Kitchen backsplash and countertop ideas

I want to replace my dated (and super ugly) Formica kitchen backsplash and counter. I want something that looks sleek and modern, but I don’t want to deal with cleaning groudy grout. Suggestions?
  12 answers
  • Creative Services ltd Creative Services ltd on Mar 13, 2015
    Depending on your budget, natural or manmade quartz is a great look.
  • Creative Services ltd Creative Services ltd on Mar 13, 2015
    I'll be posting photos of the best and fastest way to transform old tile back splashes in kitchens.
  • Trudy Hibler Trudy Hibler on Mar 13, 2015
    I hope to see that post, @Creative Services ltd. Goodness knows we need it. As for counter tops, have you considered concrete? It can be treated to look like an expensive finish.
  • Liliana Wells Liliana Wells on Mar 14, 2015
    Painting your counter tops is very inexpensive. Check out www.gianigranite.com to see how it's done. I did mine a few months ago - before dark green Formica, after granite looking counters. Good luck.
    • See 1 previous
    • Liliana Wells Liliana Wells on Mar 15, 2015
      @Deirdre Sullivan Do far so good. Of course, I don't put any hot items on it, nor used it for a chopping block. Ask the same question of other people who have used this method. Just write "Giani" or similar in the search box. Good luck.
  • Ashley Freeman Ashley Freeman on Mar 14, 2015
    Concrete can be done but I worry about what is in it for a food prep surface. What I plan on doing in my kitchen as I build my strawbale house is a counter top that is cobb and natural clays. Start researching cobb and natural building things and you will find some beautiful counters as well as floors. It will harden just like concrete and there are a number of food safe finishes that can be put on it.
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    • Ashley Freeman Ashley Freeman on Mar 18, 2015
      @Mary Yes the concrete is sealed I just wonder about when it wears. Where cobb on the other hand is all natural--like when you ate mudpies as a kid LOL. It isn't so toxic. Straw bale housing is sustainable housing. It is literally straw bales and is covered with an adobe like coating. It is 75% more energy efficient and 75% more fire resistant than traditional frame built housing. Cheaper too! Straw bale has been around for 100+ years in Europe. Look at strawbale.com which is a really great info site with pictures and info. I have been researching and planning to build a strawbale house for 20 yrs. Look up other cool housing options---cobb housing, sustainable housing, rammed earth housing, earthbag housing.
  • Moxie Moxie on Mar 14, 2015
    Just a note to expand your options; if you seal the tile grout cleaning/staining isn't an issue. the "new" subway tiles can often have very small grout lines..that said the options are endless! Have fun picking what works with your look and I painted some tops also as a test after I ordered my new ones; had I known how easy it way and well it held up I would have painted in lieu of replaced mine! I replaced my tops with solid surface tops and painted my cabinets (bottom dark blue grey and uppers white with white subway tile backsplash and I luv them. Good luck!
  • Al Al on Mar 14, 2015
    Here's what we did. I think we had the exact Formica in house we just moved into.
  • Kathleen linn Kathleen linn on Mar 14, 2015
    My daughter put a sheet of tin as a backsplash. It looks great modern yet simple
  • Creative Services ltd Creative Services ltd on Mar 14, 2015
    Here's another look before the new tile installation.
  • Irish53 Irish53 on Mar 14, 2015
    just use a dark grout. It doesn't always have to be white to match
  • Lorrie Lorrie on Mar 16, 2015
    I used Rustoleum Countertop transformation. Took me a whole weekend and cost about $300 but the results were beautiful. Big suggestion. Have a wet/dry vac handy. Instructions don't say you need one, but trust me, it helped a lot.
  • Christina Christina on Mar 17, 2015
    How about aluminum diamond plate metal? You can get it in long, continuous slabs, for lack of a better word, and there are no grout lines. Another cool thing I've seen is covering a colorful textile with glass. You can easily wipe the glass clean and change out the fabric if you like. I suppose you could do the same thing with wallpaper behind glass, too. Here are some more grout-less materials: www.houselogic.com/home-advice/maintenance-repair/groutless-tile/?eo_sm_sa_ch