UK you get a huge variety of Bathroom vanities and they all come with perfectly moulded Italian Marble countertops + sink, all you need is a faucet and you are good to go… they also sell solo moulded marble countertops (with undercounter basins) if you already have a vanity. And over here? Marble? They charge 12-15k for fake marble and I am sure these workers would’ve ruined that also, I wish we had those ready made marble countertops or vanities (with marble) here as well… anyway there’s no hope in this country, here everyone is very greedy, superficial, crass & cheap, over there things are much more affordable, you get quality stuff, a sophisticated, educated life partner, a better lifestyle, here even big brands like Kerovit import PVC (plastic) vanities - some of them only have a “wooden effect” and they sell them for more than 30000/- they order all these things from AliExpress. On the contrary, there they have several options in low budget brands like IKEA… and let me tell you, there are many such affordable brands over there!
I already had a Glossy white lacquered floating vanity but I had to buy additional knobs because I wasn’t interested in the handles, they look better if you are combining two 60 cm sets otherwise the whole vanity looks a little weird because of them… also, they were too modern for my taste and theme. I had initially skipped what I recently got as a replacement for the terrazzo slab cuz it was too pricey but after that entire episode (I don’t even keep well so I can’t waste more time or money) I thought it would’ve been far better if I would have invested in that instead of relying on them for moulding; I don’t know where my sensibilities were lost this time, otherwise as a teenager I was more prudent and cynical. I would always say, you can’t expect “all that” in India, here you get nothing no matter how much you pay.
Even if I would have got a marble countertop with an undercounter sink it would’ve still looked much more simple compared to what you get there because without a proper moulding or a backsplash strip it would’ve looked like this👇🏻incomplete
… and disconnected!
What I got is a better alternative to tabletop basins as well as marble counters and it will not ruin my tile again, they had already ripped two tiles to mount the terrazzo slab! I figured that I can change this thing along with my vanity whenever I want (but I love it) I’ll also get more space on the counter (cuz you don’t need a big tabletop basin for this one) it has fancier edges and as a plus point… I have always been a huge fan of small undercounter sinks - which are again a rare sight in India, they look more vintage and give that premium “Hotel feel”, they are far more affordable but like I said you don’t get marble countertops easily so people usually avoid them. Over here everything is “expensive” except for people’s mentality which is rather cheap. I’m not doing a “promotion” but I can suggest one more brand for vanities if you are also looking for a “quality product”, the country style antique looking vanity which I had initially picked was for more than a lakh and I didn’t find it that appealing after hearing the quotation because their design didn’t seem to justify the exorbitant price tag, there are still better (and cheaper) options available in UK and everywhere else.
But the other one was readily available at the store and it was for 45k with a 30% discount so approx. 34k it was in Cherry Oak (I’m talking about the finish not the colour) these vanities are from Vitra… and like most vanities, it comes with the basin and faucet. I loved the quality, make & colour and if I wouldn’t have had any other option then I too would’ve opted for it, the reason why I’m saying this is because it was a bit more modern again… and I have a different theme, so I was looking for something more vintage, the drop in sink was square-rectangle, the faucet was also very urban & it had chrome hardware. Vitra, Roca and Duravit are all upscale luxury brands and they are on the expensive side. Albeit I really liked the Cherry Oak vanity because of the colour and make… I also think it was sensibly priced.
Since I had an altogether different theme/concept, I got something which would go with my quaint, vintage looking tap and the overall ambience… (not from Vitra) I got this Victorian style vanity sink, luckily it also comes with an overflow which they usually don’t have in Indian brands or basins arghh… the basin comes with a chrome strainer by default but since I had already taken a beautiful brass/gold faucet, I had a strainer in the same finish ie. gold, it also came with a matching golden ring for the overflow hole so I won’t be leaving it open like most people. This white ceramic vanity top has beautiful edges on the sides and it has a round/oval undercounter sink which is ergonomically designed to give a full sized drawer space… I feel it’ll look perfect in my 5 fixture en Suite!
The shiny white vanity top will look great with the glossy lacquered cabinet below and the golden - faucet, ring, strainer and knobs will break the monotony… it’ll look more Victorian.
I won’t lie it costed me a bit more than what I’d expected (8500/- for the countertop) but I had a chance to design something according to my own personal style, you don’t get this combination by default in this brand, not even globally, I had already taken the vanity counter and faucet but I needed an alternative for the terrazzo so I added the last option later on:
White Lacquered wall mounted/floating vanity in 60 cm with adjustable drawers. Like some of them, it doesn’t come with a back panel or top ‘cuz it goes directly on the wall and it requires a separate counter.
A few Golden Knobs
Brass Gold Faucet with Hot & Cold knobs, strainer and an overflow ring
Ol’ School Ceramic Vanity Sink
Total Expense: 25590/-
It’ll look almost like the pic I’ve shared below… the bottom counter has a different finish and style but the sink and faucet are the same. I didn’t get that shaker style cabinet ‘cuz it’s not available here which was a bummer :/ but I like mine because of the glossy finish and I would’ve replaced those black knobs anyway. I had not seen this sink before ie. at the time of buying the faucet or the bottom counter but when I did, I thought it was too expensive so I went ahead with a separate basin and terrazzo slab…
These shaker vanities are not available but I got this vanity top/sink, it has a thin rim on the edges which would prevent things from falling down (it also makes it very cute like one of those Victorian basin counters you would see in toy sets) and it has a beautifully arched backsplash area as well.
I got this multi-function hand shower RainDuet 3.0 which has several different modes including massage & drizzle in a matching French Gold shade. I have opted for a much more delicate and simple ‘single function’ Shower head to balance it out. It comes with all the attachments, including the arm and looks very beautiful, just like you see in Old Hollywood movies 🎥 I couldn’t stop admiring it. I’ll get the thermostat later on when I’ll have the opportunity or enough money to replace the one that I already have (in Chrome finish from Jaquar) I’ve been using it since the past 9 years… I had to get a diverter and spout too & I initially wanted Aleo but it was unavailable so I had to settle on another one in the same French Gold finish, it looks more vintage than Aleo & luckily the price is also a little lower… I got all this stuff from a very swanky Bath Studio, their response was great & they had all the items that I had selected from Kohler’s online catalogue. Again, due to competitive pricing, I got a very nice discount. I had already purchased the Headshower from Amazon as it was very elusive & there was only one piece left in Ludhiana, it came all the way from there… I got the towel ring from some other dealer.
I got a Napkin Ring in French Gold - from Kohler, didn’t have one for years… although it was a basic necessity, my bathroom’s work had been pending for ages, if I wouldn’t have done anything now it would’ve remained like that for years to come so I finally decided to take the reins in my hands and renovate it from scratch.
Please note: The reason why I’m mentioning the prices here (in the following images) is because in “India” people have a very cheap mentality, according to my fellow Indians anything sophisticated is “luxurious” and expensive, here people are so materialistic they covet and jinx whatever little you have or call you ‘rich and snobby’ even if you buy inexpensive cheap affordable stuff out of jealousy, they can’t stand the fact that they don’t have such ideas or a refined taste like your’s, I have been through awful times (this pandemic is comparatively nothing) and it was again due to envy, I ended up being bed ridden and I haven’t left my room since 2017, now everyone is going through the same ordeal, aren’t they? #Karma I was in fact callously mocked & derided for being a “loner”, being sick & bed ridden, for not being able to go out. Blogging, vlogging is not ideal for my country because no one will actually ever appreciate it here, most people are either uncivilised or over-pampered and shallow, these brats feel entitled to everyone else’s stuff too. The First refèrence is for my vanity whereas the second one is for my rack
Directory (Noteworthy Shops):
Saral Bath & Sanitaryware | Andheri
Abhinav Ceramic Mall | Duncan Street
StoneCera | Andheri West
Xoxo
Zara Sauleh
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