Try undercabinet LED strip lights in 4100k (natural bright white light).

I feel your pain!
I went through the same thing a while ago. I lived with it because it was expensive but I was so mad!
I would say stick to your original plan for now. Don't try to make it work. Once everything is done if you still don't like it and have the budget for it well take it out.
Glass tile should come with a warning sign.
What you see is not what you get!!!!

I like the idea of painting the walls a light silvery gray but I would not go with a gray that has a slight blue tone to it. Gray paint with blue undertones generally just ends up looking blue, not gray.

Instead of trying to hide the blue ish tone enhance it by painting the kitchen walls a very dark blue. Could be very chic.

I don't see blue, but computer screens are all different. Get your lighting in, being aware of the tones, plus the paint, then see how it looks. Quite frankly, I like blue, and am sick to death of grey!

I love your tiles, they look great. Paint the walls a very light bluish grey and everything will blend in. Your yellow walls accentuate the blue reflection since they are complementary colours.

Sometimes these glass tiles (especially white) take on a hue from he thin set. Very tricky to work with. With that said, I don't think a little blue is a bad thing. Try some of the decorating tips mentioned to embrace the color!

If you truly are unhappy you could faux (paint) finish the backsplash to what you want. There is a tremendous amount of different paint types/consistencies available to a faux finisher. Faux finishers' are artists....it is amazing what they can do with paint. There is a method to mixing paints and understanding paint application; faux finishers understand this concept. Always have a sample concept completed and view it in your home...big samples aleviate surprise... majority of the time.

Not all glass tile is created equal. Sometimes the wall behind can show through. Glass itself has color to it, so even if the back of the tile is a very opaque white, you're seeing it through colored glass.

I agree with acm- paint the walls a bluish gray or maybe a color to match the counter. Add some light blue accents on the windowsill.

guys, original post was a year ago, so probably they figured something out...

But we like to comment on old stuff.

As I found out after it was to late. The only way to achieve white with glass white tile is to start with a wall back board. Unfortunately Houzz does not let you know this. After many conversations with Houzz and getting many reason why my tile is gray, I found none of their excuses pertained to my kitchen. I find this false advertisement not for warning you that chances are more likely you will get a gray and not white. This tile was a good tile with no iron in it. I spent about $ 800.00 plus $ 800.00 to have it installed using thin set and grouting they recommended. Now I will have to pay to have it taken out and new wall board out in. Buyer be ware. I will never shop Houzz again. A lousy way to conduct businesses!

Last comment was posted 6-14-2018. So they have not found a solution to the problem and yet they keep selling it without a warning of probable color out come.

?????

Rhydian, what are you talking about? I’m confused.

@rhydian, I see color differences in white glass tiles when the wrong setting material is used to adhere the tile. Instead of standard gray thinset, your installer should have used white thinset. Normally the glass tile manufacturer will include instructions in the box as to what product they recommend to use to adhere their product properly to your surface.
This isn't false advertisement, you bought a clear glass product that has a photo on the backside of color...which is white. A white setting material should have been used to achieve a true white glass. Gray setting materials will cause the product to appear darker. Lighting also plays a big role as glass will reflect the color hues from lighting.
The product was installed improperly.

Houzz is not a 'How to install' platform. It's up to the customer to ask questions and for the salesman to know the knowledge to answer properly.

acm, you can gripe at me for commenting on an old thread.

It doesn’t matter how old the thread is. People searching for this kind of information can learn from the past

I was commenting on the gray blue tile others as like my self after installing white. I asked experts and the tiler installer what to use. we used the recommended super white thin set for GLASS as suggested by many. We ended up with a gray blue tile. It was applied to a clean white wall. We purchased from Houzz, They said it was my lighting, I have a very bright kitchen plus a large window, then the tile is picking up color from counters, cabinets and appliances. There were no appliances in kitchen as we are remodeling and the new appliances are in garage. My counters are white and the cabinets are white. That rules out there reasons. We experimented a bit. I had some sheet rock that was removed from the bathroom. This was your typical plastered and painted wall. I applied a sheet of tile and tile turned out gray blue. We then applied tile to a new sheet rock that had not been plastered or painted. Hurray, tile is white, no gray blue insight. We took both boards outside and guess what? The tile that had been plastered and painted was still gray blue. New untreated sheet rock was still white. So, moral of the story is put in new sheet rock. I was wrong in going with the rating on the tile Houzz stated. After my tile problem I found that many people had the same problem I did. Houzz and the supplier of the tile should have included this tidbit of info with the tile info. I call it false advertisement when all info is not included and they know this is a problem.

Lordy.

Can you explain how it is false advertisement when your sheetrock is what's to blame? How is Houzz or the seller to know what you have installed in your home? Normally we (Cinar Interiors) tear out the sheetrock and replace with cement board. Now, me being curious because I have never come across this issue in the 25 yrs I've been doing this, did the white thinset absorb color pigment from the plastered sheetrock?

Well I have to follow this now...

Houzz has had complaints and knew there seems to be some type of problem with installation. They should inform buyers that there is a high probability that their tile will have a blue gray color and not the white they were expecting. Houzz could have contacted the tile place that supplies the tile to see if they knew what was causing this problem. All said and done Houzz knew customers were having a problem with this tile and should have informed consumers so they could make their decision. This could have saved consumers time and money. Designers, your customers will expect you to know this tile may have a problem. It is your business to see that a customer will have his or hers white glass tile.

We just had the same thing happen except we didn’t buy the glass tiles through Houzz. It’s very disappointing when you want white tiles installed and after installation you look up and you see baby blue (the floor tiles are gray and white, so to me this looks baby blue yet others have thought it is more of a grayish or grayish-blue. No one has said it looks white).

We hired a professional kitchen and bath company to install our kitchen cabinets, countertops and wall backsplash. A designer helped choose our wall tiles (which were not cheap and had a back coating on them) and a professional installer did the work. There is no way that I would’ve even thought to ask questions about something like this happening when we were choosing between “white“ tiles.

Realizing this is a "first world problem" so no one including myself will feel sorry for me, I have to completely rethink the color of my countertop appliances that will be sitting out and had to cancel our barstool order as the colors would’ve clashed. However, I really wish someone along the way had mentioned this to me prior to having these tiles installed. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a beautiful color of blue, I just didn’t want a blue backsplash as I very clearly stated numerous times that I wanted a white backsplash.

Trying to make lemonade out of lemons: Since the theme of this house is “water“ i’ve decided to call this color Caribbean blue and I’m heading out to see if there is a paint color that will enhance it :)

I’m posting pictures even though the cabinet installers still need to finish putting up trim but wanted to show the colors. It doesn’t matter if I have lights on, lights off, undercabinet lights on or not. The color is never white. It is more of a grayish to blue at all times

Hope this post helps others, yet honestly I have no solutions or ideas on how NOT to have this happen. Would love to know if this could've been prevented though - and who within all the professionals I hired SHOULD have known how to not have this happen.

klemetsenrr-

To answer your question how to not have this happen - iron content in glass makes it look green/blue. When the true white backing shows through high-iron glass, it reads the way yours turned out. Low iron content glass tile is available that show color truer - especially important with whites. This comes with a price; $50ish a sf is what I've seen. A lot of people have a hard time paying that much when they can get glass tile for under $20.

As to who is responsible - from what I've read on your post- probably the designer you hired to help spec this tile. Part of their job is to do this sort of homework to avoid these types of problems after the fact. It also depends on their relationship with the tile vendor. When I do tile specs, I go to one place because one of their reps knows their sh** when it comes to the product the sell. They've talked me through white glass tile (which is how I know about the boring iron content stuff I mentioned above).

Current backsplash included - you have a beautiful kitchen. That island slab is killer. Love bold choices. Wall color will certainly help the tile read more white. I do hope you'll end up loving the end result.

Looking back at this, what a shame. It is hard to see the pics. What did you do, OP, klemetsenrr? I would be tempted to live with it for a while knowing that I would change something eventually, most likely the tile, but until then I would paint out the walls to match the tile, and bring in more blue accents to the kitchen to make it feel and look intentional. So sorry you had to experience this!

@Arch13 ~ wow I really wish I would've known to ask about the iron content in the glass. REALLY appreciate learning from you! Yes, higher cost for tiles might be a shock yet since I wanted a true white the costs of the tiles are minimal as compared to installation - and possibly ripping it out and redoing :( Thank you for the compliments on the kitchen and island. My goal was to have the island be the focal point so I appreciate knowing that others like it :)

@greenfish1234 ~ I'm not positive what "OP" stands for yet guess you're asking my profession. If so, I'm a global consumer psychologist. Appreciate your advice to live with it for awhile and try to make it appear intentional. Like you, the cabinet installer (who has a flare for design) also suggested painting the one wall to match the tile - so great minds think alike :) Thank you so much for the advice and positive spin.

OP = Original Poster

Wow I wish I saw this post before today- my white glass backsplash looks blue! I was hoping that when he puts in a bit I fight grey grout it will look better. Any thoughts?

Sorry, this happened, but lots of things can easily change this for the better. Some suggestions - undercab lighting definitely - try to get in 3000K light hue - a warmer white - same with any can lighting or other lighting in the room. Good grays for the walls might be Sherwin Williams First Star, On the Rocks, Crushed Ice and Knitting needles. You aren't done yet, your finish items including dishes, canisters on the counters, plants and other decorative items will/can change the cast of this. Even dish towels. Another thing to consider are some accessories which have a very light blue tint, will help tie in the backsplash. AND luckily for you, Blue is the Pantone Color of the year - so you are right on trend!

Thank you for the post! I just had this happen to me. White glass tiles put on a white painted wall with white mastic and white grout. The tile has a blueish tinge. I was so confused and disappointed. Now I know that it is the glass itself - thank you,

This happened to me also. White glass backsplash, white and black cabinets. I hate it. It looks like baby blue backsplash. Hope this helps someone before they install.

The blue doesn’t look half bad. I get you wanted white, but I would not be upset cooking in that kitchen.

While we’re here, has ANYONE, EVER installed a white glass backsplash that didn’t turn blue?

Just installed White Glass and it turned baby blue. I asked the installer if he used white adhesive and he assured me that he had. I'm trying to like it but will most likely have to paint the walls now.

Has anyone had this problem with ceramic tile or just glass? I just had a mishap where a "white" subway tile that looked white before installation looks baby blue on my walls. Only difference is that the tile was ceramic.

Must be just me....I don't see it as being blue, just shadows under the cabinets, but still white. It won't look the same under the cabinets as it would outside in the open. I'd be fine with it, but then again, I wouldn't do a white kitchen.

Yes. Every whiteish ceramic or stone tile looks great horizontal on my counter

Until I put it up on the wall. thankfully, I tape up 10 sqft or so of tiles before buying/installing

At this rate, Im never going to have a backsplash

decided Im going to try some samples of cream / warmer tiles

I just installed the same, and yes it looks glassy blue/green at times. I kindve knew it would bc of the photos I studied before installation. I really like the color, it's very fresh and changes throughout the day depending on light. My countertops are white oceana quartz and they pair nicely. I'm still trying to find the right cabinet and wall colors though. This tile color is tricky to match perfectly. Too cool of gray and the paint looks flat and Industrial. Cream and beige makes it look aqua! I've found that the wood accents in my kitchen look great with a nuetral stain (nothing with pink or yellow undertones). I'm thinking I need a true neutral paint to pull this off, more on the greige side...

MY GOSH I'M SO SO WORRIED NOW. i PICKED THIS BACK SPLASH!!! MY CABINETS ARE BLACK. i'M SO WORRIED NOW

Yes, I installed a white glass tile that did not turn blue. You need a glass tile that is actually white glass and not a natural/clear glass tile (with or without white paper backing) that will read green/blue once installed.

The rectangular tile, quarter round and hexagons are the same through body white tiles from Oceanside Glass Tile.

Here you can see how the hexagon and square tile samples are solid white glass.

Look how the color changed from, the sample board to the wall installation, for the other clear/natural glass tiles which had some tinting. See how much darker they got, even with the correct installation procedures. The solid white glass tile stayed exactly the same after installation.