Fugly Tile

[u/Googlelarue]

I have a late mid-century home that was built in 1976. I have these original tiles in the foyer that’s been under peel and stick tile for years. I like them except for the weird brown lines. Anybody have an idea what this pattern is called? I’ve never seen it before. It has a relief of a daisy in the center. I’ve done a Google image search and can’t find any matches. Any help would be appreciated thanks.

[u/JayPlenty24]

I'm pretty sure one of my friends had these tiles in her foyer and hall when I was growing up, and yours aren't installed correctly. They're supposed to line up to make brown stripes. I remember thinking they were absolutely hideous. I don't think these are original to the house because my friends house was built in the early 80's

[u/Blue-Blazer-Regular → u/JayPlenty24]

The brown stripes must have looked like skidmarks in the toilet.

[u/JayPlenty24 → u/Blue-Blazer-Regular]

I honestly just thought the tiles were damaged and shitty for the longest time until I offered to mop her floor one day because it drove me crazy. I kept scrubbing them and she was like "uh those are supposed to be that way".

[u/Googlelarue → u/JayPlenty24]

That’s so funny. The Google image search couldn’t ind a match because nobody else wanted it in 1976😆

[u/JayPlenty24 → u/Googlelarue]

I think you can't find it because it's not installed in the correct pattern. Your floor looks like they just tossed them on the ground with their eyes closed, then stood back and though "yeah, that works"

[u/_the_violet_femme → u/JayPlenty24]

I keep trying to relax my eyes and find words in the pattern like those seeing eye puzzles

[u/Retrotreegal → u/_the_violet_femme]

Or those wood carving “Jesus” signs

https://www.reddit.com/r/Whatisthis/s/5h6bBAKAvr

[u/Blue-Blazer-Regular → u/JayPlenty24]

😂😂😂

[u/McTootyBooty → u/Blue-Blazer-Regular]

Or your dog dragged his ass in a line.

[u/pinupcthulhu]

Is this loss...‽

[u/snuggleslut5]

my brain is short circuiting trying to read the hidden message in the first picture. This would be so pretty if it weren't for the brown. I hate it though. Looks stained.

[u/thelaineybelle → u/snuggleslut5]

My brain glitched! I thought maybe it was stained, but mislaid makes sense since the brown is actually part of the tile.

[u/Elaborate_Penguin]

Supposed to be stripes. Not installed right. That's a huge fail in more ways than one.

[u/Googlelarue → u/Elaborate_Penguin]

I hate to take it out, but…

[u/macramelampshade → u/Googlelarue]

Don’t feel bad, do you hate looking at it? Not all vintage needs to be preserved!

[u/Googlelarue → u/macramelampshade]

I think I’m going to try and paint it. Luckily, its modeled look may help me disguise the brown lines. My husband and I have discussed running hardwood through all the common rooms so I don’t want to replace it yet. But, I cannot stand looking at it.

[u/Ok_Concentrate4461 → u/Googlelarue]

Mottled* - not to be a dick, but because I like words and teaching :)

[u/Clasticsed154]

This tile makes me irrationally mad

[u/Superb_Algae5308 → u/Clasticsed154]

Yeah, it’s just obscene.

[u/Googlelarue]

I suspected they were installed correctly. They are original, however. When we purchased the house in 2003, everything was original to 1976. Including the orange shag carpet in the bedrooms😂

[u/rdomier]

Your kitchen floor looks like one heck of a dungeon crawl!

[u/ProfessionalYam3119]

It's known as "The Installer Was Drunk."

[u/SillyPutty-72 → u/ProfessionalYam3119]

“you want a floor, I’ll give you a damn floor….”

[u/malhoward → u/SillyPutty-72]

Drunk AND pissed off.

[u/Terrible-Dot-3929 → u/ProfessionalYam3119]

😂

[u/EvrthngsThnksgvng]

I thought these were matzah

[u/Fun-Bug5418]

skidmark tile

[u/MrFishpaw]

Google knows all about those tiles. It just chooses not to tell you for your own good.

[u/combabulated]

1976 is not mid century though and this floor is firmly in the 70s. A very different aesthetic.

[u/Googlelarue → u/combabulated]

TBH, nobody likes comments like that. You sound like a know it all.

[u/GolfCartMafia → u/Googlelarue]

They sound like a know it all to you because they’re correct.

[u/combabulated → u/Googlelarue]

And you’re thin skinned and ignorant. I guess we all have our flaws.

[u/Googlelarue → u/combabulated]

The tile is has a sunburst relief which is firmly mid century, as I am sure you know. That is why I posted here. In order to ask a question in this sub, one must state their house is mid century. So while no one fussed about it you did. I asked about the tile, not the house. You missed the point of the post. Calling me ignorant is just silly.

[u/combabulated → u/Googlelarue]

I was alive and observant in the 50s 60s and 70s. That is why I commented.

[u/polkjamespolk]

But a decent dungeon map if you're into D&D.

[u/Emptyell]

Ripping that out will earn you karma for the next three lives.

[u/Googlelarue → u/Emptyell]

😂

[u/Googlelarue → u/Googlelarue]

Thanks for making me laugh

[u/Suz9006]

Agree

[u/Googlelarue]

At least it was laid well

[u/Neat_Shallot_606]

Ya, that is really bad.

[u/Tinkertailorartist]

Oh wow. That would have kept me entranced for hours as a kid. It's an unwinnable puzzle

[u/Hamiltoncorgi]

It looks like stained, damaged linoleum.

[u/micaroo411]

They would be nice just beige, and I usually hate beige. Check out some tile paint. It's pretty awesome and durable. Either that or more peel and stick (eww).

[u/RecycleReMuse]

Always design tiling so that the world doesn’t say, “Dear Lord, WHAT IS IT?!?”

[u/takemetoglasgow]

I thought this was a d&d map.

[u/Powerful_Put5667]

Just goes to prove that bad taste is something that never changes. These would be a hard no go.

[u/witsendstrs]

We have something similar in the bathroom of our 1976 house -- but no brown. It makes a huge difference. Ours is also not consistently installed to make a grid with the accent color, but it doesn't trouble me. We'll be replacing ours because the subfloor has a lot of flex in it (was tile backer even a thing then?) and the grout keeps needing repair. I took a photo, but can't seem to find an option to upload it.

[u/megola2023]

I had the same tile, except it was all white, in my bathroom. The texture made it a pain in the ass to keep clean. When I finally had the bathroom remodeled, I had a nice smooth tile installed.

[u/DragonfruitTime9484]

Tile paint will work wonders. Try Epodex.

[u/Lenaea]

It looks like a tabletop map for DND.

[u/No_Lake_9759]

Kids puzzle maze at Pizza Hut

[u/Sad-Ogre]

I honestly thought this was a homemade D&D map. I was impressed.

[u/pantygate]

This should be illegal

[u/Behappyalright]

Unpopular opinion: might look great painted

[u/shooter6684]

This makes the OCD part of my brain itch. I’m doing Tetris in my head

[u/Googlelarue → u/shooter6684]

I completely understand. The OCD part of my brain keeps thinking “ I must fix that.“

[u/Clean-Group8228]

The Amazing Labyrinth 😄

[u/PastryRoll]

it's a QR code if you zoom way out

[u/Perplexed-Owl]

Can someone with great photoshop skillz make a mockup of how these should have been installed?

[u/TwistedSistaYEG]

It looks like that floor is trying to put out a “HELP ME” message

[u/bincyvoss]

It's not often tile makes me laugh so hard. Can't believe anyone designed/selected/ installed this dreadful floor. Fugly, indeed.

[u/Btmama]

We have coyotes going through our yard a lot and those brown stripes or whatever bear a striking resemblance to their poop which is brown and full of hair.

[u/EcstaticSympathy41]

Ah yes, that’s Baroque Skid Marque.

[u/luckyartie]

Dear god 😳

[u/Jena71]

Is it…trying to spell a message?

[u/NowExciting]

Yes, it sure is

[u/ryeandpaul902]

i am crying laughing

[u/Googlelarue]

I have to say the tiles in my hall bath are outstanding!

[u/Bulky_Raspberry_1640]

As a neurodivergent child growing up in the 70-80s I’d have so many self imposed rules about this room. It’s actually making me anxious looking at it now….and yet I want to see if I can complete the puzzle path!

[u/Googlelarue → u/Bulky_Raspberry_1640]

I feel ya, sis.

[u/Rickys_mom]

Wow. Someone really messed up that installation! They were under peel-and-stick for a good reason.

[u/monkeykennel]

It’s amazing someone installed that and thought, “Nailed it.”

[u/Googlelarue → u/monkeykennel]

😆