White or off white subway tile. It is classic, basic and I see that color in your counter. Buy some at HD or Lowe's and just place it up without grout. The BB stores, especially HD, have lots of basic subway tile in many colors. HD also has tile with some variation of shades made by MSI that is very reasonable. They also have Jeffery court subway tile in many shades. You can buy a few boxes , about 5.-8 per square foot and put it up without the grout and see how it looks with the counter and cabinets without the investment of install and return whatever does not work in the space. Backsplash seems to be one thing most people struggle with a great deal. There are several people who have actually had tile professionally installed and did not like it so had it pulled down and redone.

Personally, I think you could have done a better job than the tile installer you hired did for you.

Did Justin intimidate you into paying him? I'm pretty sure my 3 year old granddaughter could do better, although you might not want to tell Justin that to his face.

Moving on. Can you take a photo from further back so we can see what the kitchen looks like overall? I'm thinking you'll want a different kind of tile altogether to best complement your granite and cabinets. What's on the floor?

Oh boy wow - amazing actually. Did this so called professional guy tile with his eyes closed or drunk? That is incredible. What a mess! So sorry you have to go through this but better now than later to get something that you'll like much better. If this was just done today I would immediately start removing it before it starts to dry.

Oh my, I think I would do a better job, and I refuse to tile!

Can you post a pic from further back so we can see the whole thing? Looks like with that current tile that it would be one wall of golden beige. Break it up a little!

He wanted to fight physically?

I have the sheriff on speed-dial.

I want to know what you did about the big guy.

On nextdoor.com, a law enforcement rep is just a pm away. I might ask them how to handle big guy. Or BBB.

More important than the tile job: It's time for a restraining order.

Then go to small claims court.

Susanne, I was going to say that my 4-year old niece could do better. Perhaps she and your granddaughter could go into business together? They really could do as well as the tile in this picture!

That has got to be the worst tiling job I have ever seen, and I'm not exaggerating. I am so so sorry Mark. I cannot believe he threatened to assault you if you didn't pay for such a hack job. That's terrible.

But at least now you can pick something more calm like you said. You also need something that is not all the same color tone as the cabinets and granite. I would do something much lighter. Maybe a solid cream colored ceramic? I saw an Allen and Roth ceramic tile at Lowes that might work. I think the color was called Fawn.

Oh my - now that IS a kitchen horror story! I do think the upside is a better tile. with the darker cabs and countertop I would definitely go lighter - probably off-white given the coloration of the countertop.

I think my dog could have done better with a little training.

Make sure to keep any documentation from him and take lots of photos. Best to have it in case he tries to file suit. What a hack job!!

With any luck he used peanut butter and not mastic. He probably couldn't tell the difference anyway

i think you win for the worst tile job ever

I took some pictures of the kitchen.

This is what it looks like from the living room

This is a bit closer

It is a one bedroom condo so The kitchen is compact.

As to the situation with contructor, I am known to get my-self into troubles. I have enough stories to get me through major renovation project. For example, at one point a gang waged a war against me alone. I so far have always had lots of luck on my side. Plus these gangsters were pretty bad at their line of work.

In short, I have some experience dealing with threats from bigger guys. I don't claim to know the best strategy, but I have some tricks that always work for me.

If another person is stronger and faster and is determined to physically harm you it is possible that there is nothing that you will be able to do to stop him. And then it is important to understand that it is not the end of the world to be beaten. Everything will heal over time. In most situations though other people do not set goal to assault you, but instead they have problems controlling their emotions. If that is the case then they can be helped as long as you keep your cool.

Get bigger tiles?

You shouldn't tile the side walls. That's old school. If you use subway tile, I'd just run a single row of it from behind the sink to the side wall since the sink is so close to the wall.

Agree with mayflowers and nosoccermom. Thats a lot of tile going on there, it would make me feel claustrophobic. Less tiled areas with a larger tile and lighter color will look so much nicer.

I'd have taken his car keys--it's obvious he was under the influence. Anyone else notice the 'decorative stripe' on the range wall and side wall, where the guy missed the offset completely?

I agree, the side walls look like the tiles just come to an abrupt stop. Likely best just to paint those walls.

If you are at all handy, you could rent a tile saw from Home Depot or somewhere and likely do a decent job yourself. DH and I have done a number of DIY tile jobs and they look great. Just find out the proper procedure and get the necessary tools. Depending which tiles you choose, it is really important to plan the layout in advance, taking the spacing for grout lines into consideration. A small area of wall tiles should be manageable. But make sure you don't arrive at corners and end of walls with difficult tiny pieces.

mama g yes I did notice, I looked at these photos so many times and just can believe what I am seeing! I honestly cannot comprehend how someone can actually do something this bad!

" ... and invited someone who presented himself as professional tiler."

How did he present himself? Did he tell you "I can install tile," or does he actually have a contractor's license, a legitimate business, experience, etc. that can be verified? A professional, licensed contractor has to work within specific guidelines for their work to be acceptable. If you didn't hire a licensed contractor, you likely have no recourse. I could hire my brother-in-law to do my tile, but doubt I could sue him if the job wasn't up to professional standards. If he is a licensed contractor, you should file a complaint with the licensing board.

I am going to say it.. don't care. Call the cops and file charges. Don't care what gets picked....if you do not call the cops and file charges of him threatening you to pay with bodily harm, with THAT as proof of bad work, everything else is moot.

nosoccermom, this tile looks great! do you know what tile it is?

jellytoast, he had an ad on craigslist offering tiling. This is my first property so I didn't ask for contractor's license. I called 2 other people who had strong references, but they are so busy that they didn't even return calls. I was happy at a time that someone agreed to help.

Jancy, so far I haven't been good at picking this sort of stuff. can you recommend some particular models to me?

It seems like Justin's work is popular among Houzz crowd so I'm posting more pictures of his work and who knows? I might use this as evidence later in case pics from my phone are erased.

Justin explained to me that he uses competent tiles and charges fair rate of $75 an hours.

can $75 an hour get me straight tiles?

Russ, calling police was the first thing I did when he got out. Santa Clara,CA is where I live. I think we have good police overall. Unfortunately they are only there to enforce the law. I called them and their response was as follows: "this is a civil matter because you have business relationship. Contractor has right to demand being paid. Poor job quality is not a crime so police does not enforce high quality standards on handymen".

rebunky, is this the tile that you recommend?

I am stubborn, I'd have let him swing and hit me, then call the police....but that is just me.. I have been hit before.. lol.. I am married! :P

R

Poor tiling isn't a crime, but Justin's work comes pretty darn close. Threatening you with physical harm is a crime, but if he didn't follow through, it's pretty far down the severity list.

If you don't have anyone who can recommend a good professional tiler, I'd spend a few dollars and join Angie's List so you can at least get reviews on people's work. It's not foolproof -- I'm currently in a dispute with a plumber who had a very high rating on Angie's List -- but at least it's something. If you buy more than the "basic" AL membership, AL has a dispute resolution process if you have a problem.

Just when I was thinking it couldn't get any worse than what you first posted, now we see this! OMG incredible!

The other folks here are much better with tile names and brands than I but I would go to a tile place and get some lighter color samples - at least 3x6 or bigger and bring them home. Take some pictures with them in your house and post.

flamingfish, this is a good advice. Thanks. I also nee help picking tiles. What do you recommend?

I think a reputable tile store can help choose tiles and they possibly can refer you to a reputable tile setter.

I'm so sorry you are having to deal with this. After seeing the latest pictures, I'm sure my dog could do better, even without training.

Someone link the guy's profile on here so we all know to avoid this guy... even if he is not in our area. I'll let him come to my house and punch me!.. lol

@mark,

I have no idea what tile that is, but I just wanted to show a lighter tile. I wouldn't even get any different colors, just plain cream, off-white, gray.

Go to a tile store or Home Depot and get a bunch of samples. If you have a rest of the granite, you could take that to the store for starters.

What floor do you have?

So so I went to lowes and looking at these tiles. Let me know what you think

I am not telling you to do this, but if it were me I would go the other way with it. Then again not that many people are twice my size so maybe you shouldn't listen to me.

I would post the following all over facebook, Craigslist and anywhere else I could.

"I would like to commend Justin for a great tile job. Just look at the results I got and I paid only a fraction of what other installers charge. If you want results like this just call Justin."

Posting another pic

Are those glass tiles? Those can be fussy to use as well.

I still like the cream or off white colors, I think they would work better. Try home depot

I would look for a cream or off white also and skip the glass.

Well, your cabinets are kind of like the yellow/brown in the granite. I'd probably go with the most neutral, that is, off white, slightly yellowish creamy white tile possible.

The tiles you have there now look bluish or pinkish on my monitor.

Or go with some larger very light gray tiles.

WHAT DOES THE FLOOR LOOK LIKE? That will also determine the colors.

I personally don't think the cream or off-white will work with the cabinets. I think that a marble look tile that has beige tones in it will add some variation and look better with your cabinets.

I am stealing a picture from this old GW thread

This one is a honed marble I think but you can get the same effect for less money.

The beveled subway is your best choice so far. Don't get involved in trying to match undertones with other colors of tile. It's difficult even for people who have a good eye for color. Natural stone or imitation stone creates the problem of pink undertones clashing with the dominant gold tones of the granite, as you can see with your first choice of tile.

See, I disagree with Bry911. IMO, that marble tile adds a whole new player. It is busy with the variegated shades and at least on my monitor reads bluish/grayish (cool) which clashes with the more yellow (warm) of the cabinets and counter.

Agree with mayflowers re. the beveled tile, simple and sweet, but I'd probably try to go slightly larger format.

I like the cream colored beveled tile the best of the three. I'd still see if you can find a few more in the off white/cream color though. After what you have been through, might as well make very sure of the choice. Yes, please tell us what is your flooring color?

Also I would not tile the side walls. Maybe next to sink you can do a strip of 3-4" high plexiglass on the wall? I'd paint the wall in a matching light neutral color same as the tile.

Just a general note to the OP, I am not the most patient person, and it sounds like you were working with some time constraints, but I have learned to take my time with hiring people for home projects. You want a tile person who is "busy", not someone who can come do it right away. Best of luck with your projects,

Mark, how would you feel about doing the job yourself? A previous poster said the guy may have been "under the influence", which would not surprise me based on what I smell on some customers at Home Depot. This is one reason why I try to do so many jobs myself. It does take a lot of patience and time, but training is available. You can probably find a free class to go to, and there is youtube and other training online.

If you do it yourself and do not have a place to use a wet saw, this will impact your decision as to tile type. You'll want something that you can cut without a saw. You'll have to figure out how you'll hide the cut edges.

I bought a tile saw at harbor freight. (They have discounted tools, some good, some bad.) I haven't used it yet, but several of the reviews said to use it outside because it sprays water.

When I tiled years ago, I borrowed a tile cutter which does not require water. I did not need a saw for the tile I picked.

Just something to think about.

BTW, when I have contractors come into the house, I tend to watch them. Not 100% of the time, but I always know what they are doing and I tell them that I am there to learn. I ask questions, mostly technical. If they are not someone who likes to interact, they are not a good match for me. It has worked so far, for the most part. Not everyone does a perfect job, that would be a lot more expensive.

I disagree to an extent that availability, especially for a small project like this back splash, is an indication of inability or lack of skill to do the job. There are legit reasons why a subcontractor might be able to get to a job quickly, including last minute delays on other projects. There are also plenty of tile subcontractors who manage experienced crews of setters/helpers and are therefore able to take on multiple projects and fit in small jobs between larger ones.

In the OP's case, the "busy" contractors were too busy to even return his calls. But he didn't even ask "Justin" if he had a tile contractor's license, but based his decision solely on Justin's availability to start the job immediately. I've nothing against contractors advertising on Craigslist because a LOT of people look there, but in my area, Craigslist is full of unlicensed and unskilled people looking for work. I've even seen them advertise with a license number, but if you take the time to look it up, you'll find that it is not unheard of for them to flat out lie because their license is actually suspended or revoked. Or, the number doesn't exist or doesn't belong to them! And checking the license should only be the first step in checking their qualifications to do a job! There are legit contractors on Craigslist, but you have to sift through the rubble.

Spending the time picking out the perfect tile is pointless if you aren't going to spend at least equal time choosing someone knowledgeable to install it and being patient enough to be worked into their schedule if necessary. A decent tile setter can make even simple and inexpensive tile look nice.

May be just the lighting, but the tile on the right and bottom look pink to me.