Kitchen tiles. What colour should I get

[Mydogisagentleman]

We finally have some movement on our kitchen, the fitter came this morning and it should be started in about 10 weeks.
I have chosen white gloss cabinets, we have pale blue walls and I am going for mid grey worktop and pale grey floor tiles.
I am not keen on metro tiles, although they do come in a wide range of colours.
I need tiles for above the worktop and below the cupboards.
I had considered the patterned ones like a Victorian or delft pattern, but think they will date.
I quite fancy orange or green, but DH disagrees.
Bowl me over with suggestions please

I've seen some beautiful pictures of shaker kitchens with delft tiles. I'm not at all into glass back splashes and think that these will date much more quickly than tiles, but each to their own!

...having said that, yours does look lovely @BIWI!

Few kitchens have tiles now. The cost of installation is the big ticket item. Not the tiles.

Most upmarket kitchens with stone worktops have upstands and a slab of stone for a splash back. So much easier to clean - no greasy grout! Paint the walls elsewhere. Easier to change.

That's OK @BeautifulandWilfulandDead

Also, need to point out to @Mydogisagentleman that my upstand is 4cm tall, not 4 inches tall.

Tiles are pretty easy to change though! We chose plain white metro tiles for our white-grey handleless kitche but did think a pattern would have been an interesting way to jazz it up. We chose to have a bright orange wall instead because that's even cheaper to change!

One of the most influential US interior designers has just posted an image of a tiled splashback (or indeed "backsplash", in American parlance) on her Instagram feed, as did a senior editor on a trend-led UK interiors magazine this morning (literally in each case the first post I saw on the two occasions I've opened the Instagram app today). But you know, if Mumsnet says tiles are out...

Posts, in case you're curious:
https://www.instagram.com/p/COxapTUjywP/?igshid=1kuzn5fapv96a

https://www.instagram.com/p/COwzBIEr3p5/?igshid=m9k0c9oksxdx

Oh and when I went back to copy those links, this was the top post. Go figure.

PS tiles are really not that expensive to install. I'm not even that bothered about them myself, but find some of the edicts on here a bit ridiculous. If you like tiles, have tiles! If you like glass, have glass!

Tiles are way more expensive than paint. Getting them off can damage the walls. Paint and an upstand is much better. I think tiles can occasionally look good but I think the kitchen needs to be a certain type of room and space. Can work well in giant warehouse conversions but they need very cautious use.

I read this very week that tiles are making a comeback... (apparently they are not very in, not that I care about these things)

My suggestion: delft/victorian tiles are very timeless, if they are in keeping with your house

If white gloss units, grey worktop, grey floors - there are some lovely black & white /greys options in victorian tiles, then you can add the colours you like with paint/accessories

With the damage to walls of removing tiles (& cost of replacing) they are a pretty permanent option so need to be liveable for the time your kitchen will be in.

I'd choose tiles /worktops first & then the paint (as you will have to repaint anyway, you may find that a slight adjustment in shade woudl make best of other surfaces you choose)

I’ve just scrolled through weeks of KBB magazine ideas on FB for kitchens. Very very few have tiles. White hexagonal ones stood out but higher level up-stands are definitely featured. Where to put sockets though? Not in the 400mm high marble??!!

@PresentingPercy

I’ve just scrolled through weeks of KBB magazine ideas on FB for kitchens. Very very few have tiles. White hexagonal ones stood out but higher level up-stands are definitely featured. Where to put sockets though? Not in the 400mm high marble??!!

Definitely possible to put sockets into fake marble splash backs!