We elected to call in contractors for very few elements of this kitchen project. Today, now that the last tile is cut and the last speck of grout has been wiped away, I can say that we definitely made the right call in hiring an expert to install the backsplash tile. It's done, it's beautiful, and I'm very happy to write a check and bypass the headache that this would have been for us as DIYers.
We selected 3 x 6" ceramic subway tile from Daltile in Aqua Glow, a special order that took about 9 weeks to arrive. (It was fired in Mexico and crossed the border on Dia de los Muertos!) With the white cabinets (Alabaster from Sherwin-Williams) and marble-like quartz counters (White Arabesque from Home Depot), a traditional white subway tile would have been way too much white for my taste. I wanted to bring some of the colors of the floor up to eye level and a colored tile seemed to be the best way to do it. Nate and I took samples of flooring, countertop, and paint when we went tile shopping. We settled on this tile in about 5 minutes. (We are generally very decisive and usually agree on stuff like this. We make a good team!) After we picked it from a sample board, we visited a few other tile/flooring shops to see if we could find a mosaic or something else, but struck out in a sea of neutrals and it was clear very quickly that our first choice was the only choice for us.
The hardest part was waiting! We waited for the tile to come in. We waited for the contractor to get back to us. We waited for a spot in the schedule to open up. We even had enough time to go to a free "tile your own backsplash" workshop at Home Depot, which ended up being just us and an HD employee because nobody at the store knew there was a workshop scheduled. (Surprised? Not really. This is typical of the HD near us - we try to avoid it if at all possible, driving 15 minutes one way to get to the next closest store.)
Anyway, the contractors started on Thursday and finished today by sealing and caulking. They did a wonderful job and we are extremely happy with how this turned out.
I was unprepared for how much this elevates the look of the kitchen. The room seems much more finished and put together than it did even before we started this whole project, and I don't think it's crazy to say that the reflective nature of the tile and the color seem to make the room bigger somehow.
I love it.
What's next? The to-do list keeps shrinking!
1. Waiting for the new new refrigerator. It's scheduled for delivery on 12/21. (KEEP YOUR FINGERS CROSSED, PEOPLE.)
2. Mounting the mixer lift in the island. I think N has some electrical work tied in with this step as well.
3. Mounting the hardware and installing the shelf for trash and recycling bins in the island.
4. Making the doors and drawer fronts and painting them.
5. Installing the doors and drawer fronts.
We selected 3 x 6" ceramic subway tile from Daltile in Aqua Glow, a special order that took about 9 weeks to arrive. (It was fired in Mexico and crossed the border on Dia de los Muertos!) With the white cabinets (Alabaster from Sherwin-Williams) and marble-like quartz counters (White Arabesque from Home Depot), a traditional white subway tile would have been way too much white for my taste. I wanted to bring some of the colors of the floor up to eye level and a colored tile seemed to be the best way to do it. Nate and I took samples of flooring, countertop, and paint when we went tile shopping. We settled on this tile in about 5 minutes. (We are generally very decisive and usually agree on stuff like this. We make a good team!) After we picked it from a sample board, we visited a few other tile/flooring shops to see if we could find a mosaic or something else, but struck out in a sea of neutrals and it was clear very quickly that our first choice was the only choice for us.
The hardest part was waiting! We waited for the tile to come in. We waited for the contractor to get back to us. We waited for a spot in the schedule to open up. We even had enough time to go to a free "tile your own backsplash" workshop at Home Depot, which ended up being just us and an HD employee because nobody at the store knew there was a workshop scheduled. (Surprised? Not really. This is typical of the HD near us - we try to avoid it if at all possible, driving 15 minutes one way to get to the next closest store.)
Anyway, the contractors started on Thursday and finished today by sealing and caulking. They did a wonderful job and we are extremely happy with how this turned out.
 |
| I'm not removing the plastic from the stove until I'm SURE the sealant is dry and the caulk has cured, which takes at least 24 hours. |
I was unprepared for how much this elevates the look of the kitchen. The room seems much more finished and put together than it did even before we started this whole project, and I don't think it's crazy to say that the reflective nature of the tile and the color seem to make the room bigger somehow.
I love it.
What's next? The to-do list keeps shrinking!
1. Waiting for the new new refrigerator. It's scheduled for delivery on 12/21. (KEEP YOUR FINGERS CROSSED, PEOPLE.)
2. Mounting the mixer lift in the island. I think N has some electrical work tied in with this step as well.
3. Mounting the hardware and installing the shelf for trash and recycling bins in the island.
4. Making the doors and drawer fronts and painting them.
5. Installing the doors and drawer fronts.
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