If I didn't have an old house I would probably not have gone for subway tiles, because I think they will not age well in other contexts (or at least look not 'fresh' as you say, having been featured so often in the design world these past 5 years). That said, mine are a non-fashionable color (plain glossy yellow ceramic) so it's a warmer feel than the stark Victorian white. Two years and counting, & I still love them unnaturally. :-)

But I don't think they will ever be a mistake.

On the square tiles, which are indeed also a classic, could it possibly be the surface (are they matte, glossy, bevelled?) or the size of the square that makes them feel more dated?

I hope I'm not tired of it already.....we haven't even grouted yet! I went with a mix of sizes and laid the different sizes in different directions. Hopefully that will help me feel like the look stays updated for a LONG time! I don't think DH(who installed the counter to ceiling backsplash) would be too happy taking it down anytime soon.

Just got ours done about a month ago. Not boring at all. Super classy looking and I got them at Lowes (American Olean) so also super cheap! A BREEZE to clean up. Believe me, I am the kind of woman who wears pink and orange together, mixes prints and has affection for hairbows (and not in the Fascinating Womanhood kind of way). But I love it!

I have other points of interest around my kitchen but see my wall of white as an anchor of calm. Kind of like a little black dress that can be dressed up or down depending on the accessories.

Here is a link that might be useful:

Gina, check out this pic, too. It is white tile with white grout but installed stacked. See how the yellow pottery in the niche really adds interest? Of course, that $40,000 range doesn't hurt either ;)

On my blog I have a whole collection of white subway tile pics, but you can do a Google Image search and see that people really do use it as a background, often, for some interesting design ideas.

Good luck! Honestly, it is one of the most plebeian things in my kitchen...and those are the things it turns out that I love the most.

Here is a link that might be useful:

Not tired of mine, but I also didn't do them entirely plain. I added a liner -- or 3 liners to be more accurate. I have also like subway tile since I was young.

Sabjimata:

1. When will you be posting your comleted pics? I can't WAIT to see your kitchen. (Or did I miss it somehow?)

2. Please post a link to your blog; our tastes seem very similar and I'm sure your blog would be a goldmine of ideas for me.

Gina: I personally find subway tile much more interesting with a darker grout, like so:

The trick here is to space the tiles very close together and use a medium-to-dark gray grout, not black, which would be too stark a contrast.

Oops...meant to add that to space them this close together and get this sort of look, they need to be very flat and regular on the edges. Not sure if that fits what you've picked out.

I love mine and have not gotten tired (Two years and counting). (They're in the bathrooms and I will probably use them in the kitchen as well). The powder room has biscuit colored crackle subways with brown grout (wood doors and trims, green marble floor). The master bath is pure white 4x8 subways on all walls to within about 8 inches of the ceiling, with a cornice molding set at this level. The room is all white with Carrara floors, washstand, tub surround, thresholds. Works well in this 1927 house. The bathroom is my favorite room! I worried about subways being a trend and they are, but they are also a good fit with the age and style of the house. The little back bathroom which still has original tiles (white squares) doesn't look that different, from a styling perspective, from the new new master bath.

Still love mine, but it's only been about 9 months, and they are bigger than normal (6x8). I also have dark grout. Maybe all that helps...

segbrown- I love that yours are bigger than the standard 3x6. Also, you say that you have dark grout, is it grey? I can't really tell, but it does make it more interesting. Are your tiles glossy or matte. I don't know if I would like the darker grout with glossy tile.
I am thinking about doing the glossy absolute black counters, so I probably should use a matte tile.

I am doing a white kitchen (maple cab)w/ wh. arabesque tile backsplash in a brand new custom home. I had white cab.before w/no regrets.We went round and round w/glaze/cherry/and everything in between but in the end we love them!

ginad, they are glossy, but not terribly so. And the grout is gray, Pewter I think.

Also, our uppers are a few inches higher than "normal," I think they are 23" above the counter. So that's one thing to think about when considering the larger tiles.

Segbrown, I love your black farmhouse sink. What color is you counter? Is it granite?

dazzlingdiamond - Are arabesque tiles the new thing? I have seen a few of them posted on this site?

Things come and things go.
I used square tiles (4x4) for my bathrooms 10 years ago. They are both neutral soft creamy yellowish colors with handmade accent tiles. They look "dated" because NO one uses square tiles now. Slate and marble 12x12 tiles in baths from 10 years ago also look very dated now. We all did/do things that were "in" at the time...

However, my bathrooms still look "nice" to me because of the colors I have chosen and the style of the bathrooms that I have chosen work together very nicely.

Who knows how long subway tiles will be "in". But eventually, they too will be dated. That is the nature of fashion and trend. If you like it because you simply like them, then you should use them. If you are not certain about the look, then you should do something else that really speaks to you.

I personally find them a tad busy to brick pattern of lines. I feel the same way about tex tiles.

Seg's sink and counters are soapstone ;)

Chana--Thanks! I will post *finished kitchen* pics soon. I finally got everything all cleaned up yesterday and now waiting for husband to change out the awful yellowish cfl's to a middle spectrum light. Oh, and now I have to clean up from all of yesterday's ravioli making ;)

My blog is sabjimata.wordpress.com

Take care!

I think it's a matter of what you like, but I don't know that anyone can predict how long these will appear "classic" and not "dated". I first noticed them in the 80s in Country Living magazine spreads on renovations of older homes and loved the look then. I have never grown tired of it. I ended up only doing a small backsplash behind my stove with them but will use them elsewhere on a larger scale (bathroom). That's over 20 years of liking the look of something. I'm not sure anything else endured in my tastes that long! But that's just one opinion from a person who is NOT trendy or knowledgeable about these things.

I know it can be an expense, but the backsplash is one of the easiest things to change. So, in a few years from now if you get tired of the tiles, change them! Don't feel that you are stuck for the life of the kitchen.

Here's the thing: if it looks right in the rest of your house it's not going to look dated. Context is everything. Walking into a white-cabinet, white-subway-tiled, soapstone-countered kitchen in a brand new house can look dated any minute now if it is jarring from the rest of the house. Walking into that same kitchen in a 1915 frame farmhouse will not have the same effect. Do the kitchen that matches the personal style of your furnishings (if it is newer) or is appropriate for your house (if it is historic).

i wish I could answer

My house is transitional..Kind of Horchow meets Pottery Barn? IMO rooms don't need to match but I do carry an element to each room...I saw Beekeepers wife's tile and fell in love.They are expensive but I budgeted them in and cut back in other areas.I personally think they have a clean,classic,look w/out being boring.I chose a blk.chandelier and ebony stained floors.Go w/your heart!

I had the subway tiles in my bath and shower and actually got so tired of it after about 6 years I had it riped out and a more natural stone tile installed.. The grout lines where white and also sealed but we still could not keep them clean. My experience was very bad after a little while it looked dirty unless cleaned everyday.... I see so many people using and it does look very good when new but after a while I spent more time cleaning it then the rest of the house. I'm glad I made the switch to a more of a natural stone tile.
Good luck

hi ginad...

I happen to catch a bit of the movie "Moonstruck" last night, with Cher and Nicolas Cage. It must be a 20 year old film or so... Anyway, the kitchen had white subway tiles. I think it's a pretty classic look.

My sister remodeled her kitchen a few months before me, and her tile guy "friend" talked her out of them. She regrets that, even though her backsplash came out very nice and compliments her kitchen.

If you really like the look then I doubt that you will regret the choice. I will throw in a picture of mine, as mine are slightly different than the uniform white. I didn't do anything fancy over the stove. I was afraid it would get tiring. I figure I can put something decorative if I need to jazz it up.

KA:)

I did an "almost" white subway backsplash three years ago. Honed marble with faint gray veins. Still love them and if I get sick of my kitchen, I can always change out the paint color, rugs and/or window treatments.

oh, i have this question, too! i just saw the uber cheap 3x6 white subways at lowes and am tempted to go with them. not quite the off-white color i had picked out in a smaller size, but much much cheaper, and hopefully the same effect (to blend in w/ the white/gray countertops and not stand out). good to see pictures of different colored grouts! i would have only thought to use white.

We have just started a kitchen renovation in a 1910 house and are using cream-colored Pratt & Larson 3x6 subway tiles, lots of them, and glossy! The counters and cabinetry are very matte (soapstone and vertical grain fir) as is the floor (cork) and so we think the glossy tiles will look good with a fireclay sink and enameled range. We, too, plan to use grey grout. I can understand your concern about subway tiles being ubiquitous, but I never get tired of seeing them in the right context -- consider how pretty the posted pictures are in this thread! And when I looked through the fabulous, no-holds-barred Pratt & Larson catalog, I admit that the photograph that most delighted me was the simplest treatment of a bathroom wall: creamy subway tile with grey grout.

Thanks for posting this question. For several years now I have wanted white subway tiles in my kitchen. Now that I am at the point of actually remodeling the space, I was offended when it was brought up that subway tiles might be so popular that it's possible I'd tire of them before too long. I rejected the idea for a long time. And by rejected, I mean that it made me really mad. Anyway, I'm now starting to think that there might be some truth to this (for me, anyway) and am glad that I am able to be honest with myself about this new change in direction, even though I still love the look of subway tiles in a kitchen.

I am posting to this old thread because in my search online for "are white subway tiles outdated or still in style" this was one of the results. I find it interesting that this was started five years ago (when I was not even planning a remodel and oblivious to the subway tile trend/look) and now that I am in the stage of selecting my backsplash, it seems to me, that subway tile is still very popular. However, having said that, I too wonder, as the original poster, if you have tired of it, or if it's "on it's way out." (Other than if you have a farmhouse style home or other type period home that calls for subway tile)

I had a beautiful cement tile chosen and we have found out we are being transferred (right after we are nearing the completion stage of our two year remodel) and we may keep the house and let our two twenty year old's rent it from us, or we might have to sell. So either way, I am not making more neutral selections (and less expensive) in case we sell now, or when we do sell in the future.

I don't know if bumping this thread up will get any attention to my
plight, and if not, I will start a new thread with this question. Would you still choose white subway tile for your backsplash, especially
if you might have to sell in the next year? And if not, what other,
"neutral" kind of tile would you go for?

We just helped out daughter with her reno. We did white subway tiles. I don't think a backsplash would be a deal breaker for anyone looking to buy your home.

There are so many different ways to tile and so many choices. Take a look at all the tile websites. Ann Sacks, Jeffery Court, Walker Zanger, Horus Art, etc.

I'm in a 1906 urban home. The original bathroom had 4ft high white subway tile wainscot. White subway tile will always be the right choice in some houses.

It's cream, not white, but I liked it from the moment it went in.

I think subway tiles will go out someday, but not soon as SO many people have them. They remind me of waiting for the subway train when I was commuting to college in the city years ago, everyday, so I am so over them. However, they do look nice s others have mentioned in an older home. FYI I googled "is anyone sick of subway tile?" and got quite a few sites. Guess I am not the only one sick of them!

This is why you don't buy a house with a backsplash you hate! I'm really glad this discussion was revised. We're in the midst of replacing a horrid patchwork faux tumbled marble backsplash and I've been going back and forth about white subway tile. We have cherry cabinets and we're not replacing or painting them. Everything shows white on white so it's a conundrum! It's interesting that others have had reservations about the "classic" nature of white subway tile. I think it truly is on its way out in popularity, but it doesn't look dated yet. But what else? We aren't selling for 10+ years but we will be renting it out at some point. Ideas?

With cherry cabinets, I would not do white. What colors are in your granite?

I have cream colored subways and when I look at new construction, I only see subway tiles in the kitchens. The majority are white kitchens but they are using marble counters and marble subway tiles for the backsplashes.

I redid my kitchen in 2009.

The granite is a dark gray with white flecks and some reddish swirls, but thr overall color is gray. I think it's Paradisio, but I'm not sure. It's a lot like this picture.

Here's another picture but it's not this green in person.

I love the white subway tile look. It's part of the "American Sanitary" look. It will always be considered clean, functional and sanitary. Is it warm? I don't know. I like them.

My mother always cautioned me to select classic styles in things were hard to change. Ceramic tile falls in this category. White is without a doubt the most neutral decision. It is the least likely to illicit a negative response.

In my kitchen renovation, I installed classic white subway tiles with a bevel. The bevel added a little interest and depth. That was about as wild as I was willing to go.

"White is without a doubt the most neutral decision. It is the least likely to illicit a negative response."-it's local though. Depends on the style of the house, location, etc. It does work for a very, very vast number of houses, but. Say, for me white is not neutral at all. It can be very out of place in certain homes, as much as any other color. Now if you consider off-white and cream as a small part of larger "white" category-things become easier.

(I did use plenty of subway tiles though-but they're not white. Pure white would look like as a sore thumb in my place.

I also believe not every house can and should use subway..in some places, it's just not historically correct. Not everything was built in such and such years, in such and such place)

White, cream, off-white, egg shell, even gasp beige. All are neutral and timeless.

I agree aprilneverends, you always have to consider the style of architecture in your decision.

why gasp..i love beige:)

I have blue pearl granite with white cabinets and a stainless steel trim everyone well almost everyone said white subway tile ..I cant do it. I cant. Im going with either cashmere grey from Ann Sacks or a dust pressed light grey it almost looks white but not ,I am praying it looks great. I have zero design background but we had white square tiles removed. I can not see paying money to put white back there.

Just giving my 2018 take on subway tile - I am definitely bored of it, mostly because I see it absolutely everywhere in bathroom and kitchen photos. The bathrooms with subway tile from floor to ceiling are especially puzzling/irritating. Varying width/length mosaic tile has been in fashion for the last several years and there's a lot of variety there - hopefully I won't get bored of that too soon but it can indeed look too busy. My style is a European look with American practicality - simple lines and a luxury look BUT lots of drawers/cabinet space and real wood, no weird stuff like wall-hung toilets, Edison lamps, or old-timey faucets.

I despise (particularly white) subway tile. It is the ugliest, most uninspiring trend on the market. The first thing I think of when I see it is, how much money is it going to take to re-do this? It is bad enough in a bathroom (unless you are at a gas station) but near intolerable in the kitchen. I know to some, a dream kitchen would be subway tile and open shelving. But to me, it just screams, "Gut Job"!

I agree! At the very least, make the tile something other than white! how about a cobalt blue or emerald green. Anyway, I'm getting tired of the subway too

I'm planning to build next year and I'm staying away from white subway tile! To me it says lack of imagination unless you have a true vintage home. I want subtlety and serenity in my kitchen and glossy subway tiles seem to scream "I had someone else make the decision!" I'm considering a lovely matte tile with soft tonal changes. It will not war with my livelier quartz island.

Yes!!! I hate them - looking for ideas to change the boring clinical white look

My original comment from 3 years ago

is above. We’ve been in the house two years now and l’m so happy with the way it turned out. It’s not the same-old white rectangles: it’s less predictable yet still serene.

Kathy Weiss, I am not usually a fan of white subway tile, but I really like this variation. Great choice!

I love my white 3 x 12 subway tile! It's perfect in my space and that's what counts.

I”ve had it for over a decade and never tire of it. But I value simplicity in my home decor. Plus I can tell when it is clean!

Its funny this thread is 13 years old. Now that all that time has passed, it’s not that relevant. The current look is 4x4 tiles for kitchen backsplash, especially the Zellige tiles or Zellige-look tiles. That tile is irregular, imperfect, hard to install, and hard to clean. I.e., the opposite of subway tile.