Here's a picture from a project that Craftsman Design and Renovation in Portland, Oregon, did. Their website is http://craftsmandesign.com; see below for the link. Check out their portfolio section; under kitchens you'll find 1909 bungalow pictures. You can see the picture that I've included here plus a 'before' shot that shows the original tile pattern.

They might be able to connect you with the person that did the tilework for the renovation, and perhaps she/he might have some installation advice for you.

What year was your house built?

Here is a link that might be useful: Craftsman Design and Renovation in Portland

Thank you for the photo and link! That house was built in 1909. Is our house too young for a pencil line jog?

Our house was built in 1926. This I have confirmed with speaking to the family that built it. What is considered the kitchen now we thought was added on in 1960 due to a date on a wood beam. We found some old lino? when tearing up the floor that looks older to me. I'm going to start another thread with a photo of it. Maybe someone can help with the date or other info. There were never any building permits issued for this house until we came along.

We are not trying to do an authentic kitchen. We are making this house ours while trying to keep the general character of the house.

There will be cherry shaker cabinets, maple hardwood floor, Labrador black granite counters (I think). The backsplash will be subway tile (glass or ceramic) with some sort of accent like the pencil line.

Oh, I am happy you started this thread. Let me take a look and see if I have any worthwhile pictures saved.

I certainly don't think your house is too young for a pencil liner!

Absolutely not. Pencil liners were near-universal up until JFK or LBJ.

I thought this thread had some good examples, but not quite. Anway, look at it just for the retro porn.

Oh this is good news that pencil liners have been around a while. While our year built is 1926 I'm thinking of moving our "nod to the past" to a suspected remodel maybe late 1930's.

Marcolo, that link was great. Somehow I missed that thread when orginally posted.

Some pencil lines are not just black but have color inserts. I think that is where I would like to go.

Some pencil lines are not just black but have color inserts. I think that is where I would like to go.

This is my bathroom, but I like this one. (Sorry about the giant image. I cropped it in Photobucket, but the edit doesn't seem to take!)

Mission Tile West has some nice listels. Unfortunately, I cannot link you directly to the correct page because of the way their webpages are coded. Go to their main page linked below, and navigate to "Products" and then to "Revival Classics" to see their line of "retro liners."

Here is a link that might be useful: Mission Tile West

Angie I love your bathroom. Thanks for the link.

Scroll down and look at the colorful pencil liners! I would want some purple in it.

Here is a link that might be useful: block party liners

Jane Powell's most excellent book 'Bungalow Kitchens' showcases a number of tiled kitchens with the jogged pencil liners. I'm partial to yellow with black and black with green.

Here is a link that might be useful: Bungalow Kitchens

I will go to the library tonight!

Hi debrak,
We have a 1920's colonial with a wider than pencil liner around the range. We stopped at the window as we didn't install tile around it. I got a sample of the liners from Mission Tile West, super cute but the coloration didn't work with our decor. The kitchen is new, but both our original baths also have the same type of treatment so your house is the perfect age for this type of tile.
Helene

I've saved a few inspiration pics--sorry, I didn't save any info with them.

#1

Next Pic:

But a nice vintage kitchen:

Another vintage kitchen:

I did this at my bathroom window. We stopped the sill at the casing rather than continue it as in some of the photos above, so the tile could continue straight down cleanly. I think this is more important if you are doing only one run of tile above the deco liner.

Looked at tile books at the library but none show anything related to the "jog". Any suggestions for free user friendly software to layout the backsplash? Or any books or web sites that offer technical help?

In some photos it appears they cut out the line from the top or bottom tiles, or both.

DH has agreed to do the jog around the range but has his hands full doing all the labor stuff. I'm going to try to get the layout done so when the time comes it will be easier for him.

Thinking of having the line two rows from the bottom. If not then if would have to be high to avoid the outlets. I wish I could lay this out to see it. Might have to go back to graph paper which I'm not good with!