pondering combo of ceramic subway & marble
Comments (14)
Bunny
10 years agoRelated Discussions
If marble subway backsplash tile, will honed stain too easily?
Comments (9)Cali - I think the tumbled marble is a different story though isn't it? It seems like such a different product to me somehow! bostonpam - I know...it's a risk. But it's the marble countertop that I'd (for me) be most concerned w/ my family destroying. Backsplash gets splattered now and again for sure (especially considering our countertops aren't very deep) but on white marble I imagine I'd see it/notice it often enough to keep it mostly regularly cleaned up. Also, I was wondering if worst-case scenario it couldn't be sanded up or bleach-stained in a certain spot. I'm sure the answer is "ack - no!" but I'd probably go for it if nothing else worked. ;) We'll only be putting in marble (honed or satin I guess) backsplash if we do the countertop in stainless. I think that combo is so darn pretty. Thanks!...See MoreSubway tile--too trendy ??
Comments (46)The potential "problem" here is the word "timeless" because it raises certain expectations that will not be met. Sure subway tile as a Restoration Product was available *somewhere* as a relatively expensive, custom ordered product. So were stone countertops always available. But in the scheme of things virtually Nobody was installing them--and in the case of subway tile, nowhere but a restoration-type or period-specific project. Timeless is different than classic, and timeless means that you really wouldn't be able to identify when something was from, when it was done--and that's near impossible to achieve. Look at the kitchen materials that *are* timeless in the sense that since the modern kitchen came on the scene, they have been readily available. White appliances. Some kind of vaguely abstract-patterned, plain colored phenolic material for countertop surfaces (laminate). Shiny chrome fixtures (which replaced shiny nickel fixtures). Partial overlay cabinet doors. (And in general, shiny brass doorknobs). These are the materials that a lot of GWers are turning their noses up at, right now, and yet they are clearly "timeless" because they have been available in every decade of the modern kitchen's existence as soon as the material itself was introduced....See MoreWhat do you think of slate subway backsplash in my kitchen?
Comments (72)Thanks for the clarification, Steff. I agree the green granite goes better with the autumn colors above. I think I just wanted to make the green granite go with it, because I like it, and because it took several beatings pretty well. But, I like the most recent backsplash better that the green granite, so I just have to find a more suitable counter. Regarding the honed absolute, it seems many others on this website say the same thing. Wonder about any other honed granites that might go well with the backsplash and not have such maintanence issues. Before I settle on the caesarstone, I do want to explore (exhaust?) the options. I saw today (here I go again), in a high end house basement laundry room, a gray concrete counter and sink that I believe would go well. However, I've read about cracking and scratching. Almost done with this particular decision... Thanks everybody....See MoreHelp, my marble tile floor doesn't match my marble slab countertops.
Comments (105)Renee you must be overwhelmed with all of these comments. Your countertops are GORGEOUS, so I do hope you keep them. Sophie's suggestion to stain the floors is well worth looking into. For what it is worth my suggestion for your backsplash is to go with a simple solid tile in a lighter color that coordinates with the countertop. I would suggest you not go too small with the tile- 3x6 to 4x12 would be a good size to stick with. You want to avoid too much movement in the backsplash as the counter (and the floor) have quite a bit of movement and you do not want them competing. Let the countertop be the star of the show. Good luck and let us know how it all ends up for you....See More
elljays
10 years ago
enduring
10 years agomelissastar
10 years agoenduring
10 years agoWhat I would do is look at layouts that you like, draw some layouts up, get samples from nearby suppliers, and lay them out on your floor and see what you like. Thats how I came up with my layout, though it is rather typical.
The marble is thicker than the ceramic field tile, so the pencil helped make that transition. I had to build the pencil out a little too, because I wanted the marble and the face of the pencil to be on the same plane. The pencil I have is the same shape as the bottom of the chair rail and the top of the base board tile. It is hard to see in the pictures because there isn't much of a shadow to help it stand out.
Yes, I made the sink, the backsplash/counter, and nearby counter at the tub. These were remnant pieces that where limited in size. It was a very soft and dramatic stone. I have it sanded to a fairly rough texture and I love it. It never shows any scratches but it scratches easily. Here is a picture of the room overall:
Bunny
10 years agoleela4
10 years agoenduring
10 years agoMelissastar, how is it coming. Here are examples of how I drew my schemes up in Adobe Illustrator. It was time consuming but I enjoyed the process. The ultimate size for my installed design was what I could get that I liked. I bought my tile local and I am glad I did because I got to see what I was getting. There have been some posters here that have ordered online and their marble looks different from the sample they reviewed. I don't know what percent of GWebers have had this problem but too many for me to feel comfortable.
I used a marble mosaic in 2x4" size pieces, but I cut the mosaic apart to install the running bond because I couldn't get the 12x12 mass to work for me in a consistant manner. I did all my tile work, and I'm a novice. There are some areas that are not perfect, but I don't take pictures of those :)
Leela4, I think the grit was around 120 or maybe even as course as 80. But the color is spectacular on this stone. I have another, harder soapstone that looks like a block of cement when rough - not pretty at all.
This counter is the same stone as the sink and it is 2 strips epoxied together down the long side because all my pieces except for the sink bottom where about 11" wide.
leela4
10 years ago
Nancy in Mich
10 years agomelissastar
10 years agoenduring
10 years agoMags438
10 years ago
enduring