Anyone creative help with this kitchen problem?

[TerrysNo2]

Hi all

We are buying a new house and renovating it. We are currently planning / designing the new kitchen but there is one bit which is bugging me.

I want to have these gorgeous tiles on the back wall.

Kitchen design is here. If you look on the wall at the back you can see a piece of the wall which sticks out onto the kitchen counter, this is the steel support for the RSJ (kitchen is in the extension part of the house) so it cannot be removed but I am not sure the tiles will look right going over it.

Do you have any ideas how I can make this bit of wall into a feature?

Thanks!

The full size tiles on the piece of the wall/support that faces into the room, & smaller ones (if available) on the sides - or just paint the sides of the support a matching blue?

Or paint the whole support a matching blue & just use those lovely tiles for the splash back - you could hang a nice decoration or two on the support?

It is not really obvious how much the rsj juts into the room. I would avoid making a feature of it and simply tile over it. The pattern of the tiles will distract the eye.Alternatively level out the whole back wall between the cabinets with plasterboard and battens. Just the bit that will be tiled. This will mean losing worktop space but I don't know how much.

I don't see the problem ?any decent tiler should be able to put tiles on the front and sides of the sticking out bit, its not that unusual, just cut tiles to fit

I would not be having cuts with those tiles, instead I would make sure the viewable piece of steel was 'padded out' if necessary, to make it exactly the width and depth of whole tiles.

thanks for all the comments!

I agree hairy I think we'll have to measure up and see if those tiles make sense.

Could you have a "feature area" (eg a magnetic blackboard sheet to stick shopping lists to) to put just on the bit that sticks out? Or a frameless mirror? So that the sides and back of the area are tiled but the front bit that sticks out has a different plainish surface on it that doesn't interfere with the pattern. Those are very patterny tiles and anything complicated will distract from them.

I agree with levelling out if it doesn't cut into your space too much - I'd be wary of cutting those tiles too - they're lovely.

at that kitchen.

its not our kitchen yet, but I'm hoping we can exchange next week and make it so! Its a massive improvement on our 11 foot by 8 foot current kitchen!

thanks for the ideas, going to measure up next time and see what we can work with

Bring the kitchen a few inches forward to line up with the RSJ - it will look crap otherwise.

not the most helpful comment! of course I realise it doesn't look great but I hope the whole kitchen won't look crap

Hi - why not ask the kitchen company for a pair of doors small kitchen doors so it looks like a hatch - or ask them to make open shelving there between the worktop and the underside of the cupboards . (For mugs etc)

To flatten that wall it would need that run of units pulled forward of the protrusion first - would mean your sink run would be shorter by that same amount - or the peninsular would be over into the dining space by that same amount - - but it means beefing up the wall - so I can see why they didn't suggest it - because unless they knew how much you don't like it - it's a lot of expense just to make that little bit of wall disappear !

If you look on my pro page at ECW's design - it has the shelving between the wall and base cabinets - those are deeper base cabinets below - but you could get the same effect by pulling the base cabinets out !
www.houzz.com/pro/oneplan/oneplan
Hope that helps !

Could you not just bulk out the bit of wall in between the cupboards and the counter? So instead of bringing the entire run of cupboards forward, you could slot plasterboard in front of the RSJ just in the space and then plaster that? You would lose counter top space, but I don't think you would notice it particularly to look at.

Personally, I would make the RSJ the same width as a whole number of tiles, to avoid cutting and then tile over it. But it sounds like the RSJ bump bothers you more than me.

I also LOVE the open shelving idea. But it doesn't really allow for tiling.

I suggested this some time ago!

yes I think that tiling in the pattern is probably what we are going to do, although I like the open shelving idea I think it's going to take up too much work surface overall.

thanks for all the ideas though!

I agree with lala either bring it forward or have a concrete worktop or something and go with an industrial feel . Don't tile it. I would probably come right in front of it and then build a very slim floor to ceiling shelf unit over it for spices etc very narrow with the exposed steel as the back and the shelves matching the cupboards.