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lisa_moffitt48

White subway tile backsplash: pattern & grout color question

8 years ago

I think I want to do a simple 3'' x 6'' white subway tile backsplash in our kitchen. However, I'm unsure if to do it horizontally or herringbone and with white grout (to make it subdued) or cream colored grout (to give it more definition). What do you think?


The cabinets are custom white cabinets and will have brushed nickel knobs and handles. The counter is granite, the flooring is travertine, and the walls are beige (Kilim beige). I attached a few pics of the kitchen with one of the white subway tiles. I'm looking to do something simple so that it doesn't take away from the granite. and the travertine.







Horizontal, white grout
Horizontal, cream grout
Herringbone, white grout
Herringbone, cream grout

Comments (13)

  • PRO
    8 years ago

    Very pretty stone flooring and wonderful pairing with your countertop. For the grout color, I would lean toward a warm white, even with a hint of silver. TEC grout has a color "Sterling" that is a cream with a hint of grey. Sometimes white grout can be super white and stand out even more against your white tile. For the angle of the tile, I would be careful using herringbone under the cabinets as that area is only 18" tall - can be too busy. An example of a blend of directions can be seen here where there is more height at the hood above the range.

    Impactful Addition, Kitchen · More Info

    Lisa Moffitt thanked Deb Bayless - Design for Keeps
  • 8 years ago
    last modified: 8 years ago

    Personally I'd do a warm, light gray grout. don't like cream next to white. cream grout w/white tiles will not look good.

    here's your white w/white. looks like a white sheet.

    and if you decide on the herringbone, do a longer tile. 2x8 or 3x9

    this color tile , or a bit lighter, would be a nice contrast w/your granite and cabs.

    this is your 3x6 in a herringbone

    Lisa Moffitt thanked Beth H. :
  • 8 years ago
    last modified: 8 years ago

    I voted for the herringbone pattern! I've seen it done on HGTV and I love it!

    Lisa Moffitt thanked Bev
  • PRO
    8 years ago

    I agree with Deb Bayliss--white tiles with very light gray grout look great! And the simpler the better--as Deb mentioned, the herringbone can look busy in the 18" area between the upper cabinets and the counter top. However, have you considered using a darker tile? Perhaps a brown or dark tan?

    Lisa Moffitt thanked Diana Bier Interiors, LLC
  • 8 years ago

    If you are sure you want subway tiles, grey grout would look best against a white tile in a horizontal pattern. However, my opinion is that subway tiles are so overdone at this point (every house flipper and spec builder uses them) and kind of boring. I would worry that your kitchen will look dated in a few years. My designer recommended large tiles with a texture and wow, I love it. It is not tied to a point in time (a trend that is waning) like subway tiles. It just looks good. Something to think about....

    Lisa Moffitt thanked Robbi
  • 8 years ago

    Thank you all so much for your comments! Several of you mentioned doing a grey grout rather than cream. I love grey but would it look ok with all the beiges and browns we have in the counters, floors and wall paint?


  • PRO
    8 years ago

    Yes, because if you look closely at your floors and countertops, there is some grey there. Go griege! ;)

  • 8 years ago

    No gray!! Don't try to force gray into this space. I would go beige, greige, or cream.

  • PRO
    8 years ago

    You have options!

    One recommendation would be to do cream subway tile with white grout. White cabinets against white tile can be a tough balance- but it's not impossible! Something to keep in mind is white-on-white can look washed out and/or one of the adjacent elements can begin to look dingy if the value of one is too far off from the other. Cream grout with white tile has the potential to also look as though the grout is dingy, in its known porous quality, unless there is a substantial contrast of color variance between the two. If you find the right white which compliments the white of your cabinetry, a darker grout- like a warm mushroom gray as seen in your countertops- would also look quite lovely! Just something to consider before deciding.

    Installing the backsplash horizontally tends to achieve a more timeless look than the herringbone. You can always do pops of interest in accessories and fixtures which tend to be easier and more economical to replace and update if you do get a little tired of the look.

    Here are some options to peek at:


    Best of luck with your project!

  • 8 years ago

    I would go with the light cream colour tile. Make it a close match to your cabinets so together it will read white. Simple subway and let it fade into the background and let your counters take centre stage. Keep. it. simple.

  • 8 years ago
    last modified: 8 years ago


    Lisa,,,you do a warm gray,,not a blue gray. the eyes really don't 'see' the gray grout when it's up. it somewhat fades into the background, vision-wise. It's a basic neutral.

    I did a warm gray color w/my marble tiles and white subway tiles. It almost looks like a warm white shade.

    it's Mapei, Warm Gray. it's the perfect grout color for just about any tile.

    I think if you did a longer subway tile like this one, it would look much better.

    shorter tiles in a smaller space look busier. these longer tiles give the illusion of more space by keeping the joint lines to a minimum. BTW, the tiles above are done w/white grout. against the white cabs it looks like a giant white sheet. do a contrasting grout in the warm gray or the lightest beige (not a yellow cream)


    or you could do the lightest of tan shades if you went with a tan colored tile. like this

    I wouldn't do a 3x6 subway. do the longer one.
    3x12 in Ivory. Lancaster, tilebar.


    glazed brick subway in Parchment. CleTiles.

  • 5 years ago

    @Lisa Moffitt We're all wondering, hahahaha . . .


    WHAT'S THE FINISHED PRODUCT LOOK LIKE? I bet you LOVE it!!!


    :-) :-) :-)