Always thought wall tiles were essential in a bathroom / kitchen but now wondering?

[furryfriends57]

Hi, I'd really appreciate anyones opinions on why wall tiles are presented as key to a kichen / bathroom design. My head is wrecked trying to decide on what to put on walls of kitchen and bathroom and I am seeing so many images on Pinterest of bathroom and kitchen walls that are not tiled that its made me wonder is there really a point to them. As long as behind worktops and bath / sink are sealed properly would a hardwearing paint be just as good, make it easier to update to a new look and biggest bonus - avoid the mouldy grout problem. There is probbaly something really obvious that I am missing here so feel free to enlighten me . Thanks

you can get 'aquapanel' at massive prices if you don't fancy tiling.

you do need a splashback of some sort at sinks and baths, doesn't have to go all the way up the wall though.

you can use paint. Depending on how clumsy and splashy you are, it will need to be washed down with sugar soap at intervals, and repainted from time to time. If you are going to paint a wall, bring the plaster to as smooth and flat a surface as you possibly can first.

Vinly silk is fairly hardwearing and washable; masonry paint more so; and there are K&B paints at extra cost. Matt paints stay dirtier.

Your kitchen will stay much cleaner much longer if you have, and use, an effective extractor hood.

Some hobs/cookers have a folding lid that lifts up into a (smallish) splashback, often smoked glass, and is helpful in keeping the wall clean.

I don't like tiles either. Last time I redid my bathroom I used T+G instead, up to about boob level and painted it with satinwood. We had a big rectangular shower curtain rail, which protected the wood and painted plaster from being splashed excessively. It lasted about four years before I needed to touch up the paint on the wall. Woodwork was still fine when we moved out.

When I did my kitchen I had a tiny teeny splashback around the sink and hob and that was it. I'll probably have a row of yummy metro tiles in my kitchen and in the new bathroom we will have a tiled area at the shower end of the bath. Worth spending a fair bit on decent mould resistant grout though.

Thanks to you all for replying and for not disagreeing with me ! I suppose its been a revelation to me as I've always associated tiled walls with kitchens and bathrooms and now can't really see the point. SS yes I think it will be difficult not to have a splashback of some sort. MtM I've seen some pics of T+G on Pinterest and thats what challenged my thinking, I think it looks great. As a matter of interest how did you incorporate T+G around the sink? Also what are "metro tiles" seeing as we share the same ideas re tiles!! PJ thanks for suggestions re paint, the money saved on tiles would be well spent on good quality paint that would last.

metro tiles are brick-shaped with a bevelled edge, supposed to look like those on old parts of the underground, though I think those are flat.

Basically the T&G just covered the walls up to about 1.4m off the ground, with moulding and a sort of tiny shelf at the top of it. It continued all the way round the bath (free standing, but would work around a built in as well, just need to seal well) and behind the washstand. So the T&G acted as a sort of splashback behind the basin. A bit like this

uktv.co.uk/home/item/aid/957

I love metro tiles. They're the only tiles I like at all (apart from encaustic floor tiles, but my house moves so much that I will never be able to have them).

I scrubbed my kitchen tiles the other day. And I mean scrubbed - they'd been neglected for some time.
I wouldn't be able to scrub the wall if it was painted with quite so much gusto.
So in a kitchen, near the oven and hobs and around sink I'd personally have tiles.

Not much help - but just a thought.

Dulux kitchen & bathroom paint wipes really clean in my ensuite & I haven't painted in their for donkey's years! Got tiles half way up.

In our kitchen we only put 3 or 4 rows of metro tiles across the wall with the sink and hob. The rest is washable paint (little greene) and it wipes down really well. I prefer that because I find tiles are the first thing to date in a kitchen and a pain to remove (and it saved us some money!).

We did the kitchen last year and so far so good. I can always do another coat of paint if it gets manky but it has wiped down well (and we always use an extractor fan).

the only place I have tiles is actually in shower areas - otherwise it's T&G ! suits the style I love - country cottage feel ... my painter suggested oil based paints - and as he said - it stands the test if time - and family life - well ... thoroughly recommend it !!!! :-)

We've not bothered with tiles in our kitchen. We have a stainless steel splashback for the hob and then just upstand on the worktop. Our sink is directly under the window so would only have been room for a row of tiles so we just didn't bother. We did consider a glass splashback for the hob as they look lovely but not quite right in our kitchen.

We're in the process of redoing our en suite and while I think we will tile a bit it won't be all tiled like it is currently.

All I can say is: you know you're on MN when "boob level" is used as a measurement!

I think tiles are invaluable tbh. Nothing seems as durable but I don't really like them.

OOh thanks for replying - yes FSTB thats funny re "boob level" being a measurement but being measurement challenged least its one I can visualise. Interesting that T+G is used by so many, my house isn't really country cottage decor so wonder if it would fit. Current thinking for me is to tile to the ceiling in the shower enclosure and then tone in the wall paint to match. Undecided re bath and sink splashback as it could look like we forgot to tile the rest. Anomaly reckon I'll do the same in kitchen, will have splashback behind my shiny new rangemaster and maybe a row of glass effect tiles above worktop but thats it. Thanks everyone so appreciate your help

I rather like glass splash backs; I imagine they would be be much easier to clean than tile. There is a place near us that does customised glass panels, it is gorgeous.

Ikea do wall panels

I must admit personally I do like tiles, but yes why not look for alternatives for a change. Although I like tiles I realise that the ones we (ok I) chose were wrong for our new kitchen and now I want to change them. Dh unimpressed

Moomin I like the glass splash backs as well, have been a little put off them by some knowledgable ladies here who had expereinced mould behind them when not installed correctly.
Everything, your experience of tiles is what would worry me - not liking them afterwards and being stuck with them! Has happened me with tiles behind a solid fuel range, they were sold as 4 colour combo but I didn't buy the black ones as thought they'd be too dark and was a mistake as it would have looked fab.
I feel so much better after reading the replies about not putting tiles everywhere as it will give me time to settle in and get to know the house and then choose later if necessary .