How did you choose your backsplash?

amother

Cerise

Wed, Aug 02 2017, 12:14 pm

I think I want white subway tiles but how can I be sure it will go well with the kitchen?

I really like a certain flow. That the eye should be relaxed when it takes it all in.

And that leaves me confused with what color grout to choose as well.

The upper cabinets are white and bottom black wood. Counter is manmade stone (forgot name) white with faint black swirls here and there. Floor is grey drift wood look (tile)

If you have a flair for design please chime in. Thanks!!

Iymnok

Wed, Aug 02 2017, 12:20 pm

I wanted cream subway tiles with a line of mosaics above the the first row.
Dh bought a sheet of the mosaics (30cm x 30cm) and held it on the wall so I could see the colors. I said "that!"
I now have a row of cream subway tiles (10cm), the mosaic stones (30cm), then another row of subway tiles. I LOVE it.
My cabinets are cream, counters are dark brown and my floors are a marbled dark beige. The mosaic ties it all together.

amother

Magenta

Wed, Aug 02 2017, 12:22 pm

White sounds nice. Or red!

I chose a tile that matched my countertops. I have Quartz counters with flecks of sea blue, so I chose a wavy sea blue tile to pick up on it. It's very calming.

Your idea sounds nice. I wouldn't describe it as relaxed, more like clean, neat, sharp, contemporary.

amother

Coffee

Wed, Aug 02 2017, 12:34 pm

I have white cabinets top and bottom. Black granite countertops with white/grey marbley veining. Gray wood-look vinyl tile.

I really wanted a teal glass subway tile but that was very expensive. I chose a white beveled subway tile.

The look I was going for was a blended, uniform look. So I knew I did not want mosaic at all, not in total and not a row. I did not want anything that will catch my eye. I wanted something smooth that will flow with the rest. I liked the glass tile because it adds a bit of depth and makes the kitchen look airy and larger.

Depending on your budget, I would suggest looking at white glass tile.

As for grout, it depends on the layout of your kitchen. Dark grout with white subway tile is a farmhouse look (check houzz). IMO it looks good only if you have minimal upper cabinets, a show-stopping stovetop hood or lots of empty wall space due to some other reason. This gives it the flow that it needs to look good. But if it's gonna be broken up by what's going on in your kitchen, you might want to keep away. In my kitchen, which is not huge but I packed in a lot into the space, I didn't think it would look good. So I'm going with a light-colored grout just to blend in.

amother

Cerise

Wed, Aug 02 2017, 12:59 pm

Op here. Amother above you're getting the look. It's farmhouse type cabinets because I love the farm house look.

I don't have a showstopping oven or hood. But my kitchen is an el shape. So most of the cabinets go down one long wall.

My conundrum is how will the black grout go with the grey wood look floor? Or maybe what bothers me is that I don't have an overall picture until it's actually up and then it's too late.

As far as glass tiles. Do they chip a lot? Will I have to be careful with it?

amother

Seagreen

Wed, Aug 02 2017, 1:01 pm

I chose a 3 x 12 subway tile that's a bit textured and used dark grey grout.

http://I.imgur.com/UGMkclh.jpg

I didn't want white grout with white tile as I thought it might make any stains in the grout really stick out and look dirty.

amother

Coffee

Wed, Aug 02 2017, 1:02 pm

amother wrote:

Glass tiles chip more during installation but I didn't hear anything about chipping once installed.

Re the look you want, I hear you about one long wall, but it matters if it's broken up by a sink (the faucet pulls the eye away from the wall), by an oven (unless it's slide-in, the back of the oven interrupts the flow), a microwave, or hot water urn that's always on your counter...

amother

Coffee

Wed, Aug 02 2017, 1:11 pm

COmpare this
https://www.houzz.com/photos/2.....icago
with the large space around the window, open shelving, and hood above the stovetop

to this
https://www.houzz.com/photos/2.....cisco
which is broken up by the pantry, stuff on counter, back of oven protruding onto the backsplash... dark grout would crowd it in too much.

In general I see it more with kitchens that have open shelves instead of upper cabinets.

amother

Cerise

Wed, Aug 02 2017, 1:13 pm

amother wrote:

Nice kitchen!!

Thanks for the pic. It helps me see how different black versus grey grout will look.

amother

Coffee

Wed, Aug 02 2017, 1:13 pm

amother wrote:

Beautiful!

amother

Seagreen

Wed, Aug 02 2017, 1:19 pm

amother wrote:

Beautiful!

Thanks! I worked really really hard on this and I'm so glad that it's finally done!!!

Last edited by amother on Wed, Aug 02 2017, 1:48 pm; edited 1 time in total

amother

Cerise

Wed, Aug 02 2017, 1:20 pm

amother wrote:

I hear. I love the first pic. The way they used brass as a color accent as well.

I think I love the black grout look. Just like you say. Will it crowd it? Right now it looks very empty and flowing. Which I like.

I don't have much going on. Just a sink on either side then a nice amount of counter top space and a stove in the center. All cabinets are the same. No different designs or anything.

amother

Mint

Wed, Aug 02 2017, 1:30 pm

I m also redoing my kitchen, and decided on doing the back splash the same as the counter. First of all I think it's cleaner, grout lines are hard to keep clean. Secondly I like the continuous look and I didn't want to bring in another element.
My cabinets will be white high gloss acrylic doors and my counter and backsplash wil be Carrera Marble looking Quartz (white with a lot of grey veins) the floor is similar to the counter ceramic tile, but the veins are a little more subtle on the floor. My whole apartment will have he same tile so it's all one continuous look.
BTW, I have a galley kitchen one wall will be all pantries and wall ovens, the other side cabinets top and bottom, and countertop, so it's not such a big area to cover.

amother

Seagreen

Wed, Aug 02 2017, 1:50 pm

amother wrote:

My MIL did this - she picked a beautiful quartz and did all her counters and backsplash in it. It looks great and is very easy to keep clean. Her kitchen would look choppy with a tile backsplash and it looks really good having the continuous granite on the counter and the backsplash.

dancingqueen

Wed, Aug 02 2017, 2:14 pm

My kitchen is similar to one of the posters here. I looked on houzz a lot and then went to a tile store with my decorator to make sure everything coordinated. I davka wanted a splash of color for the backsplash and love how it came out.

amother

Slateblue

Thu, Aug 03 2017, 8:36 am

amother wrote:

I really like this type of subway tile - textured inwards rather than flat or beveled gives it a nice twist.

Stunning kitchen!

amother

Cerise

Fri, Aug 25 2017, 10:09 am

amother wrote:

I like very much the tile and the grey grout. I am still trying to figure out how to buy the right quality. Does it have to be porcelein? What does textured mean? And how much should I expect to pay per tile?