Help – how do I tone down a tumbled travertine backsplash?
May 19, 2010
We just installed a 4 x 4 mosaic tumbled travertine (cream & tan) back splash in our kitchen. We love it, but the contrast of the cream stone vs. tan stone is darker than we expected – - and it reminds me of a checker board pizza parlor.
I would like to tone it down without tearing it out and starting all over. I’ve attempted to sponge-paint the darker tile to lighten it up a bit, but all of the samples look exactly like that….painted. I just want it to be clean, natural classic looking. Any ideas of another way or product I can use to create a more uniform look?
Btw…it has already been grouted and sealed.
Thanks for your help!
Posted in Mosaic Backsplash
content rss
May 19th, 2010 at 7:26 pm
Sorry , nothing you can do. This is the unique quality of travertine. If some one helped you with your selection, they should have told you of this quality of the tile. Good thing you do like it, it will grow on you and you ll get used to it.
Since I ve installed and sold many over the years, the look comes naturally to me.
Any questions you can e mail me through my avatar..GL
May 19th, 2010 at 7:26 pm
That is a tough one, natural stone is absolutely gorgeous but unfortunately there is very little consistency between the samples and the installed product, so I sympathize with you!
It would really be a shame to rip out the tile, so I have a couple of alternatives for you…
1. High gloss finishes will intensify colours and in your case the contrast, so, it will take a bit of work but you can strip the sealer off and then install a sealer with a matte finish, that may help.
2. If you are up for the challenge, you can chip out the existing grout and re-grout with a color that is a mid tone of the light and dark tile colours. By choosing a grout color in the mid tones you will help to reduce the contrast and therefore minimizing the checker board pattern in the tile.
3.The third option is to change some of the decorative elements surrounding the tile to shift the focal point from the tile to something more dramatic. Start by choosing a really bold feature color like red, turquoise, orange or vibrant green and then find 3 good sized decorative items in that color (artwork, sticks/branches, canisters, vases, small appliances) that you can place in visually prominent locations in the room. The trick to this, is to make sure that these items are the first thing that you see when you enter the room so that they overpower the pattern in the tile. This strategy is even more effective if everything else in the room is a monochromatic palette, so if painting is a option choose one of the subtle colours in the tile to paint the rest of the room.
I hope that helps, it is hard to give specific solutions to design problems without seeing pictures of the room! However, if you would like more comprehensive decorating advice try one of the Professional Interior Decorating Services at http://www.decorateITonline.com . I am confident that we can come up with a fabulous design plan for you!
Sasha