This Backsplash Trend is A Budget Lover’s Best Friend

There is so much beautiful tile in the world. But for those of us on a budget, so much of it just isn’t within reach: most is just way too expensive to use on a whole wall, a floor, or even an entire backsplash. Perhaps this is why we’re noticing more micro backsplashes in the kitchen and bathroom lately. They are a little tiny opportunity to do something fun in a very practical way. And, for each one, a little bit of tile goes a very long way.

What’s also nice about this idea is the ease of installation. It’s much simpler for the everyman or everywoman to pull off at home. You don’t need to use schluters (metal edges used finish off a section of tile) because part of the charm is the unfinished imperfection. Take a look:

This bathroom was styled to show off a soft color palette from paint company Dulux (via Gravity Home), but it’s the three rows of tile over the sink that caught my eye. Just a few basic subway tiles add another visual layer of interest to the space, and protect the wall from splashing water.

Above, a basic porcelain bowl and rustic faucet are framed by a square of tiles in different shades from a complementary color palette. Just the little bit of chunky handmade tile adds to the relaxed, imperfect look going on in the whole bathroom, seen in Rizzoli’s The Inspired Home: Nests of Creatives.

A slab, instead of individual tile, is a really nice twist on this trend. By looking for a leftover piece of beautiful stone from a local supplier (the same type of place that supplies material for countertops), you can keep the cost down. This rustic bathroom is from Cico Books.

It works well for kitchens too. In the home of photographer Ditte Isager, spotted on La Maison d”Anna G, a a small swath of subway tile was installed just above the stove. It’s a dose of style and function in one spot.

Here’s another kitchen, from O’Connor and Houle Architects, this time using basic square stacked white tile, separating two long sections of wood paneling above the countertop. Something tells me this wasn’t an inexpensive build, but you can take inspiration anyway in your own home. Seen on Arch Daily.