We did it. Since this morning’s post we made one more trip out to the tile store and finally made a tile decision (we ordered over 50 square feet of it to do the entire wall above the stove where we’ll add open shelves and a vent hood as mentioned here). Our process was visiting a bunch of small local shops and big box stores just to see what was out there. And we had the most luck finding stuff that we loved at a local tile store (The Tile Shop). The only problem was that many of their gorgeous offerings were nearly $20 a square foot, which can work if you’re doing a standard backsplash – but can definitely break the budget on a whole wall (50 square feet x $20 = $1000!).
Here are a few things that we loved, but the prices just weren’t right for our budget (this smoky gray skinny tile was $17.99 per square foot):
This moody gray glass subway tile was $18.99:
This pretty cracked glass tile was $16.99 (it looked like a mixture of marble and ice cubes):
This soft tiny glass mosaic tile was $14.99:
Then in the back of the store in the clearance section we came across the prettiest softest gray penny tile with such a smooth finish and such clean circular shapes that it definitely felt modern but not too cold – just clean and sleek enough while still saying soft and reading more as a texture than a big repeating tile on the wall.
And priced at just $5.59 a square foot it was definitely a lot less of a budget breaker (50 square feet x $5.59 = $279).
But we should tell the whole Tile Shop story. At John’s dad’s recommendation, we used The Tile Shop as a resource when we did our bathroom remodel in our first house (they were really helpful when it came to finding the right grout and supplies) and they later became sponsors of ours. So the coolest thing about finding our tile there was that they offer all YHL readers (including us) a 10% off discount on anything in their store (or online) with the code YHL10. So we scored an additional 10% off.
Since it’s going to be a main focal element in the kitchen, we figured it wouldn’t be a drop in the bucket project, but we’re happy to come in way under $300 for the tile and save money on labor by installing it all ourselves (with details as we go of course). We definitely think it’s going to be one of those makes-the-room choices. So excited.
Oh and here’s how Clara reacted to it. First she walked by and coyly glanced over at it…
Then, naturally, she petted it.
It’s very smooth. She’s a fan, just like mom & dad. Incidentally, it’s porcelain – so it’s completely non-porous, which means it is extremely stain resistant and we’ll be using stain resistant grout and sealer so it’ll all be nice and protected against any kitchen spatter. Because I would not wanna be the sucker in charge of scrubbing all that grout all the way up the wall with a toothbrush for years to come. Thank goodness for no-maintenance sealer. We used it in our last bathroom and didn’t clean the shower tiles for over a year – no kidding. More on that here (you can even reapply it once a year to keep things über protected).
But back to Clara. After we went to the front counter and paid for everything she said “all done” and took my hand and led me right back…
… to the tile display in the back of the store. For one last pet-session. Is she a good tile salesman or what?
But let’s rewind. Before pulling the trigger and whipping out the ol’ wallet we ran home with our sample and googled “penny tile” just to check out a few other kitchens with something similar. Here’s a nice photo that shows how it might look behind floating shelves. And here’s some all-the-way-to-the-ceiling penny tile (of course this stuff is a lot bolder and more metallic than the finish we chose).
Here’s some penny tile that looks nearly identical to the one we picked (found here). Ignore the fact that this is a bathroom and try to picture some dark cork floors, white cabinetry, and chunky white open shelves paired up with it. Yum. See what I mean about it becoming sort of a texture in the room instead of immediately reading like a big shiny wall of tile? I love that it’ll layer in with all the other stuff (open shelves, range hood, cabinetry, counters, cork floors, soft grellow walls, the fireplace, art, window treatments, lighting, etc).
Here’s our tile sample getting cozy on the faux-sheepskinned ottoman in the living room. Looks right at home, right?
And here’s our sample tile paired with the cork flooring sample, the swatch card with our kitchen wall color, a Klean Kanteen (to represent our stainless appliances) and a white ceramic tile (to represent the white cabinets – once we paint them). Can you see it coming together? We couldn’t be more excited.
But before we can get our tile on (and share all the as-we-go steps), we have to do pretty much everything else in the kitchen (the backsplash is one of the last things that goes in after cabinets are set and appliances are installed and counters are in, etc). We’re planning to do some other demo/appliance moving tonight though, so if all goes well we’ll have those pics to share tomorrow! Slowly but surely. Or as Clara says “slowly, slowly” (if you ask her what a sloth says, that’s her answer).
Has anyone else bought tile (for the backsplash, floor, bathroom, etc) lately? Did you also hit up at least five stores and even check things out online before pulling the trigger? We never spend this much time on things like paint (which can easily be redone) – but things like tile and flooring and counters definitely seem to take us some time! How do the people on Design Star make all these decisions in five minutes? Maybe because it’s not a room they actually have to live in for years to come? Maybe that’s where the pressure comes in? Then again, they do have Vern and Candice and Genevieve judging them on national television. So yeah, there’s that kind of pressure…
Lindsay says
I swear we have the same taste! I’ve been bugging my husband for a penny backsplash for 2 years! Also (before I found your blog) I was stalking the exact crib you have…after I found your blog, I realized why it was always sold out!
Kate says
I LOVE the penny tile! Even better that it was so much cheaper!
Jen @ The Decor Scene says
GORGEOUS!!! I love it! It is all coming together really well. You guys must be so excited to really be moving forward with this project. I love big projects and watching them unfold before my eyes. Thanks for sharing all the details…what an awesome find…and an even better price find. :)
karen says
nice choice! and awesome price! i never seem to run into good deals?!
i have a feeling the penny tile peeps are going to be selling a lot more of this ;)
amymargaretc says
love it!
I had never even heard of this tile before… it’s so nice.
Great job as always.
Cecilia says
“slowly, slowly” – hah, love it, so clever … also love the penny tile
lindseydawn says
I love it!! What color did you go with? looking at the tile shop website it’s hard to tell what’s what. It looks fantastic in your photos.
YoungHouseLove says
I think it’s called Moss. It’s a very muddy gray color that looks sort of like marble with a hint of blue-green in it.
xo,
s
JZB says
“Then, naturally, she petted it”. LOL!!!!!!!!
Kristen@Turning a House into a Home says
I think I’m in love with Clara’s “slowly, slowly” phrase. Sometimes I get so impatient with projects that involve time, patience, and diligence so “slowly, slowly” is a great way to remind myself it’s suppose to take longer than a day!
Here’s to moving like a sloth sometimes!
Christine says
Love how the tile is classic and modern at the same time. It looks GREAT with the brown of the cork floors. It’s almost like they are opposites on the color wheel or something complementary like that. And this may sound really weird, but I also like the fuzzy white rug in the mix that you have as the photo background. I don’t know how well a white fuzzy texture could work in a kitchen, but I do like how it looks with the other elements! Also… Clara with the “all done” and the petting is basically the cutest thing I’ve ever heard! How do you stand it? I’d be a puddle on the floor in the face of that cuteness!
Meggan says
Have you seen the cork penny tile??? Might be kind of fun to tie into the plan somewhere!
YoungHouseLove says
Oh yeah that’s fun! Maybe we could make some sort of hanging bulletin board with it- or an in-cabinet cork board with it.
xo,
s
Courtney says
Stunning tile! I have always had a soft spot for penny tile and at one point wanted to tile a walk-in shower in light blue penny tile.
I cannot wait to see how things progress!
Jen F says
I love the penny tile. I’m a real estate agent, and just sold a house for OVER asking price….and I think that the awesome penny tile in their kitchen was part of the reason! Very similar in color to your new tile, but theirs was from Ann Sachs….I’m thinking it was a bit more than $5.99/ft. Anyway, super chic and classic all at once!
YoungHouseLove says
Wow- Ann Sachs has gorgeous stuff! It’s waaaaay out of our budget, so we love hearing that our $5 tile reminds you of that stuff! Congrats on the sale!
xo,
s
Jeanne says
We recently did our bathroom and bought a lot of our tile and supplies from The Tile Shop…THEN I found your website (I’m still kicking myself for not finding the 10% off before). They have great stuff, but definitely can be pricey. Looks like you guys got a great deal!
Sandi says
I was wondering if your granite is staying the same or are you getting new countertops?
YoungHouseLove says
It’s going! We decided that because we would need to buy a lot more of it for the peninsula that we’re adding we would rather not put more money into something that we have and don’t really like. So here’s hoping we can land on something we like better soon!
xo,
s
Sandi says
PS: we just bought our backsplash this week. It took me a solid year to decide what I wanted. I knew after 8 months I wanted subway tile (I wanted a classic kitchen) and I decided the standard 3×6 was too blah for me, ended up going with a 2×8, came to $95CAD and hopefully will be installed in the next few weeks.
YoungHouseLove says
Ooh that sounds pretty! Send pics!
xo,
s
Liz F. says
Hooray for gray penny round!!!!! This and the peninsula and cork flooring make me green with envy. Step by step, your kitchen is evolving into my Favorite. Petersik. Room. Ever.
Maureen @ This (Kinda) Old House says
Beautiful! I love the things you choose, really. What a great deal also. Cannot wait to see all this done!
Candice says
Love the penny tile! And it looked great with the concrete counter top in one of the inspiration photos that you showed…I think you guys are considering that…
ashlee says
i’ll tell you again what i’ve told you a billion times before – i absolutely love that you stick to a reasonable ‘right-for-you’ budget. it’s so inspirational. my rationale is to always pick the thing i WANT, not the thing i can afford. i’m learning so much about real life from you guys, and at the age of 31, that might sound weird, but it’s true.
for example, i’m learning that i CAN paint a wall and i DO NOT need to hire someone for $200. i’m a fully capable young woman! say it with me now! haha.
Melissa says
I love it! I was actually hoping you’d go with something liek this. I love subway tile as much as the next person, but I appreciate choices like this so much more these days since it seems like everyone and their mother is using subway tile in the kitchen (and bathroom). This is classic, yet still unexpected and I love the textured look it gives. And I cannot wait until you install the cork floor! I am thinking of the exact same floor for my kitchen and I’m close to pulling the trigger.
Stephanie says
I NEED that subway tile in my life! But first, I need a place that I can actually renovate…baby steps!
Dianne says
Totally lovin the tiles. GREAT choice!!!!! Love those penny tiles since seeing them on Dear Genevieve and Sarah’s House.
PLEASE detail how you install the small tiles. I heard it can be tricky to get all the tiles even on the wall. Since you install the entire sheet at a time.
GREAT JOB!!
Dianne
Patti says
This kitchen is going to WOW us! Love it and glad you’re not going with a safe pick like subway tiles. Rock.On.YHLovers!
Christine says
OMG!!!
I was at the Tile Shop just last week looking at tiles for my basement remodel. (we have a big concrete box, we’re finishing it off) In the full bath we’ll be doing a full shower using 4×16 white subway tiles to about 5 feet high. Then we have a small border using 2 pencils with some small rectangular glass tiles in between and then above that about 2 feet of tile option #2 you show above! AND the floor of this shower was *very* close to being your penny tile, though in a different color (we’re going with similar squares instead, hubby was afraid of so much grout)
We weren’t able to use the YHL10 code since our contractor is ordering it from the Tile Shop for us (he gets about 30% off anyways), but I’m looking for bathroom lights and a fun light for over a craft table. I’ll probably order from Shades of Light so I can use my YHL discount. :D I love you two with all of your helpful discount codes!
Helen says
Lovely! I’ve had a link to some penny tile in my gmail draft folder for about seven months now, haha. Just as a hypothetical question, do you think the tile would gel with the counters you currently have?
YoungHouseLove says
Those counters gotta go (since we don’t like them enough to buy more of them for the peninsula) but I don’t think the tile would work with then if they stat. Since there’s so much movement in the penny tile I think simple gray or white counters would work best!
xo,
s
Mary@The Good Life says
I love it I love it I love it. I also love that you guys don’t ever choose the most expensive option. I have been watching Property Brothers a lot lately (tell me you love that show) and the clients seem to have such a loose grip on reality. And why do they always seem to choose the house that brings them to the edge of their budget in the first place? Ah, people. I love that you guys seem to say- yes, that would be beautiful. And yes, if money grew on liriope we might go with this or that, but THIS is beautiful AND affordable. I just love that. Can’t wait to see how you guys install that tile! And bust through that wall. We just started escrow on our new place (you can see the bones here if you’re interested: http://www.scottnmary.com/2011/08/09/out-with-the-old-in-with-the-new/ ) and we have to take down a wall, install flooring, paint and then hopefully we will get around to tile. You’ll have to tell us if it’s more enjoyable than stencilling.
Kelsey Gardner says
What is the countertop going to be?
YoungHouseLove says
Not sure yet. Really wanted concrete but don’t think it’s possible for our house (due to weight limitations on the floor joists).
xo,
s
Heather says
This is soooooo similar to my experience choosing tile for our kitchen. We went to our local Tile Shop after trying a couple of high and low end options and even Home Depot. We went for ceramic hex tiles, but not before considering your exact penny tile! For us, the notion that it was a texture in the room was actually the deal killer. We knew we needed more of a statement, and in this case that meant pattern. Love penny tile on a whole wall though–nice choice!
Here’s a link to our process post. http://www.heatherpetersondesign.com/2010/10/structural-improvements.html
Heather
YoungHouseLove says
Love it! The hex you chose is gorgeous!
xo,
s
Ted says
So, although we did this last year, since Sherry asked about tile and kitchen backsplashes, here is the kitchen backsplash that I did last year and we love the way it turned out:
http://home2twins.blogspot.com/2011/10/well-since-john-and-sherry-petersik.html
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, love the title Ted. And you did an awesome job with you kitchen!
xo,
s
Ted says
Yeah, I forgot to include a title, so it labeled the page with the first line of the blog post…I couldn’t figure out how to rename it (short of deleting the post and reposting), so you get kudos on the title!
Thanks.
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, too funny!
xo,
s
melanie c says
fun pennies! another blog i read seems to like them too! in a different shade i think: http://www.housetweaking.com/2011/10/05/the-master-bath-master-plan/
YoungHouseLove says
Isn’t that funny? It’s such a small world.
xo,
s
candace @ thecandace.com says
Beautiful tile and what a great deal! Can’t wait to tag along on your kitchen redo!
Janice says
Years ago, Sarah used penny tile in Sarah’s House 2. I remember her saying clients would never let her use it, but since she had no client then, she got to use it.
Alice says
When you guys moved, I was soooooo hoping your’d tackle the kitchen first, but you made us wait. Boo hoo. So you can only imagine how excited I am now that you are getting started!
My only question is does one put the floating shelves up first and then tile around them or do you put up the backsplash and then install the shelves?
YoungHouseLove says
We are thinking we should hang the tile first and then the shelves (so it’s all seamless behind them and we have to make fewer cuts/seams. We’ll keep ya posted!
xo,
s
Anna says
Love the penny tiles!! I’m so impatient to see your “new” kitchen. :-D
(Hmmm… now wondering penny tiles would be available here in Europe)
allison says
totally dumb question: But are those actual Pennies underneath the porcelain? or is is porcelain circles that just have the shape of pennies? BTW- it is lovely! good choice!
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, just named after the shape. So no hidden pennies going on.
xo,
s
Pamela says
I remember seeing on Apartment Therapy a while back gorgeous flooring that was laid with real, individual pennies & the look stuck in my brain:
http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/ny/tile-stone-countertops/penny-tile-floor-at-the-standard-hotel-notcotcom-088953
YoungHouseLove says
Oh yeah I have that pinned over on Pinterest! Love it so much!
xo,
s
Pamela says
Oh, cool Sherry! I need to check out your Pinterest info. Y’all have a couple of lucky pennies for your blog header…meant to be! :) I absolutely adore your tile choice (luv the subtle darker tile edging that ties in with your flooring), along with the dark cork/stainless/white cabinets/wall color combo (my heart kinda jumped when I saw it laid out together). Sooo pretty. I’m excited to see what artwork you & John select (from Craigslist perhaps? – I’ve scored some amaaazzing vintage pieces from CL & love how they are unique to my home).
YoungHouseLove says
Haha- love it! Never thought about the pennies in the header!
xo,
s
Teresa says
I love penny tile, but my other half not so much. Can’t wait to show him your kitchen and say “see, doesn’t that look awesome? If they can do it so can we!” ;)
Donita says
I absolutely LOVE all that will be going in your kitchen. You guys have great taste, so glad I ran across your blog. I wait every day for your post, expecting something GREAT. You never disappoint. Have fun with your kitchen reno, can’t wait to see it complete. *you probably can’t wait either. :-)*
Liz says
I’m having an Eric Northman experience with those penny tiles. I think they’re way prettier than the more expensive ones. (I guess I’m just not a lover of glass tile). Your palette looks gorgeous and I can’t wait to see it all come together! I think this might be the most excited I’ve ever been about one of your projects.
Amber says
Oh my goodness I LURVE IT! If I had my way in my kitchen I would totally do some marble subway tile action (like your inspiration photo this morning). But I’ll never be able to get over the price to make an actual purchase- ha ha.
This is so lovely. It is modern but on a classic penny tile. I think it will look great, and a good price too. So happy the kitchen is coming together for you two! Keep up the good work!
Kirsty says
Ooh, it’s gonna look great guys! We just finished our first tiling project (our little entry way and laundry room) and are itching to tile our kitchen floor and bathroom now, tiling is such an easy DIY project and looks fanastic! I can’t wait to see your finished kitchen, I’ve not seen those kinds of tiles before but they’re amazing!
Staci says
Hi Sherry, thanks for sharing my penny tile backsplash. You can view better pictures of the backsplash under my home tour link here: http://www.asaltbox.com/p/home-tour.html. You got a killer deal. You are going to love them. I love the texture and color they add to my kitchen. I also used the penny tile in a blue color in my master bath and love them. I get tons of compliments on the backsplash. Can’t wait to see photo’s!
YoungHouseLove says
So exciting to hear from you! Thanks for the link!
xo,
s
Heather says
I just used penny tile in a client’s bathroom and it looks awesome. You guys scored a much better deal than the Ann Sacks version I used!
S @ Ess and Jae V2.0 says
Oh so so so pretty! Love!
Holiday says
I have this tile! In my laundry room. Which, is, incidentally, painted Moonshine and is just off a Gray Horse Hallway. Wait…are you secretly recreating my house further south? Also, over on House*Tweaking she chose chose this tile for her bathroom floor.
It’s classic, and lovely!
YoungHouseLove says
That’s hilarious! It’s such a small world!
xo,
s
Vanessa says
I LOVE THIS! I would have never really thought of it, but I think its perfect for your kitchen. I think the picture where you have all of your samples is already giving us a good idea on how wonderful your kitchen will turn out. I LOVE that tile. Its so pretty. I think its going to look beautiful with the dark floors. How lucky are you guys that you found something your really liked and for SO MUCH cheaper than you expected to pay. Its because you guys are passing on all of your good deal to yours readers, its good karma coming back to you :)
Emily says
I work at an architecture firm, so luckily the interior designers can hook me up with their vendor discounts! I ordered our kitchen floor tile through them and had about 15 samples on our floor for weeks before I made up my mind. As it turns out, the one I refused to bring home in the beginning was the one we went with and we loooove it!
Jessica @ The Desert Abode says
Love it! It’s so YHL. :)
Dave says
yes it takes a lot of time to decide on what you want mostly because it’s your money and you want to get the most value out of every penny.
Professionally the way I do it, at least for finish materials and interior design, pick the one item that has be least choices out there, like granite counter tops. From there go to the next material till you end up at paint, which comes in every color you could possibly imagine. By doing this the choices become easier.
But lets face it the real time is spent finding what you want at the price you want.
Hey this is why architects and interior designers cost money. It takes a lot of work to come up with something that looks so easy to do on your favorite 30 Minute DIY show. Consider most of those shows only show you the interesting parts, the highlight reel if you were, not the hours of time it took to make those rooms look good.
Shayna says
Genevieve Gorder used that exact tile in a kitchen makeover on Dear Genevieve. I doubt you’ll be surprised to learn that it looked amazing. I want it.
YoungHouseLove says
Wahoo! Even more excited now if that’s possible…
xo,
s
Heather says
Love it! I personally am not a fan of subway tile, so I’m really happy you went with this. Can’t wait to see it finished.
I’m wanting to incorporate my obsession with quatrefoils into our kitchen by doing a quatrefoil backsplash. I’m loving this one at Overstock.com. Bold blue quatrefoils is becoming my signature thing!
http://www.overstock.com/Home-Garden/SomerTile-12.5×12.5-in-Morocco-2.5-in-Blue-Porcelain-Mosaic-Tile-Pack-of-10/4799142/product.html
YoungHouseLove says
Ooh those are pretty!
xo,
s