Unexpected backsplash...remove or rethink?
We are nearing the end of our kitchen remodel. Our countertops were installed yesterday and I was shocked when I got home from work to see a 4 inch quartz backsplash. The cabinet maker also handled ordering the countertops. We never discussed this backsplash and in his renderings the countertop looks flat. I immediately messaged him and havent gotten an answer to how this happened yet. I had planned on tiling from counter to cabinets but I do not like the look of tile above quartz backsplashes. I guess I have 2 options. 1. Go with it (it is kind of growing on me because I like very simple design and dont like very busy tile) In this case I was thinking of having a quartz slab to match installed over the slide in range because there is nothing there. Then I would paint remainder of wall space. 2. Have the backsplash removed and go with original plan. I am kind of thrown with this too because the quartz is white but actually looks cream under the cabinets so IDK what tile to choose that would not make island and counters look more mismatched than they do. I am waiting to hear back from cabinet maker. Should I expect him or the countertop company to cover the cost of removing backsplash or adding slab?
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Comments (12)Yes, I realize interest rates are in the toilet. But as far as I know, faucets have always earned exactly 0.0% interest. Bank rates always have the potential to rise. All that's beside the point anyway. When your budget is small and shrinking, it's perhaps less important to worry about getting something that's heirloom quality than it is to get something serviceable and proportionately less money. I'm not saying that you should go out and buy the cheapest things you can find, but even decent quality midline appliances, sinks, fixtures, lights, etc. will cost substantially less than a lot of brands that get mentioned a lot on the KF. Most people won't stay in their homes long enough for even those less expensive items to go bad, so it probably won't be worth it for them to splurge on an $800 faucet or $2000 sink or $8000 fridge or whatever. I'm not saying you shouldn't get top-of-the-line if you can afford it or that you should treat everything as if it's disposable, just that it's reasonable to spend less even if the longevity of the product is less. At this time in our lives (we're in our mid-twenties with a baby and another on the way, living in a whole-house renovation), it's more important to spend less money now on things that are relatively easy to replace later. We are willing to invest more money upfront in things of greater permanence (structure, systems, floors). Priorities will vary greatly from one person's renovation to the next, but it sounds like the OP is needing to save on costs now rather than later....See MoreDesign Around This #2: Colonial Revived
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last yearHere is an example.
Note the spec at the lower right corner of this Frigidaire Induction Slide in "0 clearance below cooking top and REAR OF RANGE".
This doesn't mean you could do a backsplash of upholstered raw silk, but on the other hand I would think that normal construction materials and finishes are not going to scorch if installed according to the specs. If they did, the specs would require something else.
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PROBeth H. :
last yeartons of options w/blue gray.
this 2nd one from the left is WalesGray from the Cadenza line over at Tilebar
the far left is thunder gray.
they also carry this greenish gray in the Newport line (IvyHill tile over on Wayfair also has it)
crackle glaze. Nabi-Arctic Blue
Portmore in White
Winchester Tile. Shell-rustic. (the first one, Wales Gray looks like this too)
PROJoseph Corlett, LLC
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last yearI still havent decided on a backsplash but i have 2 i like that are very different from each other. a gunmetal gloss subway from tileshop and a white and gray mosaic from lowes. opinion?
herbflavor
last yearlast modified: last yearthe paint tone of your cabinets straddles warm/cool..... your choices are COOL. I might pick like mother of pearl because you get the tonal variety of warm w cool and I love the bit of sheen. I would fear the migration to a cold tile color as to what it would do to the space. Keep looking.
Pearl - Silk Finish 1 x 4 Tile Backsplash · More Info
Kitchen Backsplash photo with PEM0061 · More Infocrawford316 thanked herbflavorcrawford316
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last yearI have brouggt some more samples home and i really like this arabesque tile from lowes. its called hudson mist. it is a pale grey very similar to cabinets. Is it too plain? what grout color would you suggest?
RNmomof2 zone 5
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Beth H. :
last yearlast modified: last yearcan you get a sheet of it and hold it up against the backsplash area? lets see how it looks.
one of the best off white/grayish grout colors is Warm Gray from Mapei.
As for the actual arabesque tile you've got, I'd prob choose something else.
What about this scallop shape? The tile is on sale and the color is perfect for your cabinets.
https://www.bedrosians.com/en/product/detail/sorrento-tile/?itemNo=DECSORFIOWAVGalso comes in many other shapes/sizes like this subway
or a chevron (which can be laid in a few diff ways)
Don't forget to remove the 4" counter backsplash you have now. that should come down if you're doing tile. it's easy to pry off the wall. lots of tutorials.
Calacatta marble beveled tiles like this would also be a perfect match w/your cabs:
you could also look at the Cloe tile in the gray, or the Portmore (tilebar)
Pebble gray color in this square
https://www.bedrosians.com/en/product/detail/marin-tile/?itemNo=100003167
Or even the pearl white
RedRyder
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Beth H. :
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