Second Thoughts
Me?! Have second thoughts about the work I’ve done?!? Never. Well, almost never. Ok, damn it, all the time. Today I cut and sort of installed the marble backsplash on the two corner cabinets. The pieces of marble are cut to length, but the ends aren’t finished and they are not secured to anything. They are just sort of sitting in place for the party tomorrow. The plan is to finish them this weekend. Here is a picture of the one I’m having problems with.
There are two problems with this picture. But before I get in to that, let’s all take a minute to admire the beauty of this marble. This picture just does not do it justice at all. The veining and splotches of gray and black look like something from a 1970s acid trip….a good acid trip. It is just beautiful.
Its not like what you are seeing is a mistake or anything. This is how I planned it, but to me this is an excellent example of how things can appear in my mind in one way, and then in reality they don’t really work. The plan was to always have the casing come down and meet the counter and then have the backsplash sit in between the casing. This is not right.
The backsplash should extend to the end of the counter and then the casing come down on top of the backsplash. To be honest, even that is barely acceptable. If I had had the room I would have the casing go all the way down to the floor on either side of the cabinet and then the backsplash fill-in between the casing. Maybe this lead to my obvious design flaw. In my mind I was picturing casing and backsplash and not taking in to account that the counter was going to be filling in more room than it normally would.
The other problem is the thickness of the backsplash. This should be the twoseeem marble (that is 2 centimeter marble for the uninitiated). I had originally intended to get twoseeem marble for both the counter and backsplash. The twoseeem marble is about the same thickness of the casing. What I ended up having to get was the threeseeem marble (That would be 3 centimeters). It works for the counter but doesn’t work for the backsplash. It just looks odd.
So here are my choices. One, do nothing. Finish off the pieces as best I can and hope that I won’t notice after a while. Two, get longer pieces of threeseeem marble that will extend the full width of the counter and cut the casing back. The guys at the marble place have already told me they don’t have now, nor do they have any plans in the future, to bring in more twoseeem marble. Three, get rid of the marble altogether and make a wood backsplash and paint it the same color as the beadboard. Four, go back to the monument maker who has small pieces of twoseeem (I think) and see if he will cut me new backsplash pieces. This would only really work if it was a good match to what is there now.
I haven’t done a poll in a long time, so let’s put it too a vote. Of course, I’ll end up doing what I want any way, but just like in national politics, it will give you the feeling that you really have a say it what is going to happen.
14 comments:
If you point out the problems people will say "Yeah, it might look better if you did...."
Don't say anything and people will say "You did that yourself?!"
Leave it alone and let people pat you on the back for a job well done.
I voted for "make wooden backsplash" but really think it would look best with no backsplash at all. Why do you need one on a counter/cabinet that doesn't have a sink?
Jeff,
You make a good point, but really this is more about me. It bugs me, and if it bugs me, it doesn't really matter what others think.
Kathy,
In the case of this cabinet, the beadboard does not go all the way down. It needs a backsplash of some sort.
Looking at the previous pic without the marble, I would have to agree with Kathy-no backsplash. How big is the empty space with just the marble counter top in place? Maybe a fancy piece of molding painted to match would fit in better? I'm a big fan of molding.
Karen
Why not sink the back splash into the wall (as it is) so that it is flush with the edge of the casing and the bead board meets it on top, near the front edge. This would clean up the look of it, and it would look more elegantly finished.
Ernest
I vote wood backsplash... it will frame the upper wall nicely, and create a "picture frame" effect up there. The marble backsplash looks a bit heavy.. that could be from the extra "seem", I suppose!
What if you cut a profile into the upper edge of the backsplash (like you did with the marble island top)? It might make the backsplash not seem quite so heavy, and would provide a softer trasition from the beadboard.
I agree with Jennifer. I think a wooden backsplash would great.
Another vote for no backsplash. I think it would look better with the beadboard going all the way down to the marble countertop.
Would a moulding with the same profile as on the front of the cabinet marble top be big enuff to compensate for the shortness of the beadboard?
HPH
I don't know if it's just my monitor, but the counter and backsplash seem to be 2 different marble patterns & colors. In my opinion that's at least as much of a problem as the difference in depth and the issue with the casing.
My first choice: no backspash, leave the casing alone, and extend the beadboard down to the counter. Second choice: get the 2 cm. marble and have the casing come down to meet it, but only if the backsplash and counter marble are the same, providing a continuous flow. If neither option is possible, I would go with a wood backsplash or moulding to cover the gap in the beadboard and leave the casing as is.
Do whatever it takes to make it right or it will bother you every time you look at it...think back to the crooked tile in the bathroom wall and the white floor grout you decided to change to gray? Are you sorry or glad you went back and did those over?
No backsplash.
I always thought you were doing a wood backsplash.
I voted for the wood backsplash (since you must have one). I think it would look more unified- the marble backsplash kind of sticks out and isn't a unified element.
But your work is beautiful as always. And if it bugs you, fix it. It will always bug you. Speaking from experience here! :o)
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