Backsplash: FINAL REVEAL

I thought this day would never come.  It was the FINAL project in our kitchen overhaul (well....for now)......and it's done!!  I can't tell you how relieved I am to have this off my list.  It was hanging over my head like an albatross for the last few months, and I feel so good now that I can check it off!  DONE!

As I said with the tiling part of the project, I'm not going to lie and tell you that I loved doing it.  Don't get me wrong, it was definitely rewarding to look back at the end of the day and say, "I did that," but it was said with an ice pack on my lower back and grout shoved so far under my finger nails that I can still see remnants this morning.  There were several moments on Saturday when I wanted to just curl up on the floor and sob because it was going to slowly....but I finally got to the end...and I love it! 

But before I reveal any photos, I need to confess that I COULD NOT have done the grouting job without my dad.  He was a rockstar!!  We traded off applying the grout and wiping it off (although he ended up doing most of the application part since I was being anal-retentive overly particular with the wipe off part).  I'm not sure that you really need two people for the job, but it definitely helped.  He would go a little ahead of me and I would start sponging off the excess grout from the tiles about ten minutes after he applied.  I suppose you could have done this by yourself but it would probably take days to keep running back and forth!  But again....let me remind you that I was being really particular about the way it looked, so it might not take everyone as long as it took me.  If you haven't noticed yet from this blog, or if you are new here....I'm a big of a perfectionist.  Shocking, I know!

So...enough rambling...let's show you the goods:

It is NOWHERE near perfect, but it's not too bad for a first-timer either.  I am actually pretty happy with the final result (and the final price of $73...read more about the cost breakdown here).  I really feels like the last piece of the puzzle has been placed on the kitchen renovation.  Phew!!

Before I wrap this topic up, I just want to do a quick recap on the grout decision-making process (in case anyone else is planning this type of project in their house).  I went back and forth for weeks on the grout color and decided to use the gray (Deleorean Gray) AccuGrout sanded mix that I already had on hand from the bathroom tiling project a few months back.  White was my other choice, naturally, but after stepping back and looking at the whole picture, I felt like it would be TOO much white for my kitchen.  If you look back to my inspiration post you will see that most of the photos had white on white on white!  It looks beautiful in those kitchens, but they also have lots of pops of color throughout or bold hardware on the cabinetry.  The main theme is that there is something in each of the kitchens that stands out.  Either the floor or the countertop or the light fixtures....and in my case, it will be the backsplash!  I chose to really define the subway tiles with the gray grout.  It is an easy way to make them pop and come alive.  I like the subtle contrast, and most importantly, the gray grout just happens to the be the same color as the gray striations in the granite countertop, so it brings out some of those colors as well.  I love how things just work out like that! 

And another reason that I chose the darker color was that I envisioned my lovely husband wildly stirring spagetti sauce one evening.  I imagined how much of a pain it would be to get the red out of the white grout.  Maybe I'm crazy, but those are the kinds of things that I think about when planning a project.  I had to confess this part, because I honestly make most of my design decisions based on how they will function with kids (in the future) and with my husband (who tends to be a TAD messy at times).  Your house is not a museum...not by any stretch...so it has to function with your life.  There are so many beautiful kitchens outu there, but if they don't work for your life or your family then it's not the right choice!  Ultimately, you have to find the option that is both beautiful AND functional for you! 

So, that wraps it up for the backsplash! YAY!

What are your thoughts on functionality vs. beauty?  Do you have a hard time saying no to the beautiful off-white sofa because it doesn't function?  Or, have you done any recent grouting/tiling projects that you want to share?  I would love to hear/see all of your thoughts, projects or ideas!!! 

Next up: Deck Reveal!!!