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renee_czeryba74

Kitchen Backsplash Help - Picket or Subway tiles

3 years ago

I am trying to figure out what to do with my backsplash.

I just installed this basket mosaic in my hutch in the kitchen (which is on the other side of the island - one side has the dishwasher/window, the other side has this hutch and fridge). I had a different mosaic in mind but ended up grabbing this one quickly and it is what it is at this point. It's super shiny and busy.


What should I do with the rest of the kitchen?

- I can do vertical picket tile (it's marble with slight grey variations) and a white grout.

- The spacing between the counter and cabinet is 20" vs. the 18" standard. If I do vertical picket will that make the spacing appear even "longer"

- Do I use a plain subway? Shiny? Matte? White? Marble? Stacked?

- The cabinets are BM Simply White so they have a TINY touch of warmth/cream.

- Counters are Bianco Superior Quartzite (beige/grey/white)

- I would tile all the way around the window.






Comments (43)

  • PRO
    3 years ago

    Please no subway tile.

    The picket works nicely with your selections

  • 3 years ago

    I like the picket.

  • 3 years ago

    Picket horizontal or vertical?

  • 3 years ago

    I love the tiles you selected for the hutch.

  • PRO
    3 years ago

    IMO the hutch tle is a better chice than the picket IMO but honestly I would do a nive simple white large format subway tile stacked and be done


  • 3 years ago

    Patricia would you do gloss or matte

  • 3 years ago
    last modified: 3 years ago

    Go horizontal! It would feel and look so uplifting! I would go with gloss because you will love the gloss if you clean often!

  • 3 years ago

    Love the picket!

  • 3 years ago

    I agree with Patricia!

  • 3 years ago

    What color grout was used on the mother of Pearl mosaic tiles in your hutch?

  • 3 years ago

    Avalanche from Floor and decor

  • 3 years ago

    You can’t go wrong with subway tile. It’s a classic. But the picket tile you’ve shown is very nice. If you like that better, then go for it. I don’t think you’ll be sorry.

  • 3 years ago

    Oops! Late to the party. Picket looks gorgeous!

  • 3 years ago

    What color grout did you select for both mosaic and elongated hexagons?

    I have the same mother of Pearl mosaic which will be installed up to ceiling. I am considering Mapei Warm Grey and Frost to give definition because my cabinets are white and my quartz is primarily white with deep grey veining. I also have polished nickel hardware. Now I am getting worried that the mosaic tiles with shine and darker grout might be too busy. My tile installer does not want to make samples.

    Are you able to see the definition of the mosaic shapes from a distance in your kitchen or just from close up?

    I would love to get your thoughts on whether a deeper grout would be too busy if extended to the ceiling and aground a window?

  • 3 years ago

    I would not do a darker grout.
    We went with Avalanche which is very white, and it honestly looks gray. I can’t imagine using a darker grout. Let me try to get a close up of the mosaic with the Avalanche.

  • 3 years ago

    Avalanche grout.
    It’s overcast today hence the shadow

  • 3 years ago

    Thanks! Can you clearly see the shapes from 6-10 feet away or do you just see shine? Do you think the picture below is Avalanche grout?

  • 3 years ago

    Lastly are you happy with this mosaic tile? I noticed in one post you said it was shiny and busy. I loved it when I purchased but now I getting conflicting opinions.

  • 3 years ago

    Good point
    I see shapes but a lot of shine. It definitely does not look like the photo you just posted. You would have to go with a gray grout to get more shape definition.

  • 3 years ago

    But it’s a really busy pattern. Pretty but busy.
    So not sure how much differentiation you want in the shapes.
    I would insist on having your installer do some grout samples. We tried frost and Avalanche. I knew the frost would make everything look busier so I opted for Avalanche.

  • 3 years ago

    It’s super pretty.
    But I’m not sure what it would look like in my entire kitchen 🤷🏻‍♀️
    I think it would be fine? It’s a lot of little pieces. It’s definitely a bright and cheerful mosaic. What color are your cabinets?

  • 3 years ago

    I can see the shapes from 6-10 feet away with the Avalanche grout. I’m waiting for two of my shelves to get installed and then I’ll take a photo.

  • 3 years ago

    My cabinets are white with polished nickel hardware. I have white quartz counters with grey veining and a stainless steel range hood. I have polished nickel lantern lights for my island. ( See pics below).The base of the island is a brownish gray. Floors are hardwood in dark walnut.

  • 3 years ago

    My kitchen backsplash is done.

  • 3 years ago

    Looks great! Do you love it? What color grout did you use?

  • 3 years ago
    last modified: 3 years ago

    Looks great! can you share your backsplash is this Picket polished or honed? thank you

  • 3 years ago

    Are you happy with your picket backsplash? We have the same countertop and kitchen cabinet colors. Would you do it again or would you pick something else?

  • 3 years ago

    I would totally do it again. It’s really pretty and a little different than a subway.

  • 3 years ago

    Polished picket but not super shiny

  • 3 years ago

    Love it!

  • 3 years ago

    So happy to see something other than subway tile. It has been done to death under the assumption it is timeless…timelessly generic.

  • 3 years ago

    I like the feature of taking it all the way to ceiling. It makes it look like wallpaper. Very nice effect.

  • 3 years ago

    It does look really pretty. Is it Daltile? Can you send me the details and the grout you used. I am down to this and a subway in a herringbone pattern - so over all these decisions!! 😂

  • 3 years ago

    Floor and decor for the tile and grout. The grout is alabaster. It pulls very slightly gray. It’s a cool white grout, what they consider to be their whitest grout.

    Get yourself a lot of extra tiles bc so many of the tiles had a lot of variation. I looked through every sheet (except at the very end and there are a few pieces that have a ton of variation 🤦🏻‍♀️)

  • 3 years ago

    Thank you so much for the information!

  • 3 years ago

    Also what did you use on your white oak? We are looking at loba invisible protect but it seems to still pull yellow. Thinking about doing some whitener in one of the coats.

  • 3 years ago

    Louise
    I agonized over the white oak for weeks.
    Bc I love a natural finish and didn’t want any yellow or amber pull.
    I did one coat of Bona Natural and two coats of Bona Traffic HD ultra matte finish.
    Lessons learned: should have done three coats for the traffic HD and should have used satin rather than matte. I’m more of a “when my floors are washed I like a slight shine” person. But everyone talked me into the ultra matte.

    I agree about Loba, it pulled too much yellow/amber. I bought and tried many many samples of loba, Bona, etc.

  • 3 years ago

    I did so much research on the Bona seals. The original pulls too amber (I did so much reading about it!)

  • 3 years ago

    Thank you! Our floor guy only uses loba but good to know you felt the same way about it pulling some yellow! Good to know how you feel about the satin. I was leaning towards satin too for that exact same reason!

  • 3 years ago

    Yep
    I wash the floor and it looks “ok” but dull to me.

  • 3 years ago

    Ugh that’s frustrating! It looks beautiful in your picture though!

  • 2 years ago

    @Renee, love the picket tiles. With the marble backsplash are you observing any staining? How's the maintenance? Also, is your island white oak?

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