Need help finding a non-white backsplash for a White kitchen
I'm struggling a bit deciding on the backsplash for our white kitchen. We do not want a white or gray backsplash (even though they are beautiful). The kitchen needs to work with the family room decor and colors, and we want something a little warmer.
I'm having trouble finding other inspiration from white kitchens that aren't all white/gray.
Parameters:
- Counters: Millenium Cream Granite. (pic below)
- The cabinets are SW Extra White, which is fairly pure and bright.
- Polished chrome hardware and lights, stainless steel appliances
- The paint color is not decided but it needs to work in the family room also. We like Behr's Riveria Beach in the family room, but it might be too dark in the kitchen, so I'm trying to find a similar color that is a little lighter.
- We will be tiling a somewhat large area that will hold the hood and does not have upper cabinets. This wall will probably be a focal point with the hood surrounded with the tile wall.
- We are not sure where to put the tiles yet on our window wall. That is probably a whole other discussion! Regardless, we will probably tiling at least 65sf. I'd like to keep the cost around $1000 ($15/sf) but if we found something we loved, we would spend more.
Current contenders:
- I like the Fireclay Foundations (their cheapest tiles) Gardenia, but my SO wants glass tiles. I've been making most of the final decisions, so I'd like to give him his say here, since he really seems to care. I like some of the more expensive Fireclay tiles more, but that could make the project twice as expensive. If we spent that much, we both need to love the tile.
- A tan glass tile. We found some light tans at Tilebar.com that seem to work with the granite sample piece that we have.
I've been trying to find inspiration photos to show him how nice non-glass tiles would look, but I haven't found good examples in white kitchens, that are not subway or gray marble tiles.
Granite:
Family room wall (far from kitchen, but it is all open) which will have same paint color. (The paint will be next to this wall, not on it!)
Sample glass tile and sample fireclay tile with the paint color, granite and sample door. I'm not sure the colors are coming through great in this picture. The tan tile is looking a little more green than it does in person on my monitor.
If any one has any comments, suggestions for alternative tiles I might consider, inspiration photos of kitchens with non-white tiles, etc, I am open to anything right now.
Comments (9)
eam44
7 years agolast modified: 7 years agoBy non-white do you mean cream? Fireclay Tile in Tusk is shown below from their website. It is a beautiful tile irl, with slightly less of a yellow undertone than Gardenia. And speaking of yellow...."warm" doesn't mean add yellow, and your brick and stone are actually pretty cool reds.
Have you any experience in tiling with glass? If not, is there any way you can convince him to practice first? It's a wretched material for first timers. That and the price of the diamond tile blade you will need for the installation should get him to reconsider (as you might want to, the paint color; it's way too....yellow).
Lisa thanked eam44Related Discussions
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midwest gal
7 years agoI saw an alyse Edwards wall tile similar to this at a tile store yesterday, it really beautiful.
Alyse Edwards Collection Suave Series · More InfoLisa thanked midwest galLisa
7 years ago@eam44 I want something with some contrast to the cabinets, and the Tusk doesn't have enough for me. The Gardenia is a bare minimum of contrast that I want. I actually really like the Shetland wool color with the granite and cabinets, and it picks up the mortar color from the brick wall. BUT it doesn't have much contrast with stainless steel and the biggest expanse of tile will be on the wall with a 42" hood, and I feel like the hood will be hidden.
Color order: Oyster Shell, Shetland Wool, French Linen, Gardenia, Tusk
When I said warmer, I was just thinking that the bright white with the stainless steel and chrome could feel a little sterile. I was not thinking of color exactly.
Thanks for the comment about tiling with glass. That is good to know. He has experience tiling, but not with glass. I'm not sure it will help me convince him to consider other materials. He seems to be very set on the glass.Lisa
7 years agoeam44
7 years agoMy first project with glass tile involved my removing two columns of mortared mosaic glass squares because I didn't like the angle of my tile cuts. In the process of pulling it down I cut myself (no big surprise). What was a bit of a surprise was the surgery I needed two months later to remove a shard of glass lodged on the tendon of the middle finger of my right hand. It could have severed that tendon at any time, which would, of course, have been disastrous.
He needs a wet saw, a diamond blade for it, personal protective equipment (I wore goggles, boots, gloves, but my gloves weren't leather) and health insurance!
Regarding the tile, seeing all the samples together, Tusk has the right undertones, and would be my choice. You can choose anything you like, of course, but I don't think Gardenia is the right one.
I am partial to the glazed thin brick and show it below in Alcatraz and Glacier. I totally get it if you feel you already have enough brick! But this may be a better color family for you.
Lisa thanked eam44Lisa
7 years agolast modified: 7 years ago
mark_rachel