He's the worst.
I shared my plan for our new house yesterday and told you that I already had a few things accomplished from my list... here's one of them!
I wanted to put up backsplash tiles up in the kitchen since the moment I saw it, but I had a few reservations: First, cutting glass tile is not something I want to do. Second, grout is really messy and I'm just not into it right now. And third, I don't know a lot about interior design, but I do know that styles and fads pass. They pass quickly. What happens if I put up a backsplash and decide it's not what I like in a year or two? The only thing that was scarier to me than putting up a backsplash is taking it down.
And then, I found Smart Tiles. These things are amazing.
They are self-adhesive tiles. They are simple to put up. And you can't tell the difference between glass tiles and Smart Tiles. Really, I tested company and they couldn't tell. I'm a fun host.
The first step is having your husband clean the wall surface. The husband has to do this because you will have cookies in your hand. At least, that was how it happened for me.
The next step is drawing a level line and beginning the install.
You peel and stick. That's the install. SO SIMPLE. If you need to cut the tiles, you use a razor knife. If I can do this, you can do this. We had the whole kitchen done in an afternoon and it was actually fun.
Here's the before:
And the after:
I absolutely love them. And another bonus: These are removable. Take a hair dryer to the corner of a tile and heat it up... it will peel off if you decide you're over the tile look and want to paint a stencil instead. Perfect.
Check out the Smart Tiles website and watch the install video. If that doesn't make you a believer, nothing will.
*I was provided with Smart Tiles to review. All opinions are my own. Seriously, I loved this product.
Love them. They look real in the picture. I've heard about them and told hubby. Our backsplash is done but my mom could benefit from using these. Reallt that easy to install huh?
ReplyDeleteWow, these look amazing! Off to look at their site :)
ReplyDeleteAlison
x
Those look great!!!! My husband put up travertine and it was MESSY, but I still love it! We may do something like for our shower!
ReplyDeleteLook out in the shower. It's not recommended to cover the interior of a shower. Exposure and direct contact with water, over a long period of time, might atenuate the adherance of the product!
DeleteBut you can install them in your bathroom, they are humidy resistant.
That looks great. Makes me wish I didn't already have a backsplash. You make it sound like even I could do this.
ReplyDeleteSmart Tiles is the ideal product to cover existing tile work! They easily adhere to any sleek and clean surface!
DeleteI have seen these and always wondered if they worked? IT looks great installed.
ReplyDeletethey look awesome. Sadly, I don't think if they are heat and cold sensitive that they'd work for me. :( We have exterior kitchen walls that have little to no insulation, so in the summer the backplash is warm and in the winter it's super cold. I tried peel and stick vinyl tiles and they lifted. I ended up painting on a "faux tile" backsplash!
ReplyDeleteHi Jamie,
DeleteIf installed in great condition, when temperature outside is between 65F and 95F, the tiles will stick!
The most important thing to consider is temp during the installation...
So during hot summer or cold winter, the tiles won't move.
You guys did such a great job! And I really love the color tile you chose. It adds SO much to the room. Just wanted you to know that I featured you on DIY Weekend Projects today. http://homecomingmn.blogspot.com/2014/01/diy-weekend-projects_10.html
ReplyDeleteOMG I had never seen these before. They are Amazeballs!! I am showing DH tonight....
ReplyDeleteThey are amazeballs. Also, I'm glad I'm not the only person who says 'amazeballs'. :)
DeleteWow that looks so good and I love that it's not messy!
ReplyDeleteIs this Murano Metallik (SM1030)? THANKS!
ReplyDeleteYes, it's Murano Metallik! I love the way it looks!
DeleteI want it, I want it, I want it!!!! I'm headed over to the site now. So happy you linked to Super Sunday Sync!!
ReplyDeleteLooks great! Really finishes the space.
ReplyDeleteYour kitchen and this tiles in the kitchen looks great - i like this.
ReplyDeleteHappy Evening, Wieczora (◔‿◔)| My photoblog
Loving this backsplash! The hubs and I have long admired this glass look on HGTV but have never dared dream it...he is out of town for the month...maybe I will surprise him and do it myself before he gets home and dazzle him with muh mad skillz! :-D
ReplyDeleteI'm impressed! These are gorgeous. Thanks for joining the weekend block party!
ReplyDeleteI have been looking into doing this for forever, I'm really glad to know the smart tiles are so easy to use!!! Just stopping by to pin this, and let you know I featured it on my blog today; thanks for sharing at Creativity Unleashed!
ReplyDeleteI may need to look into these for a quick bathroom sink backsplash detail :)
ReplyDeleteErica
www.fortheloveofdecorating.com
hi priscilla! you're on my top 3 from last week's The DIY'ers party♥ congrats to you and thanks for sharing this really awesome project! I've pinned this project onto my "The DIY'ers Party Favorites board" from my blog because I cannot pin it from here. If you get that capability from your blog, let me know so I can pin it from here.
ReplyDeletethis week's The DIY'ers is now live, so come and link up your latest project with us!
huggies♥
rea
Oh. My. Gosh. Thanks for sharing these!! We've been wanting to do something about our old dingy tile. My husband wanted to hire someone but I refused - this will be so much easier and we won't have to remove the old stuff! YAY!!
ReplyDeleteI'm curious what the cost was for this project. I'm sure it's way cheaper than glass tile - just thinking about these for our kitchen refresh. Love the look - great job!
ReplyDeleteOh my gosh it looks amazing! I just ordered some different styles to look at from Home Depot and I can't wait for them to arrive! Quick question, did you pull your stove out and put the tile behind or did you cut around the stove backsplash? Thanks!
ReplyDeleteHi there! Our oven doesn't sit flush against the wall, so there was enough space to put the tiles up and get our hands behind it to press them down. Lucky for us! These tiles are easy to cut though, so if you had to cut around an appliance, it would be super easy.
DeleteHi!
ReplyDeleteSorry if this is a repost. I don't think my first comment went through.
I found your blog while I was googling around for reviews of Smart Tiles. Unfortunately nobody is really saying how they stand up to the long haul. I know you've had yours up for almost half a year now. Are they still in pretty pristine condition? I'm afraid after a while the corners will peel up.
Hi there! We have had these tiles up for over six months now, and they are holding up beautifully! I have not seen any corners coming up or peeling away from the wall. So far, these tiles are really great! Let me know if you have more questions!
DeleteThank you! I think you've sold me!
DeleteHi! Love the blog post. I'm thinking of buying these for our kitchen ... how easy it is to clean them? In particular, behind the stove where sometimes you'll have cooking residue?
ReplyDeleteHi there! These have been really easy to clean: I only have to use a wet cloth to get anything off the tiles and it is super easy. Let me know if you have any other questions!
DeleteSo if they can be removed easily with a hair dryer, how can they stay put around and behind an oven? I am considering these for my backsplash but my oven, like yours, does not sit flush against the wall and I would have to install the tiles behind the stove as well. I don't understand how they would not peel off when exposed to the heat from an oven, but the company claims they peel off easily with just the heat from a hair dryer. They can't have it both ways, right? Am I missing something?
ReplyDeleteHi there! I was worried about this very thing before we started the project! Before we put them up, I turned on the oven and let it run for a little while. When my oven is on, the surface of my stovetop gets warm too, so I wanted to know if the heat would bother the back wall. After the oven heated up (and the stovetop too), I felt the back wall. Our wall was cool to the touch... so our oven and stovetop didn't affect the wall temperature at all. We have not had any tiles peeling up or coming off at all. Check your wall when your oven is on... if it's warm, these might not be for you. But if the wall doesn't get any heat during your daily cooking, these tiles would be perfect for you!
DeleteHi Emily,
DeleteSmart Tiles can be removed easily with a hair dryer when you heat the tiles directly, for 1-2 minutes. The key here is "directly".
The oven heat source is not considered like a direct source.
That's why many people install Smart Tiles in their RV: Even if it gets really warm during the dog days of summer, the Smart Tiles will remain stable and are guaranteed to stick to your walls.
Regards,
Nicolas.
I love these! I wish they made a crown moulding product (hint, hint!). I checked out their website and we would buy those in a hurry...
ReplyDeleteHow hard were the corners? Did you just score the tile and bend it? Did you have any open ends that needed some sort of trim? If so, what did you use?
ReplyDeleteHello! Start at the corners, that's the trick. When you get to the end, you just cut the tiles to fit. It is really simple! If you have more questions, let me know!
DeleteHi there! I am really considering these? So, what do they feel like?? Do they FEEL like glass, or do they feel soft, like a gel or something? So interesting!!! :D
ReplyDeleteThey feel soft, but not quite like gel.
DeleteI'm curious what the cost was for this project. I'm sure it's way cheaper than glass tile - just thinking about these for our kitchen refresh. Love the look - great job! more idea http://www.thekitchenbacksplashideas.com/
ReplyDeleteReally awesome...i like this idea...so simple to install and even easier to remove the tiles...sounds exciting..but are these smart tiles available in countries like India too?
ReplyDeleteI put them up in my kitchen 3 years ago and they still look great! And no one can tell the difference!
ReplyDeleteHow are they holding up over time especially near your stove where boiling water increases humidity?
ReplyDelete