Why do these small decisions choke up the narrative on these projects? The biggest decision is what property to buy, everything else after is relatively less onerous ; Right?
Wrong! – and I am still “sweating the small stuff” here. Latest quandary , small area of floor deliberately left free around and under cooking area and sink when we laid new wood floor in kitchen.
I have this problem; sometimes I see something that I desperately love and desperately want in our house. Then I have to work out where it fits
I love these old chequerboard black and dirty white floors. above left- I can’t fit one into the French house. End off. Kiss that idea a sad goodbye….
Other options are-
small travertine tiles (mmm, maybe)
brick in herringbone pattern (not that Aude-ish)
reclaimed tomettes to echo the bit we still have between kitchen and salon (stupid money these days)
I like cement in some application too, why not? It’s been used for centuries and the idea-below- to set it into old plank floors is quite cool
Something Else? suggestions welcome
Links- dewemelaer.nl
79ideas.org
decordesignreview.tumblr.com
Blog-sur-Aude 
Something in me says tomettes….there are so many places online in France where items “occasion” (used) are for sale. Here are some links to give you an idea of what might be out there, and for how much:
http://www.anciens-materiaux.fr/p-annonces_fr.htm
http://www.marche.fr/11-aude/petites-annonces-11-aude.html
http://mes-occasions.com/q/annonce-tomette
http://www.site-annonce.fr/tomettes-ancienne
http://www.vestiges-de-france.com/c-29-terre-cuite/tomettes-16×16
http://www.tomettes.fr/p-trouver-tomettes_fr.htm
French eBay has a section for posts by individuals which aren’t handled by eBay but I’ve never figured out how to navigate that section.
I thought the links might be useful for others looking of ‘occasion’ items
And for those confronted by the Brexit monster, please know that so many people who love the UK are so opposed to the ‘B’ word. One hopes that the challenges to it succeed. And those who love France and appreciate all the expats who make visiting there more enjoyable, more welcoming, it’s a double-dose of nastiness from people who don’t know a good thing when they had it.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/brexit-pay-eu-rights-work-live-fee-guy-verhofstadt-a7440556.html
At least someone is thinking about positive options.
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Thanks for the positive thoughts.
Re picking up some tomettes, we have looked at a number of sources locally where we might pick up some relatively undamaged ones for a reasonable price ( I object in principle and in budget to paying sky high postage and/or crazy prices for architectural salvage) but its also a question of being around in France at just the right time when exactly the right stuff comes up for sale; Basically we are not around long enough on each visit to France to locate and buy.
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I like the fishscale tomettes. If the floor is right against whitewashed wood, though, I’d look at the gray and white patterned tile at Leroy Merlin. I think it’s ceramic tile, though it resembles cement. It would be practical and would neither contrast too much nor try to match the wood flooring.
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When in doubt live with the subfloor until you find something
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Yes, Chad, but I keep tripping over the edge of the new wood floor and the felt underlay is a dust trap….
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Put a piece of sanded plywood down? That would set you back about $36 here.
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Maybe, it’s a very impractical area to leave as is, right by sink and cooker
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I’m also thinking, if the travertine tiles are practical to come by, do they come in rectangles that you can lay in the herringbone pattern?
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No, sadly, not in the Aude! I can get faux brick wall tiles but they might be a bit slippery on the floor
I will have to check them out
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I vote for the herringbone! It may not be typical but it is beautiful.
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I likey too, but haven’t seen any in our corner of France as yet
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I’ll be your leboncoin monitor when I’m in France (13th December til mid July) if you like …. we have things we are searching for too so it wouldn’t be difficult for me. I actually love that fishscaled concrete too …. and boy would I love to use the black and dirty white in ours …. might be possible but first I have to see what’s underneath the wretch of a downstairs floor that the buffoon laid! Let me know about my offer …. I’d be happy to help
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Thanks, I am not sure what’s happening next month re France, let alone next year; I may well take you up on your kind offer
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I sympathise. In an all enveloping, heartfelt way, I sympathise x
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Thank you. I am heartened that someone understands.
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I do, I do, I do, I do …. and I know you do, you do, you do, you do understand our complications too. Which makes me happy in an odd sort of way 🙂
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Well, if you are odd, so am I, so we won’t fret about that and will settle for mutual empathy within our separate dilemmas
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Sounds fair and good to me 😊
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I like those square tiles in faded colors. Not sure what color wood you have abutting, or just how big an area you need to fill, but maybe you could do cream tiles with little black diamond shapes at each corner, or consider some decorative cement tiles, if you don’t think they would be too busy against your cabinets. http://www.leroymerlin.fr/v3/p/tous-les-contenus/tout-savoir-sur-les-carreaux-de-ciment-l1401423723
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the abutting wood is the “whitewashed” pine floor we laid a few posts ago. Area only 3-4 sqm
The square travertine tiles in faded colours are the ones we are using in cave over the underfloor heating
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Oh, yes, love that white washed pine. Well, I suppose it depends on whether you think you would tire of the pattern, but a small area of cement decorative squares might work.
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Well, it’s a low key room decoratively, they might, if the house will have them!
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Personally, I love the look of reclaimed tommettes. Nothing like using something that has a history and a past.
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I completely agree, and we are trying to use the old where we can. If I could find some tommettes that aren’t silly money we might
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Look on the boncoin. We got some fairly cheap rectangular tomettes for our terrace.
For other tiles, check out Tot Ceramica near Leclerc.
I love the checkerboard, too. But it needs to be a whole room, not just a small part.
I also like your travertine.
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Doing that when we are not actually in the country is the difficulty. You can guarantee that when we ARE in France there is nothing going that I want!!
And I agree re chequerboard, and I haven’t a spare room to do out that way now, so I was just venting the contents of my head
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Love that cement scale against the boards. You can’t go wrong with a repeated scale pattern, as far as I am concerned
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fishscales. favourite design motif of mine
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All good options. I hear there were some tomettes going free from the old ‘chateau’ in Rouvenac – worth a look to see if any left?
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sadly I can’t.. we are stuck in UK for at least the next month!
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Oh boo! Think positively, maybe some others will be waiting instead. And hey, remember that with time on your side you may find the perfect thing and get it instead.
And now I am finally caught up! 😉
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What will you do now??!! Thank you Lynda for the marathon read; I am hugely flattered
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I’ve simply enjoyed your determination and your results, Gill. As for what I will do now, well, wait for your next post and get some work done for a start! Gotta get sewing again and your creativity has been a spark for me…
We are going to be stuck here for awhile and I am plotting some inexpensive DIY projects for this house. ❤
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Creativity does not require buckets of cash x
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