One of the things I remember about my parents while they were building our humble home and store is that they personally shopped for the materials, yes even the tiles. They wanted to make sure that everything is suitable to their taste, and of course the budget! :) During my idle times these week, I looked at home ideas and found this image:
I liked the simplicity of the set-up but it is the tile lay-out that called my attention more. I will definitely keep this photo in mind when it is time to build our own home. Like my parents, I would really love to be hands-on with the construction and design.