It’s Thrifty Style Team time again and today I’m sharing with you how we gave our kitchen backsplash a very thrifty, very quick update using peel-and-stick tiles.
You know, like most people, the process of updating our home is one that is slow going. Oh sure, on TV we see entire houses being taken down to the studs and rebuilt in what seems like only a matter of days. But the truth is that, for most of us, budget and time constraints simply don’t allow for us to have all of these ‘voilà’ moments with our homes all at once.
One of the things that they never seem to show you on those home renovation shows is how long it takes for people to save up money to actually make changes to their home.
Throughout the course of our years as home-owners, we’ve always had to patiently wait to do each new project as we set aside money little by little.
And our kitchen has been no exception. This past summer we were finally able to have our 20+ year old cabinets painted. And I LOVE them (I promise a full reveal really soon!)! I really, really love them. But…..as often is the case when it comes to decorating, something new and bright and shiny can often make the old things look even older.
Suddenly, I had visions of new granite countertops and a backsplash covered in subway tile. But, here’s the honest to goodness truth my friends. That’s just not in the budget right now. Because at the same time we were saving to do the kitchen we were also saving for a car and also paying tuition and just generally trying to be good stewards of our resources.
So, I got to thinking. What was it exactly that I didn’t love about the counters and backsplash. I mean, the counters ARE granite after all. It might not be granite that I picked out but it’s granite nonetheless.
And the backsplash IS creamy white tiles which blend in so nicely with the freshly painted cabinets. But every time I walked into the kitchen my eye was going straight to the granite tiles in the backsplash which suddenly made it all seem very busy and distracted from the beauty of the cabinets.
And that’s when it dawned on me that perhaps a simple, thrifty fix would be just the trick.
So, off to the hardware store I went where I discovered an awesome line of peel-and-stick ’tile’ backsplash squares which can be cut to fit any size you need.
I made a template of the existing tiles and then cut the peel-and-stick tiles to fit right over the top of them.
There were many colors and styles to choose from but this is the one that was the closest match to the rest of the backsplash and I like that it adds just a hint of color without being overpowering.
You know, in theory it seems like it would be pretty amazing to just gut everything and have a clean slate and endless budget.
But, I really believe that there is so much more satisfaction when you have to wait to get what you want. When you have to set the money aside little by little, watching it grow until it reaches the point where you know you can tackle that project without wiping out your bank account.
Benjamin Franklin said, “He that can have patience can have what he will.”
I’m not sure he had new counters and a back splash in mind when he said that, but I think he would have to agree that even having patience in decorating counts as a virtue. 🙂
I’m so glad you joined me today at the fence and I hope you will check out even more thrifty ideas and inspiration from my friends on the Thrifty Style Team!
Love that idea for the backsplash….could you please tell me what brand or mfg you used?
Thanks
Sue
Such a great idea! And, it looks great too!! Next time I go to town I am going to check those out.
The wisdom you share about home, decorating, family, and today with finances is truly from the Lord. Thank you for sharing.
Thank you so much Annette!
Love it and all your kitchen decor. Thanks for the inspiration!
The concept is awesome and I love budget decorating! However, the peel and stick tiles look like Contact paper randomly attached to the backsplash. Inexpensive now looks cheap and tacky. Sorry, just one opinion from someone who has budget decorated for 40+ yrs., with a decorator daughter.
Hi Mary! I definitely can appreciate where you are coming from. It’s probably not something I’ll keep there on and on but it sure is fun to try a new look without breaking the bank. Thanks so much for your input. 🙂
I would like to know where you got it from? I have an area in a rental home that I would like to spruce up.
Hi Shelli! I found it at Lowes and I’ve also seen them online at Amazon. 🙂
Thanks! I havent been able to find anything like that at my Lowes. I will keep looking though!
You said a lot of things in this post….. like how in real life those makeovers take longer than a week. Boy do I know THAT one to be true! Your kitchen is lovely both ways, and sometimes it just takes a little change to have a big minds-eye adjustment.
Fabulous idea! Looks great!
I absolutely love!!!!!!!
Nice! I like the look.
Such a cool idea..
I love your kitchen, Vanessa. I think those counters are perfect!
First off all, that and kitchen look great! Secondly, thank you for your honesty about home improvement. I actually prefer a blog like this, anyway. Real life…
Thank you so much Lisa! 🙂
The tiles look awesome!! I bought my granite about 10 yrs ago and this month I bought all my stainless appliances.. Yes, it took me time to save but now they are mine and I love them..thanks for sharing
Good for you Jeanie! It’s so much more gratifying to take the time to save up and do it right. 🙂 Thanks for stopping by today!
Vanessa, your kitchen is lovely! You did a great job with your tiles. They really look nice and nobody needs to know what they are. You enjoy your kitchen! Bless you!
Thank you so much Mary-ann!
The updated tiles are a fantastic idea but most of all I appreciate your honesty in real life home ownership and finance. We are always saving for one project or another but at the same time we must continue to live our daily live. We also try to teach our children about delayed gratification rather than the ever popular instant gratification that seems to be very popular. Can’t wait to see your kitchen reveal.
I like this idea! My kitchen needs some freshening up but my bank account says something else!
Hats off to you for staying committed to your goals. My husband and I have been in our home for 26 1/2 years. We bought the home we could afford and have made it ours over the years. We could and still can afford a newer home but we love our home. My husband loves to say we have moved three times and never changed our address. We recently redid my husband’s office/game room. (I will be sharing photos soon!). Ignore the nay sayers. It looks great. Be proud of yourself for solving a problem. All that matters is if you are happy. Have a great weekend!
I really appreciated your perspective of doing what you can as you can afford it. I dare say, many of those who read your blog have the same constraints when it comes to decorating. Right now I’m repainting my family room walls with a view to “what it will become”……as I can’t achieve it all right now. This makes so much sense and in the long run, I think a home ends up much more interesting. And I’ve read that a home should appear “put together over time”. Great idea, small change, but BIG impact to the look!
I think your kitchen is beautiful and the tile looks great either way! Honestly I had to go back and look three times to make sure which picture was the before and which were the afters. I know how it is with your home, though…sometimes things bother you that no one else even notices. Thank you for sharing this idea with us.
I’ve been thinking about doing peel and stick backsplash in my apartment but have been a little nervous. I love how you used them for accents – super adorable!