Tile Patterns for Kitchen Backsplashes
If you want to add a personal beautiful and creative touch to your kitchen design, the perfect place for that is on the kitchen backsplash. You can tile the backsplashes below the upper cabinets, behind the sinks or cook top, along the counters or along all of these areas, your choice. You will have to know the height of your kitchen backsplash, the size of your tiles and whether or not, there are decorative tiles that will be included in the field tile before you begin to lay out the tiles. A dry fit layout is the most suitable and most desirable way to determine the fit of all the elements needed. Here are the steps on how you can create tile patterns for your kitchen backsplash.
You will need:
- Tiles
- Measuring tape
- Marker
Steps:
- First, each of the backsplash section has to be measured. Get the measurement done by starting from the counter up to below the cabinets and don\’t forget, each length of counter. Measure the height and width of the cook top to measure the area as well.
- Although measurements may be different, most of the backsplashes height is just 18 inches from the counter to the cabinets. The cooktop backsplash area are usually measured 6 inches wider than your stove as this is the width of the hood above it but again each measurement may vary from one kitchen to kitchen, depending on the sizes and styles.
- Mark on an area of equal size to your backsplash on a worktable nearby or on the floor so that you know exactly how much space this will need. This place will work as your design board as you will place the tiles on it and determine the pattern and layout.
- Then, start laying out the first full tiles in the bottom center of each section of the kitchen backsplash. This will help your tiles\’ installation to be even and balanced.
- Place it one or two tiles up from the counter if you want to include a decorative border to your design which is nice as well. It will make your design more visible rather than being hidden behind countertop appliances.
- Next, alter the pattern of the tiles from the counter to the cooktop areas. You can either install the subway tiles in a running bond or offset the pattern along the counters. Aside from these, the other pattern that you can do is the herringbone pattern behind the cooktop.
- Make a frame around the cooktop with a decorative border or chair rail tiles.
- To make sure that the decorative tiles are seen, place them in the center of the backsplash and scatter them up and down evenly.
- You can use a decorative tile border to frame the area behind the cooktop or make use of the complimentary tiles to emphasize the interior of the cooktop area.
- Finally, make sure to check your measurements again and trim the dry layout before installing the tiles.
Additional Reading:
http://www.ehow.com/how_6458896_create-tile-patterns-kitchen-backsplashes.html
Image Credit:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/granite-charlotte/4254425120/
