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backsplash for above bathroom sink? need advice...

14 years ago

So I found a cool cabinet and sink from Ikea to replace my very ugly 60's sink. The problem is that the faucet for the sink is offset to the left and there is a built in toothbrush holder in the way. My tile guy says he can rip out the toothbrush holder and its partner in crime, the soap dish, plus all the tile around them, and replace those tiles with new tile, to create a type of backsplash with some sort of design, like a focal point above a range in a kitchen. He would be removing twelve tiles in a six by two array, beginning with the tile to the right of the soap dish and ending with the tile to the left of the toothbrush holder, plus the same row below. My question for you all is do you think this will look OK and, if so, what sort of tile or design would you suggest? He says to go with white to match the sink with maybe a tile with a white on white design. I think he is going to have to rip out the bullnose tiles above the offending tiles, so I will need to replace those as well. See pics below for the visual (I am holding up the faucet because it's not installed yet, obviously). Many thanks for any advice!

Existing sink:

New cabinet and sink:

Sink with faucet:

Comment (1)

calantha
14 years ago
I think it's going to be a challenge to make it look like a feature rather than a patch. I'd suggest being much bolder than a white on white design. Perhaps use something that ties in the beige with some other color(s) you want to bring into the room as an accent.

I'm giving a link to a site with some beautiful glass mosaics to inspire you. You can also play with their custom blend builder to see what color combinations you like. For example, on the "Subway 1x3 inch blends" page, check out Amazon and Urban Camo 10. On the Bijou 2 Inch glass page, I love the Retro Turquoise with Caramel, and also the Urban Mix 10.

If he has to rip out the bullnose above those 12 tiles, that's going to be even more of a challenge. For one thing, the bullnose is offset from the field tile, so I don't know how he's going to do it cleanly above the tile to the left of the toothbrush holder. And you'll need to rely on his skill to not damage the tiles on the perpendicular wall. Also, it looks like you'll need a radius bullnose, and not all tile lines include that shape. You could ask him to suggest specific lines of tile that would work for that bullnose, and see if any of them please you.

Bill V. can chime in here, but I *think* it's the shape that American Olean calls A4200. You can see it in their "Matte" line and their "Bright" line.

Hope this helps....

Here is a link that might be useful: Blends
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