Further thoughts on backsplash/tile - comments and ideas?

18 years ago

Hi all -

Am getting more ideas about tiling and backsplashes now - once again, this forum is just an amazing resource, and special thanks to Bill Vincent for talking me down off my ceramic window ledge!

I finally got to see some tile "in real life" which helped a lot - took a while to find the local stores, but hands on made a big difference in my understanding of how it can all work. Anyway, saw some things which gave me ideas, and I'm now ready to move on a little further.

My current thought (definitely NOT a definite yet - just brainstorming at this point) was inspired by the Arts and Crafts repro tiles linked below, which I have just fallen in love with (I'd want to use Cumbria, Norwich and maybe Argyll and Nottingham)

Now, we couldn't afford a whole backsplash of them - and they'd be WAY too busy with the countertop - but what I was wondering is whether picking a neutral beige/mocha-ish background in basic tile (perhaps picking up the predominant background colour in my quartz counter - maybe adding a molded or rope edge at the top?) which would also pick up the same colours in some of the tiles, and then dropping maybe a dozen or so of these ornamentals as occasional accents (perhaps random placement?)might work.

What do you think?

Again, the cabinets are Mission Style, the house is 1928, and as the kitchen will indeed be open to a dining area, I'd thus like to "dress it up a little" rather than have it be strictly utilitatarian.

Here is a link that might be useful: Arts and Craft repro tile

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Comments (2)

raehelen
18 years ago
I think that sounds like a really neat idea. I think that throwing Nottingham into that mix may be a little too busy (but may work if it's in a separate area?). The other three seem like they would go together quite well (from pics anyways). Tile looks so different in 'real life'.

Boy, you're going like gang-busters! Supposedly, my granite is being installed tomorrow (but I've heard that before...:>(, and I thought I'd wait to see how everything comes together, flooring, cabinets and counter before I get serious about the backsplash. I gave the backsplash area an extra coat of paint so that I've got time to think.

Does one of your local stores carry that Arts and Crafts tile, or would you have to special order it?
divamum
Original Author
18 years ago
Well, we're nowhere near INSTALLING the backsplash yet! But I know that when these guys get going they move fast so I need to have my choices approximately sorted out in my head, even if not finalised. And, of course, backsplash can always go in months from now, but still - it'd be nice to get it done while they're on the job! And I keep hoping that backsplash may give me an idea for paint, since I STILL don't have a colour-scheme plotted out yet. Oy.

Today, they've hung the rest of the upper cabinets, we've hashed out the final details of lower cabinet placement and how to build a fridge box out of the oven cabinet that came with the set (remember, 2ndhand cabinets so we're working with what we've got rather than ordered exact design) and they're now working on the beam where the old wall was, and punching the holes in the extension walls (which turned out to be cement block - YUK!) for outlets, sink pipes and gas line. It's actually been a slow week by their standards, but they're picking up steam so they can tie off a few things before the weekend! For a two-man operation, they're nothing short of amazing :)
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