Kitchen Tile Backsplash Ideas, Designing a Tile Backsplash and Custom Ceramic Tile Designs for Kitchens
Delft Tile Backsplashes--Beautiful blue and white traditional Dutch Delft tiles for borders and backsplashes no wavailable from the cement tile source. You can order just the tiles you want to create your own design or order one of their tile layouts. The Sea Life series is a great look for a Cape Cod or beach house. Theyhave tile with seashells, sand dollar, sand castle, crane, fish, and even a mermaid. Of course you can use the non-pictorial Delft tiles if you want for a sophisticated and clean look. This tile company will even let you request your own design of Delft tile. Traditional Delft Tiles
Colorful Cuban Tile Murals--Colorful cement tile designs now transfered to ceramic tiles for backsplashes that match their classic tile floors. But even if you don't have the luxurious Cuban tile floors, you can have the classic look in your kitchen or bathroom since they make ceramic tiles with the images of the colorful cement tiles. Most patterns have interlocking designs so you can get a look like the 'rico' floors of Barcelona and Havana. They will do custom murals and you can pick from all the cement tile designs. Cuban tile designs
Swanson Studios--Glen and Linda Swanson in CA make classic hand made custom-painted Malibu tile, Monterey tile, Catalina tile, and one of a kind mosaics. They can make any kind of tile backsplash you have in mind. For over 25 years, Glen Swanson has worked in the tradition of the old Malibu & Catalina Potteries, from Northern California to San Diego. The website has very inspiring photos of fabulous tile installations. Much better than the photo here, do have a look ! I know for a fact that Glen can make any kind of tile you want. The colors are amazing. Talk to Glen and Linda about your ideas and he will work with you to create a one of a kind masterpiece. The prices are not as high as you might imagine either. www.swanson-studios.com
A distinctive tile backsplash has the ability to create a focal point in your kitchen or wet bar and really dress-up or jazz up your decor for a personal look. The area that a backsplash covers is really not so large, so your expense is small compared to the visual impact you achieve. Most kitchens look so very similar, and all kitchens that are really used get their share of splatters and drips, so a ceramic tile, mosaic glass tile, stainless steel or creative metal backsplash makes good sense too. You can get some great ideas for designing a tile backsplash by looking at some of the ceramic tile artist's websites examples. Another good resource are Dover books. Even Dover's children's coloring books make great design tools. I often use them for basic outlines for mosaic designs.
Karen Howell Porcelain--Hand made tile from Karen Howell-Tiles and mosaics are the focus of Karen's work. Various designs and colors are available. The work is inspired by flora and fauna - animals and the outdoors. Each piece is handcrafted and painted with glazes which are then fired to achieve a gloss or matt surface. Since the process is time consuming and labor intensive, it may take several weeks to receive an order. Each piece is made to order with attention to quality and detail.Located in PA. -www.karenhowell.com
Tiles by Mimi---Handpainted and fired tiles by Mimi Ross Blank. If for no other reason, look at her website to see how cute she is :o). Mimi does custom designs so the examples on her website are there to give you ideas, but your mural or backsplash would be uniquely yours. Mimi's tile murals are perfect for kitchen back splashes, bathrooms, etc. Because the hand painted tiles are kiln fired, the murals are permanently adhered and can be installed indoors and out. www.tilesbymimi.com
Clayworks of Austin, Texas--Clayworks designs and creates murals in large and small format, suitable for use indoors or out. They work in a cut tile mosaic technique which has roots in the American Arts & Crafts movement. In the best tradition of public art, these murals are strong and durable in material, in design and in theme. This technique is something of a jigsaw process where elements of the design are cut by hand from soft clay, fired and reassembled. Color is derived from pigmented clays and from satin glazes applied over terra cotta clay. Clayworks does beautiful work and have quite a gallery of residential and commercial jobs they have done. www.clayworks.net
Anderson Ceramics--Neal Andersen of Round Rock, TX makes decorative backsplash tiles, high relief ceramic tiles and tile murals for your kitchen backsplash. His custom ceramic tiles are unique and he specializes in large ceramic decorative tiles, but they also make several tile liners and flat tiles. These decorative murals have a high relief French architectural style You can use these dramatic tiles as accents for your kitchen, bath or living areas. You can use just one tile with ordinary, less expensive tile set around it or use a set of ceramic tiles customized to fill a specific area. Most of Neal's customers install them behind the range, in the shower enclosure, above the bathtub or around the fireplace. To assist you during your design phase, they have line drawings for all of the ceramic tiles that they make. These drawings can be used to generate sample layouts by printing them and taping them up on your wall. This way you can get a better idea of how the tile backsplash will look in the space that you have. www.andersenceramics.com
Tiles with Style--You gotta see this site !!! Decorative handmade kitchen tile including cool leaf shaped tiles in natural organic shapes and glazed in natural earth colors. Tiles with Style can create any ceramic tile kitchen backsplash, per your specifications or per their tile design ideas. They will talk to you on the phone, or you can email your kitchen tile ideas for feedback from them. If a tropical fish kitchen backsplash isn't your thing....how about a prehistoric tile kitchen backsplash or a fossil tile backsplash! Tiles with Style is a decorative ceramic tile studio specializing in custom hand made tile. They are well known for quality craftsmanship, elegant designs, and custom colorations. www.tileswithstyle.com
The Swanson Studio--I have found a wonderful tile artist, Swanson Studios--handmade tile murals and tiles custom sculpted by ceramic artist Gary Swanson. You must see his multi-piece tile fish. One on the websiteis shown unglazed, so I can imagine it in bright tropical colors. Gary says, "Although I produce tiles pressed from hand made molds, my tile murals are the primary focus of my work. They are developed from the initial idea or primary subject into a line drawing of the basic elements. Then a working 'cartoon' is crated and modified until I am satisfied.My tile work is earthenware tile created through several steps: A clay slab is rolled to thickness, the 'cartoon' is transferred to the clay and each piece of tile is cut from the slab. The tiles are bisque fired, then glazed and fired again. All my ceramics are fired glaze for permanency. Unmounted murals are provided for installations but I can also mount and grout murals on a backer board." The possibilities are only limited by your imagination. Mural designs can feature a wide variety of themes, from natural landscapes to architectural. They are used in bathrooms, kitchens, wet bars, for public art, commercial signs, fireplace surrounds, and framed art. Single tile sized murals can be used as accents and to replace damaged tiles. The Swanson Studio
Artworks by Julia--tile murals, accent and decorative tiles, hand painted ceramic tiles for kitchen backsplashes and decorative effects. Her scenic mural backsplashs can be used to add pizzaz to a wet bar, butler's pantry, bathroom as well as in the kitchen. All of Julia’s ceramic murals, decorative tiles, art tiles and tile paintings are kiln fired which will make your painting permanent - it will not rub off, wash off, fade or be affected by heat, splashing or splattering of hot liquids or foods from the sink, stove or moisture from shower or bath. Shown is her "Old World Style # 3" painted kitchen backsplash. See nice examples of her work on her website. Julia will do custom work based on your color scheme, tile or wallpaper. You can send samples and she will coordinate the clay body and glazes and send back sample tiles for inspection for a reasonable cost. www.artworksbyjulia.com
ColorBakery--Mindy Sommers' offers some really unusual and unique ceramic tile designs with wild, colorful and sometimes futuristic patterns and designs. They come in three different finishes. One of her tile murals or a ColorBakery tile border could really bring some life and pazazzzz to a kitchen. . She also offers her designs on assorted home furnishings like placemats and even clothes ! www.ColorBakery.com