This boring kitchen went from white to wow with just a 2-day backsplash redo
It's not that Detroit-based interior designer Christie Kristl didn't like the updated kitchen in her 1963 home, but it didn't exactly scream fun. The hardware, countertops, and cabinets were all fine, so they stayed put. But thankfully, when the previous owners updated everything in 2018, they didn't bother with any backsplash - so Christie got to make the call.
"I wanted a backsplash that was vibrant and fun, but nothing so over-the-top that I'd be sick of it in a year," Christie explains. "I also wanted something that I hadn't seen before in other kitchens."
She selected tiles from Zia Tile in the Kelp Forest shade and planned to have them installed vertically. When her contractor realized they were too long to work that way, they pivoted, hanging them horizontally in a straight stack. The project took only two days and about $7,000, but it packed a "unique and unexpected" punch, according to Christie.
She brought in several sentimental touches to update the space, too: Christie's dad made a cutting board and toddler tower for her daughter from a walnut tree at her childhood home. On the walls hang Polaroids, Christie's kids' artwork, and charts made for the kids to try new foods.
"It feels intentional, vibrant, and entirely unique," Christie says when asked what she loves about the kitchen. "My husband and I don't always share the same aesthetic tastes, but he was on board the second the samples showed up." To see more of this stunning home, visit the full house tour on Apartment Therapy.
