I know that everyone loves expensive tile. I get it. I really do. It’s lovely.
But, because I’m sort of the strange Midwesterner who really likes practical things, I seriously LOVE SHEET VINYL FLOORING.
Phew. I’m so glad that’s off my chest.
We’ve actually done tile in our current bathroom and I HATE IT. There. It’s out there for the universe now. I had hoped and dreamed and wished for hex tile floors and we laid down the cash to do it. I really love the space.
And wouldn’t you know it …
- The installation was time-consuming and marriage-testing. (Tile simply takes several steps and lots of time.)
- The upkeep is annoying. (Because we chose white grout and unglazed tile, I find that the tile and grout is dirty ALL THE TIME. Yes. I sealed it. Yes. I clean it regularly. Basically, if I want it to look clean, I have to use a magic eraser and get on my hands and knees.
- It’s really cold. All the time.
- The tile was pretty pricy for a very small space.
And in the end, I’m just not all that happy with the floor. I like the IDEA of the floor – but I wouldn’t do that exact tile again. Maybe a different tile. Maybe something with in-floor heat and darker grout with a finish that’s easy to keep clean.
But you know what I did love? The vinyl sheet flooring in our first house. (Although we can just pretend the sponge painting didn’t happen.)
That was pre-blog and Pinterest, when I didn’t realize that other options existed. I didn’t realize that people cared about these silly things. Ryan and I just showed up at Menards one morning and picked out a floor.
And wouldn’t you know it …
- The flooring took an hour to install.
- It was the easiest floor ever to keep clean.
- It was super durable.
- I liked the looks of the it.
- IT WAS DIRT CHEAP.
So, when it came to the barn bathroom, it was a no-brainer to go with sheet vinyl. Maybe it’s not hip or chic, but it works for us.
Basically, the beauty of sheet vinyl is that it just has to be measured, cut and stuck in the room. No glue. No grout. Just lay it in there and go about your biz.
This is pretty much why Ryan loves sheet vinyl.
And I’m so stinkin’ happy with how it turned out. We went with the stone gate sheet vinyl flooring in cornerstone gray. It was $.89/square foot. Yeah. Insanity. It comes in a 10 foot length so we have enough for our bathroom and laundry room in the barn.
We also picked out the vanity. It’s the allen + roth Strabury vanity and sink. I had a dream for a barn wood vanity made by Ryan. (I’m obsessed with the DIY vanity Michelle and Nate just built.) But, we are on a tight schedule and didn’t want to add another thing to the list. So, when I saw this vanity, I thought it felt rustic enough to work well. And it looks lovely with the wall color and flooring. Win.
Moving away from the bathroom for other exciting news, WE HAVE RUNNING WATER. The pump work is totally done and Ryan got the plumbing run so we have a faucet. He sent me this picture in a text and I nearly cried from happiness.
It’s so beautiful. Two years of working without water is enough to make a family crazy. To water our plants or clean up, Ryan’s been going down to the creek in the Gator with four buckets. It’s like Little House in the Prairie up in there. With a Gator.
It’s really the little things. (This is how it looks coming into our utility room.)
All the caulking on trim is done. So it was my turn to be useful.
I started painting. (I use the standard white from Behr Premium Plus Ultra – Ultra Pure White – in a semi gloss finish for trim.) I’m not done. But, it’s a start.
And my aunt donated a second five-panel door for the pocket doors.
So, that’s the progress in our barn world. We have family in town for the holiday weekend, so we will probably take a project break. But, we’ll be back at it next week.
I think all the work will still be there waiting for us.
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Johnnie Tate says
I want a vinyl sheet flooring with designs like the linoleum rugs of the 1950’s. The linoleum rugs were printed with d esigns like the wool rugs that people used. They were very pretty. I found some online kind of like that made in United Kingdom. I am not sure about shipping from there to Texas.
Kim Woodward says
That sounds really cool! I’ve never seen anything like that, but what a fun statement to make!
Andrea says
I love Menards! What size are the baseboards and trim around the windows?
Acitygirl says
I have clickez lock viny floors in a weird pattern. Started in the kitchen moved to the laundry room, bathroom and now after reading your post I think I am going to put them in my sun room as well. They are warm under for and they look great . thanks for helping me make a decision!!
Kim Woodward says
SO happy that you found something you love! That’s what matters!
Gretchen B says
Thank you for putting a link to where you purchased the bathroom flooring! We’ve been looking for something like this for our master bath and it’s hard to find out where products are from! Love to see how you’ve incorporated farmhouse design into your home.
Veronica says
i built a house and put vinyl in the wet areas. Sold that house and bought a fixer upper and put tile in the wet area. I couldn’t agree more with you!!! I HATE TILE we are getting ready to build another house and again I will put vinyl in the wet areas (except kitchen) it will have hardwood because it’s open living,.
Debbie says
I just want to mention that light colored grout can be painted. They make special paint for this purpose, but I imagine you could use a good quality regular paint. My mom’s new house open plan living /kitchen/dining area has a lovely tile which had light tan grout. It showed every stain and spot. So she got a deep terra cotta colored grout-paint and painted every line. It looks wonderful and has held up beautifully over the last 12 years. And I might mention–she was in her 70’s when she did this. Not necessary to do it all in one day or even one week. Do an hour a day or whatever you can spare. It’s quite easy is you get a tiny paintbrush that’s just the same width as the grout lines.
Also, it’s worth researching to see whether you can find another option for tile sealing. Quite likely there’s something that would smooth it out and close up those pores more….I recommend talking to someone at Benjamin Moore.
One other tip for those selecting tile and grout: in my experience with lots of houses and tile floors, grout ALWAYS turns out to be much lighter than the samples show. Not sure why that is, but if you want medium color-go dark.
Good luck-I’m a fan of your vinyl floors. The number one rule of decorating–Form Follows Function.
Kim Woodward says
Great tip to paint the grout! (Although this sounds like a pretty tedious job, it would be worth it.)
Ashley says
I love the color and style of your vinyl. I tried to click on it but it wouldn’t tame me to site. What is brand and where did you get it?
Kim Woodward says
Hmmm…. the link in the post seems to still be working for me. It’s from Menards, and the info is here.
http://www.menards.com/main/p-2257823-c-6618.htm
Ashley says
I’m so sorry. I got it to work right after making the post. Hoping to go get a sample tomorrow!
Ashley says
We installed this in our bathroom/laundry room!!!
Julia says
Another sheet vinyl lover over here! We live in a 1940s farmhouse, and our kitchen floor is not at all level. It makes SO much sense for us to use vinyl flooring instead of having to pay someone to make the floor level and then tile over it! I have a sample of a similar gray tile pattern from Menards, and we hope to install it when we redo the cabinets and countertops! It’s such a big part of the kitchen, but will be the cheapest part of the renovation…it costs less than the new cabinet hardware does! 🙂
Maureen says
I love vinyl too! I put it in my kitchen in the Spring and I’m loving it. It’s a weathered grey and white wood plank pattern and so easy to clean. My husband didn’t see it until after it was installed and he actually thought it was really wood planks.
My bathroom is up next and I hadn’t thought of vinyl in there. Hmmmm…..
Jessica @ Decor Adventures says
I just did a post on our vinyl floor too – we are trend setters! I had lots of people ask me about it and some family members even bought the same stuff for their houses. We’ve installed it in 4 different rooms now in different houses.
Love the pattern you picked! They have some nice modern ones these days too.
Kim Woodward says
I totally drooled over your vinyl on Instagram. It’s so stinkin’ simple and it looks great.
Dana says
I also prefer sheet vinyl to tile. I currently live in the Midwest, but was raised in California and especially living in a colder climate, the vinyl flooring is much more conducive to the extreme temps we have here in Wisconsin. If you want to use tile here, you better add heating to that floor, which raises the cost considerably as well as the potential of some type of failure to the heating element. I also find that since we tend to drop things in our bathrooms and kitchen that the “cush” provided by vinyl saves things from breaking on contact with the floor. If we had tile, we would be replacing the things we drop! While I love the look of tile, especially with an older home, we have made the decision to use vinyl and have not regretted it at all. Well done on your renovations!
anne @ wit wisdom and food says
Never thought about the tile being cold and harder to clean…you have me rethinking things. I love the hex tile and penny tile look but I am not a patient person so multiple steps are really not my thing. I love the way the vinyl looks though.
Rhonda says
Vinyl for me please. I’d rather have the extra cash I save for using it on other needed things in the home. And when you want to update you can because you don’t still owe the bank. Remember people: what is in style today may not be tomorrow-we all know how quickly that comes. I’ll scream from the roof tops to those who even embark on laying wood floors…vinyl has a come a long way. You can have the look and still have a savings account.
Christine says
I hadn’t looked at your blog for a while and started with most recent post about painting the trim, I saw the bath floor in background and just assumed it was tile, couldn’t tell from pics until I scrolled down to older blog entries and saw it was vinyl. Looks great.
Gretchen says
After we spent SEVEN YEARS tiling our bathroom (well, not really, but it felt like it) I am totally ready to get on the vinyl train :). Hooray for running water!
Kim Woodward says
Tiling is no joke. It’s just so stinkin’ tedious.
Kelly @ Corner of Main says
Vinyl sounds pretty great to me! I think it looks fabulous also.
Yay for finding another door; that’s exciting!!
Kim Woodward says
Now, to strip and paint said door.
Sigh. The work continues.
Trina @ Let's Just Build a House says
hey we put vinyl tile in our bathroom upstairs for the same reason, dirt cheap and we needed to be in ASAP to move in the house. it would be our only bathroom for over a month. it took like 1 minute to install! someday we will have to rip it up, since it will probably get ucky over time since it will someday be a kids bathroom but really for the price and the time it will be worth it.
Kim Woodward says
Yeah – it’s pretty slick and super simple to install. And we had great luck with it’s durability, so I hope it holds up well for you, too.
Amy@BR says
What’s not to like?! It looks fabulous! It all does. I’ve been on hiatus and missed some of these updates so I was pretty shocked to see how far you’ve come. Looking good!!!
Kim Woodward says
Thanks, Amy! It doesn’t feel like it’s moving fast, but it’s getting closer and closer.
Michelle says
My husband and I bought our first house in April, got married in June, and we’re just starting to really settle in. It’s a 50s “flip” house that was basically gutted and redone right before we bought it, so while pretty much everything is nice and new, there were definitely a few decisions that were made to be the most cost effective. Vinyl floors in the bathrooms are one of them. So glad to hear you’ve had great experiences with them, as they’re something that we were a little wary of at first!
Kim Woodward says
It probably depends on the vinyl (and it would definitely matter if I didn’t like the looks of the pattern), but I’ve been happy with vinyl in the past. Hope it works well for you!
Kathy says
Tile floor is very dangerous when its wet! Tile floors are way overrated and the most dangerous for anyone! I have sheet vinyl flooring in my bathroom getting ready to lay the same in my kitchen. I love it very easy to keep clean! Its not slippery and dangerous when wet! 💜💕 Vinyl flooring!
Jess @ Little House. Big Heart. says
Under no circumstances is my husband to read this post (since I just won the gray vs. white battle of the century at the Little House), considering that I’ll (hopefully) be spending the week after Haven white-grouting and entire bathroom.
And way to not be afraid to say hey, this is what we’re using because we like it.
michelle@decorandthedog says
You’re such a home decor rebel. And I like it.
The barn is looking good! Like really good!
Amanda says
I’m thankful I saw this post! My husband is building a shop and vinyl flooring would be perfect for his office space. We hadn’t even thought about this option.
Kim Woodward says
This is what we plan to use in our utility room in the barn, too. It’s such a versatile (and cheap) option.
Teija Nelson says
I so totally agree with you about vinyl flooring. In fact, I always loved the photos that Armstrong used to have in the ladies mags in the 70’s that showed entire living areas done in lovely vinyl . It is so very practical in every way. I think we all just got product brainwashed about tile. Thanks for sharing your thoughts and beautiful floor.
Kim Woodward says
Thanks for the comment! I think there is a time and place for tile. I love our tile backsplash and the tile in our tub. And I think I would like our tile floor more with darker grout and a different tile choice. But, live and learn, right? And vinyl is such a great alternative.
daisy says
Great progress! It’s coming together so well.
As long as you like the floor, that’s all that matters. Our shower tile never stays clean (white on white), no matter what I do. I’ll never have that kind of tile again. The older I get, the more I want things that are easy to keep clean. Sheesh…
Hope you enjoy your holiday weekend!
Kim Woodward says
I know what you mean – things that are easy to clean is important to me, too.
Lisa H. says
Love the floors throughout. Can’t wait to see the whole place finished!
I have inexpensive tile (porcelain? ceramic?) throughout most of my house and I LOVE it. However, I live in Phoenix, where cold floors are a GOOD thing, and the tile and grout are medium brown and hide dirt really well…plus I had no part in installing it! 🙂
Kim Woodward says
Yeah – I’m sure that climate makes a big difference. Good point!
Donna says
Happy 4th!! Enjoy your break 🙂
Carrie says
Feeling the love for vinyl here in WI too. I love how it looks but it is too cold for Midwest winters. I desperately miss the sheet vinyl in the kitchen at our previous home! I have 3 bathrooms in our current house with tile that I have to wear slippers to use.
Kim Woodward says
I know what you mean! I never thought I’d say that I love the sheet vinyl, but I really do. SO much more practical for us.
Amber @ Wills Casa says
The image of Ryan getting water from the creek…I can’t stop laughing. That’s amazing. What an incredible story and a great start to building the house! Your grandkids are going to eat this up!
Kim Woodward says
When someone asks Henry if he was raised in a barn, he’ll be all, “Yeah. What’s it to you?”
aimee says
We did the vinyl tiles as a temporary solution, but I really loved how easy it was to clean, and I hating cleaning the tiled bathrooms in comparison. I have seen vinyl making a bit of a comeback.
Kim Woodward says
I think you are right. It’s definitely a great alternative in some situations.
cassie says
i loved this post- love your honesty and everything looks awesome! and i am pretty sure when pa wilder wasn’t steering his horse drawn wagon, he was using his gator.
Kim Woodward says
Pa was a John Deere fan, for sure.
Sarah says
I totally love our sheet vinyl in the kitchen and one of our bathrooms. The ONLY thing better is the dirt-hiding, brown-grouted heated tile floor we installed in another bathroom. Thanks for keeping it real. 🙂
Kim Woodward says
heated …. floors. I just had a moment.
Paula@SweetPea says
I’m with you on the tile with white grout. I have it on the floor in both of my bathrooms and it is cold and never looks clean. If I ever build a home, no tile on the floor! The barn is looking great!
Kim Woodward says
Thanks so much for the comment. I really love the look of most tile, it’s just not been a great experience for us. And white grout should be banned. If I were president, that would be my first ruling.
Katja | Shift Ctrl Art says
There has been such a development in the world of vinyl flooring, hasn’t there. I think you picked a great one and it looks so good with the vanity.
I couldn’t help picturing Caroline on her Gator with 4 buckets 😀 😀 😀
Kim Woodward says
Thanks, Katja. If I had the patience/time to wait for a special order, I found some that I love even more. (A little more expensive, but not too bad.)
KNatGU says
My past experience with vinyl was that the surface was slightly pitted. Making it a serious pain to clean. Is that issue resolved with current vinyl? It looks so realistic these days.
Kim Woodward says
It is pitted a bit, but I didn’t have troubles – I used a Swiffer and it seemed to get into the grooves. It seems similar to the texture of tile, though.
michelle says
What’s not to love about vinyl. We had it in our house as my brother had terrible asthma.
Sure the expensive stuff looks pretty but if pinterest has taught us nothing it’s the value of making cheaper items look beautiful. Your flooring looks great. Nice pick.
Enjoy your weekend.
Kim Woodward says
You are right – and Pinterest has also taught me that most people are better at cleaning than me. 😉
Manddi K says
Fellow midwestern sheet vinyl lover here!