Reclaiming Tile Is A BIT-

...Of hard work but will be worth it in the end!

Well Readers, better settle in this is a several factor story/post.

"I'v overhauled the other rooms in this house... the kitchen's had it comin'..."

Over the Labor Day weekend I drew the last straws on my "keeping the kitchen original" patients.  Back during the decorating for the cast party of Pirates of Penzance when Patricia taped  streamers to the kitchen ceiling, when we went to take them off they peeled the 67 year old paint with it (not a big deal it had been peeling in other places and I had planned to repaint soon.)

Well since the ceiling is getting painted it ONLY makes sense to freshen up the paint on the walls. HERE entails the problem.

(The new Valspar paint wall color reclaimed tile )

I bought the paint for the kitchen from the local True Value when I was 15 (5 years ago), at that time they SWORE and GUARANTEED my paint codes would be saved in their computer. I purchased a gallon of paint and hastily slopped it on the walls with a hand brush NOT a roller. 4 years later when I get the stove for my kitchen I go to get some touch up paint and they inform me they no longer carry that brand of paint, and they DID NOT keep the codes. LIVID I went to the lake and tore the house apart because by chance I had saved the paint can lid with the code on it. Go back to True Value and they paint guy mixes the paint and ITS A DIFFERENT COLOR GREEN!!! So iv decided sine Valspar paints are like diamonds (forever) this go round I will be buying my paint from them.  Well with new wall and ceiling and trim color that brings us to...
The Counter Tops...

(Counters as they have been for the last 67 years)

 It is my understanding that these were put in in 1943.  However none of us are sure what the counter tops are made of exactly, its looks like Samsonite/mason boar yet soaks things up like cork. (Oh and EVERYTHING sticks to them.) they also run the length of one and a half walls.

 

  Im sure Pam over at Retrorenovation.com  is sick of getting my emails asking for period suggestions. She has steered me in the direction of vinyl or Formica counter tops but the people at our Lowes have proved useless in helping locate the materials I want/ need. Then again whats more "period" than 4x4 tiles?!  Well as I was saying Iv reached the point where I had to say to myself  "This is my house, its a home, NOT a museum". Being the stickler for details that I am, Iv decided  to bring the same green and white checkerboard pattern that's on the floor up to the counter tops.

(Like this but white tile in place of the brown)

It was so easy during the bar project it will be perfect in kitchen. The only problem with wanting 1940's Mint Green / Emerald Green tile... is that THEY DONT MAKE IT ANYMORE and when they do its like $5 a tile!!! It is at this point my mother is saying "well just get plain white an live with it"  HA! This game might be expensive but i'm not beat that easily!

I put a listing on Freecycle for Mint Green colored "Bathroom tile" and not two seconds later i got a message back they had some at our local Habitat for Humanity.  So I go and there is an entire shelf full of light Mint green tile. I picked about 70 tiles out of the stack (for starters) then I want entirely sure how many it would take to tile my counter tops (and possible back splash) so I bought all 190 tiles for ... $20.25

(This is about 80 of the tiles)

However since they had been freshly chipped out of someones house they need the ever so lovely and
time consuming prep work.  So I filled a tub with soapy water and let them soak over night, then use a putty knife to chip the old glue off the back and grout off the edges.

(YUCK!)

With these 190 tiles now I need to locate...
A) White tile to complete the checkerboard.

 B)Or do you think the solid Mint Green looks better?

Oh how I wish I could go back in time and convince Mr. Martin (builder of the house) to buy enough of the linoleum on the floor to do the counter tops too! I will get to use the original chrome banding  on the edges because the Samson board is the same thickness as the tile. I think it will look great when its all done!
What do you think?

-Mick