AIBU to want an upstand and tiles in my new kitchen?

[Pocketfullofmoonshine]

I’m getting a new kitchen and am thinking of getting upstand (white quartz) with tiles (most likely white in a herringbone design) going further up the wall to catch and splashed etc as well as being decorative.

However, whenever I mention this to other people, particularly trades people, they think this is an awful idea to have upstand with tiles.

so wise mumsnetters am I being unreasonable to want both?

if you have both I would love to see pictures?

Its your kitchen, have what you like. Unreasonable doesn't come into it.

@Lockheart thanks! Completely agree with this. It’s more that I want to make sure that I am not making some huge design mistake that I just haven’t realised yet!

I thought that was completely normal!

I don’t know what an upstand is, have you got pics?

IME if tradespeople don’t want to do it it’s because it’s a ballache to do. Ask if it’s impossible.

When I had my kitchen done I told my fitter (a mate of mine) ‘I provide the vision, you to make it happen’ and he did. Some things were hard but it looks ace now.

Upstand is where the work too goes about 100mm up the wall of the kitchen. So it will protect the walls a bit from splashes etc. but I think we can be quite messy!

that's a pretty normal request

the guy seems lazy I would find another guy to do the kitchen

Do you mean you just want the walls tiled ?

Upstands look fine without tiles but you don't need an upstand if you are going to tile anyway, it will just cost you more and look a bit odd with it

It is unusual to have tiles right above an upstand. Can’t you have a taller upstand?

I have an upstand and then times above! It looks fab, your tradesperson probably is just not wanting to bother doing it if they're objecting. It's not hard to do, it's not an uncommon request that would require anything specialist so there's no reason to object imo!

*tiles

I have an upstand with tiles. Our silestone work surface looks like sand and our tiles are pale sage. I wasn't going to have an upstand but was persuaded to do so because it is easier to get a nice clean edge between the worktop and the wall. And it does make it easier to keep looking nice! However I didn't want 100mm (that is 6 inches, which is the depth of our tiles) and went for a 50mm upstand nstead. It looks nice!

You asked for pictures, this is mine - installed late 2019.

We have a white quartz upstand and patterned tiles above. All very normal.

Your house only needs to make you happy. It was so freeing when someone said that to me, I suddenly realised I could do whatever I wanted (well dh too, lol). We started to do more in the house and didn't worry about what anyone else would think. I'm sure some people don't like some things we've done but we get compliments too.

I inherited a tiled wall (no upstand) with my kitchen. The grout behind the hob gets really yellow with oil deposits from cooking and is almost impossible to get white again. If I were doing a kitchen from scratch, I would have a non-tiled wall covering. You can get glass backsplashes that can withstand heat.

I do agree that the wall needs to be covered to a much greater height than an upstand usually does. One person I know got a white glass backsplash because their white wall was so dirty. (You can get the glass in any solid colour, including one you specify. You can even specify a decorative print, I think.)

I'd rather have just tiles or just an upstand. But if you want both they should provide that.

I have just had my kitchen done and have quartz upstands but I just can not picture it with tiles, I just don't think it would look right at all.

I believe tiles are on obsolete building material. I accept they can look nice, but there are functionally better options for covering walls and floors.

When I re-did my bathrooms, I was able to do so without using any tiles or grout. The purpose of tiles and grout in a bathroom is to protect surfaces from water, however grout is usually not waterproof, not even in shower areas, which can often be a reason why you eventually have to re-tile. In my bathroom, surfaces are coved by marmoeleum (lino) on the floor, upstand and wall-to-wall mirror above the basin shelf, and acrylic panels in the bath/shower areas. (I'm very happy with how it all looks.)

I don't think acrylic backsplash would stand the heat in the vicinity of a hob, in the kitchen, so for that reason I would go for glass.

One can also have glass panels (instead of acrylic) in the bathroom, but it's relatively expensive.

Do you mean just behind the cooker?

Why don't you have a quartz backsplash behind your hob instead of tiles ?

I don’t think it’s a good look. Upstands are more in vogue at the moment and then just plain wall above it. If you put tiles above the upstand it will look cluttered. If you do get marks or splashes, best just to repaint the wall in due course rather than living permanently with a weird look.

Behind hob different tho…that could take something else above upstand or just continue the quartz up or mirror, or stainless steel perhaps.

I just have tiles with no upstand but I have friends with both and it looks fine. I don’t know anyone with only an upstand …… the walls above kitchen work surfaces need to be very easy to clean.

Absolutely do what you want. It's your kitchen. I personally hate upstands, think they're useless. I just had a new kitchen fitted and opted no upstand and tiles instead. Again, personally, definitely wouldn't have both.