New This Week: These Graphic Backsplashes Pump Up White Cabinets
Look to elegant but energetic patterns to keep the serene feeling while packing in plenty of style
Mitchell Parker
May 26, 2017
Houzz Editorial Staff. Home design journalist writing about cool spaces, innovative trends, breaking news, industry analysis and humor.
Houzz Editorial Staff. Home design journalist writing about cool spaces, innovative... More
White cabinets remain a popular choice for kitchens. But some people worry that large swaths of white will create a boring, ho-hum feel. To amp up all that white and still get that clean, serene feeling, try looking for subtly colored tile in a lively graphic pattern. Let the following three kitchens get your inspiration gears turning.
1. Moroccan Magic
Designers: Glenn Travis of GMT Home Designs (architectural) and Amy McFadden (interior)
Location: Belmont, Massachusetts
Homeowners’ request: A large kitchen with an island for prep work and space for their three children to do homework
Backsplash: Fatima hand-painted field tile in Mezzanotte finish from Walker Zanger’s Duquesa collection. “The backsplash was the wow factor to add to an otherwise white kitchen,” says designer Glenn Travis. “We considered doing a pattern tile on the floor, but the clients didn’t want to commit to that, so we put it on the walls. It really made the kitchen pop and added interest. The classic color palette and design will keep it timeless, so it wasn’t that risky to do.”
Designers: Glenn Travis of GMT Home Designs (architectural) and Amy McFadden (interior)
Location: Belmont, Massachusetts
Homeowners’ request: A large kitchen with an island for prep work and space for their three children to do homework
Backsplash: Fatima hand-painted field tile in Mezzanotte finish from Walker Zanger’s Duquesa collection. “The backsplash was the wow factor to add to an otherwise white kitchen,” says designer Glenn Travis. “We considered doing a pattern tile on the floor, but the clients didn’t want to commit to that, so we put it on the walls. It really made the kitchen pop and added interest. The classic color palette and design will keep it timeless, so it wasn’t that risky to do.”
Other special features: Solid walnut island with L-shaped overhang to provide extra room for doing homework. Undercabinet lights. Radiant heat floors. Crystal knobs. A new 9-foot bay window adds natural light and gives the homeowners a grand view of the backyard.
Designer secret: “We tiled up around the windows to continue the pattern and give it a wallpaper effect, as one would find in a stone house in Europe,” Travis says. “It really worked out well.”
Also on the team: Gallagher Remodeling (builder); Eric Roth (photographer)
Perimeter countertops: Symphony Grey in polished finish, Caesarstone; pendant lights: Chatham in white glass and antique brass, Hudson Valley Lighting; paint on cabinets: Decorator’s White, Benjamin Moore; paint on walls: Pavilion Gray in eggshell finish, Farrow & Ball; cabinet knobs: Hampton in glass and nickel, Emtek
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Designer secret: “We tiled up around the windows to continue the pattern and give it a wallpaper effect, as one would find in a stone house in Europe,” Travis says. “It really worked out well.”
Also on the team: Gallagher Remodeling (builder); Eric Roth (photographer)
Perimeter countertops: Symphony Grey in polished finish, Caesarstone; pendant lights: Chatham in white glass and antique brass, Hudson Valley Lighting; paint on cabinets: Decorator’s White, Benjamin Moore; paint on walls: Pavilion Gray in eggshell finish, Farrow & Ball; cabinet knobs: Hampton in glass and nickel, Emtek
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2. Braided Beauty
Designers: Jenni Leasia and Jordan Allen of Jenni Leasia Design
Location: Portland, Oregon
Size: 215 square feet (20 square meters)
Homeowners’ request: Open and update a dark, closed-off kitchen to include lots of natural light and a high-impact backsplash
Backsplash: Carrara and Thassos marble mosaic tile in Braid 2 pattern from Ann Sacks’ Benton Mosaics collection. “We were thinking of a mosaic but didn’t want it to be too ornate or traditional,” says designer Jenni Leasia. “This mosaic uses classic materials in a fresh organic pattern that plays well with the mint-green Lacanche range. The pattern has presence while allowing the range to stay center stage.”
Designers: Jenni Leasia and Jordan Allen of Jenni Leasia Design
Location: Portland, Oregon
Size: 215 square feet (20 square meters)
Homeowners’ request: Open and update a dark, closed-off kitchen to include lots of natural light and a high-impact backsplash
Backsplash: Carrara and Thassos marble mosaic tile in Braid 2 pattern from Ann Sacks’ Benton Mosaics collection. “We were thinking of a mosaic but didn’t want it to be too ornate or traditional,” says designer Jenni Leasia. “This mosaic uses classic materials in a fresh organic pattern that plays well with the mint-green Lacanche range. The pattern has presence while allowing the range to stay center stage.”
Other special features: Mint-green range. Brushed and mirrored stainless steel range hood
Designer secret: “Choose your wow materials thoughtfully,” Leasia says. “None of us want a boring, generic kitchen, but we also don’t want a kitchen that is a messy mix of the latest trends.”
Also on the team: T&R Construction (general contractor); Oregon Custom Cabinets; Caleb Vandermeer (photographer)
Countertops: Icelake in polished finish, Pental Surfaces; paint: Gray Owl in eggshell finish (walls), White Dove in satin finish (cabinets) and Deep River in satin finish (dining serving station): Benjamin Moore; refrigerator: Sub-Zero, paneled by cabinetmaker; range: Rully, Lacanche; custom hood: Vent-A-Hood; faucet: Henry one-hole gooseneck in chrome, Waterworks; cabinet hardware: National Builders Hardware; island pendant lights: Eastmoreland, Rejuvenation; dining pendant light: Vendome, Circa Lighting
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Designer secret: “Choose your wow materials thoughtfully,” Leasia says. “None of us want a boring, generic kitchen, but we also don’t want a kitchen that is a messy mix of the latest trends.”
Also on the team: T&R Construction (general contractor); Oregon Custom Cabinets; Caleb Vandermeer (photographer)
Countertops: Icelake in polished finish, Pental Surfaces; paint: Gray Owl in eggshell finish (walls), White Dove in satin finish (cabinets) and Deep River in satin finish (dining serving station): Benjamin Moore; refrigerator: Sub-Zero, paneled by cabinetmaker; range: Rully, Lacanche; custom hood: Vent-A-Hood; faucet: Henry one-hole gooseneck in chrome, Waterworks; cabinet hardware: National Builders Hardware; island pendant lights: Eastmoreland, Rejuvenation; dining pendant light: Vendome, Circa Lighting
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3. Flower Power
Designer: Elissa Tiesi of Threshold Interiors
Location: New York
Homeowner’s request: A clean, simple and fresh kitchen
Backsplash: Sunflower mosaic by Ann Sacks. “The backsplash was a bit of a challenge because we needed something to complement the cabinet color — Elephant’s Breath by Farrow & Ball — and the chocolate range by Lacanche, but we didn’t want something dull or too beige,” says designer Elissa Tiesi. “So we suggested the Ann Sacks Sunflower backsplash because the colors complemented everything else we were working with, and the style is feminine and elegant in keeping with our client’s aesthetic. The backsplash also adds a bit of whimsy to the kitchen since it’s an uplifting pattern.”
Other special features: Cabinets with Bendheim wavy glass. Quartz countertops
Also on the team: Chris Smylie (general contractor); Superior Woodcraft; Chrissy Rault of Threshold Interiors; Eddie Cusack (wood floor installer); James Salomon (photographer)
Pendant lights: Coolidge, Hudson Valley Lighting via Houzz
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Designer: Elissa Tiesi of Threshold Interiors
Location: New York
Homeowner’s request: A clean, simple and fresh kitchen
Backsplash: Sunflower mosaic by Ann Sacks. “The backsplash was a bit of a challenge because we needed something to complement the cabinet color — Elephant’s Breath by Farrow & Ball — and the chocolate range by Lacanche, but we didn’t want something dull or too beige,” says designer Elissa Tiesi. “So we suggested the Ann Sacks Sunflower backsplash because the colors complemented everything else we were working with, and the style is feminine and elegant in keeping with our client’s aesthetic. The backsplash also adds a bit of whimsy to the kitchen since it’s an uplifting pattern.”
Other special features: Cabinets with Bendheim wavy glass. Quartz countertops
Also on the team: Chris Smylie (general contractor); Superior Woodcraft; Chrissy Rault of Threshold Interiors; Eddie Cusack (wood floor installer); James Salomon (photographer)
Pendant lights: Coolidge, Hudson Valley Lighting via Houzz
See more of this home
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How to Add a Kitchen Backsplash
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i keep reading these things over and over too much white is boring, etc. when people decorate a living room all in one color. they do it so the art is the star. why do you think so many dishes are white? so the food can shine as the star! are all of these people so horrible at cooking that they the kitchen is just another room to decorate?
The mosiac tile is gorgeous. It definitely brightens up a white cabinet kitchen