Help! Will this back-splash work?
My counter-tops are Taj Mahal quartzite. My cabinets are grimslov off-white. stainless steel appliances, polished nickel hardware, chrome faucet.
These back-splashes are both split-faced marble. The one on the left (of stove) is sparkly with lots of grey/white tones, but still incorporates the beige tone from the counter-tops. The one on the right (of stove) is mostly matte in finish and is a soft cream that coordinates well with everything.
I'm IN LOVE with the white/grey/sparkly one. I absolutely love the way it looks in person and seeing it against the wall as my back-splash makes me smile. It's dramatic and I feel like it elevates the room (which is what I'm going for). My dilema is that I can see it's not exactly matchy-matchy like the cream/matte one is...but to me, it still coordinates. Since I'm not a professional, I've asked a few others and they ALL choose the cream/matte and say the white/grey/sparkly one will make my counter-tops look too busy. Any professional designers/semi-profesh/you just have hella good taste people who will let me know if what I want will work or not? Thanks so much for your input.
Comments (18)
Liz Antoniel
4 years agoRelated Discussions
Will this back splash work?
Comments (24)Hi JSCOZ. I am so surprised that whomever you bought the tile from didn't recommend that you order a sample first-esp. if it is handmade and subject to variation. The tile shop salespeople are supposed to be the "experts" and they should have warned you and let you know of your options to get a sample. I have had the various tile shops I've visited suggest that several times-esp. for natural stone to see the current "lot" color. If they hadn't, I wouldn't have even known it was even possible to get one. And I have ordered the samples--thankfully- or I would have made an expensive mistake. The tile shops around here have designers that will help you with your design. Did you buy your tile from a store with a knowledgable designer that can help you? They may be able to suggest something. In second group of your photos, esp. with the one with the gorgeous medallion, the color of the tile looks like a better fit with the granite- it looks lighter and more golden. Which photo shows the true color? The glass liner accent looks very close to the color of the tile. Is that correct, or is the photo deceiving? Just curious. Try calling the Sonoma tile company and showing them your photos, and explain your dilema- maybe they have knowledgable designers that could suggest a solution from a design standpoint- and maybe even offer to exchange some of the pieces. I really don't think the tile looks that bad with the granite, esp. after seeing the other photos and your off-white cabinets which will give some lovely contrast with all that brown. The tiles are gorgeous, and I personally don't think they look like they are are trying to "copy the granite". From a perfectionist standpoint, you probably wouldn't have gotten them if you knew this was how they would be (since they are not like the sample you liked), but they can be made to work with just a little "massaging", as my architecture colleagues used to say. I think just the right grout color could work wonders, as well. You know how putting one color next to the other can "fool the eye". Having an accent band running around the backsplash will also help draw your eye to it- instead of to the junction between the granite and tile. Here is one thought for a border at the base of your backsplash: How about mixing the glass liners, with 1 x 1 glass tiles (tantrums)in a lighter color along the base, maybe 2-4 rows high? You can possibly even mix in some strips of the field tile in your existing color, as well as the same tile in a lighter color, to keep the cost down. You can play around with it to find a design that looks good. There are lots of these kinds of mixed mosiacs around- you can find some in a tile shop for inspiration. Here is a link below to a photo on the sonoma website that made me think of another option. Look at the 3rd photo down on the right side as another possibility for a border along the bottom of the backsplash made up of light colored 1 X 1 tantrums (would that be too expensive?- I know those are pricey!)It would be simple. Hope this helps give you some food for thought. Here is a link that might be useful: Sonoma tantrum border...See MoreDo I Need BackSplash? Help with Suggestions!
Comments (27)Posted by budgeteer_s (My Page) on Wed, Dec 31, 08 at 18:18 Thanks for all your suggestions. I wanted so much to follow with ci_lantro's suggestion because then I'm done. I'll gladly let you snatch that paint brush out of my hand. ha ha. But at the same time if a little tiling will tie up the project, then I'm game. jodi_socal: I'm a little disappointed when you said fire and ice won't work. I just LOVE that F&I BS. But then agin, I think I know all along it's a little too much for my kitchen. Caryscott & petra: Thanks for the picture petra, it says a thousand words. Is spectralight glass tiles? Prices are pretty reasonable. What about that milk green color? will it work? maybe with some garnet pieces sparingly mixed in. I will take some pictures and post two HD Behr's paint card to aid in the discussion of color. Thanks again ALL! Correction: My tiles were Alfagres: Gema4x4: different from what caryscott posted: I loved what caryscott linked:...See MoreBack splash help in "New to me Kitchen"
Comments (22)Can you remove the short slash? Otherwise I wouldn't add a tile splash. You've got too much intruding on the available space with the short splash, microwave, and stove panel. I think the desk area would look odd tiled since it doesn't feel kitcheny. The small counter area will need to be tiled out to the edge of the wall, and I've not seen that before. You might change the hardware to ORB to give a little visual break to the cabinetry. The pendants are beautiful but the orange blends in with the orange tones of the cherry, so new pendants could work wonders. Long term I'd want to change the countertop to eliminate the orange. I only mention it because it looks like you'd only need one slab of countertop material....See MorePlease help with tile back splash recommendations
Comments (55)It looks great! Thanks for sharing your finished back splash. It's always nice to see everything come together. How are you liking your counter-tops? I am considering those for my own kitchen. They look wonderful in your photos....See More
mark_rachel
4 years agolast modified: 4 years agoTaj Mahal is AMAZING!! You need to let it be the star & get a boring backsplash that will compliment it & not complete with it. A crackle tile would be nice. Take some of the lighter colors from your stone & find a simple tile with matching grout.
Some people like to put MOP tile with Taj Mahal. It depends on your space.
Liz Antoniel thanked mark_rachel
biondanonima (Zone 7a Hudson Valley)
4 years agolast modified: 4 years agoLiz Antoniel thanked biondanonima (Zone 7a Hudson Valley)
PRODiana Bier Interiors, LLC
4 years agolast modified: 4 years agoLiz Antoniel thanked Diana Bier Interiors, LLC
PRODragonfly Tile & Stone Works, Inc.
4 years agoLiz Antoniel thanked Dragonfly Tile & Stone Works, Inc.Liz Antoniel
4 years agoLiz Antoniel
4 years agoLiz Antoniel
4 years ago
PROCourtney Thomas Design
4 years agolast modified: 4 years agoThe two you posted seem like they would be very hard to keep clean and don't go perfectly with the countertop. You chose an amazing countertop. Why not choose a great backsplash too? A nice tile that sparkles or something with a little color might look wonderful in your kitchen.
Upscale Family Home: Kitchen · More Info
PROBeth H. :
4 years agolast modified: 4 years agoLiz, I just posted these tiles from Encore Ceramics for someone else thinking about Taj. You really have to go to their site to see all the glaze colors. there was another poster on here that ended up going w/the Cashmere for her quartzite.
http://encoreceramics.com/crackle-glazes/
here are all of the shapes
http://encoreceramics.com/standard-field/
and their mosaics are stunning...
http://encoreceramics.com/mosaics/
they will do any color, shape, whatever you want.
you could do something like this in a solid silvery shade to compliment the Taj.
these are both Encore, different crackle glaze
this is a blend of shadow, chic, martini and silver. enlarge it so you can see the glaze colors.
the one on the right is elongated hex, in Earl Gray marble.
here's your Calacatta.
Liz Antoniel thanked Beth H. :mark_rachel
4 years ago
Sina Sadeddin Architectural Design