I have tried all the suggestions Perini - didn't look purple in real life. Tile Boutique - no purple floor tiles at all. All all the lots and lots of other places = no purple floor tiles. Yes I have seen purple glass mosaics almost everywhere but I don't want small mosaics on the floor. Will also cost $55 sqm more to have grouted than a regular size floor tile. Looks like I'll just have to do boring grey as it's the trend but I have at least found one with sparkles if I can't have purple. I'm also amazed at reactions of the tile sales people - questioning, surprise, snobbery and happiness to be trying to look for something that is different. Cant' say I can't find purple, I have but with a 10 to 14 week wait to be ordered from O/S and lots of $$$ but I need to reno the bathroom by then so can't wait. Motto: If you have time and money can do anything.

It's a neat concept, but highly impractical for a wet, coastal climate of BC where I live. We could only have the wall open for roughly 4 months out of the year. And those open months would need a screen, big time. I'd forever be the one to be walking into the screen, which would bug the heck out of me (pun, lol), so I'll just pass on the whole idea. It's like the convertible car owners up here. We'll get a nice, sunny day in winter and you will see these people with their tops down, but wearing toques, lol. Or they will take the top down on the first sunny morning in spring and by afternoon it's pouring rain, again. Convertible in BC? Extremely seasonal. Convertible wall in BC? Ditto.

Sue, congratulations. You've not only identified a colour you feel happier about, you've actually created it. I suspect you'll now be able to create a pleasing mix of warm greys, plywood browns, stone tones, coppers or bronzes, warm whites, etc; maybe with a bit of yellow added come spring; and you'll be able to live with the brownish sofa until you're ready to update or reupholster. I have some KAS cushion covers from a couple of years ago which show how this kind of colour mix can be done. One has stylised flowers (a la Mexican) in grey, brown and caramel with a touch of burnt orange. (You mention liking ochre.). Another is lighter grey, brown, taupe and bone-white on a natural linen. A third (less subtle) is warm greens with brown, taupe, yellow, white and a little aqua. I'm not saying go for styles that are a few years out of fashion. But do be confident enough to resist a harsh, hard-edged option if a gentler one is right for your temperament and household and the room's aspect. Robyn

Our neighbours are not experiencing the same issue. I'll ask the plumber whether he replaced our old supply pipes. I assumed they did as we took away some copper piping for recycling, but maybe there should have been more. We did not have this issue prior to our renovation and we have been living here for about 25 years. The house is on mostly clay soil. The red slime is on the grout AND the tile itself. It is also on the rim of our brand new washing machine.. I can't see it in the laundry tub or kitchen sink, being stainless steel. I am collecting water from the kitchen tap in a plastic container to see if I can replicate the bacteria there (I hope I'm NOT successful in that endeavour). The bacteria seems to be where the water is in contact with the tile and also around the bathroom sink hole where different soap is used. It scrubs away easy enough with no residual staining on the tile or grout. BUT it keeps coming back.