How I learned to decorate around a builder-grade backsplash—and why I still haven’t rushed to replace it.
Most evenings, Jason and I eat dinner at our kitchen island. It’s where we catch up after the day, talk about weekend plans, or simply enjoy a quiet meal together.
On Friday nights, that same island often turns into our little happy hour. We’ll pour a glass of wine, sit a little longer, and talk about everything from travel plans to the next home project we’d love to tackle.
It’s usually then that my eyes drift toward the kitchen backsplash.
Not because it’s awful.
It isn’t.
It’s simply… builder grade.
When I bought this townhouse more than twelve years ago, the backsplash wasn’t something I loved, but it also wasn’t bad enough to justify replacing. It fell into that frustrating category of “good enough.” You know the kind. The things you tell yourself you’ll update one day, only to realize years have quietly slipped by.
For the longest time, I thought I’d simply learned to live with it.
Looking back now, I don’t think that’s true at all.
Without even realizing it, I started decorating around it. I leaned wooden cutting boards against the wall, created a cozy little coffee station, added warm wood tones, greenery, and collected pieces that made me smile. Little by little, my attention shifted away from the tile and toward everything else I loved about the space.
The funny thing is, I still notice that backsplash almost every day.
Not because it’s terrible.
But because, after twelve years, I still haven’t decided what should replace it.
Those simple wooden cutting boards ended up doing far more than protecting my counter tops. They added warmth, texture, and helped soften the builder-grade back splash without changing a single tile. If you’re curious, I’ve rounded up similar cutting boards and a few of the kitchen accessories I love using in my Amazon storefront.
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Disclosure: As an Amazon Affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases at no cost to you.
Every Time I Thought I would Finally Change It
For years, I kept telling myself the backsplash would be next.
The funny thing is, it wasn’t because I didn’t have ideas.
If anything, I had too many.
I’ve probably redesigned that backsplash a hundred times in my head.
At first, I was convinced I wanted brick. I’ve always loved the character of an exposed brick wall. It feels like it has a story to tell, like something you’d find in an old New York apartment or a cozy pub tucked away on a quiet street. Jason and I saw so many beautiful spaces like that during our travels, and every time I do, I fall in love with the look all over again.
Then reality would set in.
Would brick actually work in my kitchen?
Maybe not.
So my attention shifted to subway tile. It felt timeless and safe. But then another decision appeared.
Horizontal?
Vertical?
Stacked?
Offset?
Just when I thought I’d made up my mind, I’d discover another beautiful kitchen online and start questioning everything again.
Maybe square tiles.
Maybe handmade Italian-style ceramic with all those lovely imperfections.
Maybe something textured.
Maybe something smooth.
Matte?
Glossy?
Warm white?
Soft greige?
Before long, I wasn’t choosing between two ideas anymore—I was trying to choose between twenty.
That’s usually where I get stuck.
Not because I don’t know what I like.
Because I like too many things.
Then another season rolls around.
Another project catches my attention.
A trip gets planned.
This year, it was our tiny retreat at the ranch. Every spare weekend and every decorating idea seemed to end up there instead. The backsplash quietly slipped down the priority list once again.
If I’m being completely honest, I can talk myself out of almost anything.
Part of me knows that with enough YouTube videos, a little patience, and—let’s be honest—Jason beside me, we could probably tackle it ourselves.
But then another thought creeps in.
What if one tile ends up just slightly crooked?
What if one grout line isn’t perfectly straight?
Would anyone else notice?
Probably not.
Would I?
Absolutely.
I’d see it every single day.
Looking back, I don’t think the backsplash has been waiting because I couldn’t choose a tile.
I think it’s been waiting because I’ve been waiting for the confidence that comes with knowing I won’t regret the decision.
Maybe that’s something a lot of us do—not just with decorating, but with life. We wait for the perfect choice, the perfect timing, or the confidence that everything will turn out exactly as we imagined. Sometimes, while we’re busy waiting, life simply carries on around us.
If you’re currently planning a kitchen update too, I’ve saved several of my favourite backsplash inspiration ideas, kitchen accessories, and decorating finds in one easy place inside my Amazon storefront.
Without Realizing It, I Started Decorating Around It
Looking back, I don’t think I ever stopped noticing the backsplash.
I simply gave myself so many other beautiful things to look at.
It wasn’t planned.
It just happened over time.
One day I leaned a couple of large wooden cutting boards against the counter beside the stove. They added warmth and texture, and somehow my eyes landed there instead of on the tile behind them.
On the other side of the kitchen, my coffee station slowly took shape. I added a wooden riser, a ceramic utensil holder filled with wooden spoons, a small faux plant, and my little black ceramic bird that still makes me smile every time I see it.
I’ve always believed that everyday spaces should feel just as beautiful as they are practical. Most of the pieces on my coffee station were collected over time rather than purchased all at once. If you’d like to create a similar look, I’ve linked several of my favourite coffee station accessories and kitchen décor finds in my Amazon storefront.
Before long, the backsplash wasn’t the first thing anyone noticed anymore.
Then the island became another decorating project.
I found a large wooden tray with raised sides that became the centerpiece. On it sits a black-painted reindeer bust that originally came out just for Christmas but somehow never made its way back into storage. Beside it is a large fleur-de-lis finial, a faux plant, and a small vintage-looking Earl Grey tea box that was given to me as a gift last year. Whether it’s actually vintage or not, I have no idea, but I love it all the same.
It’s funny how the simplest decorative pieces often become my favourites. Some were carefully chosen, while others—like the wine corks—found their place completely by accident. If you enjoy this collected, layered decorating style, you’ll find similar trays, decorative boxes, greenery, and accessories in my Amazon storefront.
Then there are the wine corks.
Believe it or not, they were never meant to become part of the decorating.
After opening a bottle of wine one evening, I simply forgot to recycle the cork. Then another one joined it. Before long, a handful of corks were scattered across the tray. Somehow they looked intentional, so I left them there.
It’s funny how the simplest decorative pieces often become my favourites. Some were carefully chosen, while others—like the wine corks—found their place completely by accident. If you enjoy this collected, layered decorating style, you’ll find similar trays, decorative boxes, greenery, and accessories in my Amazon storefront.
Sometimes the best decorating ideas aren’t planned at all.
Jason and I even spent a couple of days adding decorative molding to the island and giving it a fresh coat of paint. It was one of those simple upgrades that made the island feel far more custom than the basic builder version we started with.
Has anyone ever commented on it?
Not once.
At least not that I can remember.
Jason and I notice it every single day though, and honestly, that’s what matters.
The funny thing is, none of these changes were really about hiding the backsplash.
They were about creating a kitchen that felt more like us.
Somewhere along the way, I realized something I hadn’t expected.
When you fill a room with details you genuinely love, the things you don’t love don’t seem quite so important anymore.
One thing I’ve learned over the years is that small changes often make a much bigger difference than we expect. If you’re looking for more affordable decorating ideas, you might also enjoy my article on decorating your home on a budget without making it look cheap.
Why the Backsplash Is Still Waiting
People sometimes ask if we’re planning to renovate our kitchen.
The answer is always the same.
“Eventually.”
I’ve learned that “eventually” has a funny way of turning into years.
Every time I thought I was finally ready to tackle the backsplash, something else became more important.
Sometimes it was another project around the house.
Sometimes it was a trip we wanted to take.
Lately, it’s been our tiny retreat at the ranch.
This summer especially, almost every decorating thought I had seemed to end up there instead. We planned projects, picked colours, talked about landscaping, and imagined how we wanted the space to feel. Funny enough, many weekends didn’t cooperate with the weather, but we still loved every minute of being there.
The backsplash quietly waited.
Again.
Looking back, I don’t regret that.
Would I love a beautiful handmade tile backsplash?
Absolutely.
But I also don’t regret the memories we’ve made instead.
I’ve realized something over the years.
A home doesn’t become beautiful because every project gets crossed off a list.
It becomes beautiful because life happens inside it.
We’ve celebrated birthdays around this island.
Shared countless dinners.
Talked through difficult days.
Made exciting travel plans.
Opened more bottles of wine than I could ever count.
Some of those corks are still sitting in that wooden tray, quietly reminding me that life doesn’t always go according to plan—and maybe that’s okay.
Would I still like to replace the backsplash?
Without a doubt.
I notice it almost every day.
But these days, when my eyes wander across the kitchen, I notice something else first.
The cutting boards.
The coffee station.
The molding Jason and I spent a weekend adding together.
The little Earl Grey tea box that still makes me smile.
Those details tell our story.
And somehow, they’ve taught me that creating a home isn’t about making everything perfect all at once.
It’s about adding pieces you love, one memory at a time.
Maybe One Day…
Will I replace the backsplash?
I’m almost certain I will.
In fact, by the time you’re reading this, I may have changed my mind another dozen times.
Knowing me, that’s entirely possible.
Maybe it’ll be handmade Italian-style tile.
Maybe classic subway tile.
Maybe something I haven’t even discovered yet.
One thing I do know is that I won’t rush it just for the sake of crossing another project off the list.
For years, I thought this article was going to end with a dramatic before-and-after photo and a brand-new backsplash.
Instead, it became something completely different.
It became a reminder that our homes don’t have to be finished before we enjoy living in them.
Sometimes the projects that wait the longest teach us the most.
Mine taught me that decorating isn’t always about replacing what you don’t love. Sometimes it’s about adding enough beauty, warmth, and personality that the things you don’t love slowly fade into the background.
Will I still notice that builder-grade backsplash tonight when Jason and I sit down for dinner?
Probably.
Will I notice the warm glow from the lamp on the counter, the wooden cutting boards, my little coffee station, the tray filled with collected treasures, and the memories we’ve made in this kitchen too?
Absolutely.
And for now…
That’s more than enough.
Although, if you happen to have a favourite backsplash style, I’d love to hear what you’d choose. Brick? Subway tile? Handmade ceramic? Or something completely different?
Who knows…
You just might help me finally make up my mind.
Continue the Story
If you enjoyed this article, here are a few more decorating stories you might relate to.
Why I Couldn’t Let This Old Buffet Go
Sometimes the most meaningful furniture isn’t the newest piece in the room.
The Grey Paint Mistake I Still Notice
How one decorating decision taught me more about colour than I ever expected.
How I Find Home Decor Online That Actually Looks Good in Real Life
The simple checklist I now use before clicking “Add to Cart.”
Shop My Home
Many of the decorative pieces I use throughout my home have been collected over the years. If you’re looking for similar décor, kitchen accessories, and home styling finds, you can browse my Amazon storefront where I’ve gathered many of my favourite pieces all in one place.
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