Wow! What an improvement, looks great and for a great price.

This is absolutely wonderful! I have been thinking about using enamel paint myself, this just clinched it...

I have horrible fruit-motif decals on about 12 tiles in my kitchen. I wonder if this is an option for covering them.

I thought the before colors were kind of fun :) but I can see how one could grow tired of them. The new ones are pretty and add a more sophisticated look to the kitchen.

can this work with those square travertine tiles- slightly tumbled?
I kind of hate mine- I didn't pick them

I too think the "before" was fun! The after seems a bit dreary...but I do see the classy-ness of the after. Great job.

I thought the first photo was the end-result.

The before was so vibrant and interesting...

If only I could do this in my apartment's rental bathroom tiles.

Kudos. I wonder how this would hold up in a bathroom....

What a great idea! I didn't mind the before colors, but I can see where they wouldn't work for a lot of people,

I might have to try this. Our kitchen is so beige. Our tile backsplash is beige and gold tiles, which are very bland, though not horrible. The horrible part is the scattered tiles which show (in shades of beige, gold and light blue) a ship (think: galleon), a man hunting on horseback and a man and a dog hunting (but I do think they're kind of funny, because we're vegetarians--though I am not sure where the ship fits in).

I was just reading the tutorial and I saw that you only painted two of the colors. Genius! And amazing what a difference it makes.

beautiful job!

i have been thinking about doing this myself- so good to see how nice it looks! i have those travertine-style tiles as well, but mine are horizontal rectangles. been thinking about priming and painting it all high-gloss white to kind of resemble subway tile... hmm...

Well done!

These photos look very nice, but I have to say that in my last kitchen had painted tile (courtesy of the previous owner). At first you would think, "Oh, red tile!" Then as you looked close and let your eyes settle you would notice that it was painted, and it looked really cheap and slapdash. Luckily I sold the place before the paint started to seriously fail. All and all, this is a treatment that I would not recommend. Instead, I would use the ugly tile as a daily incentive to save for a new backsplash!

very nice after but I'm wondering of all that prep work is necessary, as these tiles get no wear and tear. I've heard of people simply giving them a good clean, roll on a primer, and paint with a regular latex or oil paint. and it seems to work fine. perhaps this gives a higher quality look?

Gorgeous!! Really, that went from horrible to awesome--very, very nice DIY!!

i agree that they were fun before, but the white cabinets would brighten up the new backsplash (close up, I find it dark) and lend to a more polished style overall.

What a great After. I'm considering painting my ghastly dark green backsplash with white epoxy paint. Thanks for the inspiration.

Well done! I definitely like the after much better; the red and yellow were too much for me as well.

This is a very nice result! You did a good job choosing the colors to incorporate and also with the actual painting itself.

I really like the after. The before was too busy for me. I can see why you'd want a change. It looks nice and fresh now!

I wonder if this technique would work on my countertop. I have trippy hippy tile countertop complete with painted mushrooms every few tiles.

@ Melissa_B: The cabinets ARE white. Are you looking at another picture somewhere?

What an awesome job you did! I can't believe you free-handed the painting. I would have gotten it all over the grout.

I didn't think the "before" were bad at all, but yes, the new painted ones look so much better. I have dull white tiles in my kitchen that I want to get rid of, but it's really expensive to do so. This seems like an excellent solution. Thanks. :)

The before colors were atrocious... think Rooms To Go catalog circa 1990. You show impecable taste and an eye for color. Bravo for creativity and a small budget!

I'm amazed! I had no idea this was even possible? Wow. The after is SOOOO much better. The before's colors aren't bad, but the look is rather dated. The after is clean and classy.

Did you tape off each one or do you have a really steady hand? I'm going to have to look into this. Ours aren't bad, but they're all white and we have white cabinets.

Ahhh....much better! It does look time consuming but it must have been immensely gratifying when you got to the halfway point. Clean and less attention-getting. Let the calm elegance of the kitchen speak for itself, not scream from the background.

Hi guys! That's my kitchen - thanks for all the comments! I'm sorry I'm so late in posting responses!

Cathie, as for all the prep work - unfortunately the brand of paint I used sells a surface conditioner, but not a primer, and I was worried about the paint adhering to the slick surface. Plus, I knew we'd be cleaning the backsplash from time to time, and it would get food splatters, etc. The prep may have been overkill, but I wanted the paint to look good and last.

Newyorklady1 and lexinchicago - I know what you mean; the "before" was really cheerful! The problem, however, is that this kitchen is tiny and gets a LOT of afternoon light, so from about 1 to 5, the colors were super overwhelming. And it just wasn't my palette.

Everyone who's thinking about doing this - it really can be done! Based on product reviews for the paint (Pronamel), it sounds like people use enamel paint to do this pretty often!

Thanks again, guys!

the blue is alot calmer. I think the before picture is attractive, but I prefer the quieter room of blue. this person needs the quiet. sincerely, mary

If you have stickers on your tile, please try using a regular hairdryer to heat and loosen the sticker first. It might come off. Then you can use Goo Gone to remove any residue.

Honestly, I can't even tell the difference. To me it, just looks like the photos were taken in different kinds of lighting.

wait.... you can do that?!? you mean i've been living with boring white ceramic tiles for NOTHING all this time!?!?

Love the after! Amazing transformation. I like colorful mosaic tile, but that combination you had before wasn't working for me at all either. It makes me feel a little sick. The After is gorgeous, serene, and looks like it has a chance of being timeless. Wonderful job.

I see why they painted the tile, it matches the countertops nicely and pulls the gray tones - very well done. I am in the process of painting my kitchen ceramic tiles. They are an outdated yellow and they are being painted white, I can't wait to see how they turn out.