Home Interior: Which Backsplash Tile goes with Granite?

Sunday, December 5, 2010

Which Backsplash Tile goes with Granite?

I have rarely seen a patterned porcelain or stone tile actually work with a busy granite countertop. Recently I was discussing this very point with a client and she was lamenting that her kitchen was only 5 years old and she hated the backsplash tile because it clashed so badly with the granite countertops.

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I always let my clients know that years ago I heard that it’s not until you build your third house (if you are lucky enough to have that luxury) that your house is exactly what you want. It takes time to learn what works and what you like and dislike enough about your space and then actually be able to translate that into the house of your dreams. So don’t despair if your house isn’t perfect yet, it will be eventually :)

Southern Living

Okay so back to the patterned porcelain tile, I’m here to tell you, DON’T DO IT. If you are installing granite countertops—unless they’re black—they will be busy looking enough on their own. No need to drive yourself nuts trying to find a coordinating patterned backsplash to match. Tile is not like pattern mixing with fabrics. With fabric you can mix stripes, flowers, paisley’s, checks together (below) as long as the colours harmonize together—not so with tile.

Image via Cote de Texas

Personally, I find the 2 x 2 mosaic backsplash in the second kitchen (above) too busy, but at least the undertones of both the granite and the mosaic backsplash seem to coordinate. The one below, pretty kitchen but the backsplash, too much!

Decorpad

Should you continue the granite onto the backsplash? It’s busy as well, there’s enough going on with what’s just sitting on the countertops. But some people really love the patterned look of granite, so if you are one of those, keep going with it. It will look way better than a clashing tile.

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Truly what has developed my ‘clean’ aesthetic over the years is the hundreds of kitchens and bathrooms I have seen with bad accent tile or simply tiles that aren’t even in the same colour family. So take my advice and go for a simple subway tile or ANYTHING else but in a solid colour NOT a pattern.

Also DO NOT let your granite installer stick one of those 4 inch bands of granite all around where your backsplash tile should be. I don’t know why many of them still install them! If it’s too late and you already have one, I would leave it and just paint the rest of the backsplash the same colour as the rest of the kitchen.