New backsplash brings back Contac paper memories
Maybe I’ve overloaded on home redecorating television lately. Or perhaps I’ve been spending too much time admiring my neighbors’ kitchen repainting and tiling project. At any rate, I decided it was time to cover my kitchen’s mottled gray laminate backsplash with something less mottled, but much less expensive than my neighbors’ pretty but pricey subway tile.

I started researching ideas on the internet and first found self-adhesive synthetic trimable tiles that could be ordered from a manufacturer in Canada. But they were quite pricey, difficult to determine their color and, most importantly, my trusted contractor/friend had never heard of them. Then it was on to the usual building supply stores to see if I could find any other alternatives. I even looked at Contac paper, which was very limited in design.

Then, while roaming the aisles of Target, looking for inspiration, I found some self-adhesive rolls of wallcovering that looked, well, like more sophisticated Contac paper. There was even a blue and white striped design that would complement my refaced beadboard kitchen cupboards. And for less than $25 per roll, it was worth a try.

I used to be a bit of a Contac paper aficionado back in my early-apartment days. I used it mainly to cover stained shelves and drawer interiors, but had never attempted anything as large or as visible as a kitchen backsplash.

The key is to measure carefully and leave enough length for trimming with a razor. Then, as the paper is applied, the backing can be smoothed off with a ruler or yardstick to minimize bubbling. I started slow with about three feet of backsplash surface to make sure I liked the look. And I liked it so much that I finished the project in just a few hours over a few days.



You can't have too many stripes in your kitchen.

The only tricky part was matching the stripe pattern when adjusting the adhesive around the stove and outlet covers. But otherwise, it was a pretty easy application, requiring just one roll of the adhesive, and brightened up my kitchen considerably. I even hung a couple of cute 88-cent fish plates I found at Target over the stove.

 
One thing leads to another, however, so now I’m swapping out my black metal/wood kitchen set for a white one and plan to add a couple of white bar stools to improve the view of the new backsplash. Now if I can just figure out how to get rid of the mottled gray laminate countertops . . . .