I do believe this style will work lovely in your kitchen! this time get what you want...visually it is so beautiful.

You could add plantation shutters on the windows or fabric roman shades.

I would love to bring a designer in but the ones I have spoken with are not thrilled about coming to the house for such a small job. And I just found out today that our permit expires the first week in April which means everything must be chosen, installed and inspected within 6 weeks. Now I am really under the gun!

Do the brick. You have to make a decision and you seem to really love it.

There is no backsplash on this planet, that requires a permit or approval of any sort, from anyone.

The only portion of that wall requiring inspection, is the venting/electrical.

A backsplash is a surface treatment, a decorative one. It would be akin to saying you need permission to wallpaper your bathroom.

......

You have thickness issues, a hood of some variety that must be installed. You don't tile up to a hood, you trace that hood outline, tile to just inside it, and then install the hood. Therefore you factor that in.

Were you my client, I would beg do not complicate an install. I absolutely understand you love the brick, but it tends to be true that when you attempt to jam pegs into square holes you are met with disappointment. There are MANY lovely tiles that suit the kitchen you created. Not as many that will work in the one you WISH you had created: )

You adore the whole of this kitchen.....the entire look? I get it! It is certainly beautiful

But you have............this kitchen, now with a barren wall. Different, yet beautiful in its OWN right: ) and a round peg may fit better in a square hole than attempting the reverse.

Fixing the issues that most bother you.....ONE tone, the high shine....would go a very long way to the sweet spot

Love the herringbone! Has interest without being overpowering in your room.

I have seen full walls of brick in kitchens like yours...it looks fabulous..not sure why anyone would not think it could be done and look amazing…more flat beige tile is not going to satisfiy you visually..go for the brick and have fun!

Love herringbone layout for the brick

Herringbone any great size !! 2 x 8, 3 x9.....and with varying tones, matte. Would be just gorgeous, No white wash needed and easy to clean! A nice semi vertical feel across a decidedly low, long and horizontal wall.

You need the mortar to give it the look you love..no whitewash I agree..

Its the internet of no cincensus!:)

I’ll just ask you to scroll back to one of your own comments, where you essentially said…… this or that part of my inspo pic is what I love!!! I even understand it!

But this isn’t a plllow on a bed, a pair of great shoes!!

This is more like I looove her haircut!! But your hair will resist that cut and it doesn’t suit your face.

I won’t be able to convince you, but it is the whole of the inspo picture that you find so appealing :)

You said….“ most of what I show…..

( below) ” very specific….”

enjiBoiOriginal Author

2 days ago

I am having a hard time here with opposite opinions from those of you with an eye for design and professionals. Some reference my initial inspiration pictures (from 2017) and how different they are than some ideas I have here. Most of what I show in my inspiration pics are very specific parts of the photo, not necessarily the whole look.……

Its always your home! If you wont be happy until it is thin brick and mortar?

Then you need no permision slips OR a consensus from strangers who will forget all about your kitchen. You do you

🙄

As she rolls her eyes : ) lol

Was at a loss for words..not everything is only black and white lots of grey area in design..so many ways to mix different design style elements..😉

I thought that finding sufficiently thin brick tile was the problem.

It is the problem:

The only way the OP is going to get her look? Thin brick and customized by percentage and it WILL be 1/2 inch thick !

That means you either have a tight fit faucet, cut back the windowsill or you still might not get the look.

Combinations as wide as your imagination...

https://order.realthinbrick.com/Antique-Collection-Custom-212-Size-4-x-8-p611862345

( pick your percentages by color )

As much or as little of any colorway as long as total equals 100% and there are more......

Or??

Daltile, porcelain mimic.....no thickness issue, solves the SHINE problem of the tile she tore off

https://www.build.com/product/summary/1319296?uid=3134279&jmtest=gg-gbav2_3134279&inv=1&&source=gg-gba-pla_3134279!c1847620006!a73429715687!dc!ng&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAiA5eC9BhAuEiwA3CKwQkKurBdxoX0slO-848XvxYP8yPM3WvXzsZBqGDDLp28Rraozy8gJNBoCiCwQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

Or.....PAY the shipping from whatever fit the bill from Menards......

"thin brick, real hand made.......IS 1/2 INCH and you could prowl the internet until ...................?: )

Well then have to i) use 1/2” brick tile and accept the resulting problems, or ii) choose a different path.

Inspo pics and lovely visions are fine but reality doesn’t always cooperate and some point you need to move on and finish the kitchen.

Reality......you bet!

Designers always want their clients to have what the client desperately wants. We're tasked with adapting and interpreting looks, or a feeling, if you will...... while simultaneously considering the fiscal issues, or structural limitations or the limit of lot lines, and more.

You CAN have more, with more vast resources, but even money doesn't provide a guarantee.

Sometimes things beyond your control..just happen. The house down below? It began with EVERY effort on earth to preserve and remake the 1920 historic original. What happened? After a million dollars of drawings, permits, interior re framing....? You must Raise the house three feet, or tear it down"

Permit revoke, "bad information, faulty approval from the get go", and we were nowhere near perfection with our attempt at preservation and down came the house.......all during Covid btw.

Ended here and 2. 5 years later.......

Wrapped views · More Info

Wrapped views · More Info

Wrapped views · More Info

I have decided to forego the brick or stone look and save it for my fireplace located adjacent to the kitchen. I am going to go with what my first instinct was years ago and that is to continue with a somewhat monochromatic look with the backsplash (I will add texture and possible color through accessories/window coverings). Last night I visited a local tile store and found a few options, any of which I would like to lay in a herringbone pattern.

Although I haven't viewed any in the light of day, I found three options that I think are really nice.

#1: 4"x12" brushed limestone: ($11.96/ft)

I know it will need to be sealed and I am okay with that.

#2: Avillano Botticino Marble 3"x6": ($10.32/ft)

Is a sealer enough? Is marble too delicate for a kitchen backsplash?

#3: Villa Edessa Brick Matte Ceramic 2"x8" ($12.90/ft)

Matte finish but still seems to reflect more light than the others.

Should all three sizes (4"x12", 3"x6" and 2"x8") look good in a herringbone pattern with the layout I have (long and low)? With the 2x8, that equates to over 600 tiles vs. 500 for the 3x6 and less than 200 for the 4x12!

I have always been drawn to honed limestone so I don't mind needing to seal it although I know ceramic would be no muss, no fuss. The marble worries me a bit. But the variation in the tiles of the limestone and marble are beautiful.

I can't wait to get home from work and see what they look like in the light of day.

What do you like? What pattern and size do you like?

The matte ceramic still catches plenty of light and has an uneven surface. It will be a toned down example of where you already are. I don't think it is a good choice. The small marble looks too stubby and choppy. If anything, use the brush limestone. HOWEVER,

Take a cue from this hood inspiration photo and have no backsplash at all. Live with it like this for a year. If after a year you really miss a whole wall of tile, then revisit adding a splash. You have a achieved a restrained, sophisticated, contemporary, natural look in your kitchen thus far. Stop while you are ahead. A full wall of tile is overkill here and going to throw what is a nice balance now into something out of kilter.

From all above? This

Kendrah I have been living without it for almost five years. I don't need anymore time without it. And our township would not allow the inspection to be approved without something non-flammable behind the cooktop so we need to finish it now, before our permit runs out in about 7 weeks.

Lol...... A simple sheet of stainless behind the cook solves that! Helloooo Amazon? and 122.00 bucks? Get out from under the 7 week gun.

( not to mention the township is nuts, your contractor is giving you B.S as there are who knows how many folks with NOTHING but a riser from the counter and drywall behind a cook top?)

https://www.amazon.com/KOBE-SSP30-30-Inch-Stainless-Backsplash/dp/B001RQX4J0/ref=asc_df_B001RQX4J0?mcid=602deec1737d3c2ea735704ca775f29a&tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=693616616527&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=5365526993679290934&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9051644&hvtargid=pla-385686518050&th=1

To me, the marble looks most interesting, but is it also too thick? I also like the limestone if it isn't too thick. The matte tile looks too similar to what you had before. I still think you could reduce the "too-shiny" issue by changing your lighting.

I suspect off-white limestone or marble behind the range is going to require frequent scrubbing, even if sealed. You can put a piece of stainless steel sheet up behind the range. Even if not your dream permanent solution, it should suffice for permit inspection. No reason to let the township dictate your schedule.

Will you need a working range hood for inspection?

That one is too much for me.

Yes, I need the hood installed and working for the inspection which is why this needs to all be done very soon.

Hmm very similar to the brick look..it is honed stone very pretty..well good luck I am just worried when it is all said and done it will still be beige tile but in herringbone pattern.

The pricing of the same tile at three different places astonishes me:

How did you get back to that one just above? What happened to herringbone? : )

You need clarity soon.......or even seven weeks will vaporize.. Two people have told you how to pass an inspection with a minimal expense: ) You've been four years without a hood? Or you removed a hood? as that is not entirely clear......

I didn't get back to that. I had it from a couple of weeks ago and I was surprised at the price differences for the same tile. That was just an fyi--herringbone is still the plan.

We have never had a hood installed. Our township inspector will not answer questions for us with the clarity we need. He only shares copy of the IRC section and doesn't really offer other input when we ask for clarification (or their interpretation). And if we change our plan from what was originally submitted (range hood installed) then we need to request a revision to the original plan which will take time--time that we don't have.

I admit I do not understand. There is NO contractor between you and the town permit process? Who is dictating the seven weeks? Who would build the hood you do not yet have? and if it has been a non issue fro FOUR YEARS? how did it become desperate city and a timeline of seven weeks. Call me lost ? : )

The tile and hood will be installed by a contractor. (More of a tile guy but he has installed hoods.) The township guy contacted me about 2-3 months ago saying they never closed out our permit (issued during COVID). He asked for an update. I told him we were getting these two items completed. He said he would extend the permit to March and if we needed more time (due to tile guy being busy) to let him know.--no big deal. Then when I asked questions about makeup air and whether we absolutely need a hood, he came back with a .pdf of the Code, few answers and an "Oh, BTW, we won't extend it past April 7th." That was a last week.

No hood was ever installed by the kitchen contractor. We fired him and had to sue him for the shoddy work and failure to complete the job. Plumbing problems, backsplash falling off the wall, unfinished cabinet surface that he didn't replace, measured wrong leading to a problem with the quartz countertop, double oven and fridge, etc.

I am building the frame for the range hood. The contractor will install and finish according to our design. The range hood will be ordered in the next few days.

I think @JAN MOYER gave you a wonderful idea, which gives you time. Use a sheet of stainless steel behind the stove and take a break. The deadline should not force you to buy and install something you don’t love. Paint the wall and wait a year.

Something new might come up in a year -at a tile store or on a website - and you will be thrilled. Right now, you don’t sound thrilled with any of these.

RedRyder I think it is more of I want something that won't necessarily work in my space rather than me not liking options. I like several but don't know which is best suited for our house. I just need to decide and put this baby to rest. Delaying another year will have me back here again.

But the option that JAN MOYER offered is a fall-back should the timeline get too tight. I appreciate the idea.

Sounds to me like you are paralyzed by indecision. Just do something already. Anything. And then be done with it.

What is holding you back from the brick you are obsessed with? or similar?

There is that old saw......a lot of truth in it

"Price, quality, delivery".........( quality can be the thing over which you lust, and delivery is a timetable ))

PICK two!!! It is all anyone gets!

I know you've been at it "forever" . We all understand the very real design fatigue.

Go get and inexpensive stainless hood, a stainless backer behind the cook. Pass the permit process, smooth and paint the wall...and chill for a bit longer.

Your bad luck with one contractor is not all of them. Buy some time, because in all honest answers if we asked you? You're not in loooove with anything yet, and the thing you are? Can't be rushed, nor can the hood.

You don't need a year, but a seven weeks is unrealistic.

Tile is priced sq feet and tile size is irrelevant: ) The WALL determines the square feet, and layout, and wall the necessary amount to allow for waste.

irrelevant down here. For anything but looks

"With the 2x8, that equates to over 600 tiles vs. 500 for the 3x6 and less than 200 for the 4x12!"

why on earth "just get it done" dont agree at all. if you are ambivalent on such a huge expanse I'd skip it. there are many ways to deal with long expanses. putting something like tile brick or stone when you arent certain Is NOT good. there is nothing wrong w paint. there is nothing wrong w art or decor. there are many ways to deal w a long wall . I've accepted ambivalence w projects / activities as time to do nothing/ wait.....then later on the correct decision can be made or realizations and a change of focus. Youve had one removal... and time is accruing...still ambivalent..... there is no harm in cleaning up the wall. period.

wall area w paint and art...major focus w pendants at island

Open, airy kitchen in Rutland, UK · More Info

tongue and groove harmonizing w narrow cabinets and single long shelf.

The Warwickshire Barn Shaker Kitchen by deVOL · More Info

"why on earth "just get it done" dont agree at all. if you are ambivalent on such a huge expanse I'd skip it."

"Just get it done" can include exactly what you suggested -- skip it. At least for now. Patch and paint the wall, get the hood up, and continue on with life. Or, pick some sort of tile or brick. He needs to make a DECISION to do something or nothing -- the fix for indecision paralysis is making a decision. Even if that decision is to do nothing.

JAN MOYER , this comment was asking whether having that many tiles will seem to busy, not about the cost:

"With the 2x8, that equates to over 600 tiles vs. 500 for the 3x6 and less than 200 for the 4x12!"

I was inquiring about whether the smaller tiles will look too busy because of the quantity.

As I said earlier? 4 x 12 . or 2 x8 0r 3 x 12....always looks good in a herringbone and smaller/squattier is best reserved for LESS WALL. :) and a smaller spot in general. Especially given length height proportion of your wall.

I have chosen this 4"x12" limestone for my backsplash which will be hung in a herringbone pattern from counter to ceiling. The contactor will be building the hood for the insert and it will be finished in a venentian plaster, possibly with antique wood trim wrapping around the bottom. Which shape do you prefer and why? Without other cabinets, I am deciding whether to taper all sides or just angle the front.

I am partial to the shape of the first hood you posted. The angles make it seem less “bulky”.

Pretty choice for your backsplash! Like RedRyder, I prefer the more graceful shape of the first hood you pictured.

In case a (rough) mockup helps.

For the aesthetic of your kitchen, I think the second hood design would work better because you have no upper cabinets (only windows) and it would fill in the empty space better.

^Ariana makes a good point. I was looking at the hoods in isolation when I responded.