Backsplash Ideas


  #1  
Old 01-23-09, 11:24 AM
D
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jan 2009
Posts: 9
Upvotes: 0
Received 0 Upvotes on 0 Posts
Backsplash Ideas

Along with redoing the Master Bath, I am also doing the backsplash for the kitchen. However, I need some ideas. We have Bombay cherry (deep cherry) cabinets and Uba Tuba granite. I am kind of limited in what we can put up as a backsplash since everything will be so dark. We do have under the counter lights so I know it won't be real dark, but everywhere I have turned has said to stay away from all three being dark. But I just don't like way that some granite tops and tumbled stone or tile backsplashes look together. Separate they look great, but I just don't like them together.

I want to stay in the granite family and mix 4 x 4 uba tuba tiles with something else that would look good and continue the theme. Does anybody have any ideas? Thanks in advance!!!!
 
  #2  
Old 01-23-09, 11:49 AM
pmgca's Avatar
Member
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: CANADA
Posts: 867
Upvotes: 0
Received 0 Upvotes on 0 Posts
The ubatuba granite is a really dark green , almost black, so probably, you can successfully combine 4x4 ubatuba tiles with other green granite tiles, but in a lighter color

Anyway, if you can post a picture, more ideas may appear --> upload it to photobucket and post a link
 
  #3  
Old 01-23-09, 08:44 PM
D
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jan 2009
Posts: 9
Upvotes: 0
Received 0 Upvotes on 0 Posts
Here is a picture of the kitchen. I refinished all the cabinets myself. There was three layers of stain along with a nasty chocolate stain on the boxes. I trashed the cheap doors and made these myself out of oak with a cheap router table and lots of research. 18 doors in all.....and it only cost about $600 including the materials, table saw, router and table, and rail and stile bits. Any ideas on the backsplash to finish the job are certainly welcome!




Photobucket
 

Last edited by pmgca; 01-23-09 at 09:25 PM. Reason: picture resize
  #4  
Old 01-23-09, 10:20 PM
T
Member
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: USA
Posts: 15,047
Upvotes: 0
Received 2 Upvotes on 2 Posts
There are so many beautiful backsplash options available today that would complement your beautiful cabinets. Folks are no longer limited to the boring 4x4" tiles. There is such a variety in ceramic tiles, glass tiles, natural stone tiles, tin and copper tiles, rolled stainless steel, and other options. Depending on what option you select, it can get quite pricey. For a nice contrast with your counter, I go with a more neutral ceramic tile that looks like natural stone and pulls out the more neutral color flecks.

I'd change the red wall paint to a creamy or caramely color or light sagey green color. This would make the cabinets pop. The red paint is fighting with the red tones in the wood and not letting the cabinets and counter stand out.
 
  #5  
Old 01-24-09, 09:38 AM
pmgca's Avatar
Member
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: CANADA
Posts: 867
Upvotes: 0
Received 0 Upvotes on 0 Posts
Hi Dillaheys,

You have very nice cabinets and countertops, however, looking at the pictures, I see a very dark but too shiny composition for a kitchen. And I think that the plum paint is the culprit here
I am thinking about two ideas to replace it: set rustic / unpolished granite tiles, or tumbled marble or travertine roman tiles. Natural color or a very clear onyx will fit perfectly



Or perhaps you can combine one of the above elements with 4X4 ubatuba tiles and / or ubatuba border.

 
  #6  
Old 01-24-09, 10:09 AM
T
Member
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: New Jersey
Posts: 1,078
Upvotes: 0
Received 0 Upvotes on 0 Posts
Hey Patty, whip out your design software and re-edit those pictures with either some oceanside glass mosaic blends or some sonoma tile estate metallics. I picture maybe a row of verdi brass and antique bronze 1" mosaic or rhomboid over a row of 3x6 enhanced chiaro tumbled stone, with the balance above being 4x4 tumbled and enhanced chiaro set on point with an occasional insert of 4x4 honed uba tuba. Another medium would be Sonoma tantrum which is just breath taking when lit up by under cabinet lighting.
 
  #7  
Old 01-24-09, 12:48 PM
pmgca's Avatar
Member
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: CANADA
Posts: 867
Upvotes: 0
Received 0 Upvotes on 0 Posts
Not sure who is Patty??

If you are interested in graphic software, or if you wish to share your ideas with the DIY users using materials, textures, etc, I'd suggest that you start with Google Sketchup , is free and of course, you can try with the textures / materials you described in your post and show your suggestions in this Forum
Photoshop is better, but it is too expensive. You can try also with Paint Shop Pro and / or Photoimpact
I use them all, so I will be glad to answer questions about these programs (of course, in the right Forum).

I hope this helps!!
 
  #8  
Old 01-24-09, 01:02 PM
Gunguy45's Avatar
Super Moderator
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: USA
Posts: 19,281
Received 6 Upvotes on 6 Posts
Lol...my Mom was a Patricia as well.....she let Pat slide with her adult friends...and she was Patsie as a child in the 30's...but she was never a Patty to anyone.
 
  #9  
Old 01-24-09, 01:09 PM
pmgca's Avatar
Member
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: CANADA
Posts: 867
Upvotes: 0
Received 0 Upvotes on 0 Posts
Hi Gunguy45 LOL!

Yes...Patricia is just... Patricia
 
  #10  
Old 01-24-09, 02:01 PM
T
Member
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: New Jersey
Posts: 1,078
Upvotes: 0
Received 0 Upvotes on 0 Posts
Not sure who is Patty??
Sorry Trish

I'll post back after I do some sketch ups, through a combo of my own work and what I ca find at mfg sites.
 
  #11  
Old 01-24-09, 02:19 PM
pmgca's Avatar
Member
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: CANADA
Posts: 867
Upvotes: 0
Received 0 Upvotes on 0 Posts
Originally Posted by Tilebri
Sorry Trish
And who is Trish??
 
  #12  
Old 01-24-09, 02:25 PM
Gunguy45's Avatar
Super Moderator
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: USA
Posts: 19,281
Received 6 Upvotes on 6 Posts
LOL at Tilebri.....we're having too much fun here...
 
  #13  
Old 01-24-09, 02:30 PM
T
Member
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: USA
Posts: 15,047
Upvotes: 0
Received 2 Upvotes on 2 Posts
We're off topic here, but I must add that Dad called me Pat, Mom called me Patty, college friends called me Trish, despite my going by Patricia. I finally gave up and decided that I don't care what people call me as long they call me. In the overall scheme of things, it makes no difference.
 
  #14  
Old 01-24-09, 04:01 PM
pmgca's Avatar
Member
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: CANADA
Posts: 867
Upvotes: 0
Received 0 Upvotes on 0 Posts
yes, we are 100% out of subject
As a matter of fact, I guess that one thing is how your family calls you and other thing is a Forum.
I'd prefer to be called Patricia or pmgca

Can we Return To Our Regular Programming? Beer 4U2
 
  #15  
Old 01-24-09, 04:22 PM
T
Member
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: USA
Posts: 15,047
Upvotes: 0
Received 2 Upvotes on 2 Posts
Back on topic. It was a pleasure to see the red gone and replaced with the neutral and complementary backsplash tiles. I like the touch of pulling the dark color out of the counter into the tiles for a more unified look with the counter. Good job, pmgca!
 
  #16  
Old 01-24-09, 09:05 PM
D
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jan 2009
Posts: 9
Upvotes: 0
Received 0 Upvotes on 0 Posts
Wow!!!! I am absolutely stunned by your photoshopping ability! I thought I was fairly good, but it never dawned on me to attempt the counters. Still, I would not have done that fine a job. At any rate, I am just not sure which direction to go in. The wife and I both agree as do all of you that the red in the kitchen at least needs to be gone. I want to go with something that will tie both deep tones in the cabinets and the granite together, rather than be a separator. even thought about doing a checker board pattern with Uba tuba and something like Venetian Gold to bring out more of the goldish tones in the counter top without it looking slightly out of place. Have any of you seen that done before? I may attempt a photo chop of my own....we will see. Keep the ideas coming!!! I am design dumb, but I can do the work needed to enact it!

Thanks again everybody!!!!!
 
  #17  
Old 01-24-09, 10:04 PM
pmgca's Avatar
Member
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: CANADA
Posts: 867
Upvotes: 0
Received 0 Upvotes on 0 Posts
I am glad to know that Dillaheys and Twelvepole liked the images (just a note--> I didn't use Photoshop)

Dillaheys--> In my opinion, a checker using venetian + ubatuba will look dark and a little odd...



 
  #18  
Old 01-24-09, 10:58 PM
T
Member
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: USA
Posts: 15,047
Upvotes: 0
Received 2 Upvotes on 2 Posts
No thanks to that checkerboard look. I have astigmatism and my eyes went whacko and my stomach felt woozy.

Here's a neat link for backsplashes. Scroll down on the page and just keep clicking Next to see lots of backsplashes.
 
  #19  
Old 01-25-09, 09:57 AM
D
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jan 2009
Posts: 9
Upvotes: 0
Received 0 Upvotes on 0 Posts
Hummmmmm well the black and white checkerboard was a little shocking for me.... I was thinking of using larger tiles rather than the 2 x 2s.

Twelvepole, could you send that link again? Thanks!!!!!
 
  #20  
Old 01-26-09, 11:50 AM
H
Member
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: USA
Posts: 3,279
Received 9 Upvotes on 9 Posts
Ok Twelvepole is Patricia, and PMGCA is Patricia. Are you one and the same person? I suspected this all along.

Oh yeah. Patrica I like your drawings too. But not the checkerboard.
 
  #21  
Old 01-26-09, 12:34 PM
pmgca's Avatar
Member
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: CANADA
Posts: 867
Upvotes: 0
Received 0 Upvotes on 0 Posts
And Patricia is a very common name. Google is listing 91,900,000 Patricia's entries, and trust me, I am not all the 91,900,000 persons

Seriously, nope, we are not the same person.
You are welcome to check it with the DIY boss....
 
 

Thread Tools
Search this Thread
 
Ask a Question
Question Title:
Description:
Your question will be posted in: