Tumbled Backsplash Tile Design Ideas

Diagonal with Decos

• Add some spice to a tumbled backsplash design by installing pieces at a 45-degree angle. Some homeowners also add deco pieces -- or small, decorative pieces -- throughout the diagonally installed backsplash to spice things up. Metal deco pieces (called buttons) add a Spanish, Tuscan or modern flair to the backsplash. Install 2-by-2-inch Spanish-style bronze decos on four adjoining corners of the tumbled stone for Spanish design. Install them throughout the backsplash, in a design directly above the cook top in a kitchen or randomly "sprinkled" throughout the backsplash. Use nickel or brushed steel deco pieces with diagonally-installed tumbled stone to achieve a modern look. Use Tuscan-themed decos and install "orange" or "yellow" tumbled travertine on the diagonal for a Tuscan look.

Staggered

• Staggered or "running bond" tumbled backsplash tile design adds a quaint craftsman-style, brick-like, Old World flair to a tumbled backsplash. Tumbled backsplash brick-style pieces are 3 by 6 inches. Pieces are staggered; this means that you install each piece centered on the piece above and below it. Additional design pieces -- such as decos, liners, listellos or murals -- are inappropriate with a staggered layout design theme.

Murals and Medallions

• Murals in tumbled backsplashes tell stories, from a country scene depiction or variety of landscapes, to culturally specific artwork. For instance, a mural may depict a country cottage amidst rolling hills, in a farm setting, giving the tumbled backsplash unique country flair. In another situation, a modern, Spanish, country or Tuscan-themed mural is a painting on the surface of several adjoining tiles placed in the kitchen-stove area. Decorative medallions are also creating a specific design theme (usually modern or Old World) to tumbled backsplash tile design. Medallions are handmade but differ from murals in that they incorporate different types of stone and decorative pieces. For instance, medallions are created with mosaics and deco pieces, creating a Spanish look. Medallions are usually modern, Tuscan or Old-world themed.

Maintenance

• Tumbled stone is extremely porous and requires sealing after installation. It also requires regular, periodic sealing for maintenance. Do not clean tumbled tile backsplashes with harsh cleaners; use a stone-specific mild cleaner. Many tile supply companies offer such a product.