Tired of Subway Tile? Here's a Fresh Alternative
Posted by Kirsten Sharp on Jan 14th 2021
When I talk with clients, the conversation often leads to subway tile: Is it trendy? Is it dated?
Shown Above: 3x6" Handmade Subway Tile in Julep Crackle
And many times, clients feel like they should use subway tile, even if they think it's a little boring.
I have a few things to say about this - One is, you can't go wrong with subway tile. It's been a classic, timeless choice for many years now, and will continue to be classic and timeless for many years to come. Some think it's "trendy", but I would argue that's because subway tile is a timeless choice that happens to be quite popular right now.
Shown Above: 3x6" Handmade Subway Tile in Julep Crackle
And for those who feel they should use subway tile (even if they don't love it) I'd say is this: If subway tile doesn't fill you with joy, don't use it! There are so many other options for backsplash tile - many of which are equally timeless and classic (if that's the look you're going for), so don't feel like you have to pick subway tile.
If, however, you love subway tile but you just wanted something a liiiiittle different, I've got some ideas for you.
A few years back, we introduced this trim called Pearl Liner. Designed to go in between two tiles, once everything is grouted only the "pearls" show.
Shown Above: Pearl Liner Trim pieces in Cream
We also released a new product called Subway with Pearl Liner Trim. Sold by the square foot, this option includes enough subway and Pearl Liner trim to do one row of trim for every row of subway tile (as shown below). This includes a bit of a discount from what it would cost to buy the subway and Pearl Liners separately.
Shown Above: 3x6" Handmade Subway Tile in New Satin White and Pearl Liners in Glossy White
But this is just one way to use Pearl Liners - you, our lovely readers, have gotten really creative about how to use them.
This client used one row of Pearl Liners every second row of subway tiles.
Shown Above: 3x6" Handmade Subway Tile in New Satin White and Pearl Liners in Glossy White | Photo Credit: The Black Goose Design
And some of you spotted this concept photo and replicated it in your own kitchens - This shows our Pearl Liner mixed with 4.25 x 4.25" Field Tile.
Shown Above: 4.25 x 4.25" Field Tile in Chameleon with Pearl Liner trim in Glossy White
You could also mix our Pearl Liners with subway/field tile from another manufacturer - This is a great way to add a little bit of Julep Tile but keep costs down.
Seeing as how there are so many ways to use Pearl Liners, and since it generally takes quite a few pieces of trim to pull it off, we're pleased to announce a bulk discount - Any orders for over 100 pieces of Pearl Liner will receive a 10% discount. No coupon code needed, the website will automatically apply the discount for you at checkout.
So if you've been considering subway tile but were on the fence, hopefully this gives you some alternative ideas.
Need samples of our subway tile and Pearl Liner trim? You can order them in our Simple Sample Pack.
Shown Above: Handmade field tiles in New Satin White with Pearl Liner Trim in Glossy White
And spoiler alert, we're revamping our Favorites Sample Pack to include a wider variety of tile to choose from... perhaps even Pearl Liners! (wink, wink, nudge, nudge)
So keep an eye out for that in the coming weeks, and in the meantime you can find all our sample options here:
