HOLY COW. I hope you were sitting down when they gave you the quote.

Seriously, I sent the email to my husband with the comment "this is joke, right?" Wrong.

Wow...! Just WOW...! That's like $450/sqft?!?!?!

Wow....you obviously have exquisite taste. Your subsequent quotes will seem like a real bargain.

Wow, they didn't give you a heads up before wasting everyone's time drawing up a quote?

Here's an ad in the UK. 2000 pounds for a box of 9 12-inch sheets. So I guess it's not a typo!

Which one did you pick out?

Here is a link that might be useful: B tile

It was like that Oro Giallo, but not a fancy pattern like that.

Called Oro Bis - one of the tiles was quoted at $430 psf and one at $520 psf.

No warning. I thought they'd be expensive, as in $45-50 psf. Maybe they're pure gold.

Must be a case of mistaken client identity. Clearly they thought you were Melinda Gates.

But should you need help rationalizing this, we can.

This post was edited by rococogurl on Mon, Feb 3, 14 at 17:09

I'm not surprised, they're gold, and they're hand cut.

Woah,
what does the rest of the kitchen look like? Can you post a picture of the tile?

Here is a link that might be useful: bargain bisazza

I read the title and was thinking a thousand or so. $10,000?!!? I am officially floored.

Oro Bis

Yikes, 24 karat gold leaf hand cut italian tile! I now have a new high water mark for tile. Anything more expensive?

ETA -- that room in that pic by ineffeable must cost a mint. (For reference: gold is at $1250 US per ounce today)

This post was edited by gooster on Mon, Feb 3, 14 at 18:57

If price is what deterred you, then I'm glad they are so precious. I think this would be a rough look in any kitchen. I'd keep looking around for Liberace.

Oh. My.

Gosh, that number makes our front runner for tile look positively palatable. Yikes.

Ho--LY-- CRAP!

I think this stuff pretty much has to be used as shown in the picture, all over, all the time, over the top, no apologies. I've never seen it in little bits and pieces --that doesn't mean people don't use it that way, but the company doesn't ever present it that way...it's all these over the top installations in print, and in their showroom.

I don't think a small dose would do any favors for the nicest of regular kitchens, it would be like putting Rolls Royce hubcaps on a perfectly good Honda.

Do you actually cook? Or is this a show/magazine-type kitchen? Are you using it as the pic shows?

I can see that tile as an accent, where it could look quite elegant. If I were walking into a kitchen with this as the entire, large back splash? I could only hope my "Oh, My, God" could be taken for awe, rather than astonishment.

I knew someone who owns one of the very large stone companies here in the DC area. We had occasion to visit his home at one point. I almost laughed out loud and shook my head in almost pity. There was marble e.v.e.r.y.w.h.e.r.e. and mosaics that didn't go, gold swan ornaments (newel posts!) all over -- and we were 3 decades out of the 80s.

I tend to feel that is how this would look. It's just so overwhelming. I am absolutely not saying it isn't lovely and incredible, but it is just way too much. For me and most. I admit, I'm wondering how the rest of your home is styled, and what your bathrooms look like!

Perhaps it's a good thing it's so crazy expensive!

I'm surprised that nobody knows what's going on here. It may get a bit indelicate, but that's never stopped me before.

For whatever reason, maybe a hunch, maybe a clue or two, this contractor doesn't want this job. He's not going to say so directly which takes him off the proverbial hook. If he told sjhockeyfan he didn't want his business, sj could truthfully repeat same and that might not look good for him. As it is he can just shrug his shoulders and say "He didn't like my price." Who can hold that against him?

Trebuchet:

It's the price of the tile --without installation.

It's $500 a square foot tile retail. It has nothing to do with a contractor. That's how much the tile costs.

Absolutely correct ineffable - and yes, it does contain actual gold (I found that out when I heard back from the tile store) and I actually did see it in a pattern with other small mosaics. I had no idea it was actual gold and couldn't care less - gold color is good enough for me!

And CEF, nooooo! This is a small galley kitchen in an industrial loft-type condo! It's one small wall (like I said, a total of 22 SF). I do cook, not a lot, but do. And I like a nice-looking backsplash. By that I mean I may be willing to spend $1,000 not $10,000!

So, gold is not my thing, but it is your thing. If you are looking for alternatives to this tile, stay with the same material, glass, and play with different shades of gold. Subtler might be prettier in the end. Here are some possible alternatives, all much more affordable. The last is actually brushed aluminum tile. Good luck in your search.

Oh, and Ann Sacks has a version of this - I don't like the shape/size, but you can look to see if you do. Artistic Tile has the La Leaf series as well. Field tiles measure 12" x 24"

Funny, at first when someone mentioned gold I thought it was a joke. That is one spendy backsplash!

This could be same as #3 posted by EAM, but this was a lovely gold. Woops, "gold" color.

I can a crazy thought of some thief coming to your house and stealing those real gold tiles. I've heard of expensive taste, but that is too much.

Not that I am going for a gold backsplash, but wow! The one bookworm posted is really neat! The fourth one EAM44 could look really cool in an industrial loft type setting too. Good luck!

The funny thing is, we weren't leaning toward gold at all! We just liked the particular combination of colors, and the pattern we saw in a sample! We're moving on, probably to aluminum, stainless steel or something else along those lines.

"Whew!" she exclaimed, wiping her brow.

that would be one shiny kitchen. :)
I think you'll find something perfect, and with a bright spot as an accent, this'll be a lovely backsplash!

So with all due respect, you selected a tile with 24k gold in it and didn't know how much per square foot the tile sold for? I'm confused. When I did my backsplash, I wanted marble subway. I priced it out first (lol at $13/sq ft) decided that was too high for my 40 square footage, then shopped around. Ended up finding it half the price at Lowe's for honed carrrara subways.

I don't know what you're confused about. We had no idea the tile had real gold in it when we selected it. We picked up a sample of a pattern and colors we liked, and asked for a price. This is the price - $430-$520 per square foot.

In sjhockeyfan's defense, the SF Bay Area is a weird micro market where insanely expensive merchandise can be intermixed with normal priced stuff in the most normal of shops, because at any moment the latest tech-boomer can come in and drop some cash.

These metal-backed tiles can really look nice in a modern setting -- here's the silver Bisazza:

[Modern Kitchen[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/modern-kitchen-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_709~s_2105) by Toronto Interior Designers & Decorators Shirley Meisels

because at any moment the latest tech-boomer can come in and drop some cash.

Yup, the founder of Twitter used to live in my building (no longer though).

Have you looked at Hakatai? They do a similar thing for significantly less money.

No, but thanks for that suggestion!

For something similar to the Oro Bis in the picture, but in iridescent hand cut pattern look at Paradox, under the Custom Designs,--$125 sq foor.

The uncut repeating patterns are Much less

Here is a link that might be useful: Paradox

some of that line is close to $900 a sq. ft. -

so, you selected a middle of the range tile form them !

Love this thread, and Gooster's picture and explanation. Sjhockeyfank, your kitchen is fabulous and will need a fabulous backsplash. With 22 square feet I think you are smart to consider all options, because a $20 or even $30 per sq foot difference between what you like and what you love isn't huge (relative to the total remodel cost). $10k, otoh, would buy things I personally would enjoy more than even the most amazing of backsplashes. I'm looking forward to your reveal!

SJ - LOL - And I thought Motawi tile was too expensive at $100 per sf.
Can't wait to see your final decision.
Maybe a back painted glass would work for less $$

I live in what could be considered a "weird micro market," too, and I'm the first in line to defend the consumer as needing more transparency in pricing. Saying this, I don't understand how you and the merchandiser can be so disparate in this process... especially at the backsplash stage. With cabinets? Perhaps.

Nonetheless, I love to envision, in this lack of transparency, a hedge fund or techie windfall walking in and totally falling for a 22-cent piece white subway tile...

There was no lack of transparency, other than the fact that prices weren't listed on the walls or on the tile in the store (in my experience they never are except maybe at the big box stores) . I saw the tile, went to the salesperson, and asked her to price it for me. I'm not really sure why that's a problem. The only problem I had was with the price once I got it! No different than if I picked up a nice blouse at Macys and it didn't have a price tag. Take it to the sales person, find out the price, decide if you want to buy it (if I picked up a blouse I liked and expected it to cost $100, but it cost $1000, I wouldn't buy that either LOL)

I've been to a branch of the dealer that carries that tile (in SF) and its an unassuming place in a slightly gritty area under the freeway, a good bit away from the big boutiques in the design district. While not a super discount store (no 0.22 cent tile, peony, but maybe $6 sq/ft field tile), they do carry plenty of lines that are more down to earth prices plus higher end names -- but I think one is in a whole different stratosphere. They carry Pratt & Larson as well, which I love -- it was one of my top picks for my fireplace. I really like the store, but I'll be careful the next time I'm looking at tile, that's for sure!

Bizzaza is extremely expensive, but can make a statement while making a large hole in your wallet! I haven't looked at all the posts yet, but wanted to link the below about gold tiles and more. Beauty certainly is in the eye of the beholder! Thought it might give you some ideas.

Here is a link that might be useful: more gold ideas

gooster - that's where I saw it - at Ceramic Tile Design on 13th and South Van Ness. We got our bathroom tile there (Porcelanosa).

sjhockeyfan: too funny it is the same place -- sometimes I wonder how many of us in these slabyards and tile shops have been reading GW.... and I can see how those very polite, well-trained sales people in that shop will quote just about anything without batting an eye about how expensive it might be. You never know in the Bay Area when someone might actually be buying $900 per square foot tile.

allison0704: great link -- who knew that Ikea Canada stocked a gold mirror tile? imho, gold + mirror probably is bit too much for many situations.

This post was edited by gooster on Wed, Feb 5, 14 at 12:16

Too funny! Reminds me of my (frugal) mom's favorite quote: if you have to ask the price, you don't wanna know. I think on the higher end is when price tags start disappearing. Not that you weren't on the higher end to begin with compared to me!

The salespeople were probably right, as gooster said, well trained, to quote without too many hints -- I bet a lot of people take budget "hints" to be quite rude and you never know who's got the cash and who doesn't.

On the other hand, I'm a bargain shopper and wish everything had a big old price tag right on the front! Preferably a red one that says "75% off!"