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fouramblues

Got my backsplash tile yesterday, wanna see?

fouramblues
11 years ago

We broke ground a year ago tomorrow on our kitchen bumpout/renovation. Seems like forever ago! We've still got a punch list as long as my arm, but it doesn't bother me much since we've had a fully functional kitchen since the end of July. The biggest thing left to do is the backsplash.

Yes, the backsplash... I got lots of help on GW and decided to go with a vintage-inspired 12" grey subway splash with chocolate brown pencil liner (thread below).

So I ordered and received all the tile. It just left me cold. The color was just too bland in my kitchen. (Yes, I had previously bought lots of samples.) And, though DH was happy to have the splash decision made, he really wanted a more contemporary splash. So I returned all the tile and let DH be in charge of round 2. He chose a linear porcelain tile that EAM44 suggested in a much older backsplash thread. The color sample suggested in that thread made the cabs look anemic, so we got samples of a different color, which we both ended up loving. And, finally, here it is in the boxes:

And here it is next to cabs (color is most accurate in photo above):

No installation date yet, but it's in the not-too-distant future. Thanks, GWers for all the help getting to this point!

Here is a link that might be useful: vintage-inspired splash thread

Comments (26)

  • kgolby
    11 years ago

    Wow! That's going to look great once it's up. Great choice. Update us w/ pics once its done.

  • fouramblues
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Thanks, kgolby! I certainly won't miss the opportunity to post my finished kitchen the moment the backsplash is finished! We're going to DIY it when it gets a bit warmer.

  • Linda
    11 years ago

    It looks great with your kitchen! Love it! What kind of counters do you have? Can't wait to see the final pics!

  • deedles
    11 years ago

    I think that style looks great. Very nice color, too.

  • sail_away
    11 years ago

    Ooh, love a linear look like that. i will look great in your beautiful kitchen.

  • breezygirl
    11 years ago

    So nice to see something other than white subs. That already looks beautiful even just propped up against the wall. I can't wait to see it in! I keep scrolling back up to admire your pretty bowls and glass cab. And I've always liked those pulls. You've got a lovely kitchen!

    What will you use for grout?

    Come on nice weather in 4am's part of the world!

  • oldbat2be
    11 years ago

    Fouramblues- that is going to look neat neat neat! Looking forward to seeing it up... Keep posting progress pictures please. Best, oldbat2be

  • chickpea8
    11 years ago

    Looks like it will be wonderful! I sure am looking forward to the final pictures. This has given me some food for thought for our kitchen, thanks!
    P.S. Could you please share the brand and name of the pulls you chose, I really like them!

  • bellsmom
    11 years ago

    Your backsplash tile looks a lot like ours. Yours may be warmer, probably is not the same, but you'll see why I say they are similar.
    We LOVE ours, I like the linear look, the low key earthiness of it. I am sure you will be VERY pleased with yours.


    I had a bear of a time choosing a grout color. I will be curious to see what you pick.

  • fouramblues
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Thanks everyone for your kind words -- they really mean a lot to me! And it's so much fun to have someone to share my excitement with! Now onto specific answers...

    legallin, the counters are chocolate brown Paperstone.

    breezythemargaritaqueen and Bellsmom, I wonder too what grout we'll pick. No idea! I'm feeling rather overwhelmed by this DIY, so I'm taking it one step at a time. Any suggestions?

    Bellsmom, I love your backsplash, and I agree that our tiles are similar. Yours look like natural stone (what kind? Very soothing.), while mine are porcelain.

    oldbat2be, I'm terrible about taking pics, but I will do my best to get some in progress shots as well as the finished ones. I'm seriously thinking about trying to decoupage my outlet covers like you did. Either that or faux paint.

    erinf8, those are Schaub Northport pulls, same size throughout the kitchen to simplify my life (and because I like the look).

    deedles and sail-away, thanks, I really like the linear style too, and am so glad DH picked it (and that EAM44 called it to our attention in the first place)!

  • kimmiej
    11 years ago

    Beautiful kitchen! I have just started my cabinet search and I am getting cabinets very similar to yours. What cabinet company did you choose and are you happy with them? Love the backsplash!

  • fouramblues
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    kimmiej, The cabinets are Starmark. I'm very happy with the construction and finish, and I would buy them again. I do wish, however, that the assembly was a little more precise. Some of the doors and drawers don't align well. Both can be adjusted somewhat, but some of them can't be adjusted enough to bring them into proper alignment with each other. :(

  • chickpea8
    11 years ago

    fouramblues, hope you don't mind if I ask you an off topic question. When I clicked on your "vintage inspired splash" thread your soffits caught my eye. Long story short we are in the middle of a kitchen reno and are dealing with a soffit similar to yours, I believe. Our soffit sticks out past the front of the cabinets. We have been trying to trim out the tops of our cabinets so as not to draw too much attention to the soffit. I love how yours look, can you tell me how you trimmed the tops of your cabinets. Was it with crown moulding or did you use a piece of cove moulding, do you know how tall the moulding is? It really does look good, and is making me feel better about how good the tops of our cabinets/soffit can look. Thanks so much!

  • fouramblues
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    erinf8, thanks for the compliment on the soffits! I really like them, but felt a little self-conscious about them for a while. Here on GW everyone is removing soffits, and we added them! Lowering the ceiling allowed for easier ducting and electric, and made the space feel cozier, I think. It also allowed for the coffers, which I love:

    So I say: if you can't beat 'em, join 'em! It's possible to make the soffits look intentional and integrated.

    As for crown, I wanted a very un-fussy kitchen, so elaborate crown was out. We just used shoe moulding to finish the cabinet tops! It was the look we liked, and much cheaper than crown.

    On another note... breezygirl, thanks for your nice comments on the details of my kitchen. A reno can be such a numbing slog, but because of you I looked at my kitchen with fresh eyes last night, and remembered again how much I like it.

  • cindyinct
    10 years ago

    How bad are the cabinets mis-aligned? I'm thinking about Starmark cabinets, and that kind of scares me. I thought they were good cabinets.

  • allison0704
    10 years ago

    Who makes your island pendants? I'd like to see what all is in that line. Thanks.

  • fouramblues
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    cindy, here is a picture of the cabs above my range:

    The door to the left is as low as it can go, and is 1/4" higher than the double doors in the middle. The rightmost "door" is actually a fixed end panel, and is under 1/8" off from the doors in the middle. No way to line them all up. Note that the bottoms of the cabs flanking the hood are perfectly aligned, so this is not an installation problem. A closeup of the left transition (please overlook my GC's attempt at using filler pieces):

    The drawers in the island have some major variation (5/16") also, but it could probably have been fixed if we or the GC had noticed it before the pulls went on. :(

    In Starmark's defense, I did not call this to their attention, so gave them no opportunity to make it right. Remodel fatigue -- I decided to live with it, and I don't notice it anymore.

    allison, those pendants are Pottery Barn. They originally came with chains, but I really dislike chains for pendants, so my GC replaced them with the fabric-covered wire.

  • oldbat2be
    10 years ago

    Revisited the new BS material today and still LIKE LIKE LIKE:)

  • a2gemini
    10 years ago

    Exciting! Looking great and glad to have you join the ABS alumni club!

  • mark_rachel
    10 years ago

    I LOVE LOVE LOVE this tile!!!

  • heidihausfrau
    10 years ago

    Very nice! I too, love the look of those long and narrow tiles.

    I forgot how pretty you kitchen is! Thanks for putting pictures on again.

  • a2gemini
    10 years ago

    I had to see it on my computer instead of just the phone. Gorgeous! I just love everything about your kitchen! I wish I could have the island! I am jealous but happy with my kitchen.

  • fouramblues
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Aww, thanks, everyone, for your kind words!! I hope to do a reveal post soon, but I won't do it until the gaping hole in my island becomes a cutting board pullout. Also I hope to figure out how to get a shot of my kitchen that doesn't make everything so peachy with the new backsplash. That's beyond my PHD (Push Here Dummy) camera's capabilities.

  • a2gemini
    10 years ago

    LOL - I know the feeling - I want to borrow a friend's camera to take better pictures of my kitchen
    I will be watching!!! You were such an inspiration as we were going through this together.

  • eam44
    10 years ago

    It's wonderful tile, the color is great. Your kitchen made me gasp, it is so beautiful. Congratulations on all of it - and thanks for the shout out. I'm happy to have helped, and can't wait for the final reveal!

  • ginny20
    10 years ago

    Love the BS. It will be great with the counter and the island top. Your kitchen is beautiful!