Lots of decisions piling up, few of which have much to do with the mission of the house to model sustainability.  Rather, they have to do with attractive livability—the other, equally important, purpose of the project!   Four months before actual installation, we have to imagine and plan for the smallest of details.  I have had to back down on a few of these ideas.  A) In the guest bathroom, I’d been hoping for a linear shower drain seated at the edge of a gently sloping plane, but have had to settle for a center drain, with all that awkward tile cuts that entails.  B) In the master bathroom, I’d been hoping to set a white-and-cobalt hexagonal tile pattern within a cobalt border, but that would require the use of tiles of three different thicknesses—a problem for the tile setter.

In other cases, thinking through details so far ahead of time has yielded some interesting changes.   Marc has suggested setting large porcelain floor tiles diagonally can make a space look larger, particularly when using a border.  I recall something of that effect from Hisham’s Palace near Jericho (which is at the root of my earlier passion to use a scalloped pattern).  In any case, we are using large porcelain tiles (12” by 24”) in the entryway and mudroom.  Hmmm….tempting to try a diagonal approach, although that will mean more cutting, and no doubt more expense.