It’s finally backsplash time!
KITCHEN
SCULLERY/PANTRY
Just finished up a new build (actually almost 6 months ago) and I finally found a tiler who I know and trust will do a great job (good tilers are not easy to come by).
I need splashes in two places...the main kitchen and our pantry/scullery. Here is a link to our new build which has photos of both these spaces. It will also give a feel for the entire house.
I don’t know what my style is. As you can see I have a white kitchen but I do not want a white subway tile backsplash. I need some contrast, but not too much. The perimeter counters are marble (honed Bianco Avion) and are very subtle. They are more of a creamy white with no gray in them and the veining is more beige. The island top is walnut. The walls are SW Useful Gray. I am afraid to commit to a color because I will then be stuck with it. I like bluish greens....maybe. I like herringbone but NOT chevron. Subway is fine but not the typical white subway. I like the look of bumpy lumpy handmade tiles. I do not like thin linear tiles. I am seriously considering doing a different tile behind the range even though many don’t like them....I actually do like them. I plan on going all the way up to the crown molding. I am questioning whether or not to do the wall with the triple window or just leave it the way it is.
The scullery/pantry is a workspace and very busy looking...lots of machines and dry goods on the shelves. Walls are SW Uncertain Gray (but they truly look blue to my eyes) and the cabinets are Amazing gray (which really looks beigeish to me). I really think they name all these paints “gray” just to sell them because everyone seems to want gray paint these days. The counters are wood...oiled maple.
I don’t want things to look too formal and fussy, although I’ve seen some gorgeous tiles that are a bit more elegant. I like to mix the feel up with relaxed and some more elegant touches.
I truly need help. I am dreading going to the tile store and dragging home samples.
Here is the stone we have on our fireplace in the adjoining greatroom that is opposite the kitchen.....
Comments (1.1K)
Nidnay
3 years agolast modified: 3 years agoThanks @Jamie Reynolds Zone 9b
Every decision we made with this build kept natural light at the absolute forefront....from the land choice, tree position, house position, layout, window size and number of windows...everything was done to create a light filled and cheery interior. All choices were driven by that. Takes a lot of thinking! Do I sound a little fanatical? I am when it comes to sunshine and windows :)
On a sunny day...
PROBeth H. :
3 years agolast modified: 3 years agonid, I just love looking at your kitchen. it's truly a masterpiece. (now pick a damn backsplash tile! Now that I see it in the full light, a tile would truly be the cherry on top in this space!) Have you given thought to doing a more decorative tile behind the stove or would you want the same tile all the way through?
No really, it's prob one of the best looking houses that I've seen. if I ever got the chance to build my own home, I'd do it exactly like yours. I love all the windows.
BTW, do you clean them or do you 'hire ' out ? lol. I only have 12 windows and I can barely bring myself to clean those twice a year!
did we ever consider the stained glass type of water jet mosaic?
or were you set on having a marble water jet inlay mosaic?
or more of a decorative type of tile. not this one, but something more 'old world' type of tile?
what about the star/cross tile?Related Discussions
It’s go, Go ....... GO !!! – Kitchen / Diner project.
Comments (81)Well, the chippies van was up the drive when I got home from work - a little unexpected. At first I thought that he was sleeping with the Mrs, but then I remembered that he needed to finish the skirting boards. He's done a cracking job - quite a few tricky internal/external corners, plus the corners not being exactly 90 degrees he was back and forth to his saw all the time. He really did a stirling job. It was 13 meters of skirting in total - which took him 4.5 hours in total (over 2 evenings) and it cost me £90. Considering I was origionally going to do it, it could well be the best £90 I've spent on this whole kitchen. I need to get a lick of paint inside the alcove that's pictured. Our little fishtank will be returning in there, but as it's out I may as well do it. When we get the bar stools, and dining room table & chairs I will update again. So: What would I change/add/remove ADD - Somewhere to hang the tea-towels. We have some on the inside of a cuboard, but they keep falling off. Maybe I need some slightly more expensive 'hangers'. The space where they could have gone we put a spice rack/draw thingie - that's probably better though. ADD - We forgot about the bin! Now we have our pedal-bin basically kicking around the kitchen. The Mrs has already filled the cupboards to maximum capacity so I'm having trouble getting an internal cupboard one past her. I think I may just fit one then deal with her later. The bin has gravitated to a semi-perminant place, but with the kids trying to be *cough* helpfull the wall is already beginning to get the odd splatter of 'stuff' where they just throw their food in the general direction of it. Last night I said 'Well, why don't we just put it in the utility room' - She shot that idea down instantly as she obviously isn't happy about the extra 4 steps that it would take to walk all-that-way into another room. Poor thing! Typical woman lol. ADD - At the start of the project I would have got the electricians to chase in another mains wire from the fusebox so that it comes out of the kitchen wall centrally to the back garden, then I would put a PIR Security Light in. I know that it's not a big job by any means, and I could, and probably will, do it myself over the coming weeks but if I could have had it without a wire on the outside of the house then that'd would have been perfect. Also, thinking about it, I would have actually got him to do it at the front of the house as well as he re-wired the whole downstairs with new fusebox etc....See Morefinal bathroom thoughts
Comments (9)Hello Tani I agree with Kikiamack with regards to the length of the screen, I was advised a minimum of 1.2m of glass to stop water coming out and a minimum size of 1.7m for walk in shower. I was originally going to have a walk in shower of 1.7m x 0.8m with a 1.2m of screen (0.5m gap for entry ) but then decided to have an enclosed shower instead of 1.2m x 0.8m. It's still very spacious. I know walk in showers do look great but if the screen is not long enough and water comes out all the time it will annoy you every time you have a shower. I went for the Crosswater Design sliding door shower enclosure with 8mm of glass. It has a frameless look, soft closing door and price is reasonable. They probably have a similar hinged door version. With regards to the towel rail, perhaps a small one that doesn't stick out too much, would be useful? Are you going to have any recesses in the shower area to put shampoo, shower gel etc? Where is your lighting going? I made the mistake of not doing research as beforehand and just asked the electrician to put 4 downlights in evenly spaced, now I have a very annyoying light shining down on my head when I stand by the basin and in front of my mirror - very unflattering as it creates shadows, luckily my my mirror has lights....See MoreFinal floor plan - what are your thoughts?
Comments (14)Thank you all for views! We had considered various options such as those suggested but then would always come back to one of our boxes not being ticked so I do agree we may have created more walls than needed and maybe cramped the space? However I did still think the kitchen would be spacious enough? And the living room wall, when building we could see how we feel about this. I do think a dining table could also work in that corner and playroom instead of the dining room BUT then we are without the living room that we wanted. In terms of dining and kids eating, in our current house we have a breakfast bar with 4 stools and a high chair and his does work well. Also I would use the dining area/table as a family too but realistically probably not everyday. Maybe a small round table could be put into the kitchen also? I would just have to see what fits without it’s being cramped. Utility I thought it would make sense to have access from the kitchen? In terms of the formal lounge, I think that’s all it is...we want it as a formal lounge, also as someone mentioned it will stay tidy and away from the noise. Id say a large chunk of the house is dedicated to me and the children and I thought that area could be a kid free zone in a sense. I also have a lot of nephews/nieces that would visit often. It’s more about it being formal than it being dedicated to my husbands entertainment as unfortunately he doesn’t have much time for this due to long work hours....See MoreAlmost there.....final thoughts if you please!
Comments (18)Hi Suzanne, The stairs i had in the drawing were my version of what i thought it would look like before we got formal drawings from the architect (bit of cut and paste of existing plans). I do have an updated version he did i'll post here. However on this plan the bay at the back of the kitchen is too narrow and we haven't got the side windows shown in the kitchen etc. The stairs i had shown have a half landing. Our current stairs have 2 quarter landings. The stairs only go up 1 floor - 15 steps (15th being the landing level). We are also constrained by some eaves so the steps can't come up directly onto the landing by the wall due to head height issues - i have shown this with a red line. Happy to consider any stair variants you mentioned. I will take a look at stairbox.com thank you. The hall is approx 7.5m by 3.5m if you include the utility/coat cupboard area in the overall space. Thanks again for looking at this for us!...See More
mom2sulu
3 years agolast modified: 3 years agoI agree with what Beth said...one of my very favorite houses here.
I am looking at these New Ravenna tiles...they might work for you too.
- PRO
Beth H. :
3 years agolast modified: 3 years ago Jamie Reynolds Zone 9b
3 years agoOr gray glass! I like the idea of the shiny glass to reflect all that light!
Nidnay
3 years agolast modified: 3 years agoNidnay
3 years agoNidnay
3 years ago
PROWindow Accents by Vanessa Downs
3 years ago
jillybean103
3 years ago
George
3 years ago
ljptwt7
3 years ago
PRODesign Interior South
3 years agojillybean103
3 years agolast modified: 3 years ago@Nidnay Whatever you decide, it will be a continuation of your other beautiful choices. I hope you don’t steal away from the calm aesthetic. Nothing noisy.
A touch of something above the stovetop in that defined area (not everywhere) would be a beautiful accent. A final piece of jewelry vs. a field of color that changes the entire look.
- a unique, natural material that has a one-of-a-kind quality. Timeless.
- based on the island butcher block top, wood floor and colors in the rug, I’m seeing harmony with those colors, not contrast. ......e.g., copper.....or bricks.....
- Pennies or coins from around the world. Maybe coins from a country of your ancestry...e.g., Ireland phasing out their pennies. U.S. pennies are in shorter supply. That’s appealing to me.
- Have you looked at bricks? Pick up the colors in your fireplace stone? This would be beautiful across the entire wall.
Brick would be an outstanding, timeless, natural material that would complement the entire aesthetic of your home and property. I think it would be a perfect finish that would not detract from the other stunning finishes. You can incorporate it across the entire wall, up to the ceiling. Quality, luxury, class.
ljptwt7
3 years agozthar
3 years agoNidnay
3 years agojillybean103
3 years agoNidnay
3 years ago
Molly
3 years ago
pink_peony
3 years agoI’m so sorry about thanksgiving. We are having 12 here and 4 of us are asthmatics. Eek. My son is flying in from TX he has asthma! I have asthma my other two have asthma. It’s so scary. But so is mental health and my son is so homesick . We are eating outside on the screen porch.
ive Been eyeing This or something similar for my BS. It’s all about the color for me. But I like it simple.
- PRO
Beth H. :
3 years agolast modified: 3 years agopink, Heath ceramics has that exact color tile
Nidnay, that was my problem. I liked too many. but I got so tired of looking at that drywall, I couldn't take it anymore and picked one.
I still think an inlay or water jet would be pretty
or a cool zellige tile
Nidnay
3 years agolast modified: 3 years agoRegarding thanksgiving ....haha, it’s probably best we cancel regardless of covid. My daughter just sent me a pic this morning of her kitchen. All the windows in the entire house are being replaced (along with the crown, baseboard, window trim), they are in the process of painting all three floors, they are doing electrical work and tearing out walls, she has two jobs and is working from home, the kids are home as well (no real school for MONTHS).....and we all planned to go and stay at her house for thanksgiving. How stupid are we for even thinking of that!?! And I just remembered they recently purchased a new young horse (green 5 year old who needs lots of training and attention).
Molly
3 years ago
PROFlo Mangan
3 years agoNidnay
3 years agojillybean103
3 years agolast modified: 3 years agozthar
3 years agoMolly, the difference is, this is nidnay's and she hasn't made a choice yet.
Pink my pic is Ann Sacks very similar to yours but slightly more subtle:
Nidnay
3 years agojillybean103
3 years agoJamie Reynolds Zone 9b
3 years agoI just came across this on Instagram and I vote no backsplash and just do a slab of marble/granite behind your stove! Also notice how they have it going maybe an inch above the countertops all the way around instead. These windows going to the countertop reminded me of your kitchen.
niccidhg
3 years agoThis liquid glass subway might be nice to use just behind the stove if you combined it with something else for the rest.
Nidnay
3 years agoniccidhg
3 years ago... ( I am assuming the top surface of the glass tile is smooth - otherwise it would be a cleaning nightmare , lol ! Here is another tile but it might be too creamy ?? .
niccidhg
3 years agoOf course, you would see samples in real of anything you might consider, so just sending along... it comes in a leaf pattern, as well.
pink_peony
3 years agoSo hopping on Nidnays thread here bcuz I think mine is long gone maybe. I’ve been playing. I have a favorite. and need to order the sample to see if color will work . The program makes my cabinets look cream and my island look neon aqua. Neither is the case so have to see if color works. But here are some options I’ve been considering.
- PRO
Flo Mangan
3 years ago Nidnay
3 years ago- PRO
Flo Mangan
3 years agoTilebar just got this in. Terrible screen shot but maybe you can look it up. It’s on their front page but I don’t have time to hunt it up right now.
Molly
3 years agopink_peony
3 years ago- PRO
Beth H. :
3 years agolast modified: 3 years agoFlo, that's the Nabi Jewel. I have a sample of it.
Pink, I also have a sample of the blue macaubas and white marble in the basketweave. (Esplanade Winter Lake? )
diff color, but this is how the layout looks
it's gorgeous. I have a sample in the black and white option, and the Linen one,,far left. you can see the Nabi Jewel 2nd from right
they only give you two little bars for a sample. Order one full sheet if you really want to see how the tile will look. that's what I did w/their black/white , Cindersmoke, or the Black Beauty.the other blue/white is pretty. But they are both expensive, sign up for their trade program. you get a nice discount.
they have this design too. this is no cheap date tho. that's why I mentioned the trade discount
Nabi Argyle. comes in diff colors
do you like this kind of tile layout
pink, have you also looked at encore ceramics? they have some beautiful blue glazes, all sorts of shapes/sizes, and you can blend colors.look at Rain in the chevron. man it's pretty
or imagine this,
but in these diff blue crackles, or mixed w/the marble. they can do 3 or 4 colors
Lapis and Azul wave
ignore the shape, but look at the color blends. so pretty
peacock and light azul in the flame wave
or these color blends. (they literally have 100 diff shapes and sizes)
larger chevron in Ocean
gradient blend
Nidnay thanked Beth H. : niccidhg
2 years agoFor your future reference , Nidnay, - I just came across this tile which I think is beautiful and would suit your kitchen/home. This company offers 3 or 4 types ( ie. crackle, smooth, etc.... ) and this tile can be ordered in over 100 colors.
mtpo
2 years ago- PRO
Beth H. :
2 years agolast modified: 2 years ago Nidnay
2 years agojillybean103
5 months agomom2sulu
5 months ago
gduplessis