adding charm on the cheap
Picking out a tile for backsplash was pretty painful. I love so many different looks and styles and colors. From traditional subway to high glossed clay and everything in between, this was one of the more difficult design decisions I've made for my home.
To help with the process I decided to order the 5 for $5 samples from Tile Bar. Tile Bar has so many amazing products and they break down their tiles by style, function, etc. Although I loved so many of the samples I received, in the end, I actually went with a stock tile from Home Depot. The tile is called 'Abbey Brick' in gray. The tiles are 2 1/3" x 10" and they are a glazed porcelain. They were a steal at only $4.99 per square foot. They sell them by the case for $25 per case. I used two cases for this project.
The Process
My brother Anthony is a contractor and pretty much all-around handy man. He and I co-own a building company called Milltown Homes out of Cohoes, NY. He also happens to live right next door and was gracious enough to come over and do the tiling while teaching my husband Carmen to use a wet saw and make the cuts. To start out, we pulled out the range and screwed in a level piece of 2x4 to serve as an edge. From there, we bought a gallon of Acryl Pro tile adhesive which is spread on the wall surface with a trowel before securing the tile. We used 1/4" spacers because we wanted a larger grout line - traditional for brick design.
We hung all the tile and then that sit so the tile adhesive could dry for about 24 hours (I may not have waited the full time --- he he). Next came the grout. For grout, I used Polyblend sanded grout in the color 'Snow White'. My brother told me what to do and I spread the grout with a float until all of the seams and spaces were filled in. After it was all filled, I used a large sponge to wipe it clean. We then let that dry for 24 hours. The grout is the magical element of tiling!!!
The Result
Ta-da! Since we did this on our we had the good fortune of not paying for labor. Total materials (tile, adhesive, grout, trowel, float and sponge) cost us about $100. Not bad ey? I used a 3m command strip to hang this decorative antique basket with lavender from our yard. It holds up great and I didn't have to put any holes in the tile.
We are so happy with how this project turned out. Hopefully it inspired you to make some big impact in your home without breaking the bank! Thanks for stopping by :)
