Makeover with Merola Tile

This post is sponsored by Merola Tile.  All opinions are 100% my own.  Thank you for supporting the brands we truly love!

It’s what you’ve been waiting for - our tiled breezeway reveal with Merola Tile! To recap, we started our Mediterranean inspired makeover with this inspiration board. Our first step was to add a DIY vanity and copper sink. 

Once we finalized the vanity and beautiful copper sink, we were ready to pick a tile that would complement our breezeway decor and style. We were so honored to work with Merola Tile on this phase of the project. 

I told them I was looking for a Mediterranean inspired terra cotta style and they recommended their Rustic Cotto Porcelain Tile. Our breezeway is a high traffic area. Living on a farm, we are constantly coming in with muddy boots. I loved that their porcelain option was durable and resistant to wear. 

According to our local tile expert, porceilan tile will last better over the years than standard ceramic tile. I love that it is low maintenance and moisture resistant as well! 

I always love a good before, but this photo is actually after a lot of work to this space over the last 3 years. In my French Country Breezeway blog post, you can see how we removed glued down carpet and had the floors grinded to reveal the smooth concrete. We lived with this "as-is" for nearly 3 years. 

Recently, we painted the walls (Behr Marquee - Adobe Sand) and trim (Fusion Mineral Paint - Cathedral Taupe) to complement the warmer tones of the wood and tile. 

Our main goal for this space was to make it inviting. We really wanted it to be used as an extension of our home and complement our bonus room. To install the tile, we decided to go with a local expert - Tim Green. He was able to fit us in quickly and always does great work! When we first moved in, Tim installed our shower tile and kitchen backsplash.

For reference, our space is approximately 10ft x 25ft. We used porcelain tile mortar and went with a thicker grout line. 

It was amazing to see this room come to life right before my eyes! For the stair, we used 3/8 bronze aluminum bullnose trim. I wanted something about the same color as the grout line that wouldn't be sharp for our young girls and guests. 

As for the grout, I knew I wanted something dark that would wear well. After reviewing inspiration photos and looking back at images from our anniversary trip to Saguaro National Park, I felt like a darker grout would bring an authentic Mediterranean feel to the space. We used sanded Polyblend Plus #646 Coffee Bean for the grout. It matched the bullnose trim perfectly!!  

The dark grout looks so good with the Rustic Cotto tile!! Here’s a side-by-side before and after for reference.    

A HUGE THANKS to Merola Tile for partnering with us on this project! We are in love with the Rustic Cotto porcelain tile! 

As always, thanks for following along on our renovation journey. We appreciate all your support!