I have used epoxy paint on glazed wall tile in a bathroom--the last time was 8 years ago and it still looks as if it was just painted. However, it would be a shame to cover those pretty glass tiles, and you'd need a steady hand to paint only the gray ones. I think I could get used to it, and if the house will be sold soon, the next owner might rip it out and change all the colors anyway. Good luck!

It's a re-do for sure. It looks nothing like what you laid out. What was the installer thinking? Really, how could he have put something in that was so different from what you laid out?

Having said that, I agree with the several people here who think your re-do needs to be 1 color or 2 colors, not 3. Even if he'd done it correctly, it would be too much going on in that backsplash. I am sorry, I sincerely apologize if I've hurt your feelings, but thought this might be an opportunity to have a backsplash easier on the eye in the long run.

I've looked at this several times to make SURE of how I feel about it and I don't like it. I Iike your pattern better but I join the camp that thinks a solid is best. You are not unreasonable for requesting a redo. Too bad nobody seems to have been around to catch this wrong layout b4 it went too far.

re-do.... it makes me dizzy... more importantly its not what u wanted-not what u show him. he should re-do on his dime

I really like the pattern that was installed. Very striking.

I'd go with the real estate agent's advice.

Showed this to my DH who said "Somebody's going to love it." (He did, lol.)

oh just laugh! If it were my house- and I were staying or buying, I'd just have fun with it, and let it be a quirk of the home!

I read your thread title, and your comments, and thought, "Well, how bad can it really be?" Then I saw the picture: To me, it is REALLY bad. (No offense to those who like it.)

If I was planning to live in the house, I would cry. Then tear it out - myself, if I had to.

But since you are not living there, I think I would defer to the realtor.

If you are looking to sell the house, then it needs to be redone. It will turn buyers off, which means they will offer less because they'll want to redo it. No question about it.

I hope the installer gave you a discount for not doing what you asked. He should.

That said, I kind of like it. It has movement and seems like you are being more innovative with the glass tiles you see everywhere.

If you don't fix this, you must put the most useful things in the cabinets to the right. LOL.

If I was looking to buy your house the first thing I'd think when seeing the kitchen is, "That backsplash is a ridiculous disaster that needs to go," and it could be a deal breaker depending on my budget.

I agree with Anglophilia, you should replace this with something different and more simple and calm altogether with. I'm not sure your original pattern would be less overwhelming, it would just be less hilarious.

Omg I thought I was going to have a seizure.

Oh for me it would be a definite rip out. I agree just pick one color, with 3 it's very busy.

You don't want to limit your potential buyers waiting for someone that loves that backsplash. Is the reason you've gone through the remodel to increase you're buyer market and sell quickly? It's excruciating waiting for the right buyer to come along and this mistake will reduce your odds.

Agree with the majority. Rip it out & redo it. A potential buyer seeing a brand new kitchen isn't going to want to go through the hassle of redoing it.

Thank you for the comments. Originally I was going to have just the white tile and when I ordered it I decided to go with the three colors right then. If the realtor says change it we will change it to just one color. We are in Florida. The house is very open and the further away I am from it the worse it looks. Up close it looks a little better.

My husband was there when the backsplash was installed, he was doing work on the house. I was at work. I spent a lot of time on the layout of the tiles. They have ones that are called intro and outro. I wanted the intro and outro tiles to be random but yet not too many of the same grouped together plus the design by color. I talked about the tiles and design endlessly to him and our daughter. I don't blame him I guess he wasn't listening and had tuned it out. When I saw the backsplash and could not believe it he says He didn't think it looked right. I have really had to learn to laugh when things like this happen. If we do remove it I will post for help on the new backsplash. I can post pictures then of the counter, floor, view, etc. for help with the new tile selection. Thank you again for your help.

I like the idea of the counter top material on the walls. Would it look right if we used the quartz from the island instead of the quartz from the perimeter counters?

Can't wait to hear what the realtor says.

I agree that he should do the whole thing over at his own expense. You did everything you could to communicate to him what you wanted and he did something else. We had a similar experience where the tile installer didn't use spacers and the two areas with tile - to the left and right of the window - had dramatically different amounts of space between the tiles, giving the two sides of the kitchen a totally different look. Our general contractor had him reorder the tile and re-do the whole thing and they said it was at his own expense. And while I think the pattern is not that terrible, I agree that it might be enough to turn off a significant number of buyers.

I can't even look at a photo of it without feeling like I will topple over on my right side.

Look at at it this way: A lot of potential buyers will have a negative reaction to the backsplash while a few might like it.

On the other hand, with a plain backsplash, even if some might consider it "boring", the number of buyers who will consider it a definite do-over will be miniscule.

I am no decorating pro but I really like it!

What I really like about the tiles you chose is the green one. It ties in the the larger wall color perfectly and anchors the kitchen space to the non-kitchen space. A whole backsplash of the green would not be pleasant - just too much, too heavy. All white in either the white tile or the island quartz just strikes me as too white, as in your kitchen is a glaring white space screaming out, "Here I am!" Can you think of a pattern you like where the white is the background and the green is an accent? Honestly, what I like best is the pattern you originally intended.

Oh wow. You're going to have problems with buyers.

That's a real shame. I love the colors and would hate them glazed all white. (Even more than the awful pattern, frankly.) I'd rather re-do this, although I know that would be expensive. Although if things are in writing and they had the picture, and the tilers made the mistake...

If you are planning on selling now, glaze them. (maybe... if I wanted move-in-ready, I'd never accept all-white either). Otherwise... see if this can be fixed, the colors are wonderful. Just NOT like that.

What they did is a waste of good design.

PS, to be honest, I had my contractor remove my bathroom bath/shower tile because it had old style greenboard rather than current hardee board with a membrane. I paid for the new tile, they ate the price for labor. (It isn't yet code in my area, but it's a dang good idea.) Maybe you can work out some sort of deal with your tiler?? So it is possible to start over...

"This is awful, just because it isnt seizure-inducing doesn't mean it's ok."

Very funny. Sophie Wheeler, you have a protege.

If I was looking at the house to buy it, I would be planning on ripping it out and re-doing it, and would probably ask for an allowance from the seller. Couldn't live with it. I did love your original pattern and colors. The kitchen is lovely, and I think the colored backsplash helps break up the big expanse of white. It's just the diagonal lines......

I think the tiles are nice, if they were put up in the pattern you wanted, they don't seem too busy to me, from what I can see, your counters don't appear to have a ton of movement going on, so I think those tiles would be very pretty if they had been installed in the right pattern. If I were a buyer, I'd love the kitchen except for the back splash. Why go through all the expense and hassles of a new kitchen only to have them screw up the back splash? And no, I wouldn't try to paint or glaze the tiles, you wanted them the way you wanted them, why settle for an option that is not going to be as good just to save work and expense for the installer?

The tiles themselves are gorgeous (though I think the gray tile is too dark with the others) but the layout really is terrible. :( What did the installer say when you showed him the photo of the correct layout??

It wouldn't keep me from buying the house but I would say under my breath, "why would someone spend all that money remodeling and then install a backsplash like this??". Unfortunately it takes a bit away from the beautiful kitchen. Not enough to pay out of your own pocket to replace, but enough to detract.

Seeing a backsplash like that might make me question other things in the house.

For me, it would have to go before I could move in. I would expect a reduction in the cost of tile and labor (and annoyance) when making an offer. Unless you live where I do and they'd laugh at you and you'd have to suck it up. :p

Obviously, you wouldn't paint over brand new tiles. I mean, what buyer wants painted tile?

I'll be honest when I say I'm not a fan of either pattern. I think you would still have a "lean" with your pattern, but it could just be the small layout photo that makes me think so.

Since you're selling, I'd move for a discount on labor and look past it. When you list, put some taller things on the counter and just go with it.

It's horrible and if you were living there i'd say a complete redo. Since you are selling it, see what the realtor has to say. But I think the tiler should be compensating you for his/her mistake.

Side note: Aren't husband's funny? I came home one time to 6 yards of mulch in the wrong colour dumped on my driveway. Bright red/orange. Not the deep beautiful earthy brown I wanted. My husband was home at the time and thought it didn't look right but didn't say anything either. I had to deal with getting it picked back up and even helped shovel the ugly stuff back onto to truck.

If those are the selected tiles, I don't find this pattern any more objectionable than your chosen pattern. But, I don't particularly like the tile selection. If I were looking at the house to purchase, I would comment that I don't like the backsplash tile and consider changing it out at some further date. This wouldn't be a deal breaker for me.

Someone who buys this house may agree with the tile man. It's crazy to tear it out before selling. It could provide the perfect excuse for a buyer to convince a spouse as to why it has to be replaced with just what she wants too.

that's true))

the moment we decided to go with asbestos abatement and gut the walls etc-I saw it as my chance to get the kitchen that makes sense with the house..)))

(i did abstain from touching the kids' bath though-we ripped just the walls that weren't tiled..so it was the only place in the house where wall and a half stayed

hated that tile, but there's a limit to everything)

small thing like backsplash? yes, just much much easier, since much much cheaper. perfect excuse i agree

still, i'd be really upset as a homeowner. even more so if i like the tile guy and his work. to point out mistakes is a very unpleasant process.

of course one color tile would be easier to go with..especially when it's for resale..less place for misunderstandings.

Yeah.... no. I would walk into the kitchen area, laugh, and turn and walk out of the house, as would most of the folks who've commented. This bs is not going to help you sell the house. Were it my house I'd rip it off like a band aid and get it done properly. But it's your house, and may be for a while, so do whatever you like! The rest looks truly beautiful.

If you are installing anything but a 1-tile backsplash, the only way to ensure you get the pattern you want is to lay it out on a floor somewhere for the tile setter to transfer to the walls, and then watch while they do it.

eam, it's not going to help to sell the house of course

but what do we know about the house except that it was fully remodeled and now has an unfortunately laid backsplash?

maybe it's amazing location. maybe it has a view. maybe it has great layout. maybe it's cute as a button. I won't be happy with a backsplash like that; but I would never pass on a property I love otherwise because of a backsplash. If I didn't like it enough-no backsplash would help.

yep i wouldn't be happy with it. but it's one detail of a big picture we have no idea about

(except that I can't see myself remodeling a house for year for resale purposes.

And what wul ye dee wi' your towers and ha'?
Ye nevir mair wul tham see O
Let them stand until they fa' doon
My dear mither, my dear mither

Now there's a grim song! Talk about dysfunctional families!

aprilneverends, that song is a perfect reflection of my current mood, which is why I'm spending hours on Houzz. (I'm also pretty sure I'm the 'dear mither'. Something terrible has happened to her, amiright?) We'll probably recite this instead of Grace before Thanksgiving dinner.

Edited: Note to self: find bagpipe recording.

No, catz, you're not the "dear mither." That lovely woman evidently counseled her son to kill her husband. First he lies about it, then he admits he ran Daddy through with his sword. Mum wants to know what he's going to do. He's going to sail across the sea. How about the wife and kiddies? They can go begging. How about Mummy dearest? She'll bear the curse of hell for advising him to do it. The only person who comes out OK is Young Edward the patricide who gets to go off adventuring across the sea. You can listen to this uplifting ballad here: http://www.megalyrics.net/old-blind-dogs/young-edward

well, in many senses-something terrible happened to her too..)) I mean she's alive but so what .

I wish your mood gets better barncatz..and everything that it needs to become better-I wish it comes to you and your loved ones too

(same group also sings "The Cruel Sister"..I'm afraid to recommend it now but they do sing it extremely well)

Oh, thank you april, from the bottom of my heart. I was just kidding about grace, btw. But I think I will hold off on tracking down the other song.

And suzanne, how impressive that you recognized the reference. Thank you for the link. I liked how they paired the upbeat tempo with those lyrics, lol.

It'd be great to get back to the subject at hand. Jess, I hope you let us know what you decide.

Seizure-inducing, for sure. It wouldn't be a deal breaker for me, especially if the rest of the house is s pretty as the kitchen. But if I were buying, I'd definitely ask for an allowance to have it replaced.

I met with two realtors. They both said the same thing. The tiles are nice but it is a design they would not have used. But to leave the backsplash the way it is. That the house is stunning and well done. The house does has a nice view that most houses in the area do not have. It has windows looking out to the country club entrance which has two very large waterfalls. You can see the waterfalls from the great room, kitchen and dining room. The other view is looking out to the courtyard with the pool, this is a much more common view in our area, but also a nice view. The house is in an area where houses seldom come up for sale. Because of these reasons they said do not change the backsplash. Thank you for your comments.

Thanks for posting. It would never have occurred to me that given an image and an example of tile laid out correctly, anyone could have made this particular mistake. I'm glad it won't affect your resale. Good luck!

Jess - in a small world, I happened to be browsing the MLS in an area of the country we are planning to move, and I'm looking at a new listing and I think "I know that kitchen!" Came back to here to check and it's your house :) I think the backsplash ended up looking okay. And the rest of the house is beautiful. I'm sure it will work out great for you! We love that region of Florida and hope to move there soon :)