Will I learn to love it?

[Beingseenisneedy]

Bathroom just done after months and months of planning.
Wood effect tiles and asked for same colour grout.

They've gone and put grey grout!

Didn't get a chance to see it until it was dry. Apparently this is the closest colour to their eyes.

So annoyed.
Have looked up changing it on YouTube but can't trust I won't make it worse.

First world probs I know. Literally no £ left to get someone else.

Have you had renovation disappointments you've learned to love?

He is unfortunately, although he was all light and sparkles when we first met.
DH works away so I have to deal with him.

The colour, the evenness 🫠. Looks great.

Is it just the photo, or is the quality of the work really poor at the right hand side, top half?

You can paint it if you really hate it. There is grout paint but any waterproof paint should work.

It looks absolutely fine, not grey at all. Give it a couple of years and regrout if you still hate it.

I've seen the photo and it looks fine. They've matched the grain rather than the wood colour. It's not the awful clash I was expecting.

I've had some "buyer's regret" over decorating choices (my own!) And hated them initially, but found after 2 weeks I didn't mind at all. I think my brain needs time to adjust to a big change.

It's a bit crap they didn't show you the colour choices first. Our decorator always suggested 2-3 options and then I chose. Then it was my fault if I didn't like it!

I fucking despise it when they do this. I fucking hate it. Just please do what I’ve specified, idgaf if you don’t like it or wouldn’t choose it, it’s my choice, my design and my fucking house.

I have also had great struggles. One CF said to me my choices were “stoopid”. Wanker. It looked terrific actually.

Sorry you’ve got to deal with this OP 💐

I think it'll be hard to get him back now you've paid. I've had a really nasty plasterer before, he was recommended too- I can really hold my own but felt really uncomfortable so I know where you're coming from.

I think if you change the seal to match the grouting it'll tie in better ,at the moment the mismatch is drawing your eye the the grouting which you don't like.

Thank you. The quality isn't great, but also not horrendous.
It's the combination of the quality and the colour that's not ideal.

I think I could deal with the not so perfect grouting if the colour was right.
At that point we just wanted him out the house.

Thank you, hopefully I'll have forgotten about it in a couple of years.

Thank you, appreciate there is some grey in the grain but felt a lighter grout would make the room feel lighter too.
Wish they'd shown me first. Lucky you had good a decorator, as should be.

Thank you. Sorry you've had your choices questioned.

Now thinking about it, theu probably didn't ask as they thought I'd choose a 'stoopid' colour.
He would question my decisions constantly.
Someone needs to tell him the customer is always right.

Better to live with your own mistake than someone else's.

If the tiles aren’t even, you need to get them back.

Thank you. Sorry you've went through similar. Why do people recommend such trades!
What I didn't appreciate was the standard the recommender has compared to mine.
You never think of that, but now realise they may have been happy with a subpar finish or the builder has dropped his standards.
Edit: Will do the seal myself. Shouldn't have to but 🤦‍♀️.

The tiles are even, but the grout isn't. As in, some is thick, some is thin 😭.

I think you might be able to get used to it. It looks great and is also easier to keep clean than lighter grout.

I'm in the building trade, it looks good to me, the effect is of floorboards, where it is just dark between, if you used brown wood coloured grout that would look pretty crappy in my opinion.

If you asked for a different colour and they haven’t followed your request, then I think they should really change it at their own cost.
That said, just playing devil’s advocate — floor tile grout never stays the same colour anyway. Over time, washing and general dirt tend to get ingrained, which makes it appear darker.
So if fixing it is going to cost you time and money, I’d probably just leave it as it is.

It sounds like the pain of having him back is worse than living with the tiles. I'd choose the latter and chalk it up to experience

I really don't think lighter grout could make the room feel lighter. Do you have a bigger photo so we can see how the room looks?

I have got proper wood flooring, real planks. As it has worn in over the last 15 years, that is exactly what it looks like where the dirt has worn into the joints. If you want it to look like you have wood planks, that is exactly right. As the poster above me said, I don't think lighter grout would lighten the room

Thank you. Appreciating all the positive takes.
Currently away and all I can think of is walking back to that!

Thank you, great to hear from an experienced tradie.

Thank you. Possibly what's frustrating is not being listened to.
He had to out up a painting at a certain height, he did his own thing as apparently it looked stupid where I'd wanted it.

Not sure if he gets mixed up with other client requests or what as it has been quite a few things.

Thank you, it sure is, unfortunately. I'm counting down to 10 years when I can possibly redecorate. ⏰️

Thank you, but am scared of him/partner finding this and knowing it's me.
Never thought I'd post about being scared of being outed. 👀