I'd call it a texture, not a pattern --
And for what it's worth, I don't think it's too busy at all.

I have Pratt and Larson crackle tiles in my BS. I don't think it looks busy at all and I have a lot of veining in my counter top. From a distance you don't even notice the crackle glaze.

My counter top

MY back splash

kalapointer...what is your counter stone? It's gorgeous!

I too fell in love with crackle tiles this weekend! I've been searching and searching for a back splash tile, and when I saw it, I loved it! I'm using superwhite quartzite on my counters, and when I held up the sample, I didn't think it looked too busy. Good luck!!

sweeby, a texture! That's a nice way of looking at it.

kalapointer, love your Pratt & Larson tile, esp. the variations, which is what I really long for.

ugabrewer, crackle's nice, isn't it? I wasn't specifically looking for it, it's just that the two colors I like the best just happen to be crackles.

Add me to the list who just picked out a crackle tile as a potential backsplash. The ones that I like are Market Collection, Ashbury line in Fleece, which appears to matches my granite just perfectly. I only wish that they had more sizing options.

Guess we all had crackle on the brain. Do you guys mind if I ask approximate cost, just so I know if I could do a lot better.

Hey kellienoelle, I love the Mkt. Collection, Ashbury line. The square tile above (it also comes in 6x3) is Ashbury Chamomile. At my local store, it's $12-something/sq.ft. (non-contractor price). The Rixi's about $14 sq.ft. and it's 5x2.5. What's a real mystery to me is installation cost.

Me too!! I'm having Sonoma Crackle in twine installed thursday and I can't wait to see it!

lisa616, can't wait to see your backsplash! I haven't seen the Sonoma line yet, but one of my local stores has it and will check it out. I'm actually in Sonoma County. If you don't mind, can you tell me the sq. ft. cost?

I've been looking at Anchor Bay's Cardiff collection, beveled subway tile in a crackle finish.

http://www.anchorbaytile.com/PhotoDetails.asp?ShowDESC=N&ProductCode=220CRDF

Here is a link that might be useful: beveled subway tile

I loooooove crackle tile and don't think it's too busy at all! The crackle finish is very subtle, imo. If you love it, I think you should go for it! :)

Linelle-I don't mind at all..It's not too bad. ! Love Sonoma..was there at Harvest this past fall. Great time :)

The 3x6 subways were $12.85
The 4x4's were 12.46

I also am doing some trim pieces with a little of the tantrum glass. Hopefully will be done by friday! Now that glass stuff was very pricey!

I think I got ripped off! My Sonoma 3x6 tiles (in glossy not crackle) was $17.38 a sf. And this was the best of the two quotes I got.

Thanks lisa616! $12.85 is right in the ballpark with the others. Did you order them yourself (if so, through whom?) or did your GC or tile person get them? Are you in the Bay Area?

Dolode, wonder why your Sonoma tiles were more. I would assume that if anything glossy would be equal to or less than crackle. Where did you get yours?

hmmm....I do remember there being 2 lines within Sonoma. Mine was from the Star Collection. There was another that was pricier and took longer for the tiles to come in. Wonder if Dolode ordered those?

This is what I got...I went with twine on the left :)

Be very careful in choosing your tile setter if you pick crackle tiles. They need to be sealed before being grouted in order to not have grout stains in the crackle texture. This adds another layer of complexity to an already pricy install unless you are willing to sit and hand seal each tile before they are even laid.

LWO, thanks for the info, very good to know. I have no idea how pricy the install would ordinarily be. What's involved in sealing tiles? Does it get applied with a brush or a cloth? Rubbed or just let dry? Maybe sitting and hand sealing each tile is something I'd consider doing.

Add me to the list of "crackle-lovers". I am so excited about that aspect of our kitchen. I think the crackle (which usually has some color variation in the tiles) gives a great texture, without competing with the movement of the stone countertops. We are using Encore ceramics tile in "cameo". They come in many different shapes and sizes. On the down-side, they are handmade, expensive, and have to be ordered in advance. Encore does have a few colors and sizes that can be purchased for about half the price of their regular tiles. Unfortunately for us, we fell in love with a more expensive color. It is a spluge, but since it's right at eye level, we decided it was worth it. The Sonoma tiles are beautiful as well, we just found the color that worked best with our granite from Encore.

Thanks Live_wire_oak for the installation tip. I'll be sure to ask about that.

Good Luck!

Lisa, you may be right. I didn't even think about their different lines. Ours is the Stellar line and they did quote 4-6 weeks to get in. I never even looked at the Star line...too late now!

Just got home from the one tile store in town I'd missed and it turns out it is a garden of earthly delights for Sonoma Tile lovers. The Mother Lode! There's every color under the sun, from soft and quiet to very saturated and bold. In person the colors are so much nicer than what you see on their website.

The Stellar Collection has the most colors and finishes. It runs $19+ sq.ft. and orders take 4-6 weeks to arrive. These tiles have subtle pillow edges.

The Star Collection has less colors (but still two in my wheelhouse) and runs $12 sq. ft. It only takes 3-5 days to arrive. This collection is also known as square-edge (no pillowing).

I got samples and have about 8 viable candidates propped up next to my counter. Gorgeous creams and vanillas with whispers of yellow/gold.

Contractor's price is 20% less.

When I said to the young guy helping me, crackle tiles need to be sealed before grouting, right? He said, no, I've never heard of that, but let me check. He came back and said, yes, you're right. I was gracious and did not gloat. ;-)

Maybe this is better for a separate post, but since I'm here, I'll ask: I think I might prefer flat to pillow edges, although it isn't a deal-breaker for me. Does each one carry with it a certain vibe or design statement?

I just looked at the Sonoma Stellar line and they have a 2 x 8 tile in crackle available in lots of good colors. It looks like that line is a little bit more expensive than I had hoped for, plus the 4-6 week lead time, plus the time and labor or plopping down in my family room in front of my tv and hand sealing hundreds of tiles. Going to look today, I think it may be totally worth it!

Question for the fine folks of GW, how do you think it would look to do the 2 x 8 crackle tile in a stacked (rather than staggered configuration). The look I am going for in my kitchen is more "transitional" and I think that this may add a slightly more contemporary look I was hoping for over the more traditional (or classic and timeless - ha) subway tiles.

I used the Rixi crema on my entire backsplash. It's not at all busy, it just adds interest. Just make sure that you seal it.