Thursday, April 23, 2015

Kitchen Upgrade Status: Backsplash Tile

You guys, I just spent the last 5 days tiling my kitchen backsplash. For starters, this is a peek into what I went with:


I haven't grouted yet, but boy am I HAPPY with how things have turned out so far.


Why did it take me 5 days to do this? I had A LOT of area to tile, not to mention that I still have to work a full-time job during the day and try to keep me and my husband fed, although we have been eating a lot of take out. That and you kind of need a oven and stove to cook, amiright? Well, almost...

I mean, take a look at this kitchen!



I went with Grecian White Interlocking marble tiles from Home Depot instead of the trendy glass mosaic tiles that are hot right now. After some thought, the glass mosaic tiles looked too busy and came across as something that would date the kitchen after time. I wanted something classic, yet modern. I love how the tile picks up the white and black from the cabinets and counter, as well as the browns from the tile floor in the kitchen.

It helped that I didn't have to do a lot of creative tile cutting, just a lot of straight, straight lines that put my closeted OCD tendencies into overdrive. It's a good thing too because if I had to go one more day inhaling fumes from that mastic adhesive, I would set myself on fire.


There were a few hiccups, mostly with figuring out what to do with the pre-drilled hardware anchor holes that we determined for the range hood before tiling. We decided to tile around them, as we didn't want to drill holes into the tile.


We also had to do several dry fits with the range hood to make sure all the anchor holes were in the right place and the exterior chimney fit where it was supposed to. Turns out it didn't, so we had to learn how to cut stainless steel with a cut-off wheel. Thank god for the internet!

After grouting we move onto the upper cabinets and facade build-out above them. Bye-bye orange paint forever and we're on the home stretch! It's already a HUGE difference from what it used to look like, no?




15 comments:

CatherineK said...

I think that tile pulls it all together for you! I googled the name of the tile because I am thinking about using it also. That's how I got to your page. I'm hoping this tile will have timeless appeal.

Just the Right Size said...

Thank you Catherine! The tile was really easy to use and came in 12" square (I think?) sheets. I wanted something that was simple and not too busy like some of the glass tiles that are big right now.

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Anonymous said...

Love it! We have chosen the same tile and hoping it looks as great in our white kitchen.Can you tell me what color grout you used?
Thanks for sharing!


Just the Right Size said...

Thanks Anon,

I used Polyblend "Snow White" non-sanded, color grout and caulk. It's in the same area with all the tile/grout supplies at Home Depot.

It's a beautiful tile; a year later and I'm still in love with it.

Kathy

Anonymous said...

Thanks Kathy! We will pick up the same grout. It looks amazing in your kitchen. I wondered if you sealed your tile before applying the grout? There appear to be different opinions on this issue.
Appreciate your input.
Thanks

Just the Right Size said...

Hi Anon,

I sealed the tile after grouting, as the grout is porous too and will benefit from protection. It's super easy to do and not really more than wiping the backsplash down with a wet rag/sponge with sealant. I did 2 coats of sealant and have had no problems with stains/spatters. You'll want to give your grout 2-3 days of drying time before sealing (I think that's what the instructions said).

Good luck!

Janine Adams said...

Your kitchen is beautiful! We're installing the same tile in the backsplash of our new kitchen. Do you mind telling me what you used on the end of the tile to finish it off? Most of our backsplash is between cabinets and counters but we do have a couple of spots where the side is exposed. I'd love to know what you used--it's so clean looking.

Thanks!

Just the Right Size said...

Hi Janine,

Thanks for stopping by!

I used metal tile edging (satin/brushed finish) from Home Depot. Just go to the Home Depot web site and search for "metal tile edging" to see what's there. I liked it better than the bulky, tile trim that matched the backsplash and it looks great. It's really easy to install along with the tile.

Here's a link to some of the metal tile edging from HD (hope this works in the comments section):

http://www.homedepot.com/s/metal%2520tile%2520edging?NCNI-5


Kathy

Janine Adams said...

Kathy, thanks so much for your quick response! It was very helpful. (The link worked perfectly.)

Sophie said...

Great transformation! This looks amazing and has inspired me to look more into doing something similar.

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