What Backsplash Options Work Best?

12 years ago

Hi there, I am planning on installing my backsplash tile soon and I would welcome critiques of the options I have listed below. The sizes represented are not necessarily the size I will use. I have not planned on anything larger than a typical 3x6 subway tile, but I am open to suggestions/ideas.

I have included one view of my nearly completed, very small, kitchen to help describe the space and style. The cabinets are cherry with a very light stain and a "coffee" glaze that hangs up in the nooks and crannies. The counter tops are soapstone, black when oiled with whitish veins. At least one vein has a strong camel color similar to the cabinets.

My New Kitchen, 7'x12' with 4 doorways! Not a lot of wall space left.

Option 1, Lansdale Carrara marble from The Tile Shop. Creamy with golds. No veining, slight mottling.

Option 2, Glass clear white subway tile.

Option 3, Cream or off white cracked glaze shiny ceramic tile. Rather large for my purposes I believe. I like this color and texture, very nice.

Option 4, Standard sized subway tile, matte off white, from The Tile Shop. I like this one too.

Option 5, Glossy off white ceramic tile. Not bad but I like others better.

Option 6, San Dona marble from The Tile Shop. They didn't have the smaller subway tile in stock so I tried this large tile for color. It is kind of nice. May be too white.

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Comments (12)

breezygirl
12 years ago
It's hard to tell options 3-6 apart from each other besides the sizes. Without being able to see the textures and finishes, I like 4. 3 is nice too.

Are you going to tile up to the uppers? And the entire wall behind the range?
enduring
Original Author
12 years ago
Thanks for your input Breezygirl. You're up late!

I will tile the entire back wall below the upper cabinets. Eventually a small SS23ew2 Vent-a-Hood will go above the stove. The hood will be 6" deep in front but it slopes to 9" deep in the back. I believe it is so the hood can house the full sized fan that is used on the larger hoods. I plan on putting the hood over the tile.

3-5 options are really the same off white color but #3 is crackle glazed, #4 a matte, and #5 is shiny. Option 6 is a white crystally marble that has a bit of dingy gray cast to it. Option 4 is a favorite of mine. 3 is lovely but it only comes in the 4x8 size and I don't know, it may look odd.

My door casing will be reused and painted the same color as the walls, BM Titanium, a very light greenish gray.
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I can see why it might be advisable to remove the left/rt portions of tile, but I would be inclined to wait until ithe kitchen is completed before deciding. If, as your gut tells you, it "needs" to come down, nothing is really lost except a little more time with it up. Perhaps knowing you are not "locked-in" or committed to it, will help give the perspective to view it more objectively while deciding for sure. This way you will not only have the chance to see it with everything else in place, but you will also have the opportunity to get used to it, before deciding if you truly dislike it, or just haven't gotten used to it being there. As subtle (in color) as our tile is, after months of looking at white painted Sheetrock, it still looked "different" and stood out when we looked at our kitchen. Once we became accustomed to it, we couldn't imagine our walls without it. That's how I am with many things--after living with a blank wall or empty space for any period of time, even a long awaited piece of furniture or decor item jumps out at me, and almost seems like too much, until I get used to the vacant space being filled. Thanks for the compliments on our backsplash Laura and andreak100! It's the Opera Glass tile from Artistic Tile (Stilatto pattern) in Wolfgang White. It does read greenish-blue(-grey) in certain lights or times of day. We had to think about that one while deciding if we wanted to use it, and obviously decided to go for it! Good luck Laura! Honestly, whatever you decide will look terrific!
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yep that's my kitchen. Sorry it's not in your budget, but gpraceman does have a good idea about granite tiles. I have seen these used in place of granite slabs for the counter, when a budget dictated it. "To Me", they did not look that bad. I had to redo the area of the granite where the cook top is, due to a bad choice I made about cooktops, a 36" semi-circle Caldera. It died in about a year and the company went broke, so I had to replace it with a rectangular induction cooktop, Hence the granite rework. Well I could find Granite remnants (Arandis Gold) for next to nothing, (I paid about $75 for a little less than a half slab. So you may be able to do that too, and then have it cut to sizes you want for the tile, myself, the bigger the better, and the less grout lines. Thanks for your kind words about my kitchen, it is pretty unique, and as we tell folks here, Do what makes you happy, after all, it's your kitchen. For those of you that do like tiles and grout, that's great, as long as it's what you want, and you're not following others or doing what you "Think", might help sell the house later. Gary
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I'm not sure how I came across this post, I think it was displayed on the right side and I clicked on it being intrigued by the tile making. I was at one time interested in working with papercrete and hypertufa. But after enlisting my brother, who wasn't as enthusiastic, and my niece, who poured cement down my laundry room sink, which original to the house had lasted 70 years, and ruining three blenders, my interest waned. True to form, if I come upon difficulty in a project, I think of it as a sign for me not to continue. And really, after all these years of trying various crafts that result in crap, I should know better. I also should have known better than to ask my brother, who always says it can't be done to any of my unique design ideas. And I should have known better than to ask my niece, who once stayed up all night before having to drive to LA for an art show, cutting mat after mat after measuring once, twice, sometimes ten times, but always coming out with the wrong size. I think we both have math dyslexia. I should video us trying anything crafty to see where we go wrong. I think both of us having ADHD might have something to do with it. Sorry for the backstory and run on sentences. So, I just wanted to see if you continued with your venture. And to say sorry for whatever tragedy occurred to cause you to have to move to Florida. Not that there is anything wrong with Florida, but it isn't Panama. Which is one of my favorite places in the western hemisphere. I hope no one is upset that I brought up a seven year old post.
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breezygirl
12 years ago
Hi again. I'm west coast, plus I'm a night owl. ;)

I meant to add earlier that your kitchen thus far looks lovely. A room that size with all those doors must be a challenge. The soapstone swirls near the range are outstanding! I like the marble subways in option 1, but I feel they distract from that ss that should take center stage.

The textures and finishes aren't reading on your pics from the distance and angle of the camera. I can't wait to see more pics when it's all done!
remodelfla
12 years ago
All the whites look fine but I can't really discern between them online. I do like the glass because... well... I like glass plus I think the glass will play nicely off the color of the walls.
francoise47
12 years ago
I like like the classic look of #4 in your kitchen best. 3" x 6" subway tile is going to look classic for a long time. I also like #3. I love your soapstone!
mrshanson1
12 years ago
I also like 3 and 4. I definitely would not go with 2. That's my two cents.
bigjim24
12 years ago
I love your ss! I like #3 best but #4 runs a close second. I can't tell from the pics but what color is your wall?
enduring
Original Author
12 years ago
Hi, thanks for your feedback. I have added a few more pictures of option #s 2, 3, & 4.

Option 2

option 3

option 4

Breezygirl, I too like the marble but I don't want to make it too busy. I was hoping that there might be support for that little mosaic, but this input really helps.

Remodelfla, I love the look of the frosted glass example I have, it almost perfectly matches my wall color which is very light greenish gray. I am thinking that it is too contemporary, but I could be just holding back!

Francoise47, I am striving for timelessness in this kitchen. This remodel has been a long time coming and will be a long time til the next. Option #4 is a favorite of mine because of the subtle style.

And MrsHanson I really appreciate your take on #2, can you tell me more about why you would not go with #2?

CeltinNE thanks for your comment, the soapstone is something I have wanted for 10 years ever since I first saw it in a nice causal restaurant in Ames, Iowa. I recently asked one of the owners how it has held up. He is very happy with it. He would not use it in the restroom lavatory sinks again, they have streaked. Theirs was out of a Vermont company and it is soft. They have it installed in the restrooms as sink and counter, at the bar counter and behind the bar, and at the coffee bar area both the customer bar and behind the bar. They keep it oiled. Oh, and the color of my paint is BenMoore "Titanium" a very light gray green. Looks great in my north facing room.
cat_mom
12 years ago
1 or 4 would be my vote. I love glass tile (!) but don't know if it would be my first choice in your kitchen (though it would certainly look fine there--I just like the other two choices you showed better).
drdannie
12 years ago
I have to say I like #1 the best. IMO, I don't think there's so much going on that it distracts from the counters and I like just the touch of gold color and I think it will give you that timeless quality you're looking for. If you don't go with the marble, I think a matte finish would be better than shiny.
enduring
Original Author
12 years ago
Hi, thanks for your feedback. I have added a few more pictures of option #s 2, 3, & 4.

Option 2

option 3

option 4

Breezygirl, I too like the marble but I don't want to make it too busy. I was hoping that there might be support for that little mosaic, but this input really helps.

Remodelfla, I love the look of the frosted glass example I have, it almost perfectly matches my wall color which is very light greenish gray. I am thinking that it is too contemporary, but I could be just holding back!

Francoise47, I am striving for timelessness in this kitchen. This remodel has been a long time coming and will be a long time til the next. Option #4 is a favorite of mine because of the subtle style.

And MrsHanson I really appreciate your take on #2, can you tell me more about why you would not go with #2?

CeltinNE thanks for your comment, the soapstone is something I have wanted for 10 years ever since I first saw it in a nice causal restaurant in Ames, Iowa. I recently asked one of the owners how it has held up. He is very happy with it. He would not use it in the restroom lavatory sinks again, they have streaked. Theirs was out of a Vermont company and it is soft. They have it installed in the restrooms as sink and counter, at the bar counter and behind the bar, and at the coffee bar area both the customer bar and behind the bar. They keep it oiled. Oh, and the color of my paint is BenMoore "Titanium" a very light gray green. Looks great in my north facing room.
enduring
Original Author
12 years ago
I don't know how that duplicate post got posted; by me? Sorry for that.

cat_mom, I think I am with you either #1 or #4.

drdannie, I like the natural stone quality of the marble. I think that if a ceramic or glass tile cracked on the wall it would drive me nuts, yet if the stone got a crack I would think,"thats ok, it looks natural"

I have another area, about the same size as the stove wall, with the sink & DW. It will get BS too. I will tile the entire area under the wall cabinets. Old wood trim will be painted the same color as the walls.

Sink wall

What Backsplash Options Work Best?

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