Black, Grey, and Read All Over
Since Grey is the new Black, and Subway Tile has made the biggest comeback since the Boston Tea Party, it’s the perfect Spring Renovation for your kitchen!
Treat your cabinetry like furniture and opt for a Weathered Grey, and let your hard work show and display your pots and pans like any Iron Chef would. Get your Subway Tile at Mission Stone & Tile, and place them in a running bond pattern for that oh-so-perfect look that will create a vintage atmosphere for the modern family.
Not that I have to preface this idea with a sweet a little comment, but you’ll be dancing for joy when you have the perfect kitchen that makes the daily routine bearable.
Mediterranean Style – Tabarka Terra Cotta
House Beautiful magazine recently featured Tabarka tile in their “Best of the Kitchen” list, and with good reason – this beautiful, hand-painted terra cotta tile adds a burst of Mediterranean color to brighten up any room. 
Tabarka is hardy and perfect for kitchen backsplashes, floors, bathrooms and walls – you could say it puts the “tile” in “versatile.”Lots of colors and patterns to choose from, Tabarka is hand-painted and no two tiles are exactly alike which softens the look of the area whether small or large, giving it amazing character, adding new life to tile.
View our full collection of Tabarka tile here or come see us and let us show you how you can incorporate Tabarka into your home.
1 CommentDesign Alive
This sleek kitchen design by Northern Irish Designer Darren Morgan is brought to life with an aquatic feature. Contemporary and multifunctional, this living kitchen incorporates an aquarium as the backsplash and focal point. There are aquariums at doctors’ offices for the sole purpose of relaxation. Research has shown that watching fish in an aquarium can lower your blood pressure and calm your mood.
Another captivating feature and way to calm you down or liven things up is the wood island with low energy LED lighting. Relax or entertain in this space, and create mood lighting worthy of a five-star restaurant! The bright white cabinets and walls allow the focal points of this space to speak for themselves, and the high reflective quality of the refrigerator panels create an illusion of a larger space.
While this creative design may not be budget-friendly, you can incorporate a clean and reflective space with certain mosaic tiles as your backsplash. Such as our white and clean Offset Ceramic Mosaic and Flow Glass Strips, and our reflective and chic Stainless Steel Mosaic. Incorporate ultra white cabinetry, a darker wood island, and LED undermount lighting to recreate this aquatic lounge look.
A special thanks to Fresh Home for an insight on Darren Morgan’s design!
2 Comments
Alternative Uses for Tile
Traditionally, tile has been used in kitchens and bathrooms. In more recent years, tile has made its way into backsplashes, countertops, tub enclosures and floors. But now, we’re starting to see designers and individuals get a little more creative with tile.
Here’s a great example of a colorful backsplash for a funky sink. This was featured on Susan Jablon Mosaics website. She’s got some other great examples on her site as well.
I love subway tiles. Subway tiles are 3 X 6-inch rectangular tiles (often ceramic) that are usually arranged in a brick pattern. This type of tile was commonly used in New York subway stations, hence the name.
Here’s a great example of subway tiles being used in a kitchen. This was featured on the Better Homes & Garden’s website.
A good place to use ceramic tiles in an aesthetic sense is the garden. Either with mortar or freestanding, colorful and attractive ceramic tiles make lovely garden fixtures, whether they are used to line the borders of a garden or tile a flowerpot.
Ceramic tiles can be used as coasters in the home. Simply apply a few small circular pads on the bottom of each tile and you have a nice place to set beverages.
I’ve even seen tile being used for pizza stones.
Fire Clay Tile has some really neat examples of these unique uses. Here’s just one of them…a tile being used as a trivet.
Out with the Old, In with the Stainless!
If you are on the brink of remodeling your kitchen, and you are considering an alternative to the neutral white or natural stone tiles, consider stainless steel tiles. For years chefs have created world class meals in restaurant kitchens, and you have seen the industrial strength kitchens blanketed in stainless! Do not go overboard with floor to ceiling stainless, but you can create a stylized version of a four-star rated kitchen! However, I cannot promise you will turn into Julia Child over night.
If you already have stainless steel appliances, you can keep the look cool and collected when you utilize stainless steel mosaic tiles as a back splash. In this photo, kelly green accents complement and soften this grey and steel kitchen.
Diagonal Pattern Stainless Steel Backsplash
If you do not want an all stainless steel back splash, these mini brick stainless steel tiles over the range and surrounding the hood create continuity with the white subway tile design. I love how these stainless steel tiles add a little interest and sparkle to a white on white kitchen design.
Mini Brick Stainless Steel Tiles
This muted grey and natural stone kitchen is enhanced by the smaller diamond stainless steel mosaics over the range. I love how the light reflects off of the steel, and provides a little flair to this understated kitchen design.
A Touch of Stainless
Be sure to stop by the showroom to see our selection of stainless steel mosaics so you can add a little sparkle and dimension to your kitchen design! Who knows, you may actually be inspired to cook!
For more kitchen design inspiration, please check out: www.decorpad.com
4 CommentsI want to make my kitchen AMAZING!
I’m thinking about remodeling my kitchen. I live in a townhouse, so it’s a pretty small space. It’s a galley layout, so I don’t have a lot to work with either.
One idea I had was to add a one of a kind backsplash using mosaic tile. Mosaic tiles are great because they come in all colors, textures, shapes and styles. I’m only limited by my own imagination.
If I were to define my style, I would say it was more elegant or traditional. But for some reason I’m drawn to some of these free form mural types of backsplashes. They look fun and funky. There are lots of colors and textures.
Here are a few I really like.
This one was featured on The Kitchen Blog.
On the Home Renovations page on About.com there is a great selection of backsplashes. Here’s my favorite.
Mission Stone & Tile has another favorite of mine.
I’d love to get your suggestions. So please feel free to post links to your favorite kitchen backsplash in the comment section below.
I look forward to seeing your ideas.
