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david_hernandez105

Remodeling Kitchen - Need backsplash ideas

DAVID HERNANDEZ
3 years ago

I'm doing a whole house remodel from the ground up. I just finished putting in and painting the kitchen cabinets in two tone sage colors, and today I installed the quartz countertop. Now I need to do backsplash. Going to do all the way from countertop to wall cabinet (18 inches), and the whole space behind the range from floor to over-the-range microwave.


Was thinking plain white subway tile, but with the quartz and cabinet choices I'm feeling maybe I should get a bit more creative. Any ideas, links would be appreciated.


See attached fotos:




Comments (43)

  • Melissa R
    3 years ago
    last modified: 3 years ago

    hopefully designers will be around shortly to help. my first thought is some type of mosaic tile with some green in it.





    Tile Bar



    Home Depot



    Home Depot

    DAVID HERNANDEZ thanked Melissa R
  • HU-187528210
    3 years ago

    I love the Home Depot floral choices. But I think it’s going to be a ton of green. What about doing a clay tile the color of the background of the second Home Depot tile ( the last pic from Melissa) and then use that tile as an accent

    DAVID HERNANDEZ thanked HU-187528210
  • DAVID HERNANDEZ
    Original Author
    3 years ago

    @Melissa R - when you say Home Depot, do you mean that they have it there? I like #2 because it is very clean and elegant, but I also like the 3rd one be cause it is more casual and might actually look better. I'll take a trip to home depot to see if they have something like it.

  • DAVID HERNANDEZ
    Original Author
    3 years ago

    @HU-187528210 - I see what you mean. Like a terracotta red / or brownish clay color tile, and use the floral tile to accent it.. Hm..


  • PRO
    Beth H. :
    3 years ago
    last modified: 3 years ago

    I think any type of green tile or white and green would be perfect.


    Plain white subway tile?? blah and yawn. please, no.

    what color are your floors?

    here are some other subway tiles that are NOT white

    a soft green hand paint/glazed tile like this in a herringbone would be stunning w/your cabs


    Tilebar has the Portmore in this green tile


    or they have this Tundra color. kind of a dusky gray/green










    Tilebar, above Byzantine Latte, below, Nabi Emerald




    Tilebar Above Roman morning, and below, Cadenza Tidewater.


    go over to Tilebar, click on Backsplash tiles , and click on Green. order some samples

  • herbflavor
    3 years ago
    last modified: 3 years ago

    Too much green . The long runs and simple format of the L shape along w understatement of the counter ( could have been bolder) says pattern tile for sure . I’d go black and white design on 6 inch square / then find some black hardware including bold cup pulls on drawers.

  • loobab
    3 years ago

    Hi David-

    Green goes very nicely with food, so your sage cabinets are a nice idea.

    What color are your dishes?

    The reason I ask is that since you have greenish cabinets, if your dishes are green, it might be green overload to have a dark green or bright green backsplash as beautiful as they are.

    if your dishes are that bright or dark green, then i would go with the lighter green that Beth H shows, that first herringbone one is absolutely marvelous, but all the light green ones are good, too, and I like them in a herringbone pattern when they are just behind the range and sink.

    Because you don't have to tile the whole area.

    You really only need to do the area over your range and the area behind your sink, and then border those areas with a quarter round to make it look finished.

    Paint the rest of the area in a paint that matches the tile.

  • kjb84
    3 years ago

    Nice so far! What colors are your greens? We are considering doing at least some of our kitchen in sage green.

    DAVID HERNANDEZ thanked kjb84
  • HU-187528210
    3 years ago

    Exactly like. A tiny tinge of a red border around a simple clay beige color tile with Home Depot accent. Also loveeee this one from Beth! Soooo pretty

  • RedRyder
    3 years ago

    Tile Bar has so many beautiful tiles and you can get inexpensive samples. Keeping the green theme is a good idea and I vote for the softer greens x in a herringbone layout for more interest. I am someone who never thinks there is too much green! Love your kitchen so far.

  • PRO
    Altair
    3 years ago

    Maybe something fun?


  • Mars SC Zone 8b Mars
    3 years ago

    @Altair I like that backsplash.

  • herbflavor
    3 years ago

    altair : nice one ..then add pewter or black hardware.

  • PRO
    Amy Peltier Interior Design & Home
    3 years ago

    We suggest trying a white subway tile with your two toned cabinets.

    Modern Ranch · More Info


  • PRO
    Beth H. :
    3 years ago
    last modified: 3 years ago

    white subway tile. now there's something different. Amy, did you read what OP wrote?

  • DAVID HERNANDEZ
    Original Author
    3 years ago
    last modified: 3 years ago

    @kjb84 - The greens are from Sherwin Williams. The top one is SW 2860 (Sage) and the bottom dark one is SW-2851 (Sage Green Light). The quartz is a very light color but it has some "brownish" specks, and the floor is going to be a brown, and the wall color (which you can see by the kitchen sink) is SW Kilim Beige.

    I'm liking the idea of a pattern. @Altair - I like that

    Here's a picture I took of a room upstairs where I just started laying down the floor tonight (I'm doing the whole house, 100% remodel, all by myself, so I've been at it for a year).


  • DAVID HERNANDEZ
    Original Author
    3 years ago

    @Amy Peltier Interior Design & Home - subway tile is my default go to, but it's a LOT of backsplash and the counter top is too white and even, so I'm thinking pattern. Thank you tho. It does LOOK good at the end. Just concerned is too much white.


  • DAVID HERNANDEZ
    Original Author
    3 years ago

    @Melissa R - Thanks for the link. I see why I couldn't find it. it's 17.5x17.5 inch tile. The entire height of the backsplash is about 18 inches. So unless I use a single tile row across the whole thing, it might not work.. I love it. If they had it in a 6x6 inch tile, I would go for it. even a 9x9 would be doable, but anything bigger that would probably not work. I'll look around for something smaller that looks like it.

  • DAVID HERNANDEZ
    Original Author
    3 years ago

    I like this one .. and it comes in 9 3/4 x 9 3/4 size. I need to remeasure but I'm pretty sure I could not even fit 2 whole tiles between counter and bottom of the cabinets. I left only 18" .. cause my wife likes "lots and lots of cabinets" ..


    Arte Evoque Carthusian 9.75 x 9.75 Porcelain Tile


    But I'd love to find a slightly smaller tile, say 6x6 or 8x8 at the most

  • PRO
    Beth H. :
    3 years ago
    last modified: 3 years ago

    I think Tilebar carries them in 9x9 under the Bella line

    with minimal grout, you'd only have to shave the very end off the top one

    https://www.tilebar.com/collection/tile-mosaic-collections/bella.html


    they also have some 8x8 sizes

    https://www.tilebar.com/catalogsearch/result/?q=8x8+tile

  • DAVID HERNANDEZ
    Original Author
    3 years ago

    I think I found what I'm looking for.


    I just need to decide if I assemble them with the dark center (first picture) or the light center (2nd picture)


  • herbflavor
    3 years ago

    1st picture is my pick


  • PRO
    Beth H. :
    3 years ago

    I like the 2nd one

    you could also center the design, and use a similar gray tile above and below the design. this way you won't have to cut any to fill in the top portion.

  • DAVID HERNANDEZ
    Original Author
    3 years ago

    I agree 100%. I'm planning to take t he tile in and look for a 1 inch tile trim i could use as an edge.. I got enough of the tile to do the cuts if I can't find a edge just in case. They sell it by the piece, not the box, and they said I can return any I don't need at the end.. :-)


  • DAVID HERNANDEZ
    Original Author
    3 years ago

    My wife, my 30 year old daughter, and my 26 year old daughter all like the 2nd one. So I'm out voted :-)


  • loobab
    3 years ago

    I like the second as well, and can you do it so the grout lines are very narrow so as to preserve the pattern?

  • DAVID HERNANDEZ
    Original Author
    3 years ago

    still deciding on the grout color or width. I've never done a backsplash (heck, I've never done a full house remodel either, lol), and I think thicker may be more forgiving?

    Also, the quartz has light specs of tan/brown and thinking I should match that to help tilt the overall feel into warm as opposed to a gray (ugh), white (hmm) or blue (cold) or green (too much?) tinge.?


  • PRO
    Beth H. :
    3 years ago
    last modified: 3 years ago

    david, these are porcelain tiles, yes? Do a 1/16" grout line. (otherwise the design will look weird)

    use Unsanded grout

    Custom Polyblend is on the left, Mapei (lowes) on the right.

    right-Sahara beige, Gray, Alabaster, Warm Gray, or even White would all look fine.

    Oyster gray would work well, or the new taupe., maybe Natural Gray.

    Here is white tile with Oyster Gray. (the mosaic has white grout. ignore that one)



  • herbflavor
    3 years ago

    the tile will have a specified grout width from the maker. Sanded or unsanded grout is a factor of that. Grout should not scare anyone so much that you are changeing specs. there is technique but not rocket science. there are always experienced tilers to do this if you are that nervous. Very light gray grout if second tile.

  • RedRyder
    3 years ago

    The women in your life gave you a good answer. The second design is far more interesting.

  • herbflavor
    3 years ago

    any pattern will be interesting. I found the second one way too frilly and intricate. Much prefer the first as it's simpler and a little more folk-ish. To each his own. Intricate wins but dont knock what others see and perceive.

  • DAVID HERNANDEZ
    Original Author
    3 years ago

    Thanks everyone! I will post pictures when done..


  • DAVID HERNANDEZ
    Original Author
    3 years ago

    Before grout,


  • chispa
    3 years ago
    last modified: 3 years ago

    Nicely done!

    Pattern is centered on the sink and also at the range, corner looks good too ... looks like you did the math or got lucky! ;-)

  • Linda Stefanish
    3 years ago

    It’s beautiful!! Are you happy you went with the thin grout lines?? I love the thin

  • PRO
    Beth H. :
    3 years ago
    last modified: 3 years ago

    nice job! (agree about going around the whole window though)


    would be cool to do a pendant over the sink too



    OR, get yourself some thick window molding that goes from side to side. it will act as a border for the tile


  • decordummy_gw
    3 years ago

    It's beautiful! (Only thing I would have done different is to continue all around the window to the ceiling).

  • Melissa R
    3 years ago

    agree with decordummy tile the WHOLE wall around the window!!


  • DAVID HERNANDEZ
    Original Author
    3 years ago

    I did consider it, but I think it would look too busy. Thanks tho.

  • Aphaea
    3 years ago

    I love green tile and have bookmarked these two:


    Soft green: https://www.tilebar.com/browse-by-project/pool-tiles/loft-spa-green-polished-3x6-glass-tile.html


    Fabulous Moroccan green tiles (seen on Junglalow where I fell madly in love with them): http://www.badiadesign.com/productimage.php?product_id=1055&current_image=3

    You can see the image of them in her kitchen here: https://blog.justinablakeney.com/2015/08/boho-kitchen-reveal-the-whole-enchilada.html 

  • decordummy_gw
    3 years ago
    last modified: 3 years ago

    If you're hesitant to tile all around the window, I think Beth H. has a great idea with the window molding shown in the last pic she posted.


    Actually now that I look again at your window and Beth's molding idea, I like the wider molding even more than tile to the ceiling (would make your window have more presence). Whatever you decide, it really is beautiful.