How To Paint A Faux Tile Backsplash

One inexpensive solution for improving the look of your kitchen is to paint a faux tile backsplash. While stone and ceramic tile backsplashes are very popular, they can be quite expensive and for the cost, they actually aren't overly practical. The rough textures and grout lines aren't necessarily easy to clean.

I decided to try simply painting my backsplash directly onto the wall. Overall, I think the project can be very worthwhile and rewarding. If you're a crafty or creative person, this might be right up your alley.

I will be providing more information on the options and techniques involved with painting a tile backsplash directly on your wall. For now, I'll simply present this instruction video that I put together. It is quite amateur and the whole thing was my first attempt. I hope it gives you an idea of what is possible and how you may go about doing it. When I set out to research this beforehand, I only found a few resources that had some value. Please let me know what you think.

Further down, I've also added more great ideas for kitchen backsplashes such as using vinyl floor tile and faux tile wallpaper or creating a stainless steel backsplash.

1. Pencil

2. Ruler or square

3. Long straight edge

4. Painter's tape

5. At least four shades of paint

6. Paint roller

7. Plastic wrap and sponge

Here's a look at my finished project.

I've since sold the house but in doing so, quite a few people got to take a look and give their feedback. Both real estate agents and buyers were impressed with the backsplash. Granted, this was not a large high-income home with granite counters, high-end flooring, etc. but on a very small budget, it certainly approached a much higher quality for it's price range.

By the way, if you're interested in that bar counter that's made from scratch with granite tiles, I mention more about it in my other article, Standard Bar Counter Height.

Aside from painting tiles directly on the wall, here are some other great kitchen backsplash ideas that I have researched and tried.

Another option which I've tried and recommend is the use of quality vinyl/composite tiles. These can be stuck onto the wall easily and they are also usually less expensive than stone or ceramic backsplash tile. I particularly like the composite floor tiles that have rounded/beveled edges so that you can grout between them (I am not a fan of the fake grout look). They look like real ceramic or stone tile but they are also easier to install, and to maintain and clean up.

This is one of the groutable tiles with rounded edges that makes it look a higher quality like actual tile. I used this (not this exact design) on the backsplash behind the sink and grouted with normal grout (which I tinted with a drop of craft paint to match my painted grout lines). These are actually floor tiles.

This is interesting. I doubt I would choose it myself but it's shows some other possibilities that are out there.

Here's a another great idea. You can buy wallpaper or plastic embossed with a tile pattern. These come in both blank paintable versions or already decorated and ready to simply adhere to the wall.

You can do this with the embossed wallpaper or plastic sheets or directly on your wall ...

This is in fact my next project. I personally like the look of stainless steel for a kitchen backsplash. It looks clean and reminds me of a real chef's kitchen. But it turns out that real sheets of stainless steel aren't so easy to come by and they are expensive, not to mention difficult for a Do-It-Yourselfer to manipulate and install.

Here's a better solution. Simply use one of these wallpaper embossed tile patterns and spray paint it with a high quality metallic stainless steel paint. This paint is available in large hardware stores specifically for painting kitchen appliances.

Please comment and ask any questions you may have about faux tile backsplashes.