A Backsplash for the Pantry

A backsplash for the pantry is the subject of this post.  You will see how I enhanced the look of the pantry with just two hours of work.

Hey, everyone. Welcome to a new week. We have a fun little DIY for you today that I did over the weekend. Now, mind you that I have been thinking about this project since I did my 200 mile trek  two months ago. Walking (and riding my bicycle) for hours upon hours gives me a lot of time to think, and I often think about this blog and about decorating. I was able to come up with a solution to one of my decorating issues. I have been wanting to add a cement tile backsplash to our pantry, but I did not want to actually go through with it. I wanted the look of it but without the commitment, the work, or the expense. (Please note that the pantry does not have a window, and these photos are taken with overhead lighting.)

I realize that decorative cement floors have been around for centuries. Churches in Europe are loaded with them, and I find myself taking photos of them every time we enter an old cathedral over there. However, for us here in 2019 with our modern homes, I feel they are a trend. I think they are fine for right now but will become “dated” in a few years. Because of that, I was hesitant to install real cement tiles. I knew that in a few years I would probably tire of them, and also that they would no longer be “cool.” Going through the mess of having them removed did not appeal to me.

So, I came up with a much simpler solution that gives me the look that I wanted, the color that I craved, and checked all of the other boxes. I stenciled a design onto the backsplash using a stencil that I purchased online from Cutting Edge Stencils. I couldn’t be happier with the results.

In order to give the tile some dimension, I used three colors. A medium blue, which was supposed to be navy but wasn’t, black, and light blue. Our pantry is/was very white (Pure White by Sherwin Williams), and these colors work very well with it. This is the first stenciling project that I have done since I was a newlywed, and it is still fun.

Did I make mistakes? Yes. Does it matter? No. That’s the beauty of stenciling. There are bound to be smears and uneven lines, but if you look at cement tiles, they aren’t perfect either – especially the old ones. But overall, when you look at a wall that has been stenciled, the small errors don’t show up. You just get the overall effect.

Here’s a shot of the before that I quickly took before I started stenciling.  I think the after shots are so much better.  Don’t you?  I am so happy I now have a backsplash for the pantry.

I still have some tweaking to do in our pantry. I want it to have charm and am working toward that goal, and as soon as that is accomplished, I will be back with more photos.

Have you done any stenciling projects lately, or do you plan to do any soon?

Take care.