# Forum Home Renovation Kitchens  Budget Reno - Splashback Help

## Craggles

Hi All, 
After much inspiration from these forums we're nearing the end of another renovation to our 13 yr old house in Beeliar, Western Australia. 
We're a young couple with a little 2 yr old and another due in October. Reno's are hard enough with one in the house so I decided to bring the Kitchen forward before the new one arrives. That way I could get it done as quickly as possible and not cause too much disruption to the lives of my other half and little girl. 
Anyways, this is a budget reno and to date has cost me under $9,000 total. All works have been completed by myself excluding the gas plumbing and electrical. Gas was paid for, electrical I got help from a sparky mate. 
A quick break down of the costs below: 
Cupboards (Ikea) - $4,400
Appliances (All Bosch) - $1,700
Sink + Tap - $700
Bench top (180fx Laminex) - $2,100 
To date it's taken me approximately 3 weeks from pulling the old kitchen out. The biggest delay has probably been the bench top which I didn't order until the new cabinet bases were in. As good as I might be I wanted them in to remeasure to ensure I had it all correct. I think I measured the bench top about 10 times... We considered stone or acrylic but as much as we wanted it this house isn't forever. This will keep us happier for a while and by then we will have hopefully paid this one off, ready to either build or heaven forbid buy another reno! 
Outstanding items include the splashback which we're still deciding on, would LOVE colour suggestions, and a few filler pieces and finishing touches like new blinds, those brown ones are coming out and being replaces with similar white ones. 
Before and after pictures are below. As you can see our old kitchen was disgusting to say the least and oh so small. The layout of the kitchen area / house didn't give us many options in terms of layout unfortunately. The width of the bigger bench though has gone from just under 600mm to 1050mm. We also added another 400mm in length. The increased storage is obvious. 
Any questions that might help fellow DIYers appreciated. 
As mentioned, need help with the splashback!!!

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## Cecile

I caught your post over on the other forum, and responded: 
"Your splashback can either be a huge feature, or blend in with the  rest of the kitchen colour theme.  If you want a visual punch, use the  red tiles.  Tiles are cheap enough that you can change them in a few  years if you get tired of them. 
To tone in with the cabinets and benchtop, had you considered using  the benchtop material up the wall?  It will give a nice clean continuous  line and is not expensive.  Stainless steel will also look good, and I  think you need it behind your cooktop anyway if you're not using tiles.  
Personally, I'm not a fan of glass splashbacks.  Overall I think they  have been done to death and at $300+ per square metre, I can think of  many more things to spend my money on." 
I love that you've got drawers on both sides of the breakfast bar.  And just a FYI, your "disgusting" kitchen is ten times better than what we are using, which is 60+ years old.   
You've done a great job.

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## METRIX

I would use stainless behind your cooktop, and some nice mosaic on the rest. 
Question, why was the benchtop so expensive ? 
An observation with the cooktop, was there no other option but to put it in the corner, this is the last place I would put one, as they are very difficult to use the two burners on the right side with anything other than a small pot, and the handles will clash with the other burners. 
I noticed the original kitchen had a small cupboard next to the wall probably because of the reason above.

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## Craggles

> I would use stainless behind your cooktop, and some nice mosaic on the rest. 
> Question, why was the benchtop so expensive ? 
> An observation with the cooktop, was there no other option but to put it in the corner, this is the last place I would put one, as they are very difficult to use the two burners on the right side with anything other than a small pot, and the handles will clash with the other burners. 
> I noticed the original kitchen had a small cupboard next to the wall probably because of the reason above.

  The benchtop isnt that expensive for Perth, Australia. 
The stove top isnt right in the corner, it's in the same position as the previous one, the pictures i've uploaded dont look that way but it's missing a cover panel next to the oven. It's not an ideal location but to minimise cost we essentially just replaced appliances rather than move them. I did go with a stove top though that had the knobs on the right hand side rather than along the front, so in actual fact the burners are now further away from the wall than they were previously. 
Again not ideal but still an improvement over what we had.

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## METRIX

> The benchtop isnt that expensive for Perth, Australia. 
> The stove top isnt right in the corner, it's in the same position as the previous one, the pictures i've uploaded dont look that way but it's missing a cover panel next to the oven. It's not an ideal location but to minimise cost we essentially just replaced appliances rather than move them. I did go with a stove top though that had the knobs on the right hand side rather than along the front, so in actual fact the burners are now further away from the wall than they were previously. 
> Again not ideal but still an improvement over what we had.

  Gee, I should open shop in Perth if that's regular price, I would make a killing  :Biggrin: .
Kitchern looks good though, and the benchtop looks great in gloss.

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## Floop

I'd go with a simple white tiled splashback, and add colour into the room with appliances and decor, there are some really bright and bold coloured appliances out there at the moment.  That way the colour you add in will really pop and you won't be tied into one style forever.   
You have an overwhelming amount of grey/silver in the kitchen at the moment so I'd personally avoid a S/S splashback anywhere, or running the benchtop finish up the walls.  I'd avoid any more S/S appliances too. 
You need to add a bit of vibrancy in the room, and while a coloured splashback can be one way to do it, you have to ensure it will compliment the undertone in your benchtop.  I can't tell exactly what colour it is from the photos, but if you use the wrong colour it's a quick way to make your benchtop look old and drab.  If you kept to a simple (and budget friendly) white tiled splashback, then you have a fantastic base to work off.  Adding bright red/blue/yellow/orange/whatever appliances and decorative items will give your kitchen a bit of life, make it nice and punchy and bright but still gives you the option to change things up in the future.

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## Craggles

> I'd go with a simple white tiled splashback, and add colour into the room with appliances and decor, there are some really bright and bold coloured appliances out there at the moment. That way the colour you add in will really pop and you won't be tied into one style forever.  
> You have an overwhelming amount of grey/silver in the kitchen at the moment so I'd personally avoid a S/S splashback anywhere, or running the benchtop finish up the walls. I'd avoid any more S/S appliances too.

  I agree with the overwhelming grey/silver at the moment. My other half is very conservative in her colour choices, where I'd love to throw some red on the wall and she'd probabaly like the outcome, making the decision to do it is painful... 
Anyways, thanks for the input thus far.
We went to a couple of tile places yesterday, I'm starting to lean toward some kind of tile rather than glass. Anyways most of them were very similar until we got to one called Myaree Ceramics which was a bit more up market and had some unique options. 
In particular we liked some subway tile options they had that were very rustic / uneven. See pictures below of a few we liked, some not so much for the kitchen but just in general. 
I'm thinking maybe the white or paler grey subways with black grout? 
Any comments greatly appreciated!

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## Floop

Stick with white tiles, even light grey tiles would tip the kitchen over into being too heavy and dull looking.  You need a balance between the white and grey. 
Avoid the black grout though.  Personally I think it just ends up looking like you have really filthy grimy old grout, like that you'd find in old public toilets, showroom floors, etc.  It would be compounded if you did use the white subway tiles you pictured, as they have a sort of 'hand made' oldish feel about them, it would just end up looking like they were old and dirty if you used the black grout (or grey or anything but a bright white).   
White on white is clean and crisp and would help 'modernise' those tiles you pictured, whilst still having enough character that they could hold their own style-wise.  They would make for a nice backdrop to whatever colour you added in to the kitchen. 
The actual tiling pattern depends on the amount of splashback you actually have.  That particular style you pictured works better in longer runs, you get more of an idea of the pattern in it, in smaller sizes it tends to lean towards looking weird and poorly tiled (you get a bit of a feel from that in the sample you photographed).  If you don't have much splashback to tile (and going from the photos you don't really), I'd be going for a brick pattern, like the light grey version of the tiles you photographed.   
Sometimes it's best to work with what you have and keep it simple and do it right, rather than trying for something that doesn't quite work or fit and it missing the mark.

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## METRIX

The reason I say to put stainless behind the cooktop is because it is so much easier to clean than small tiles with heaps of grout in them, food splashes etc can be a real pain to get out of grout, no matter what you treat the grout with. 
The majority of kitchens we do either go for glass or stainless behind the cooktop, and mosaics or similar elsewhere.
I like the one in the 4th picture, this gives texture and a classy look, I would avoid the octagonal tiles, these are in now but will be out of fashion as quickly as they came in.  
The 1st one is also nice, this will work well with your door style, the last one is also nice, brown or stone coloured won't work well with your benchtop choice, you would need to keep it either darker such as the anthracite ones, or lighter such as the 1st one. 
In reality there is not that much splashback to do so it really does not matter which one you go for they all look nice.
Our rule of thumb is keep it consistant, spashback color should start with choosing one of the colours already in the benchtop, if you start adding another colour it can look a bit tacked on.

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## r3nov8or

We used large porcelain floor tiles, 600x300, vertically.

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## shauck

> The reason I say to put stainless behind the cooktop is because it is so much easier to clean than small tiles with heaps of grout in them, food splashes etc can be a real pain to get out of grout, no matter what you treat the grout with.

  This is why I chose glass for ours. Bit of windex and it's all clean. We took our glass from the glazier (who cut to size) to a guy who paints the glass and he had a booklet full of colours. Chose exactly what we wanted. You could easily match in to the benchtop or whatever else.  
I think stainless would look pretty good tho.

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## Craggles

Hi Again 
Went out shopping yesterday to have a look at a few local shops. 
The missis liked these ones, what are peoples thought on them vs our kitchen? I'm still not 100% but I'm terrible at decision making.   
Inspired from the kitchen below, just not sure it goes with the more traditional styling of our kitchen.

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## Cecile

> what are peoples thought on them

  I love mosaic tiles and the ones you are showing are beautiful, but anything in a kitchen with a lot of grout lines is going to be a B**ch to clean on a regular basis.  If the cooking in your kitchen is anything like ours (Ted's a chef and our kitchen is often coated with condensation and/or cooking greases, oils and aromas) you may not be happy with mosaics.  That said, powerful enough extraction from the range hood helps a lot, and we currently don't have one. 
I would still stick with a smooth surface, or a larger tile with fewer grout lines.

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## Floop

I don't think they work as well in your kitchen as the rustic style white subway tiles you linked initially.   
I think those tiles could be a nightmare to keep clean, every bump would be a place for dust and grime to sit and get stuck (although I cant tell exactly how deep the texture is).  I also don't think they have as much character as the other tiles, there is a blandness about them.   
The more I look at the rustic/'old style' white subway tiles you first linked, the more I think they'd look quite good in your kitchen.  They are small enough in size that they would work quite well tiled brick-style over the small area you're working with, and they'd create a lot of interest and be a really attractive backdrop to whatever decor you add into the space.  Even though I'm repeating myself, I do think they have a lot of character, without having _too_ much that they'd detract from the overall look and finish of the kitchen.

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## fixmeup

> Hi All, 
> After much inspiration from these forums we're nearing the end of another renovation to our 13 yr old house in Beeliar, Western Australia. 
> We're a young couple with a little 2 yr old and another due in October. Reno's are hard enough with one in the house so I decided to bring the Kitchen forward before the new one arrives. That way I could get it done as quickly as possible and not cause too much disruption to the lives of my other half and little girl. 
> Anyways, this is a budget reno and to date has cost me under $9,000 total. All works have been completed by myself excluding the gas plumbing and electrical. Gas was paid for, electrical I got help from a sparky mate. 
> A quick break down of the costs below: 
> Cupboards (Ikea) - $4,400
> Appliances (All Bosch) - $1,700
> Sink + Tap - $700
> Bench top (180fx Laminex) - $2,100 
> ...

  If it is any help and you are on a budget. I just had a very simple white formica applied as splashback, mind you, this was in  1993. I hate grubby grouting. The kitchen could do with a makeover too. I basically like what I have though. Would be pleased if anyone can tell me if laminex, a cross between avocado and olive green could be refreshed. It has served its time well but looks dull. Someone told me it could be resanded but I am like the proverbial bull in a china shop and would probably damage it badly.  Can it be sealed to provide gloss?  Any ideas please?.

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## woodchip

> This is why I chose glass for ours. Bit of windex and it's all clean. We took our glass from the glazier (who cut to size) to a guy who paints the glass and he had a booklet full of colours. Chose exactly what we wanted. You could easily match in to the benchtop or whatever else.  
> I think stainless would look pretty good tho.

  Hi Shauck, we are thinking of going glass, I presume the person painted the back of the glass? Does it need to be a special type of glass? & how did you stick it to the wall, if adhesive did any show through? cheers  woody

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## shauck

> Hi Shauck, we are thinking of going glass, I presume the person painted the back of the glass? Does it need to be a special type of glass? & how did you stick it to the wall, if adhesive did any show through? cheers  woody

  Hi Woodchip. Yes, the back of the glass was painted. It's toughened glass so the glazier will need to cut it exactly to size (measure very carefully, several times to be sure) as well as any cutouts such as powerpoints before it is toughened. You can't cut it afterwards.  
It's recommended to use starfire glass which costs a bit more than regular glass. It is clear where regular glass has a blue or green tinge to it. This way, when choosing a colour you will achieve exactly that colour. We didn't use starfire (pretty broke at the time) and risked our colour choice (a green). Fortunately for us it worked out how we wanted it but there's no guarantee. Possibly ours worked because of green not being affected by a green tinge. If we'd chosen white for example, it would have been a bluish or greenish white, depending on the glass.  
It is stuck to the wall with silicone, large blobs spread out across the glass.

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## Craggles

Here are some more photo's of the Laminate 180fx benchtop in Soapstone Sequoia with Acrylic edges as requested by some members via PM.

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## grantbudd

I would go with a matt white subway tile with some texture. I say matt as it could be too much with your gloss bench top. Your top is a feature so calm it down with a white back. Good luck its so hard choosing a tile. We are about to do a bathroom and were going to go for a $40 m2 tile and ended up with a $110 m2 tile so I wont say it pays to shop around but your taste will evolve and change over a period of days  :Redface: )

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## Craggles

Hi All,
Thought I'd update this thread considering the help I recieved.
We ended up with too many options for splashback to the point of being a little overwhelmed I think. We decided to play it safe and go with the white subway with white grout tiles. I'm still reconsidering the grout, I think grey would also look nice given then subway effect is a little lost. The grout around the oven is heavily sealed, so hopefully wont absorb so many stains, very easy to replace though.
Anyways, here are a couple of more pics for ya's. Put up our pendants last night, no wired as yet.
Will replace existing light with downlights in time.
Cheers  :Smilie:

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## r3nov8or

Nice job. Well done.

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## grantbudd

looks great, i'll stick with the grey grout. It would have set it off your tiles much better against the bench top and be far more forgiving with dirt and dust over the years. I like the lights and all that storage you have.

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## shauck

> We ended up with too many options for splashback to the point of being a little overwhelmed I think.

  Any of your choices would have looked great so you were always going to end up with a satisfying result. Nice one. Maybe try the grey grout and seeing as you can always change it if you don't like it...

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