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)
8 years agolast modified: 8 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
White Quartzite is in (photos)! need help w/ backsplash
Comments (40)jdknyc, this may be too late to help you, but I'll post it anyway in case you are still looking or someone else wants a darker BS to use with white quartzite. My designer recently recommended Nine Lives from the Crossville Color by Numbers collection. It is a medium-dark gray with bluish tones, and the sample we have really worked with the dark vein colors in the slabs we held it up to. I am not sure if we will use it since I pictured a lighter BS next to our walnut uppers. I think the Nine Lives would look great with your white cabinets and white quartzite. It costs under $4 sq ft (at least with my designer's discount). Here is a link that might be useful: 9 Lives...See MoreFinished White Kitchen -- need help with backsplash PLEASE!
Comments (32)I agree about the subways. They give such a simple sophisticated look without detracting from your granite and other design elements. I have a similar color schemed kitchen and DH and I went back and forth about our backsplash. Finally, decided to go with the matching subways (to our cream cabinets) and we LOVE them! Behind our range top we chose to set them vertically and we love how it gives it just a slight twist or custom feel. Anyways, I will post some pics of mine today or tomorrow to show you. Perhaps, you can show him pics of people with coordinating subways to change his mind. That's what I did!...See Morewhite kitchen backsplash help
Comments (3)I'm a little skeptical of the stained glass tile, not b/c of the shape but b/c of the color. Yes, it does look really yellow in the picture but even if it is more green, does that green go and flow with the rest of your house and the rest of your kitchen? I agree you can do something with more punch than ubiquitous white subway tile but I would stay away from something that will totally dominant and dictate what colors you can decorate and accent with. Again though, I have no idea what that stained glass color actually looks like in real life. And if you love it, go for it. It just seems like you have a more mellow, calmer color scheme going in the rest of the house. What about something like this: [[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/roanoke-4-square-victorian-kitchen-seattle-phvw-vp~73049) [traditional kitchen design[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/traditional-kitchen-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_709~s_2107) by seattle general contractor Sarah Henry [[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/white-kitchen-marble-countertop-sub-zero-wood-countertop-traditional-kitchen-new-york-phvw-vp~60871) [traditional kitchen design[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/traditional-kitchen-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_709~s_2107) by new york kitchen and bath Susan Serra, CKD [[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/modern-bungalow-contemporary-kitchen-birmingham-phvw-vp~214178) [modern kitchen design[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/modern-kitchen-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_709~s_2105) by birmingham general contractor Structures, Inc. Like this but maybe in 'your' color - whatever that may be: [[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/pretty-kitchen-with-blue-backsplash-kitchen-phvw-vp~99176) [kitchen design[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/kitchen-ideas-phbr0-bp~t_709) And maybe the green stain glass is like this. [[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/5-star-green-bungalow-traditional-kitchen-austin-phvw-vp~91599) [traditional kitchen design[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/traditional-kitchen-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_709~s_2107) by austin general contractor Redbud Custom Homes [[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/san-jose-res-2-traditional-kitchen-san-francisco-phvw-vp~45349) [traditional spaces design[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/traditional-home-design-ideas-phbr1-bp~s_2107) by san francisco interior designer Fiorella Design Another angle: [[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/san-jose-res-2-traditional-kitchen-san-francisco-phvw-vp~45350) [traditional spaces design[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/traditional-home-design-ideas-phbr1-bp~s_2107) by san francisco interior designer Fiorella Design [[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/mascheroni-construction-traditional-kitchen-san-francisco-phvw-vp~92057) [traditional kitchen design[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/traditional-kitchen-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_709~s_2107) by san francisco general contractor Mascheroni Construction I realized I pulled mostly teal ones and I think that is b/c your grey island kind of looks teal in the photo so I guess I was going off that....See Morealmost finished white kitchen, wood counters-need backsplash help
Comments (27)oh, momo...now I have google ann sacks and found those tiles...I JUST LOVE THEM. $83 per square foot, eh? Ay yi yi! I also found other tiles there that I love. Part of me almost wants to go nuts and ethnic and busy, since the rest of my kitchen is so simple. I am just afraid I will tire of it. Like this... (not this exactly, I just mean a busy, ethnic pattern. Kind of looks 70s to me, also.) cherry-Yes, we addressed the torso issue already! Yet another reason I want the mirror antiqued, and also not flat panes but rather tiles, so the "cuts" will break up the view a bit! I know what you mean, some of these threads get so long and I want to give my 2 cents but I just *know* one of my comments has probably already been made, but I say it anyway. Thanks for the input. You are not the only one with the opinion that with so much stainless and "coolness" I should go with warmth/color/texture. The things is...I see so many finished white kitchens similar to mine that have white tile as a BS, and I like them. I also like those pics that momo posted in her link, and they are white, with SS appliances, and mirrored BS and I think they look good. Well, I am torn and DH really wants me to make a decision so he can install. He wants the tile/color/texture look. I will keep you guys updated! Thanks so much!...See MoreRelated Professionals
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8 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 gal- 8 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. - 8 years ago
- 8 years ago
My 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 eam44 - 8 years agolast modified: 8 years ago
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