apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

they make tile stickers, just pick a pattern you like and stick them on

contact paper! I used it to cover up some broken tile in a dorm room, and it held up pretty well

where can i buy tile stickers? I am very new to home DIY stuff!

- Caroline

Oy, stickers?

I'd put up back-painted plexi panels, or plywood covered in an aluminum-look laminate.

What's wrong with red?

Cork panels??

I covered my ugly backsplash with paintable textured wallpaper. It's wipe-able, and I can strip it off the tiles before I move out. Mine kind of looks like grasscloth, but you can get all sorts of patterns, and paint them whatever colour you like.

Patrick, you ALWAYS have such good ideas! That sounds like it could cover up my shiteous tile problem, too. Got a tute link for Caroline and I?

Stick-on stainless steel laminate. Cost about $25 per roll, big enough to cover that area and a little more should you wish to put a stainless steel table next to the stove. :o)

those stickers were featured on the site once. do a search.

To do the backsplash thingy that Patrick suggested...

I would use a large piece of cardboard to create an actual template of the backsplash you want - making allowances for the electric outlet and the cabinet, etc

Then take the piece of paper (probably two pieces since you have two-walls) to the plexiglass store and ask them to cut it out for you. Check the depth of the material to make sure it's going to fit behind that pipe I spy.

Plexiglass usually has a cling-film on one side. I'd paint it on the non-clingfilm side (with inexpensive acrylic paint? - ask the store people what they'd recommend) before removing the clingfilm.

Lastly there are those little wall-mount thingys for mirrors that you can screw into the wall. You should be able to take them out pretty easily and putty them up when you move.

This is an ad from SF Craigslist for stick on stainless steel backsplash. I haven't actually seen it, but am intrigued:

http://sfbay.craigslist.org/eby/hsh/664425710.html

If you like the industrial feel, you could get a roll of aluminum roof sheeting from Home Despot and tack it down over the tile. Get some heavy duty scissors to cut the edges and bend the outside edges under so they're not sharp. Drill a small hole in the corners and run your screws through.

Or you could order a run of tin ceiling to put over it: http://www.americantinceilings.com/

I bet if you sparingly used silicone to adhere something rigid (like the aluminum or plexiglass suggestions above) you could easily remove it and scrape off the silicone when you move. A clear silicone caulk should work.

Thx, Jen! That's a great tute! Sounds SUPER easy.

JenPDX--

Pretty sure you can paint it with regular latex paint. And to restate the obvious, you paint the BACK.

thanks everyone! I think I might go for the tin ceiling idea. I had never thought of that, and it seems like a really interesting idea.

- Caroline

You can buy a sheet of galvanized steel, cut to fit, and mount.