Expert: Stephen Major - 7/12/2007

Question
QUESTION: Can you recommend a nice tile floor design for a 100-year-old house designated "French Country Revival"?  I was thinking small octagonals, but I can't find anything.  White, silver, yellows or another color?  Do you have any advice on this?

ANSWER: L. Michel,

If you are looking for something fairly authentic to the period, you are on the right track with octagonal mosaics.  These are found in many homes from the early 20th century, often installed with a contrasting band (chex style) set in from the wall/cabinet line and around the perimeter of the room.

You are pretty safe with any common color from the period, especially white.  The contrast could be black, gray, or even certain browns, blues, or reds.  

French Country Revival is a fairly uncommon designation.  French Country, on the other hand, is subject to a number of interpretations today, with rustic plank floors and large terra cotta tiles commonly used.

I believe you are referring to a more refined manor-style, however, thus the floor should reflect this level.

--Steve Major

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Can you direct me somewhere that you may have seen these tiles sold?  I have been looking at auction houses, renov supply stores, newer places, even Lowes and Home Depot and all the way to Ann Sacks (sp).  Haven't seen anything I'm comfortable with except for the floor of a Park Ave woman whose refrigerator I bought second hand.  I feel like the only place I can find these is going to be somewhere in France.

by the way, the 'French Country Revival' style was determined from the large (I don't know the technical term) roof over a one story house (the roof would be used to store grain -- in France), then they punched out windows in the roof with gables so now it's 2 stores.  Plus the floorplan (no halls), 2 chimneys (I can only find one fireplace and it's very small, coal burning), a few other basic details I can't remember.  The floors are all wood but I am told by one person they are 'red oak' and another says they are definitely pine.  There's a craftsman-style doorbell frame I found in the basement.  Door knobs are I think egg-and-circle or something like that, originally copper but all that has worn off and now they are all white.  Original color was dark green cedar shingles, now they are painted light gray.  And the original kitchen: wainscotting along the base, then ceramic tile which was later painted gray then all demolished in the 1960's, and now exposed before I had it ripped out (unsalvagable).

Answer
L.,

The tile I was envisioning is similar to these:

http://www.mosaictilesupplies.com/lyric_unglazed_porcelain_hexagon_mosaic_tiles.

Do a yahoo search on terms like hexagon tile, hexagonal mosaic tile, etc.

By the way, the house sounds nice.   Pine and oak are very different woods, and there are several variations of each wood as well.  If you want, you can forward photos (for wood ID) to our e-mail at info@majordesigngroup.com

--Steve Major