I am building a new kitchen in the house that my husband and I are renovating, and there is a rather overwhelming array of choices to be made. Tile has been one of those. We're choosing a lot of tile (for baths as well as the kitchen). Subway tile is obviously a terrific and classic choice, and since it can be less than $3/square foot, very economical too. But can inexpensive tile go beyond subway tile? What are some other options for those of us on a strict budget? I took my questions to Kirsty Froelich, the corporate designer of The Tile Shop, a nationwide tile retail chain. Here's some of her advice on choosing tile when you're on a budget.
1. When you're renovating a kitchen or bath (or both at once, like I am!) tile is just one of many potentially overwhelming choices. How do you start the process of figuring out what you want?
I look through magazines and blogs to find inspiration for colors, wood type, general design ideas and finishes. I pull together looks that I like from different images and create an inspiration board from this. You can use PowerPoint (or Pinterest!) to make a "digital board" for yourself. This is a good way to keep your thoughts organized throughout the entire process. It will help you make choices and keep you focused on your design concept. I bring this board shopping with me. It is a helpful communication tool to use with sales associates to show them your vision.
2. Tile has a huge variation in price point. What are four or five of your favorite lower-budget tiles?
My favorite way to create a "high end look for less" is to mix an inexpensive ceramic backsplash tile with either stone or glass. You can use stone or glass mosaics, cut them into strips and add them to your backsplash design. You can also use a decorative stone liner as an accent piece. Some other inexpensive options:
• You can take a large wall or floor ceramic tile and lay it out in a horizontal or vertical brick pattern. This covers a lot of space for not a lot of money.
• Glass mosaic tile has become a budget-friendly backsplash option. Our pricing starts at $11.99 a square foot.
• Ceramic mosaics are also an inexpensive option. Ours start at $4.49 a square foot. The penny rounds are hot right now.
• Ceramic mosaics are being made to mimic natural stone. It is hard to tell the difference, but they cost a lot less. Ours start at $6.39 a square foot.
• Decorative glass liners can add a lot of punch to a backsplash. These start at $3.99 apiece (they are 6 inches long).
• Ceramic profiles like twist pencils can add texture and depth to a backsplash.
Pictured above:
• Milk Rounded Corner 1"x1" Ceramic Mosaic - $4.99 sf
• Penny Round Moss Ceramic Mosaic - $5.59 sf
• Mallorca 2"x2" Ceramic Mosaic - $6.39 sf
• Aloe Glass Brule .75"x6" - $3.99 a piece
• Imperial Bianco Washed Pencil 8" long - $8.99 a piece
3. Do you think plain white subway tile will ever look dated?
I personally believe that white subway tile has, and will always be, a classic. You can make it your own by mixing it with stone or glass and create a custom look. You could also jazz it up by setting it in a herringbone or vertical brick pattern.
4. What are your favorite budget-friendly alternatives to subway tile?
Some fresh alternatives to subway tile that are budget friendly:
• Glass 3"x6"
• Glass mini brick mosaics
• Natural stone 3"x6" or 4"x8" - these are available with straight, pillowed, and beveled edges
• Natural stone amalfi brick pattern mosaics - available in several stone choices
• Bucak Amalfi stone brick mosaic (2"x4" on 12" mesh); $11.99 sf
Pictured above, clockwise from top left:
• Bucak Medley Amalfi 12 x 12 in - $11.99/sf
• Amethyst Brick Glass .65 x 1.85 in - $19.99/sf
• Biltmore Amalfi 12 x 12 in - $11.99/sf
• Gobi Amalfi 12 x 12 in - $10.99/sf
• Copper Rust REL 3 x 6 in - $5.99/sf
• Glass Smokey 3 x 6 in - $18.99/sf
Thanks Kirsty!
• Visit Kirsty's tile inspiration blog: The Tile Shop - Design by Kirsty
• Visit The Tile Shop: The Tile Shop
Related: Penny Tile in the Kitchen: 8 Pretty Backsplashes and Floors
(Images: Bryce's Kitchen of Memories; The Tile Shop; Kristin Petro Interiors)
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Love this post! I am in the process of gathering all the materials for our budget kitchen makeover and white subway tile seems to be the go-to material for the backsplash, but those penny rounds are adorable. Also love the herringbone idea to give plain subway tile a bit more pop.
We're working on this too. I used photo shop to make some mock-up kitchens before we bought the materials. We were almost ready to spend a lot of money on blue glass tiles but we decided it would be way too intense for our whole backsplash. Instead, we're mixing a few shades of blue glass into white subway tile (they're all 3x6 so they will all fit together nicely.) I think we bought enough to have one blue tile for every 10 white tiles and the blue ones will be randomly scattered in the design. I love the herringbone pattern but my husband would have a fit if I asked him to cut that many tiles at different angles.
To me, upwards of 11$ per square foot is not really 'budget friendly'.
When I re-did my kitchen I went to the local art schools (several colleges close by have ceramic and glass studios) and asked them to save their scraps. Several weeks later there were tons from each location. It does take a lot more work to match the scraps and then organize them as an actual backsplash, but it's beautiful, eco friendly and definitely not 11$ per sqft.
If you're planning for tile work the best money saving tip you will get is to find your local construction overstock store (trust me, there's one within 30 miles of most people) and stop in once a week for about a month. I got my gorgeous porcelain 18" floor tiles at one for under $1 per sqft.
I love the suggestion to use cheap, classic tiles in an interesting way. Using subway tiles in a herringbone pattern is currently my fall back plan for my backsplash if I don't find something else I like. I'm also fond of using plain old 4" ceramic tile and just laying them on the diagonal. You could even trim off some corners and add little square accent tiles throughout, or one of those 6" long accent ledgers. A well planned, interesting pattern with cheap tile looks better (to me) than expensive tile laid very plainly.
@jess13 More please. What is a 'construction overstock store' and how would I go about finding one. I tried googling it, but none of the responses were even ballpark - Bridal store, Louis Vuitton outlet?
HOBO is a construction overstock store in the Chicago area, but you have to watch the prices because they aren't always cheaper than tile showrooms. I used to work in the tile industry and we found that some of those places sold for the same items for the same cost or more.
I did a subway tile for my backsplash & used a couple rows of a glass & stone mosaic for a border. Most backsplashes are about 30 sf so you would only need a couple sheets of the more expensive mosaics to use as an accent, which usually comes in much cheaper than an actual border. Generally, mosaics are going to be much more expensive than individual tiles because of the labor involved. Although, I did find some decent glass mosaics at Home Depot for $5 per sf.
I recently put in a kitchen backsplash using white subway tiles with a stripe of cobalt blue glass tiles. I think the glass tiles added about $75 to the project. I think it looks great.
@Dulcibella: try finding a local Restore first, not every city has one but they are dirt cheap and usually awesome. Also try googling 'builder's supply' or 'Surplus Building Materials.'
I went to a place called "The Tile Shoppe" in Calgary (There's a few in Canada so check out their website). They essentially buy in bulk and pass ont he savings. I bought dark grey/taupe glass subway tiles (3x6) for $2.49/sq ft and got marble/glass random length accent tile for $8.99 sq/ft. I found the exact same mosaic tile at Home Depot and it was listed for 18.99 sq/ft (ridiculously priced). They don't carry every option in the world but they have a great selection and it's cheap so I'll never buy tile anywhere else without checking their store first.
I'm sure there are similar stores down in the USA. Here's a couple of links to what my tile looks like (I wouldn't be able to tell it's "discount" tile)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/stream13/7742209198/in/photostream
http://www.flickr.com/photos/stream13/7742211006/in/photostream/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/stream13/7742212438/in/photostream/
I'd be curious, too, to know how to find "construction overstock" stores - that sounds intriguing! I'm in the San Francisco Bay Area (East Bay). ... and $12 per square foot doesn't sound cheap to me, but maybe I'm being unrealistic about existing prices for something decent.
I keep vacillating on white subway tile for my (eventual) bathroom remodel. I find it to be a classic look, but I've also seen some dreary photos of contemporary subway-tiled shower/bath that look like a scene from an old mental hospital (cut to scene of Jessica Lange as Frances Farmer having "ice pick surgery!") -- though the band of pricier, colorful tile would help prevent that. Also, I keep thinking it'd cost less for a tile setter to work with some larger tiles than subway tiles since he could cover the space faster with larger tiles. Decisions, decisions!
Oops! Thanks to JESS13 for additional ideas, above, on finding discount places.
From googling one of those phrases, I found right off a discount place in SF's Mission District I'd never heard of before:
http://www.discountbuilderssupplysf.com/index.html
Thanks to Apt Therapy for this post and to commenters above for the suggestions and tips!
For something like a backsplash, labor is likely to be your most expensive item, and not one to cheap out on. Bad tile jobs look terrible. One other tip I would give-- don't stop just short with the tile. Carry it up to the bottom of the cabinets (as they do in the photos here) and to the edge of the wall. I see so many backsplashes where the tile just... stops. There's nothing that says, "I'm cheap!" like a four-inch tile backsplash.
I think $11/sf is very budget friendly, actually. You could buy enough tile for a 30/sf backsplash for $400. Not a bad price for one of the major design elements in the room. The tile I'm in love with is $26/sf and would require professional installation for sure. That's definitely out of my budget, but I like these suggestions. Penny or hex tile might be a good alternative...
I just re-did two bathrooms and had great luck at overstock.com where I bought white penny tile and tiled both the floor and entire wall where the free standing vanity was placed for about $7/sq. Ft. They also have great hex tiles, retro, modern, etc... I also bought a basic blue and green mosaic tile from Hakatai (can get samples sent...great co. Out of Portland) for under $3.99/sq. Ft. My kids bathroom looks amazing and I have had many comments asking me who the "designer" was....LOL! Also, many tile co's. Have an outlet center on their website....Heath Tiles, ModWalls, etc......another great use for subway tiles is placing them vertically staggered instead of the more traditional horizontal placement. One of my other ideas for the kids shower surround was to use white subway tiles in either the traditional size or a more modern narrower and longer size and use a random number of size matched glass or percelain tiles placed throught for random pops. Of color. Still budget friendly, but I just couldn't beat the price point and look of the Hakatai tiles.
Tiles4all has a wide range of wall tiles to suit all budgets and styles. A popular range includes glazed porcelain tiles,Glass tiles,Ceramic tiles or more you can find on a number of online tile shops across UK.