Last week I ended up having four days off from school (due to the snow) so it was like a very extended weekend, except that I was sick and couldn’t take full advantage of the days off. I finally started to feel better on Saturday so we decided to finish the last of the tiling and then start the grouting. As usual, these two tasks ended up taking most of the day and by the time we were done it was dark outside and we were starving.
Here is my tile cutting space… complete with two cups of tea and lots of scattered spacers. I was really trying to rush to get all the tiles up so we could start the grouting process, and there were definitely a LOT of tiles that needed to go up on that wall.
Here are our grouting tools- pre-mixed white grout, sponge, and spreading tool.
It’s kind of hard to see the tiles in this photo because the white grout makes them fade away, but most of the right side of the wall has been grouted at this point.
I didn’t take many photos during the grouting or caulking process because there really wasn’t much to document, and once you get started it’s hard to stop and take breaks.
Here is a before photo just to use as a comparison since it’s more of a subtle change.
This is the end result, complete with outlet covers and caulk on the joints. The photo doesn’t quite do it justice, but you can get the idea. :)
Here are some more photos of the kitchen with the new backsplash!
Here’s the view from the living room.
And one last kitchen view.
Oh man, I was so happy when we finished that last little bit of grout!! It took forever, but I think it was definitely worth every minute and now we can sit back and enjoy the result until it’s time to start the next project.
A Date with Design 
YAY!! Congratulations!! Your hard work was definitely worth it because it looks AMAZING!! I didn’t realize you were doing the tile all the way to the ceiling… I bet you could use a long hot bath after all that! ha. Very proud of you guys!!
… Now come do mine! ha
Anne, I am in LOVE with your kitchen! I wish I could swoop it up and transplant it over here. I love it!!! I’m really happy you chose to take the tile all the way to the ceiling. That was a great choice. I couldn’t figure out if it would look better if you went all the way up, or just to the cupboards, but now that I see it like this– great choice! It looks so perfect.
I’m really excited to see what light fixture you choose for the kitchen. :) And when the nook area of the kitchen gets all dazzled you’ll definitely have yourself a dream kitchen! I love the openness, too, when you look straight on from the living room. It really makes the whole space just look massive, but all one cohesive unit. Great design work, great construction work, and I can’t WAIT to see what comes next. Gosh, you guys are really quite the team. Keep it up!
Hugs from Berlin xoxo
seriously – that space DOES look massive… sheesh! i could fit my whole apt in there:/
Thanks everyone for the comments!
Savannah- We went back and forth about whether or not to tile to the ceiling, and then we just decided we would go for it and see what happened. :) We’re still deciding about the light fixture, but I can ‘t wait to get it up and make the corner seat and roman shades!! I just wish I had a couple more weeks off!
Gorgeous! I love how you took the tile all the way up to the ceiling! It’s hard work, but totally worth it in the end! :)
~Chelsea
Well tiling all the way up really was the way to go! I try to picture it without it all the way up and I instantly find myself favoring the way you did it. Great work!! :)
I am excited to see the light fixture you choose. Even though fabric probably isn’t something you want with grease and food floating about the kitchen air, the lamps that I found on the ilike2design blog (http://www.linagoldbergdesign.com/blog/?p=2923) by Galbraith and Paul are definitely you and your design. Hmmmm maybe somewhere else one of these could be used. :) Well I can’t wait to see what you come up with! Cheerio!
You should post a picture of the kitchen in all its’ yellow glory so we can all remember the “before” of this project!
The tile looks great, and what a relief to have that big check on the old project list on the line labeled tile. It is always on to the next thing, but each one you complete makes such a big difference!
In LOVE with the kitchen. So light, fresh, clean, and happy. Exactly what you want in a place to cook, eat, socialize, and gather. I cannot wait to see the open shelves (which I love but I can’t convince myself to get because I don’t want to dust dishes) and the completed eating corner.
Thanks for all your comments, Barbie! I love hearing what you think, and I agree with you about dusting the open shelving. We’re going to try it out, and I’m hoping that if I put things that we use all the time on the shelves then they’ll constantly be getting washed (and I won’t have to dust them). Can’t wait to hear what you guys have been up to on your blog and see your new place!! :)