In today’s kitchens and bathrooms a backsplash is a design element. A great way to make a design statement and interject some personality into a space is with a tile backsplash. Gluing up a four inch piece of countertop material is so yesterday. In terms of bang for the buck, tile is the way to go. 
Take a simple kitchen wall like this one above. There are three ways to handle this with a tile backsplash:
- Tile from the base of the counter to the bottom of the window sill
- Tile from the base to the bottom of the wall cabinets
- Tile the entire wall
Tiling the wall to bottom of the wall cabinets is the typical choice to handle this area. Going to just the window sill height leaves an odd horizontal line running across the wall, plus tends to look like one ran out of tile.
How To Choose The Tile
Select a tile to coordinate with your decor. Actually, if you are using a decorative tile with a significant pattern or color, tile is the place to start when planning a kitchen (or bathroom) decorating scheme. I call this the Color Key. Let the tile determine the colors of the rest of the room.
Find a tile which can work with the look you want to achieve. Rectangles, squares, circles or any other shape you gravitate too can work as long as you keep in mind the space in which you plan to use it. Shameless plug: this is where a designer is a lot of help, we understand how too many cuts in certain tiles can ruin the design or budget. 
Here we show a gorgeous traditional California style ceramic tile from Avente Tile which would be fantastic with a terracotta tile floor, rustic caramel colored wood cabinets and wrought iron hardware. 
From one of my favorite glass tile mosaic artists, Susan Jablon, one can find the most amazing tile options especially in color. Imagine this with crisp painted cabinets and a light wood bamboo floor and you’ve got a fresh and happy modern kitchen.
Take this kitchen wall from wow to WOW by running either of these tile choices all the way up the wall to the ceiling.
This is exactly what I did in this bathroom I did for a client a few years ago. What you don’t see is the tile also runs on the wall underneath the floating sink cabinet. (Small dark rooms don’t photograph so well.)
Word of caution – don’t let the per square foot of a tile derail your dreams. Yes, I know money doesn’t grow on trees but in the scheme of things when using tile as a backsplash we are talking a limited amount of square feet.
People ooh and ahh over a tile backsplash. It takes a kitchen or bathroom to the next level when someone incorporates pretty tiles. In the end this is one of those items people wish they would have, if they didn’t. A tile backsplash is money well spent whether it is colorful and patterned or just plain vanilla subway tiles. 
The tour starts with a short film to remind one just how important Gabriel Voisin is and was to aviation, automobiles and design. Did you know Gabriel Voisin was one of the pioneers of manned flying machines and opened Voisin Brothers – Aircraft in 1906? He made many contributions to science and technology which have been forgotten by modern history books. In 1899 he and his brother produced their first car. 
Remember the movie 
The distinctive hood ornament or mascot was not a favorite of Voisin. His customers would not allow him to replace it, although he did modify it throughout the years. 
My favorite is the streamlined 1934 Voisin Type C27 Aerosport which I first saw at 
Notice the complete departure in style of the 1934 Voisin Type C27 Roadster. Same year, same inner workings, but this car was sold as a bare chassis and bodied by renown Italian coachbuilder Joseph Figoni. 
Of the 17 Voisin automobiles on display, the most ever together in modern times, the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance Best of Show wining 1935 Voisin Type C25 Aerodyne takes center stage. Peter’s eyes offered glint of paternal pride when reminiscing about the amazing win. A four door never wins. A sedan never wins. This Art Deco inspired curvaceous profile reminiscent of an airplane wing oozes symmetrical style. From this angle you can see this car sports a sliding roof too.
If you are the shell obsessive type (yes those are my extra shells all bagged and categorized above), you likely have a lot – lots and lots of shells, stuffed in drawers or hidden away in boxes. I’m asked how to display seashells so often, writing a blog post is much easier than starting a support group. Here are some of my favorite ways to take your shells out of hiding and incorporate your collection into your decor.
Seashells are one of nature’s wonders or best free souvenir we love to collect. We spy the perfect specimen frolicking in the edge of the surf while walking along a beach. The surf pulls away revealing a bounty of miniature sculptures. We race to beat the returning wave. All to collect the perfect shell.
Another option is to get crafty. Using Styrofoam cones, available from any craft store, a hot glue gun and shells – I created these seashell Christmas trees. Actually, some of these are out year around, they don’t have to have anything to do with a holiday. 
