Post 13: Tile Inspired

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Subway, no way!

What I chose for my backsplash is nowhere near what I thought I wanted at the beginning of my project. On my design board I selected white arabesque tile with a light grey grout. At one point I toyed with having a bold patterned tile on the pantry wall and white arabesque tile on the rest of the kitchen, but i could not make these busy design styles work in such a small space. I was sure of one thing though; I absolutely did not want white 3×6 subway tile!

Rookie Tip: Take your time when selecting your backsplash tile. Take home a sample or two of the tiles you’re considering so you can see it against your cabinet and countertops and also see how it fits into the larger space if your kitchen is open concept. The lighting in the kitchen may also play a factor in how the tile looks in your home versus online or in a store.

Love at first sample

When I started seeing all the design elements coming together, I decided I needed a more complimentary backsplash that would not overpower the kitchen. A friend who had just sold her beautiful loft in the distillery district in downtown Toronto, introduced me to a local shop called TileInspired and shared image one in the design gallery below, which I used as inspiration for my dream backsplash. Someone had recommended this tile to her for her kitchen, but she didn’t select it as she was selling her place. The people that own TileInspired were great to work with. They shipped me out a few samples within two days so I could see the tile in my space. The tile was so unique and just what I never even knew I wanted. 😉 I placed my order immediately. The shop was nowhere near my house, but I drove deep into Scarborough (way east of where I live) to pick it up in person. Amazing what you will do to get what you want, isn’t it?

Perfectly imperfect

My backsplash is a skinny subway tile that is 2”x8.” The tiles have a soft texture along their surface and edges that helps add character to the room. I decided to go with a glossy glaze vs matte finish, and the key to achieving this seamless, polished look, is to use a grout as close to the tile colour as you can get. Some people prefer a contrast and there are various colours of grout ranging from pure white to black, with many shades of grey in between. These are the tiles I went with TilesInspired | Subway Tiles and Candlesticks | Candlestick White. I chose to have the backsplash installed in a herring bone pattern to offset the plain white look. It turned out even better than I envisioned and I could not love it more! If you are looking for tile, I highly recommend checking out TileInspired. They have some beautiful, unique styles that you do not find at other stores.