The Talented Tattooed Tiler

This morning and into the afternoon Darren Gregory (Facebook Page DG ceramics) tiled our kitchen.

Darren is cheerful, friendly, fast, and efficient.

After cleaning the surfaces to be covered, Darren applied a ridged primer on which he carefully fixed the individual tiles. While waiting for the panel behind the hobs to dry, the craftsman repeated the process beneath the hanging shelves and the granite work surface. The primer is kept in a small tub, liberally applied with a flat trowel thingy, a bit like the blackboard duster that the schoolmasters of my youth might lob around the classroom; once the tiles are in place the adhesive is tidied up with a forefinger, smoothed over, and sponged clean.

The tiles that have to be cut are carefully measured, sawn, and clipped to fit. Surrounding the light switches was perfectly done. “Stay there” said Darren, as he applied a length of sticky tape to hold one in place while he carried out the operation.

I was a little premature in photographing what I thought was the completed work. The silicon gun had yet to squirt the final trim.

This evening we dined on roast chicken thighs, potatoes, parsnips, pork and leek sausages, sage and onion stuffing; crisp Yorkshire pudding; moist ratatouille; firm carrots and Brussels sprouts, all with meaty gravy, with which Jackie drank Hoegaarden and I drank The Second Fleet Coonawara smooth blend of Cabernet, Merlot, and Petit Verdot 2019

81 comments

      1. I am in deep admiration of our “tradies”, the painters, tilers, plasterers and those I haven’t mentioned, who make our houses habitable and beautiful. They make it look so darn easy.
        Good on ya for helping our Australian wine industry. The Coonawarra region, as you probably know, has wonderful limestone soil which makes theirs wines rather special.

        1. Those wines are so good, Yvonne – the history The Second Fleet labels carry takes me back to the lists of names in Australian shop windows. Unfortunately my camera died on the way out there. I so agree about the trades. Thanks very much.

  1. This is uncanny, Derrick: your kitchen tiles are the same size and color as mine. However, it seems that your alliterated worker is doing a much better job than our Polish guy did.

  2. What a beautiful kitchen – watching the tiling being completed in your series of photos makes it look so quick – and perfect; well done, Darren.
    Your school days sound fascinating… glad to hear there were no items lobbed around the room today!

  3. I enjoyed every single photo of the tiler in action – – it had a such a good vibe and allowed us into the project but Derrick – there was an artsy feel to the various photos –
    It was curious to me as to how much I enjoyed the flow – at times the position of his arm or the angle of his gaze or the angle of your lens – or even the sagging of the knots and when the jacket came on- and his smile – etc
    it was nice that he allowed you to capture the project with a photo shoot like this
    Maybe I also extra enjoyed it because we are so video heavy these days and seeing a photo shoot was nice.
    Also – did you knew I have done a few tiling jobs in my day!
    In 1996 – I did our entire kitchen my hubs helped a little and we bought a set saw – but I did the back splash and other areas on my own so I know the tools you weee mentioning

  4. We have a flat trowel thingy too. At least it must be the same because you described it perfectly. šŸ˜‰ You’re a lot like us. We love work. We can watch it and take photos of it all day. šŸ™‚ Lovely job Derrick. Well done!
    I didn’t take a single photo of the garden yesterday. It was a too hot 30C early summer’s day. We’re heading to the beach this morning to gather shells and pebbles.
    Your kitchen is looking fantastic.

  5. I have a lot of tools that I’ve no idea the correct terminology for…I know I have an awl but many people in my trade reference it as “the pokey thing” – and every time I see that typed or if it’s a utube clip – I yell at my screen “IT’S AN AWL…”

  6. I’ve done a bit of tiling in my time as a plumber, and it’s definitely a job for the experts Derrick…. both precision and patience are vital requirements…

  7. It is alway humbling to see a craftsman at work. And I am glad you like the Coonawarra Wine. Coonawarra is about 40 km South by South East of where I spent my early childhood. (5 to 15)

  8. Cool tattoos and impressive tile work! Many years ago, I took a class and tiled the three walls around my bathtub. If you looked closely, you could tell it was done by an amateur, but I was pleased with it. Now, I’m amazed that I ever had that kind of energy! Our current bathtub tiling was done by a professional.

  9. Tiling has a satisfactory outcome that lasts and lasts. Watching your tiler at work makes me marvel at the people you have highlighted in your garden, painting, and now tiling. Marvel? Envy is more like it for it is difficult to unearth such talent here. Your photographs certainly do him justice.

  10. About five years ago, I had my kitchen remodeled. I loved watching the the skill and care of the workmen. It looks like Darren did a good job.

  11. I loved the photos of Darren at work. I’ve done a fair bit of tiling too, I enjoyed it and found it therapeutic. My husband could also tile, but if I wanted to do it he was happy to leave me to it, but he drew the line at letting me use the tile cutter, quite right too, I couldn’t master that skill and anyway he cut the tiles perfectly.
    Five years on from the move to this side of the house and my ‘new’ kitchen still hasnt been tiled, son-in-law Simon has offered to do it.
    The colour of your kitchen looks like mine, Duckegg?

  12. Tremendous photos of tremendous work being done by Darren!
    With your tremendous title, though, he might oughta’ change his name to Thomas! šŸ˜‰ šŸ˜€ šŸ˜›
    I’m so glad you never describe Jackie’s amazing meals as stodgy or soggy bottomed or claggy or overproofed or underbaked….HA…Can you tell I’ve been watching The Great British Baking Show?! šŸ˜‰ šŸ˜€
    (((HUGS))) šŸ™‚

    1. I never watch baking programmes, but I did once joke that I would offer such descriptions of Jackie’s meals to see if anyone noticed. I lost my nerve, though. šŸ™‚ Thanks very much, Carolyn X

  13. You will need to phrase the question extremely carefully, but I do wonder if Darren is one of the people who is completely tattooed except for what shows beyond his cuffs and the top of his collar.
    Many years ago, one of the college servants surprised us all by being the centrefold in the Sunday Times magazine as the most tattooed man in the world, although, of course, none of us had any idea of his achievements from what we had seen of him.

    1. When skin Starts sagging, I’d say. Although I once knew a gentle foster father who regretted what those he’d had as a youngster in the merchant navy did to his current image. Thanks a lot, Andrew

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