What Backsplash design and Tile?
Question:Here is a picture of my kitchen.
http://img123.imageshack.us/img123/1885/...
It is a very small kitchen.but it's cozy.
I just replaced all of my 1960's, rotted cabinets with the ones in the picture. I am a single guy so I am not very good at picking out colors that will go well so I need your help in deciding a backsplash idea. I was thinking white glossy tiles with a counter top matching pattern every so often.
Please keep in mind that I WILL be painting this room and I am open for color suggestions.
I am also going to put 12" ceramic tile down on the floor. I was thinking of a dark tan/Brown color. Any help would be GREAT! All ideas are welcome even if you do not like mine. I can install everything but coming up with something that matches is SO HARD! Go Figure.
Answers:
My suggestion is to take a door from your cabiets, and a sample of your countertop (if you have one) and go to a tile store (a real one, not a big box store). They should have a designer on staff who can help you pull it all together. You can even take a paint color chart, and they will probably help you pick that, too!
From the pictures I would suggest a nice 6x6 tumbled marble in a noce color for your backsplash. I would lay it on the diagonal. If you want to add some decoratives, I would suggest some metal 2x2's or glass 1x1's for you to cut in on the corners randomly.
A darker tan/brown floor tile would be great. I would use porcelain rather than ceramic, if possible. It will be even more durable.
Be sure to seal all your grout, and any natural stone you use.
Good luck!
Your kitchen looks nice, I especially like the countertop choice with the oak. I'm against white tiles, you need color! It's impossible to describe types of tile, so I'll suggest general color ideas that look good with the golden oak and white. Pick your paint color after you decide on tile and backsplash.
Blue! Almost any shade will do, but I'm thinking lighter and brighter colors, not navy.
Dark red! Maybe Sangria or Brick...
Sage green!
Steer clear of yellows, oranges, copper, amber, coral...they will clash with oak.
Just go to a tile store and take a wood sample. Ask for help and pick out tile and backsplash that you love. Then, pick a paint color pulled from the tile. Don't get tile that is all one color.
Another option is to go buy a painting you like with colors that won't clash (listed above). Select tile that matches the painting and choose a paint color from that. That is how designers do it. They start with one piece and pull the colors from there. It creates a very polished, pulled together look that your guy friends will envy.
Or, spend $40-80 and have a professional interior designer do it for you. If she/he sells tile and you buy from her/him that fee will be waived. It's much cheaper than making a mistake that you'll hate in a few months.
Good luck!
If you go to a tile place (say, something like Arizona Tile) they have many displays of tiles. Also, you can work with their salespeople to come up with a look you like. I agree that white tile would be boring -- backsplashes should be interesting (in my opinion). In our case, we used the leftover floor tiles, cut to 6x6 for the top and bottom row of the backsplash, and then purchased some additional tiles (1x1s and 2x2's) to create a border with the 1x1's and inside the border, the 2x2's laid on a diagonal. It was a nice way to tie in the floor color, but yet it is different enough (with the added tiles in different colors and textures) that it is its own feature.
You might want to do a faux window mural above your sink. It would open it up a lot. You could do neutral low cost tile for the area between the counter and cupboards, and have your faux window framed so you can take it with you if you ever move. The frame should be plain and at least 2.5" to emulate window casing. The cost is actually less than having a new window installed.
When you figure out what your going to do in your kitchen? Let me know. I am staring at the same thing in my own. Did a complete remodel of the house, and kitchen came up a little drab. So like you, I am looking to add something to it to bring out some color and brightness.
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