Spring 2021 One Room Challenge: Week Two

It was so inspiring last week to see everyone’s mood boards and plans for the ORC sponsored by Better Homes & Gardens. There is some major talent out there. I’m always amazed at how creative people are. That being said, don’t forget to follow along with the One Room Challenge Blog to see what everyone else has been up to in week two.

My first order of business for my space was redoing the floors. When we first moved into this house, these floors were covered in nasty, indoor/outdoor carpet that smelled like the previous owner’s pets. The smell really smacked you in the face when you entered the house. We didn’t have a lot of skill or budget, so we decided to rip out the carpet ourselves, scrape off all the adhesive (of which there was an unnecessarily large amount), and then use a solid concrete stain. Despite the fact that we took all the proper steps of priming & sealing, the stain did not hold up well to foot traffic. The cool thing about DIY though is that you’re constantly learning & growing. There may be a project that you used to think you couldn’t take on, but little by little you learn new skills & gain confidence.

I had dreamed of having tile floors back here for a long time, so when the One Room Challenge came along, it seemed like the perfect opportunity to go for it. I priced tiles at every possible store, and finally found these marble-look ceramic tiles at Menard’s that were quality & in budget. Tiles seemed like the best, durable solution to this high traffic space.

After a little bit of research and watching videos from fellow DIYer’s, I got to work. We did the flooring in sections to accommodate the washer & dryer. Tiling is not necessarily a hard process, but it’s definitely not a quick one. There’s a reason it’s so expensive if you hire out for it. It’s definitely a skill worth learning how to do yourself.

This project was full of firsts for me. First time using a wet saw, mixing mortar, laying tile, & grouting. As a newbie to the process, I definitely went into it with a little bit of blind excitement. As always, I confidently thought this was something I could take on with no issues. Well, that changed on the first day with shattering the first tile I tried to cut. Determined to get these floors right and stick to my ambitious timeline, I kept going. After stabilizing the wet saw a little better, it really went smoothly.

Taking this project in sections made me appreciate each step in the process. There’s an art and care that comes with laying tile. It makes you slow down and appreciate all your hard work. There were many times when I joked with Dylan that this was my first & last tiling project, but I hands down would do this again. This was a long process, but the results left a beautiful impact on this room.

What’s to come for this ORC…tackling the counter top next!