Sunday, December 29, 2013

Rv Modification – Bathroom Backsplash

 

Wesley Chapel, Florida  (high 77, low 57)

A cold front is heading our way, so we’re waiting for the rain and squall line.  We are supposed to get some heavy rain off and on throughout the day ahead of the cold front. There has been rain all around us, but nothing here so far.  It looks like a good day to hang around home and watch movies.  (Too bad it’s football day)

Yesterday was cloudy all day, so I finally got motivated to complete a project that I had been planning for quite some time.

I first thought of this project probably two years ago.  I wanted to replace the mirrored back splash in our kitchen, and also put a back splash over the bathroom sinks.  I bought some of the glass tile sheets, but procrastinated long enough to discover the new Smart Tiles.

I was a bit concerned the glass tiles would fall off as we bounce down the road.  I figured if they did, they would crack my floor tile and cause a big problem.  The Smart Tiles are much lighter than the glass tiles, and although we don’t have an overweight issue thanks to our MH chassis 6219 pound cargo carrying capacity, we always like to keep the weight down as much as possible.   Plus, I figured the Smart tiles would be much easier to install.  :)

So when I discovered Smart Tiles, I did a little research and found another blogger who had installed (and liked) them. They looked very nice in her kitchen but I can’t for the life of me remember who that blogger was.  :)

Smart Tiles are made of a gel like substance and look much like real tile. They have a sticky backing, and you don’t need to grout them.   I was concerned they might look cheap looking installed, but I finally figured I could always remove them if I didn’t like them.

Anyway, yesterday was the day I thought I’d give my first project a try.  We have a mirrored back splash in the kitchen, which is old fashioned, and I don’t like, so that’s on my list for another project.   Getting the mirrored tiles down without breaking them might be a little tricky.

We have a toilet room with a sink and mirror.  Under the mirror was just wood, and I thought a tile back splash might look nice.

Here is the picture when I had the first two tiles up.

IMG_2601

I am not fond of the gold faucet, and it’s also on my to do list……one of these days.

Here is the finished project.  It’s hard to get a good picture since the room is so small.   I think it turned out nice, but I need to get used to it.   The other bathroom sink is in the open area by the shower.  It has a beige “wallpaper”  behind the sink.  I’m trying to decide if I should keep the same tile there.  There were previously two different backsplashes, so I guess I can use two different tiles there again.   I might like a little less “busy” design.

IMG_2602

The following picture is what I am considering for the kitchen backsplash.   Our kitchen has similar colored cabinets and counter top, so it helps me to see what it will look like.

Subway Sand Mosaik   Peel   Stick Wall Tiles   Smart Tiles

That’s a project for another day.

31 comments:

  1. What a difference the tile makes. Looks beautiful. Great job!

    ReplyDelete
  2. It may have been me who mentioned it. We had glass on the backsplash of our Class A kitchen and I hated it. So hard to keep clean so I used those Smart Tiles, but I didn't remove the glass because it was glued on there really well. I loved the look and I loved not having to try and keep glass clean behind a stove. I tried to find the blog but can't. I did the bathroom too, and over by the sink it also had glass surround..DUMB DUMB DUMB, So I did that area too, I thought it looked really, really nice

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'll have to go back and try to find your blog post about the project.

      Delete
  3. Nice job on the tiles they look great. I really like the fact that you don't have to work with messy glue and grout.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Looking pretty good, a few renos is nice.

    ReplyDelete
  5. I like it. I have never been a fan of mirrored tiles.

    ReplyDelete
  6. I believe that was me. http://gypsyturtles.blogspot.com/2013/09/motorhome-modnew-kitchen-backsplash.html

    I like how yours turned out. It looks just like my kitchen :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Gail. Yours was the one I was referring to. You were nice enough to answer some questions for me and I feel bad I couldn't remember your name. Old age... :) Yours looks so nice.

      Delete
  7. Beautiful upgrade! I am impressed with your talent and courage to take on a project like that. I would be afraid it would look unprofessional.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It's really pretty easy. I tend to overthink things and that's why I waited so long to do the project.

      Delete
  8. Very nice mod - I love the way it looks. Those tiles are nice to know about. I also like the idea Ruth had about installing the tiles right over the mirror. Why not? Much easier, for sure, if it'll work in your kitchen. Thanks for showing us. :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The mirrors in my kitchen are several smaller mirror tiles, so I don't think they'll be hard to remove.

      Delete
  9. love it. . .when you do the kitchen tiles would you please post your source. . .those are the exact ones I would like to do. . .great job!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Janice, in the link for the Smart Tiles in the post, if you scroll through the section that says "shop online" you can find the tiles that I showed in the picture. They are called subway sand.

      Delete
  10. Looks great Karen. You did a very nice job! Good project for a rainy day for sure.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Really adds an updated look! I like it!

    ReplyDelete
  12. nice job on the tile installation! looks very nice!!!

    ReplyDelete
  13. Very nice, indeed! Looks great. Good luck when you go to change that gold faucet, it's pretty tight under those sinks.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Great job Karen! Do you hire out?

    ReplyDelete
  15. Great idea and it looks beautiful. Don't know why but Winnebago put a paper not vinyl border in our bathroom, within a month we had a toothpadte stain. This would be a great replacement for us. Thanks Becki

    ReplyDelete
  16. Funny, when we had a stix & brix, we were always doing little projects. Now that we've been in the RV 2 years, maybe it's time to take a look at some. Love the tile!

    ReplyDelete
  17. Wow, I love this idea? Question, if I wanted to take it off, would it be relatively easy to take off. I was thinking it would be a great idea in our rental apartment without having to do some heavy duty remodeling or painting. And if the landlords wanted us to take it off, we could!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Brandon,
      Should you need to take them off, simply use a hair dryer to heat up the surface and gently remove the tiles starting with the corners.

      Delete
  18. What a beautiful backsplash! Great job.

    ReplyDelete
  19. What a beautiful backsplash! Great job.

    ReplyDelete
  20. For more design and details
    www.3d-wallsticker.com

    ReplyDelete
  21. Thank you for sharing an honest techniques. This journal contains terribly informative and quality contents that helps the scholars and others who are in search of other scholars jobs . the step wise instruction can lead your sensible impression on headhunter

    ReplyDelete

Please feel free to leave comments. We love to read them! To contact me directly you can send e-mail to rvtravels2@yahoo.com