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Inexpensive tile backsplash ideas?

16 years ago

I signed a contract with my GC today! Our kitchen remodel will start 3/31!!!

We discussed not having a backsplash and he didn't think it was a good idea. I love glass tiles but they are so expensive. Is there a more reasonably priced tile backsplash out there that you recommend? Is there a great place online to get good prices?

Please show me your backsplash and tell me how much it was per foot for the tiles if you know. I need ideas!

Thanks,

Amy

Comments (7)

sue36
16 years ago
Daltile Rittenhouse Square is about $2 per sf, uninstalled. Several people on here have used it.
meg711
16 years ago
You can combine the Daltile subways with glass tile accents. We added our glass accent tiles randomly but others have added glass tiles in a straight line or at certain intervals. It will all depend on your layout, where the outlets and light switches are, etc., and how expensive the glass tiles are. Look through the finished kitchen blog and the backsplash slideshow. There are wonderful ideas and beautiful kitchens there.
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My thought was to essentially use the Heath tile as a field tile. The wall of green is my concern as well. I am not sure if I am going for strong statement presence for any tile. All the colors are fairly intense and my thought is that they will balance out so that no one color will shout out "look at me". I want the vintage tile to be there and have a presence but not necessarily shout. Also as my kitchen is a longish galley, there is really no perspective where someone sees the vintage tile straight on unless they are cooking or standing in the landing area. I will try to take a couple of perspective shots and post it. On using other 4x4s or cream or white tiles as field tiles. I have gone to fireclay multiple times as their tile time is similar to stonelight but nothing has really clicked. I am not able to picture the pencil liner around the vintage tile picture frame and the continung elsewhere idea. Robotropolis - Negative space for eye to rest --> I think I sort of get it but not sure how to achieve it :) Hopefully the wise ones in this forum will guide me and prevent me from going astray. Localeater - you are right. I do want to use the vintage tile as that has been the inspiration from the beginning and it is the tie in to the hood. Mabel - I specified the colrs based on the BM color sample sheets, The cabinet guys mixed it in the lacquer they use for spraying. I will recheck but the issue maybe the light when I took the photos. It was late evening on a cloudy day with only my splash.
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Hi Katie, Demo starts tomorrow, so no pics on progress yet, but I'll post when I have some. I'm working a little bit with a KD, and doing the rest myself with cabinetmaker. KD suggested open shelving like in the inspiration pic (but in stainless, specifically). I think it would stress me out though, lol! Having all of my bottles and stuff right out there (the range area is the focal point to basically my whole downstairs living area). My pantry rarely looks fabulous, and I'd be moving the pantry out into the open. So, I think we'll be making the vertical column things on either side of the mantel style range area into pull-out shelves for sheet pans, spices, small bottles, etc. I considered the open shelving with a pretty display of white bowls and dishes, but then I'd lose the storage space for the stuff I really need at my fingertips. Feel free to email me, too, if you want to exchange more ideas. It's a fun process!
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I liked the pressed tin backsplash. Looked practical too. I agree that some of those backsplashes were far from practical; the river stone being #1 on that list. In the room where you're guaranteed to make messes, why would anyone opt for something so high maintenance? Of course, I have a relative who has REAL river rock /slate in his entryway and kitchen; he dragged them out of the riverbed himself and installed them. They're dark and gorgeous, but they're not completely flat. I always wonder how hard it must be to sweep those floors. I also agree that tile's the way to go -- whether it's considered in style or not. It can be had for a reasonable price, comes in a wide variety of colors and styles, and is infinitely washable.
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Are 3d tiles a bad idea for a kithcen backsplash?
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Your backsplash will be a focal point in your kitchen, in the sense that it will be on a vertical surface that will be more visible than the countertop. But you will want to ensure that everything works together as a whole, so that one element does not "fight" any of the others for attention. The items that are fixed choices (for you, it sounds as if those would be your cabinets and countertop) will determine the appearance of the others (your backsplash and wall color). How they all might go together and complement each other is easier to see after your fixed choices are installed. Good to shop now, but there’s no substitute to sitting tile samples on the counter to see how they look with counters and cabinets at different times of the day and in different kinds of light. We have a similar color scheme - white quartzite counters with black veining and bright white cabinets. We're in the process of choosing a backsplash that will be beautiful and special but not so much so that it competes with the countertop for attention. And you might be surprised by how challenging it is to find a white that "goes" with other white elements in your kitchen! Also, for your outlets, you might consider plug mold installed under and at the back of the upper cabinets. Got that idea from Gardenweb - we love ours - multiple outlets just where we need them, and out of sight! Our backsplash will be interrupted by only two switchplates. Just remember that if you have an electrical device that lives on your counter, the cord may show (unless that device is tall enough - like our coffeemaker - to hide the cord). As for 3D tile - I would avoid it in the kitchen. Even if the type of cooking you do doesn’t produce a lot of grease or splatter, the 3D tile will provide more surfaces on which dust will settle. You can provide plenty of backsplash interest with a beautiful glaze or pattern.
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bill_vincent
16 years ago
This backsplash was made from plain stock white 1.50 a foot 4 1/4" tiles with dots cut from 4 1/4" blue tiles. You won't have something that's amazing, but at the same time, it DOES look nice:

One other thought-- I disagree with your GC. The backsplash is the one thing you can wait on, if you wish. So long as it's painted and the joint between the countertop and wall caulked, you're fine. Just as an example, that house pictured above was four years old when I installed that.
snagd
16 years ago
I have seen some beautiful backsplashes with only 4x4 tiles set diamond style. You can use a tumbled tile for a softer look. If you lose all the border tiles, its more affordable, and pretty timeless IMHO!
abbycat9990
16 years ago
I would say that you SHOULD wait on it. Get those cabinets and counter top in, consider your wall color options and then settle on a tile. Or, at least, I wish I had done that!

I like our tile, and we chose it for good reasons (blend with nearby brick chimney wall), but our assumptions about how well it would blend with the cabinets were off. Problem? Ordered tile (online) before cabinets arrived. Until they were installed, it wasn't clear that the ivory tones of the tile would not work well with the red tones of the maple. We agonized over wall colors until finally settling on BM (Aura) Masada:

Here is a link that might be useful: Modwalls.com
rosie
16 years ago
There's a gorgeous kitchen on the finished kitchens blog with a backsplash of 4x4 Home Depot (I think) caramel and black ceramic tile set diagonally. Looks fantastic. If you're not into checkerboard, one color of low-end 4x4s in a favorite color set diagonally or in alternating running bond (like subway) would also look extremely nice and not just like everyone else's these days.
User
16 years ago
I've been trying to search through and just cannot find it BUT there were some very nice, simple backsplashes posted. One in particular had just plain white ceramic tiles, I believe set on a diagonal ubt not even sure of that, with the really nice trim (I dont know the terminology sorry) curved tiles at the bottom and maybe a few decor tiles interspersed a little bit. It struck me how simple yet really special looking it was. Of course now I cannot rememember anythign else about it except I did comment on it and whoever it was, reiterated that it was just plain standard tiles.
I am sorry I cannot dig it up (for selfish reasons too- I w ould love to see it again because it erally made an impression.)
Maybe someone has a clue as to what I am thinking of? I surely don't.

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