How to Install Glass Backsplash

Well y’all it’s officially the second week of the spring One Room Challenge hosted by Calling It Home and we are cooking with gas! Or the equivalent of cooking with gas if the gas is glass tile and you were cutting it. *wink wink* If you missed my neutral mood board go take a quick sneak peek so you know the vision. Then it’s time to get our hands dirty and work on a fun DIY… we’re going to install glass backsplash!

Before we get started with all the fun tile saw info (because you can’t cut glass tile without a tile saw 🙂 ) let’s take a quick look at what we’re working with. Do you remember how green this kitchen was just a week ago? In the first week we went ahead and painted the kitchen cabinets and let me tell you it made alllllll the difference. Don’t believe me?

You will!

Do you see how sweet this little picture is? I came into the kitchen to get started on this little project and my adorable hubby had set up the new wet saw with a few of my smoke tiles on top… so I could take pretty blog pictures! Isn’t he the cutest?

He’s really getting the hang of this blogging thing!

This was the first time we were trying out our new tile saw so we were nervous and excited… I told the hubster not to chop off any fingers and *spoiler alert* he didn’t.

Score!

I think this little guy was the number one reason why the hubster didn’t cut off any fingers… he held it up and said “it comes with a safety key!” He cracks me up!

Once he figured out how to turn this baby on we went to the next steps: insert the blade and fill the basin with water! It even has a max fill line at the bottom there (which I completely missed the first time so the hubby won bragging rights on that one).

I had the hubs set the guide to the perfect measurements but he still insisted on marking the glass tiles with a marker. I guess the old saying measure twice cut once still applies! We ended up having tiles left over (only a couple!) but the whole day we were like a broken record “I hope we have enough tiles, I would hate to run out!”.

So he was definitely cutting these extra carefully so that we didn’t run out of tiles. Don’t get me wrong… there was definitely a first pancake. We threw out more tiles then I would like but most of that was user error… the tile saw was actually pretty darn easy to use.

Well the hubby said it was easy to use, I kept closing my eyes and running away when it was on. Don’t judge me… he’s realllllly accident prone!

Once you’ve got a few tiles ready to go it’s time to actually put these babies on the wall! (Yes those are Broncos pajamas the hubby is wearing… what can I say. No ones perfect. I told him he could wear my Stealers jammies!).

The Aspect tiles are actually peel and stick (which is kind of amazing) but once we read the instructions we found that a construction adhesive was recommended for the best results… so we broke out the adhesive! Luckily we already had a few tubes of Super Grip so we literally just had to pull it out.

We put a bit on the corners and a bit in the middle so that the adhesive could grip from almost every area… well I should say that’s how Trevor did it. I’m not quite so talented with the caulk gun and my tiles had a more all over effect.

He was not impressed.

My tiles definitely aren’t coming off though!

We worked our way around the kitchen starting one row of tile in the bottom left corner of the wall and working all the way across the bottom before moving on to the next row. Trust me we learned that the hard way by working our way along the middle of the first wall and quickly realizing the tiles were all verying off to the side.

We quickly pried the tiles off before the adhesive set, applied new adhesive and re-put the tiles up making sure to line them up with the bottom edge… much better!

Do you love the new light switch covers? The old ones were white, cracked and dirty… they definitely needed to be replaced! I almost went back with new white covers but then I saw these silver switch plates and I knew they would look fabulous with the gray, blue and white color scheme!

I kind of love them.

Just take a look at how things are coming along!! We still have a ways to go but how much better does everything look?! Mom told me to take all the cards off the refrigerator but I told her that was part of the grand finale reveal… that’s going to be a post worthy project right there! *wink wink*

Now this is my absolute favorite part of the week… maybe of the whole makeover. Which is a little silly since the cabinets took a whole week to paint, the backsplash took 6 hours to put up… and this rug took 5 minutes to unroll.

It’s just so pretty! I love how it looks in the space! I really wish we could do a nice flooring in here but even with all the improvements we’re allowed to make we are still in a rental. Which means no new floors… so we’re improvising with a pretty patterned rug.

An outdoor rug because this little guy needs to be easy to clean. It literally fills the entire space which is excellent here… I love the subtle pattern! It’s just what the space needed.

Plus it’s super soft underfoot which I was worried about… it is an outdoor rug after all! I would say it has the consistency of a jute rug and I’m definitely comfy walking around the kitchen barefoot so it’s a winner… now I just need to decide if I need another one for under the table!

The only thing I don’t love about the rug is this angle… it hits the oven and then ends (since the island is right there!) but Bitty solved that problem by conveniently posing right in the awkward space. Think she’ll be ok with hanging out there during all of my photo shoots for the next few years? I thinks so!

She’s a little diva so she loves having her picture taken but more importantly… she loves being wherever her mama is. So if I’m in the kitchen she’ll be there sitting pretty for her close up.

We’ve still got a ways to go but the kitchen is already looking like an entirely new space. It’s amazing what a coat of paint and backsplash tile can do! Next week we’re moving to the other side of the room and working on a new padded seat for the bench.

It will look so sweet paired with the slipcovers my mama helped me make! Of course, I’m impatient so while the seating is important I can’t wait for next week when we are going to get rid of those red counter tops.

They have got to go.

I’m so excited to see what amazing projects other participants come up with for this challenge! Be sure to visit Calling It Home to check out the projects being shared.

If you’re new to Happily Ever After, Etc. I’d love to extend you a big welcome! Thanks for stopping by and I hope you follow along as I work to bring this neutral kitchen mood board to life!

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