I can't tell if they are installed neatly. Is it possible that the irregularities you see are due to the tile being a little rustic?

I really like how they are installed tightly like masonry instead of tile. You don't see it often so it's odd that the tile team thought to do it like this. Like the Washington Monument. :)

But if that's not what you asked for then it's not right. (But it looks really good from here!)

Fori, it’s Maravilla Honed 4x8 Iceberg marble. I’m not even sure if it’s considered rustic. Thanks for your feedback!

The tiles don't look uniform. What brand are they? The lack of uniformity may be deliberate, and that would explain why they look the way they do. How did they finish the edge where the tiles stop?

They sanded it at the edge. I’m not sure I love how it looks but it was my request. I thought it looked nice in a picture I once saw online lol

I think the tiles look pretty uniform in the box

I'd rather not try to maintain clean looking grout, so I think you got the best end of this deal!

Thank you, decoenthusiate, for that positive spin :)

I think it looks really nice! Especially looking from afar!

There are only a few places I notice that slightly bother me looking at the tile up close. It is where a tiny bit of the grout shows where there is an irregular shaped tile. The lighter grout color to me brings more attention to the imperfect edges. Could your installer somehow make that grout a little more grey to blend with the marble better?

I love this! Everything today is so perfect that we automatically see something that feels more natural as a flaw, but the beauty of marble is that it has the natural veining and isn't one flat piece of white plastic sheeting. This is absolutely gorgeous.

Love the look with minimal to no grout. The tile variations stand out nicer in this job.

It looks really pretty. Usually tile manufacturers specify the minimum and maximum recommended grout size for the tile. Any chance you can find the tile online and see if there's a spec sheet.

pricklypearcactus, good thinking, I will check that out!

Charlie, this is my issue exactly! I might be willing to live with lippage but I know it was unintentional and evidence of a rushed or careless job. Same with the uneven spacing and too thin (and in places non-existent) grout lines. I bought unsanded grout which I saw them use but I’m not even sure they could fit it between some of the tiles that seem to be flush against each other. I’m trying to appreciate the beauty of the backsplash and mostly be grateful that it’s done because this kitchen renovation has been dragging on since January!

Some of the joints are pretty irregular. Looks like a poor installation to me. I would ask for redo.

@Norwood Architects I agree. Plus, even if they had spaced the joints consistently, I think they’re too close together. I like when the grout highlights the tiles & the pattern.

I am wondering if some look inconsistent because you asked them to change halfway thru the job? Like if the started without spacers but then started adding space it would look weird. I personally don’t like heavy constraining grout lines with marble, I think it detracts from the stone, but I would want all my grout lines spaced the same.

Omg, the typos! I’m sorry. Lol

@User You ask a good question but they asked me what I thought when they first started (maybe only about 5 or 10 tiles into the work) and I told them that I saw literally no space at all between the tiles and they said they would fix those and start to lay them with room for grout but they never used spacers. I wish they had, at least they would have been uniform.

Ahhh. They must have thought they were better at eyeballing than they were. They probably didn’t even bring any spacers. Some it looks like grout on the tile. Maybe they can clean it up and it will look better.

@User unfortunately i agree with you on all counts lol

Here are a few more pics. It honestly makes me wish i had tried doing it myself

Oh that lippage is bad

100% unacceptable! Needs to be ripped out and I would not allow the same tile guy to redo because he obviously does not have the skill (or even care) to do a proper install.

@User right?! how are they not just constantly getting fired or asked to re-do stuff?

@User i agree. I’m disappointed but also so confused as to how this guy is in business lol

So have they agreed to redo it?

@User I haven’t asked because I’m worried it will halt all progress with the kitchen (and it’s already been an approximately 11 month long ordeal). Consequently, I’ve been trying to embrace its uniqueness and lack of uniformity but I’m stuggling lol. Also, there is the issue of—do I want these guys to have another go at it? They don’t seem to put out the best work. Idk. Maybe they could do it well if they wanted to. Why they didn’t use spacers and do it properly in the first place I don’t understand.

I would at least make them pay for new product

That is NOT a professional tile installation. They are not qualified. How were they hired? https://cdn.ymaws.com/www.tile-assn.com/resource/resmgr/docs/13_questions_to_find_a_tile_.pdf

@The Kitchen Place it’s Maravilla Honed 4x8 Iceberg marble from Floor & Decor. Yours is beautiful—it’s what I thought I was getting lol

@Dragonfly Tile & Stone Works, Inc. I agree it looks unprofessional. They were sent by the general contractor who’s overseeing the entire project. I’m wondering how everyone is not complaining about their work. I doubt this sloppy craftmanship is a fluke.

We think the installation is absoutely awful. They just slapped it in out of the box with no wall prep for a flat result, no pre-shading so the blending of the various tiles was aesthetically pleasing, and the grout joints are required per manufacturer recommendations and indsutry standards which they didn't meet. The "budget" tile suppliers do often sell less than quality products but a qualified tile contractor would advise regarding expections, and could make the installation MUCH better than this. However, if you provided the tile AND the grout, well, you are likely dealing with a budget GC who is sub-contracting to budget "tile installers" (who are not actual professionals).

They actually did a good job “eyeballing” the joint width instead of using spacers. The issue is (well, one of them, anyway) the width of the joints, which is virtually non-existent. There are other factors at play here, though: the 50/50 offset, the lighting, and the tile itself. While The Kitchen Place’s backsplash is lovely, it, too, has obvious lippage; it’s just not as pronounced due to the wider grout joint and the lighting. Having said all that, the quality of the finished product (as far as youre concerned, at least) lies with the general contractor.

FWIW, I’m not saying that these “factors” are bad or that the backsplash looks awful (the pictures in your OP are quite pleasing, in fact!); I‘m just describing what I see.

So they’ve agreed to redo the backsplash and said my tiles were poor quality. Now that I need to purchase new tiles, I’ve decided that the old ones didn’t really go with the cabinets and sort of greige counter. It’s a warm/cold issue for me. I think the kitchen is too cool/drab. How can I warm it up? All white tiles? Brown/beige tiles? Here’s how it looks with the tiles that are going.