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reikimom1

White Glass Backsplash?

ReikiMom1
12 years ago

New to the Garden Web and so excited by the wealth of information. We are embarking on a kitchen renovation in the next couple of weeks and are thinking about back splashes at the moment. We do not have much back splash space and was thinking about either a standard white subway tile or a white glass cut like subway tile. Anyone use white glass?? Please share your pros and cons as well as any pictures if you're willing. Thank you!

Comments (25)

  • beekeeperswife
    12 years ago

    A common problem with white glass is that it might appear green when you put it up. Unless the back is painted white. Have you considered a smokey gray glass backsplash?

  • ReikiMom1
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    Follow up question...what color grout did you use with the white glass tiles? We will have white cabinets, stainless appliances and dark/charcoal gray soapstone counters. Thank you!

  • pharaoh
    12 years ago

    Not as a backsplash but I did an entire bathroom on starphire custom made glass tiles. It is absolutely clear glass with white paint on the back. Used ultra white grout.

    The tiles are 12"x4". I installed them directly on drywall with 3/16" trowel with white thinset designed for glass tiles.

    Did not do a brick pattern because i wanted a modern look.

    The glass takes on the color of the light that comes in through the window. sometimes it is grey, sometimes blue ...

  • cat_mom
    12 years ago

    Oh pharaoh--I still just sigh when I see your beautiful bling-y bathroom!!!!!

    We used Artistic Tile's Opera Glass (Stillato pattern, in Wolfgang White, with TEC Bright White Grout--would use the same color grout today, but the TEC XT grout). It does read somewhat greenish-blue at times, depending on time of day, light level, etc., because it is NOT low-iron, or Starfire glass.

    We used a very meticulous tile guy, who not only is/was experienced in cutting/setting glass tile, but is also extremely meticulous. He is absolutely determined about following tile patterns (with mosaic tile), and making sure tile lines, cuts, breaks, occur where he wants them (as close to exact as they can be!). You want to be sure you have someone like that working with your glass tile. Not a con, but something to keep in mind.

    Here are some picks of our backsplash:

    Slideshow (tile installation)--click on view all images:

  • ReikiMom1
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    Thank you so much for sharing you thoughts and pictures. What beautiful spaces! I didn't realize there were different types of glass. And painting white beforehand is a great tip. And thank you both for confirming my thoughts on using a white grout. Knowing that it is all also a green building material is helping to make our decision. Again, thank you!

  • pharaoh
    12 years ago

    also make sure you get the samples home. See them in different lighting. day, night, natural light, artificial light. glass is a moody material :)

    cat_mom, the admiration is mutual. your kitchen could have been mine! all my choices too

  • mtnrdredux_gw
    12 years ago

    Catmom, never saw your b/s before. Unique, subtle, and beautiful!

  • cat_mom
    12 years ago

    pharaoh--I love our mutual admiration society! Have you seen some of the gorgeous modern (MCM?)/contemporary kitchens/bathrooms posted in recent months? Our numbers are growing!

    ReikiMom1 and mtnrdredux--thank you! :-)

  • lazydaisynot
    12 years ago

    Cat_mom and Pharaoh, the glass tile and everything else about your spaces is just gorgeous. Wow.

  • ellaf
    12 years ago

    I didn't use it, but this kitchen from an earlier thread has a fab white glass backsplash, Alyse Edwards Tile and Stone, Gigi's Groovy Glass Stiix - Stairway to Heaven. Lots of pics too.

    Here is a link that might be useful: white kitchen

  • pharaoh
    12 years ago

    cat_mom, I am very pleased with the new kitchens on this forum. Love the clean, modernist lines (although i do like decoration and bling).

    Glass has become a favorite material of mine. we are planning an ipe deck with frameless glass railings :) This will be after my wabi-sabi master bath and suite is done (minimalist).

  • writersblock (9b/10a)
    12 years ago

    Ooh, two of my favorites in one thread--cat_mom's kitchen and pharoah's bath.

  • ReikiMom1
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    ellaf thanks so much for the link!

  • cat_mom
    12 years ago

    lazydaisynot and writersblock--thank you!!!!

    ellaf--thanks for posting that link to mklee01's thread re: her MIL's kitchen; it was one of my fave new kitchens on GW. I saw some of the Alys Edwards sample boards while looking for tile for our bathrooms--the colored glass (and the white) were such eye candy!

    pharaoh--you know I want to be one of the first to see pics of those spaces!!! Still waiting with baited breath to see the Zen bathroom, and now you tease me with dreams of a deck with frameless glass railings.....

    (what is ipe? email me some info so we don't hijack this thread)

  • pharaoh
    12 years ago

    ipe is a tropical hardwood from brazil. Ideal material for decks and looks gorgeous!

    and here is a frameless glass railing

  • leela4
    12 years ago

    OT and not to hijack this thread but Pharoh-what do you have in your shower wall where the shower head is?

    Cat_mom your stools were the inspiration for the ones we got for our kitchen (we got the Caligaris "Way" stools). I love both your kitchen and Pharoh's bathroom . . .

  • pharaoh
    12 years ago

    leela,

    The inspiration for my bathroom was swarovksi! so i used crystals, glass and white marble. all of these are hard, shiny materials. to balance them, I used wood as another material.
    The shower walls, trim and vanity are all made from the same wood - bubinga which is an african rosewood. It is very very hard.
    I put 6 coats of glossy waterlox on it. Water has not been a problem. it just repels off the waterlox. I also squeegee the shower after use - glass, marble and wood panels.
    The wood panels are book matched.

    Floating vanity made of bubinga

  • leela4
    12 years ago

    Thanks pharaoh-I've seen "wood" tile but I figured you had real wood going on in there. It is really beautiful. I'm trying very hard to not visit the bathroom forum because we won't be redoing our master bath until next year, but I am still surreptitiously looking at pictures and gathering ideas.

  • pricklypearcactus
    12 years ago

    Wow! Beautiful inspirations. I love the idea of a simple white glass backsplash. Oceanside Glass Tile sells 2x4 inch and 4x8 inch "field tiles" (Field - Casa California) in a variety of glass colors, including white. They even have an iridescent white glass.

    Sorry to be briefly off-topic, but pharoah, can you share your light over the vanity (manufacturer, where you purchased, etc)? Also, hopefully this will be a quick bump to see more beautiful pictures of white glass tiles!

  • pharaoh
    12 years ago

    The sconces are from Candice Olson. I modeled the bathroom after candice olson's design of clean, com contemporary with decorative elements.

    http://www.aflighting.com/candice_olson/product_detail.aspx?product=6763-1W

    You can buy it online at various stores.

    The chandelier was from EXPO. similar to this http://www.wegotlites.net/Stellate-Design-Pendant-Dressed-with-European-or-Swarovski-Crystals-WGLMD2027-24-SKU-10782_p_16621.html

  • kaysd
    12 years ago

    I just love seeing those 2 gorgeous spaces again.

    Pharoah, I have always wondered how you dared use that stunning wood in the shower. Thanks for explaining how you treated it. I love how the space is clean and modern, and yet glamorous and blingy too.

    Catmom, I love your whole kitchen, but your range hood is really catching my eye today. It looks like a Gaggenau hood I have been eyeing, is it Gagg or another brand? We have a similar high vaulted ceiling, and I hate the thought of a seam in the hood chimney. I cannot see a seam in yours. Did you have something custom fabricated, and, if so, would you mind sharing the approximate cost?

    Sorry for the threadjack!

  • annachosaknj6b
    12 years ago

    I can't believe pharaoh's bathroom hasn't been the cover story in some home magazine. It's the most beautiful and interesting bathroom I have ever seen.

    Somehow I recently stumbled across pics of your kitchen too...again, amazing, beautiful and unique. Are you and/or Mrs. pharaoh interior designers?

  • cat_mom
    12 years ago

    leela4--thanks! Our kitchen stools are Baba leather counter stools (more easily found/sold in wood, but one place I found online had them in leather). We went to Jensen-Lewis in NYC during our "great stool hunt" but I don't remember if we saw the Way stools. I just looked them up--they look nice!

    Our dining room chairs are also from Calligaris--the Even chair. They're nice chairs, and didn't break the bank (like others we saw).

    kaysd--thank you, too! Our hood is a Pando hood. One thing we went for form (and quietness) over function. It's okay, but not really the most effective hood we could (or should?) have gotten. Looks nice though!

    I don't think Pando is sold in the US anymore, or at least, the distributor (Signature Marketing)/appliance store (Reno's in NJ) just might not be carrying them anymore. You'd have to ask about that.

    Signature had the longer chimney fabricated for us at no extra cost (99.9% sure about that), and then had it cut to the length specified by DH when we had difficulty locating a place that could do it for us without ruining the SS.

  • kaysd
    12 years ago

    Cat_mom, your hood is beautiful, sorry to hear it is not as effective as you might like. That is great that the distributor had the chimney made longer for you at no cost. The similar looking Gagg hood that I like is lovely, but only 425 CFM, and I bet there is no way they would do a free extension.

  • cat_mom
    12 years ago

    None of the flat hoods seem to work as well as the concave ones, from what we've read/heard. Ours is not terrible by any means, just could be better (there is also the loss of some "capture area" because the mesh filters don't go all the way to the edges). It is 880 CFM's if I'm remembering correctly.

    Good luck in your hunt!