Please show me your backsplash...

[missy]

Thank you @Smores84 At the risk of boring y’all to tears here are photos hot off the presses from this morning. Greg’s at beach house making a punch list of things left to do and he sent me more photos and a video. It’s pouring rain there (and here) yet the kitchen still seems bright. In some of the photos you can see how are the living room is due to the rainy dark day yet the kitchen (with the light on of course) is bright. The previous kitchen would not have been so bright on such a dark day. Oh and finally our second fridge is installed.







Does anyone have reno updates or more photos to share? Don’t leave a girl all alone here
Thanks for looking.

 

[rocks]

Beautiful!

Hubby is currently installing kitchen cabinets in the basement for storage. Instead of buying a butcher block countertop (a pain to have in delivered) he decided to make one out of hard maple boards. Finished today and installed it. Looks great. Now the backsplash. Can't justify anything crazy, so we shall see. He still has another wall of cabinets to install so I have time.

 

[MaisOuiMadame]

Beautiful and soo bright and yet cosy and not sterile (we might have a problem with sterile at our place...).

And I won't leave you alone here , so sharing pics of cabinetry and floors below.

We have no space for any kind of backsplash. The main working /cooking space is our island,
we have one wall with 2.80 high columns
and the sink area is right under big windows. This makes for a nice view outside from all angles and no need for a backsplash.
We balanced our modern cabinets in matte and the white countertops with cement tile on the floor. Also a nod to the age of our home (1880ies).
Won't rec. this for neat freaks though, since they are supposed to have a warmer look bc of natural colour variations.
The surface is also slightly rough (even after all appropriate sealings), so it attracts dirt.
It's supposed to develop a patina, but I still have to clean it with a 3 step method . Otherwise I'm not OK with the look / cleanliness level...
Def. warned my bf, who is a clean freak against this.
We left one wall free, because we want a cabinet/cupboard as an eyecatcher and to break up the stern look.
DH wants a very chunky / rough driftwood cabinet made. I'm thinking antique or something super unique / ott. A big cupboard w/ glass panels or stingray look- I've seen this once and done right it's super cool. Since the rest is so toned down and neutral, we can pull it off imo.
Problem is, I've seen this only once and never since and not.on the web, so I'll have to find an artisan with the right skill level AND aesthetic understanding. Knowing what Iknow now, this might take a while (if I ever find this).

 

[missy]

@rocks it sounds lovely. My dh says hard maple is the best for wood countertops. We had butcher block in this kitchen pre reno that we added as extra counter space for the kitties (where we fed them) on the other side of the kitchen and I really liked the look but the non matching aspect of the granite and the butcher block never fully satisfied me. Though it is popular to have non matching countertops and cabinets in the kitchen I am too conventional in my ways I guess haha. Cannot wait to see how it looks. If you are in the mood to share pics...

@kipari I love that tile and I'm sorry it is proving challenging to keeping clean. It looks beautiful though. I love old homes and I am fond of the 1880s because I believe OECs were quite popular then weren't they? Haha always thinking diamonds.


I cannot wait to see what you choose and how it turns out because it sounds just beautiful! I hope you find exactly what you are searching for and thank you for sharing photos.

 

[Arcadian]

@kipari I love that tile. Not that I don't love my tile, but I might not see so much dirt with that one...lol Yes its supposed to patina but if you're OCD about clean it will NEVER patina in your lifetime!

Missy, it looks gorgeous! The only thing I did so far (well aside from getting a car....) I finally installed that faucet thats been sitting around for a year in the kitchen. That was very easy...except I had to go to HD twice for stuff I didn't have

 

[missy]

@kipari I love that tile. Not that I don't love my tile, but I might not see so much dirt with that one...lol Yes its supposed to patina but if you're OCD about clean it will NEVER patina in your lifetime!

Missy, it looks gorgeous! The only thing I did so far (well aside from getting a car....) I finally installed that faucet thats been sitting around for a year in the kitchen. That was very easy...except I had to go to HD twice for stuff I didn't have

Thank you Arcadian! So glad you got your faucet installed. That is no small part of the kitchen.
The importance of a good faucet cannot be overstated. And congratulations on your new car too!

I very much hope this is our *last* renovation of any kind. Even though my dh handled ALL of it I was feeling the stress from beginning and on and since it isn't yet complete I am still not feeling at peace with it. When the kitchen is finished then I will be able to take a deep breath and say ahhh.

I have to say our GC and his partner/wife are the most difficult people we have ever had the displeasure of working with. And we went through 2 full gut renovations before this one so we are not new to the reno world. My goodness they are just terrible at communication and the GC's wife is so passive aggressive. Just wow. Fortunately Greg is used to dealing with difficult people but still this even aggravated him and he is not one to ruffle easy. In fact he is my polar opposite that way. Where I am anxious and not calm he is zen and relaxed and they angered him so you can imagine.

Anyway all this to say I am so looking forward to please being done with the GC and his wife and hopefully only a few more weeks having to deal with them and their nonsense.

 

[BlingDreams]

@missy - It’s looking great! It’s still so light and cheery even when there’s little sun. And the backsplash was the perfect choice... a hint of color but not overwhelming.

@kipari - That floor tile is adorable!! I don’t know why but it instantly brought a warmth to my heart and a smile to my face. Maybe one of my grandparents had something similar that it stirred memories of? And you cabinet plan sounds fun. It’s going to be a really interesting kitchen when it’s done!

Ok, our update. We finalized the color of stone and HardiePlank we want for our house. There were many options to choose from and we wanted to create a palette that would blend with our environment. Here’s a photo of it on our lot


Next up is the kitchen. I stopped by the design gallery again to look at bathroom stuff but of course got sucked back in to the backsplash decision . Here are my two finalists. The baroque tile on the left and a 4x8 brick tile on the right (using the color on the bottom). I prefer thinner bricks (2x6 or but they weren’t offered in this finish (a cool matte but textured finish with some color blending). So my decision is between more decorative and personal taste (baroque) or safe and traditional (brick). Opinions? We plan on being in the house around 10 years (until retirement) if that helps.


Lastly, we’re STILL working on redesigning our master bathroom. I can’t believe what an undertaking this has been. All we did was remove one water closet (because seriously... who needs two toilets in one bathroom if it means making everything else feel cramped?!) and enlarge the bathtub and shower in return. But omg the paperwork and details and drawings involved.... We must be on our 15th iteration by now. And the tiniest of minute details that have to be decided on, or realizing that the contractor has assumed something when it’s not actually what you want... ugh. We have a drop dead deadline for these decisions in about a week so at least we know the end is in sight!

While the structural has been going on I’ve also been busy figuring out what tile and fixtures to use. We’ve decided on a birch wood tile to be used all throughout the shower and surrounding the ginormous bathtub (have I mentioned how excited I am about this bathtub????!!!!) with accent tile of pebble stone placed in strategic spots like niches and tops of the bench. This is what the wood tile looks like:

And this is kind of the idea of how the shower will look when done:


We also should get word this week if they are able to change the gas fireplace to a wood burning fireplace. Last we heard it might cause a sagging roof and require a double diverter or something like that...

 

[missy]

@ILikeShiny WOW! LOVE your choices! It's going to be GORGEOUS! Wow to the tub. It is a dream tub. And haha yes I hear you on the minutiae you must make clear to the contractors and workers. It's like when you design a piece of jewelry. If you don't specify everything possible you might not end up with your vision and even if you do specific everything you still might not. There is risk involved with renos just as with custom bling. I love all your choices and it is going to be beautiful. Good luck and hope it goes as smoothly as possible!

 

[BlingDreams]

@ILikeShiny WOW! LOVE your choices! It's going to be GORGEOUS! Wow to the tub. It is a dream tub. And haha yes I hear you on the minutiae you must make clear to the contractors and workers. It's like when you design a piece of jewelry. If you don't specify everything possible you might not end up with your vision and even if you do specific everything you still might not. There is risk involved with renos just as with custom bling. I love all your choices and it is going to be beautiful. Good luck and hope it goes as smoothly as possible!

Aw, thanks Missy! As you know, it's so stressful choosing things and hoping it's all going to come together the way you envision so I appreciate your words of confirmation!

And oh, that's not my tub... that's DH's shower HERE is my tub!!!!!!!

It's 6 feet long and 5 feet wide and has 23 massaging jets!!! Every now and then DH joins me for a relaxing soak so we needed the extra room for him (vs. cramming him in the tub which is what we've always had to do in the past).

It also has cool features like waterfall neck massage, in-line heater (to keep the water at a specific temperature), the ability to program preferences per user, and you can even light up the water with color if desired



So, yeah, I'm SUPER excited about this!!!

 

[missy]

Aw, thanks Missy! As you know, it's so stressful choosing things and hoping it's all going to come together the way you envision so I appreciate your words of confirmation!

And oh, that's not my tub... that's DH's shower HERE is my tub!!!!!!!

It's 6 feet long and 5 feet wide and has 23 massaging jets!!! Every now and then DH joins me for a relaxing soak so we needed the extra room for him (vs. cramming him in the tub which is what we've always had to do in the past).

It also has cool features like waterfall neck massage, in-line heater (to keep the water at a specific temperature), the ability to program preferences per user, and you can even light up the water with color if desired



So, yeah, I'm SUPER excited about this!!!

Ohhhh Emmmm Geeeeee!!! and THUD!!!


I am not a tub person but pretty please I would love to come over and try that delicious tub.
Cannot wait for you to realize this dream...YAY!!!! I am really excited for you @ILikeShiny!!!

 

[BlingDreams]

Ohhhh Emmmm Geeeeee!!! and THUD!!!


I am not a tub person but pretty please I would love to come over and try that delicious tub.
Cannot wait for you to realize this dream...YAY!!!! I am really excited for you @ILikeShiny!!!

Hahaha... we keep joking we should open up a B&B in this house because so many friends have already requested room assignments

I’ve always been a tub person. My whole family is, even my 6’1 brother. But I’ve never really had a tub I could soak in. DH had always been a shower guy but has quickly come to appreciate tubs with massage jets, as we both have some pretty bad upper body injuries/joints. So between his shower with jets and my tub with jets our bill for massage therapists should theoretically get cut in half!

Oh, I’ve designed some shelves to be behind the back of the tub specifically to hold candles, a bottle of wine, and wine glasses. It’s a Friday evening ritual to end the work week unwinding and relaxing together with a hot bath and a glass of wine.

Have I mentioned that I can’t wait for this tub to be finished??!!!!

 

[Austina]

It’s going to be fab-u-lous @ILikeShiny

If you don’t mind my opinion on the kitchen tile, I would go for the plain tile. I think the one on the left will date, whereas the plain tile will always be non obtrusive. If you’re thinking 10 years ahead, the plain tile will still be acceptable to potential buyers, whereas the other is more personal taste.

 

[BlingDreams]

It’s going to be fab-u-lous @ILikeShiny

If you don’t mind my opinion on the kitchen tile, I would go for the plain tile. I think the one on the left will date, whereas the plain tile will always be non obtrusive. If you’re thinking 10 years ahead, the plain tile will still be acceptable to potential buyers, whereas the other is more personal taste.

Nope, I don’t mind at all! I was hoping people would chime in with opinions so I thank you

I waffle between “F ‘em... I’ll get what I love and who cares if the next people to buy the house like it?!” and “Yes, be smart and safe so that it’s easier to sell when it’s time.” Being strong-willed I lean towards the first answer

 

[missy]

Nope, I don’t mind at all! I was hoping people would chime in with opinions so I thank you

I waffle between “F ‘em... I’ll get what I love and who cares if the next people to buy the house like it?!” and “Yes, be smart and safe so that it’s easier to sell when it’s time.” Being strong-willed I lean towards the first answer

I see both points of view. Here, where we live, buyers are going to (more often than not) rip it out and renovate towards their tastes so if it were me I say choose exactly what you want and love it and enjoy it until the time comes to move. Because here it wouldn't make much of a difference. Of course it depends where you live and YMMV.

Plus if I am going to the trouble of renovating I want what I want (if I can afford it that is) and I don't want to compromise or settle if that makes sense. Especially for something that may or may not make a difference. My advice FWIW.
It is going to be gorgeous no matter your choice. You cannot go wrong.

 

[Arcadian]

@ILikeShiny please adopt me!

I love love LOVE that wood tile! like big purple puffy heart love. What type of floor are you looking at to pair with that?

If you use pebble stone, FYI, lots of grout.. LOTS. if you're going to use it in a niche, do flat surface pebblestone and not natural surface (your shampoo bottles will thank you) The other thing is that stone will hide all kinds of lovely yucky stuff. Its gorgeous to look at but can be a pain in the rear to take care of. glad you're not going to put it on the floor (are you? I honestly hope not!)

The tub though...omg. I miss my hot tub, and being in FL kinda makes VERY little sense. But I do have a basic tub in the guest bathroom. Its not the same though... That kind of tub would make me be ok with not having a hot tub...lol

For the kitchen I'm leaning toward the brick. I love the tile on the left paired with the right grout its going to look great.

So hear me out on this; while the brick may seem plain, they also are classic, they don't tend to go out of style either. That also means you could dress up other areas of your kitchen without the tile interferring.

Whereas the one on the left, it will look great, but will also have to be a consideration should you bring additional shapes into the kitchen palate. And while its also on trend, you have to ask if it will be in the next 5-10 years....it might not be.

Of course if you redo before that you're not gonna care...just saying!!!

 

[redwood66]

@missy Greg has a workshop to be admired! He does lovely work.

@ILikeShiny that tub!!! OMG is right.

 

[BlingDreams]

@redwood66 - Right??!!!! It's going to get a TON of use from me, and I'm hoping it will be the straw that breaks the buyers back when we go to sell the house

@Arcadian - I purple puffy heart love it too!!!!!! I'll probably even use the purple light for extra relaxing . Thanks for the tip on the stone; DH really wants the stone tile for the shower floor, but the shower is only place it will be horizontal. For the niche and shelf steps it'll be on the vertical surfaces for the reason you gave... I don't want wobbly shower bottles (or wine bottles - ha!). And I appreciate the thoughts on the tile. The more I think about it, the more I think the brick tile would be better. I just wish they offered that style/pattern in a 2x8 instead of a 4x8 . We have our first "official" design gallery appt this Saturday so you can be sure I'll be playing with it some more (and probably have photos to share afterwards!).

 

[Austina]

We have that wood tile on our bathroom floor

 

[mrs-b]

@missy - just dropping in to say - our basement reno starts on Monday. Pls send chocolate.

 

[redwood66]

We have that wood tile on our bathroom floor

I want this in our downstairs bathroom. I am waiting for the kids to be gone to university and back in the military then I am gutting that bathroom. New tub, toilet, vanity and flooring. I can't wait. Did I just say that?

 

[rocks]

@missy. I hear you. In NYC people think nothing of tearing apart a beautiful renovated apartment (that they paid top dollar for). I'm with you....do what makes you happy....as long as it isn't extreme.

@ILikeShiny. The pebble tile...love it, but impossible to clean. I'd think twice...

 

[missy]

@missy Greg has a workshop to be admired! He does lovely work.

Thanks Red!

@missy - just dropping in to say - our basement reno starts on Monday. Pls send chocolate.

Ooh good luck @mrs-b, very exciting. Would you like dark chocolate or milk or an assortment?

We have that wood tile on our bathroom floor

I love that wood tile and it's perfect for the bathroom. Easy to clean and maintain.

@missy. I hear you. In NYC people think nothing of tearing apart a beautiful renovated apartment (that they paid top dollar for). I'm with you....do what makes you happy....as long as it isn't extreme.

@ILikeShiny. The pebble tile...love it, but impossible to clean. I'd think twice...

@rocks, exactly. It happens ALL the time here. Perfectly lovely and high end renos. Torn down. Taste varies and so do the pocketbooks haha.

@ILikeShiny, rocks makes a good point about the cleaning of the pebble tile.

 

[mrs-b]

Thanks Red!



Ooh good luck @mrs-b, very exciting. Would you like dark chocolate or milk or an assortment?

Just a LOT!!

 

[missy]

Just a LOT!!

Hahaha a girl after my own heart.
Here ya go dear mrs-b!













ENJOY!

Darn, now I have a chocolate craving at 7:55 AM.

 

[mrs-b]

Hahaha a girl after my own heart.
Here ya go dear mrs-b!













ENJOY!

Darn, now I have a chocolate craving at 7:55 AM.

OH. MY. WORD!!! That should do it!!

I LOVE truffles. Along with socks and Chanel No. 5 soap, it's the one present I ask my husband for every single Christmas - a box of the best, freshest, most beautifully presented truffles he can find.

If he cares to add diamonds as well, that's his concern.

 

[missy]

OH. MY. WORD!!! That should do it!!

I LOVE truffles. Along with socks and Chanel No. 5 soap, it's the one present I ask my husband for every single Christmas - a box of the best, freshest, most beautifully presented truffles he can find.

If he cares to add diamonds as well, that's his concern.

Like I said, a girl after my own heart. Chocolates and diamonds. What's better? Oh add in some fur baby love and the adoration and love of our DHs and we are set!

 

[MaisOuiMadame]

What are you doing to me girls?
It's early afternoon here already and I was having this

 

[MaisOuiMadame]

NOW, I'm having this

 

[MaisOuiMadame]

Not , my fault, PS made me do it!

 

[missy]

Not , my fault, PS made me do it!

Hahaha yes I know. I love @mrs-b but she is not helping me at this moment eat healthfully. Bwahahaha