
Happy St Paddy’s Day! We celebrated this weekend with a new backsplash…
Only problem is… this stuff isn’t cheap. We even made a trip to the city where we spent all day at 14 different tile shops, and everything similar was around $20/sf. Because we wanted to cover the entire back wall, we needed around 80 sf. $1600 for tile is not happening. Nor is $1000. I didn’t even want to spend $500. So it was back to the drawing board…
Classic white subway was always in the back of my mind as an option. Half of the kitchens I’ve been drooling over on Pinterest have it…
But that’s the thing, I didn’t want to look like every other kitchen. But then you realize that Pinterest =/= real life, and white subway tile probably won’t ever go out of style, and it’s a very economical option. So I went for it.
Instead of the individual standard 3×6 tiles, we opted for the smaller 2×4’s that come on a sheet—because I thought the smaller scale would add more interest, and they seemed easier to install.
We originally got bids for the labor (tile has always been something we’ve hired out because we’ve never trusted ourselves to do it right)—but the quotes all came back at over $1000, which we did not expect at all. I guess labor is cheaper in Florida? Anyway, with all that we’ve accomplished since owning this house, I was feeling confident and told Brad I thought we should go for it. My dad said he’d help out on the first day so that sealed the deal.
Here’s what we bought from Lowe’s to get the job done:
Tile (80 sf)
Type 1 Mastic (a 3.5 gallon bucket, and we used maybe 2/3 of it)
Grout (Mapei in Warm Gray)
Colored caulk to match the grout
Grout sealer
A 1/4″ notched trowel to spread the mastic
A grout float trowel
A sponge
Spacers
Our family friend let us borrow his wet saw which was a huge lifesaver. We were concerned that we’d need a scoring knife or tile cutter for smaller cuts but it wasn’t necessary at all.
The total for the tile came in at $299 (we have two sheets leftover so we can return them for $7, woohoo) and it was about $110 for materials.
I spent some time researching (thanks everyone for the advice in my last post!) and here are a few helpful tutorials I found:
Armed and ready, we began our journey Saturday morning…
We got a system going—Brad and my dad cut the tiles while I spread the mastic and installed them.
I was so relieved after the first few tiles went in. We could actually do this!
To make sure they properly adhered to the wall and were all level, I nudged each tile in with a rubber mallet.
If there was too much mastic, it would seep through the cracks so I swiped it up with a small screwdriver.
We were so lucky here… the area above the sink fit four rows of tiles perfectly so we didn’t have to make any cuts.
But of course it evened out in other areas, like this one, where there were some small pieces against the window. We also had to leave a gap next to the door, otherwise it wouldn’t be able to open all the way (bad design).
Here’s the other side of the window:
When stacking sheets of tile vertically, it’s important to use your spacers! Even when they go in perfectly if you don’t think you need them—they tend to shift. Often times I would step back and find tiles from earlier that had moved and I had to go back and shove spacers in before the glue dried. Fortunately, mastic gives you a pretty generous window (~30 minutes) for making adjustments. But my advice is don’t skimp on the spacers, they’re good insurance.
At around 4pm on Saturday (after 5.5 hours), we called it a day.
The next morning we were setting up and realized we’d forgot to wipe the mastic off of our starting point, which meant we had to scrape it off so the wall was even and the next sheet of tile would be level.
Don’t forget to clean the mastic off first if you are going to take a long break!
On the second day I got smarter and wore latex gloves. SO much better than having mastic stuck all over your hands and having to scrub it off.
Really, the most difficult part of the whole job is just the physical energy it requires. Cutting and measuring is the easy part—spreading mastic for 5+ hours gets tiring. I’m still slightly sore.
But watching it all come together is oh so worth it.
Finally, we made our way underneath the window and back around to the end.
Actually, the end was the hardest part. Since we made a big loop around the window, the tiles had to meet back up at some point. Making sure the right side matched the left side so that they were perfectly interlocking when they lined back up was a challenge.
We actually didn’t even think about it until it was too late, so the gaps were a little larger than they should have been.
It’s important to note that tiling is an imperfect process. Even from the factory, some gaps were closer to 1/16″ and others were over 1/8″, so I wasn’t going for perfection here.
And when you look at the big picture it’s not really noticeable…

There will be pillows there which should help, and I also have a backup plan if it ends up bugging me (hint: white nail polish).
Walking into the kitchen is like a breath of fresh air now…
It really adds so much.
Oh, and we’ll be trimming out the top and the right edge where it meets the planks with quarter round.
This afternoon I’ll start grouting. The matching caulk was special order and won’t be here for 1-2 more weeks, but we have plenty more to do this week (like build the second bench seat and tile our bar wall!)
More to come in a few days…
Brittany K says
Oh my gah! I want your kitchen… its coming together so nicely! love it!!
Kristin says
LOVE LOVE LOVE IT!
Alexa Cayce says
It looks amazing!
Amy says
Wow! I'm so impressed. It is all coming together so nicely! How does it clean up? With just a rag & water?
Jenna Sue says
Thanks Amy! Do you mean the mastic on the tiles? I just used a cloth and water to wipe it down as I went. Once the mastic dries it needs to be scraped off, I just used a flathead screwdriver since these tiles don't scratch easily.
Sarah S says
Seriously looks SO good!
Erin Colburn says
It looks so great! We're finishing up our backslash now, too, so I feel your pain!
Leanne says
This is looking awesome!!
Katie {Little House of Four} says
Looks great! You can never go wrong with classic subway tile.
Ann says
Wonderful Work!
Heidi says
Holy goodness that is a lot of tile! Congratulations! That is really impressive.
https://jax-and-jewels.blogspot.com
Marcy says
This is amazing! Such great inspiration!
Melissa Sabra says
Looks awesome – you guys did a great job! I have kitchen envy over here 🙂
Crystal says
Please, please, please… wear goggles – Brad too. And your dad. And anyone else who might help. It's too awful to contemplate all the work you couldn't see and enjoy if some piece/particle/dusty stuff, etc. ends up in an eye. Don't want to be preachy, but sometimes we don't get do-overs.
And on a lighter note… how's the new kitty and Susie getting along?
In The Night Sky says
I've been watching you kitchen take shape and it really does look wonderful – the subway tile really compliments it. Tiling is time consuming (especially when it covers an entire wall!) but so worth it in the end.
Jenn says
Wow, that looks like so much work! But it looks fantastic! I've never had a tiled backsplash/wall (or tile anything) before. Can anyone tell me, is tile easy to keep clean? (I'm a neat freak!) 🙂
Jenna Sue says
Yes! It has been for us—especially tile that isn't porous. You can just wipe off any spills. I'd probably stay away from white grout if you want to be safe though.
Jenna Sue says
I know, we didn't even think about it! Thanks for the reminder.
Biscuit has totally warmed up to Susie, she even tries to play with her, but unfortunately Susie is still really defensive and nervous around her. Hopefully she'll come around!
Jenn says
Thanks! Good to know for whenever my husband and I finally buy a house! (We still rent…almost 11 years.) I'm trying to save up all my DIY knowledge for that day… 🙂
A Very Carey Life says
You are absolutely amazing! This appears to be a dream kitchen!
Emily says
This space is coming together beautifully. Forget Pinterest. I'm just coming back here when we are ready to tackle our kitchen remodel. Love everything you have done!
Anonymous says
You are such an incredibly hard worker! Seeing you work on the tile reminds me of my own experience installing our kitchen backsplash a couple of months ago. It was a lot of work. Sealing and cleaning the grout took WAY longer than expected. I spent so many hours on that project, but the end result just MAKES the kitchen. Congratulations for all you have accomplished at the new house! -Sara
Mercedes says
Your kitchen takes my breath away!
And the pace you all are keeping on the remodel must be exhausting! How do you do it?
Jenna Sue says
Thanks Mercedes! We just work on it a little each night and most weekends. Now that the end is near, I have a schedule so we stay on track. It helps to have flexible work schedules and no kids 😉
Jenn(ifer) says
That looks fantastic!!! (And good point about pinterest!)
KT says
Will you come do my house??? I'm sure you'd love a “vacation” in Massachusetts. 🙂
Seamus Lowe says
This is something that I want to do for my wife. She's been talking about getting new tile in our kitchen and around the house in different places. I'm hoping to surprise her with it when she gets back from visiting her family. Have you ever heard of Tile Warehouse? I've been looking at them to possibly get tile from. Here's a link if you want to check them out, https://www.tilewarehouse.com.au. I just don't really know what all to get to do this project, so any advice helps.
Thomas Watson says
Awesome work, you make it look extremely easy. Thanks for sharing.
JoAnn Delmar says
I love this tile and kitchen! I want to put the tile in my remodeled kitchen. The difference in my remodel and your kitchen is my ceiling is slanted (the ceiling trusses are an 8 x 12 pitch). Do you have any suggestions on where to end the tile? Should I go to the ceiling or do something else? Thanks for your help on this.
Esther Oakley says
Thank you for these tips, they take me back to redoing my bathroom floor with tile as a kid. We tried to do it without those tile placers at first and it didn't work to well. The plastic seperators are essential for making sure everything lines up correctly.
https://thedenverfloorclub.com/tile-and-stone-flooring/
Lyndsay Luca says
Gorgeous kitchen!! May I ask what type of floors you have??
Drew says
The subway tile looks amazing! I love the look of a white kitchen. Thanks for posting!
Tonya says
Love, love, love this kitchen! I admired it so much I copied it and made my own version. I ended up going darker on the floor color and used a faux marble laminate on the counters. This also inspired me to do exposed beams for this first time. I will be doing those again in my next remodel. Love your work!
Roy says
I love your kitchen and your advice – I’ll be doing the same to one of my kitchen walls next month… I hope it comes out as good as yours! One thing – what type of wood did you use on your ceiling and walls? I was leaning towards beadboard, but I like the look of your horizontal planks. Thanks!
jennasuedesign says
Thanks! It’s pine: https://blog.jennasuedesign.com/2014/01/kitchen-chronicles-diy-tongue-and-groove-plank-ceiling/
GvLadybug says
What color are your cabinets? It is so hard picking a grey…. some are too blue some are muddy some are just not right! I feel like goldilocks!
Cecil says
Hi! I’ve been following your blog for a while now and finally got the bravery to go ahead and give you a shout out from New Caney Tx! Just wanted to say keep up the great job!
Celestte says
Hi. I’ve been a long-time follower, but this is the first time I’m commenting. I admire your courage and bravery in sharing your personal journey with us. I’ve been following you since the Florida house and absolutely love your style. I currently have subway tile as a backsplash that goes to the upper cabinets. This summer I plan to remove my upper cabinets and tile all the way up to the ceiling. I love the gray grout you used. I went to click on the link in the Kitchen Chronicles: Subway Tile Part 2, but it brings me to your ‘E-Design’ link/announcement. Do you still have the information or has that link been removed permanently? Just curious as I was looking forward to following your direction. Thanks in advance. You are an inspiration. Looking forward to continuing to follow you as you transition into your next season of life. Best wishes.
jennasuedesign says
Hi Celestte, I’m sorry! Where are you finding a broken link? I looked through both posts and can’t find it, but the grout is listed on both. Here’s a link to the part 2 post if that’s what you’re searching for! https://blog.jennasuedesign.com/2014/03/kitchen-chronicles-diy-subway-tile_20/
Victoria says
I’m in love. I’m so glad I’m reading this two years later because that means the project is completely (hopefully). I’m going to tryn this with my husband in our new house. I feel super inspired.