[ellamama]

Have any of you any comments on a pebble/stone backspash. I'm trying to evoke a "Maine coastline" vibe in my kitchen and have seen pebble/stone "tile". These are available at Costo and they look lovely. I'm concerned, however, that they'd be really hard to clean and that over time they'd look horrible.
Thanks in advance for your response.

[NBeth]

I would not put this where I could expect to get grease on it--and I would seal it no matter what. But it is pretty!

[DesignDiva]

It's not so much the pebble part as it is the surface texture...you want something smooth that is easy to clean. I have glass pebbles as my backsplash and they clean up beautifully with windex. Stones, not so much!

[ellamama]

Thanks for the confirmation. Any other ideas to evoke a Maine-coast look (which won't break the bank!). I've seen tumbled slate tiles which look nice, but again, I'm looking for low maintence (and ideally something I could do myself--I've no experience with tile, but am pretty handy and eager to learn).

[kisaacs]

When I think Maine coastline, I think beadboard. It's very easy to do, you can paint it any color, and then you can just seal it. Plus, if you hate the color, you just repaint.

Kristen

[ellamama]

Thanks for suggesting what I've been considering, too. I'm thinking about white cabinets (most likely Adel), so white beadboard would be too much. What would you think if I tried staining the beadboard that grey-blue color that aged cedar gets? And maybe granite-like Formica or butcherblock counters?

[GregPhil]

If you go for a natural stone backsplash make sure that you seal the tiles before grouting (2 applications might be best), otherwise the grout will stain the stones and they will pick up the color of the grout. I just did my sister's backsplash with tumbled travertine and found, after doing research along with making up some samples, that any natural stone should be be sealed first. Use a sealer that's designed for grout release. After grouting, the stones should cleanup pretty well, but the grout will stay put in the joints. Then after a couple of days you do the finish seal (or 2) of grout and stones.

[kisaacs]

Christine,

I think the grayblue stain would be pretty cool. I was actually picturing white cabinets with a grayblue paint. Don't think you're limited to white beadboard. Any color works - just depends what you're going for. A grayblue, sage green, buttery yellow - all would look very pretty, and very "Maine coast", IMHO .

THe plus is, you can buy a piece and try some different paint samples or stain samples and hold them up to see what you like. And it's always repaintable!

Kristen

	IMHO IMHO means In My Humble Opinion

[DesignDiva]

Or red...white with a red beadboard backsplash would be really striking. And, lobsters are red. At least when you cook them!

[ellamama]

Nooooo! No red!!! LOL ! Look at the counters in my current kitchen (check my gallery) and you may understand my aversion to red in the kitchen).

	LOL definition LOL means Laugh(ing) Out Loud