KITCHEN BACKSPLASH

July 8, 2018

Finally installing a kitchen backsplash

Finding the right backsplash for the kitchen was a mission. It was pretty much a three year hunt for the perfect tile. Our installer, Aaron at Northland Tile Works, recommended a tile shop that had a lot of great options. There we found a tile that would match our kitchen colors:

Cabinets: Sasparilla
Granite: St. Cecilia
Paint: Behr Ashen Tan

The tile

We chose a Mayolica Spanish ceramic tile.

The Mayolica tile very closely matched our wall color. We opted to rely on the texture and unique edges to make it really stand out. I’m not a fan of super flashy backsplashes, so this was perfect for me.

Before the backsplash

If there is one thing I hate, it’s the small chunk of granite builders use as a “backsplash”. It has a total hotel vibe. When you install a backsplash, get rid of that.

The kitchen looks pretty plain. The ugly slab of granite backsplash had to go! Notice those fancy outlets though. We’ve been swapping out plates with screws for the screwless version as we move from room to room.

The ugly little backsplash is gone. I was a little concerned there would be a massive gap between the countertop and the wall, but it was pleasantly surprised to see that wasn’t the case.

Installing the tile

I briefly mentioned above that we had an installer come out for this one. Knowing that larger tiles don’t rock and can be difficult to install, this was one thing we didn’t want to DIY. That said, I did choose the grout, silicone and tile. That kinds of counts, right?

Aaron did a fantastic job installing the tile. You get a pretty good idea of how it will look without the grout and silicone in place.

The finished backsplash

This looks awesome. We did something different with a larger tile and relies on textures to make it really stand out. We could have gone with a subway tile, but what’s the fun in that? The tile is the perfect color match to our look and offers just enough character to keep the kitchen interesting.