Welcome back the newest installment of our blog series: Giani Kitchen Makeover! Continue to follow along with us as we completely remodel the kitchen in our office break room using only our DIY paint kits!
We’re so happy to finally share the Subway Tile backsplash step of our makeover! We are inching towards to finish line and absolutely loving how the kitchen is developing. So much brighter, and contemporary! Check out this before and after progress:
✨ POOF! ✨ Now this kitchen is beginning to reflect our office's modern style!
The Giani Subway Tile backsplash helps to polish the space and add visual interest. We love how it pairs with the two-tone cabinets and can not wait to makeover the countertops next! (DIY marble coming soon!)
Tile can be expensive and difficult to install-- Our Subway Tile paint kit makes it quick, easy, and affordable to create a beautiful subway tile finish in just a few hours! (and for under $50!)
Each Giani Subway Tile Paint kit includes all the paint and applicators needed to makeover 30 sq ft of wall space.
The first step to any makeover is planning. If you are wanting to use both the Subway Tile Kit for your backsplash and Giani for your countertops, you'll want to set aside two weekends to complete your projects. We recommend painting your backsplash first so that you don’t accidentally get paint on your Giani finish.
Follow along with our videos for project instructions and read here for detailed written instructions.
Creating Subway Tile:
Our prep was simple; we wiped down all the walls to remove any grime, rinsed away any cleaning residue, and masked off the backsplash area with painter's tape. Just follow the standard Giani Subway Tile prep process, take your time, and your painting should be a breeze!
Now, comes the fun part – painting on your new, gorgeous Subway Tile!
Start with the Grout Base Coat. This is a warm grey shade that will act as primer and will later create the "grout lines". Apply 1 coat and let dry for 1 hour.
Then you'll use the 1/8" tape and template tools to create the grout lines.
The kit's template tools take away all the hassle of measuring! First, use the across line template tool to mark notches on both sides of your backsplash. Then, use the grout line tape to connect the notches-- creating your horizontal grout lines.
Follow the same process using your downline template tool to create the vertical lines.
You'll first make a grid and then later remove alternating lines to create the staggered 3x6 tile pattern.
Use a credit card to seal your taped grid and prevent any potential bleed through. Be sure to press firmly.
Then, you are ready to start creating the staggered tile pattern. Use a box cutter to cut the odd number lines on the bottom row. Then on the row above, cut the even numbered lines. You can see in the image below that line number 2 is being removed. Repeat these alternating steps on every other row until you’ve completed your entire backsplash area.
Now you are ready to apply 2 coats of the tile resin.
You’ll use the same painting technique as the base coat—edge in with a foam brush and then use a roller to fill in the rest. For the first coat, roll on in a vertical direction.
Place your paint applicators in a plastic bag or cover with aluminum foil to keep from drying out before your second coat. Let dry for 1 hour.
On your second coat, applying in a horizontal side-to-side direction. This will help create a uniformed finish. Again, let dry for 1 hour.
For the final painting step, you will seal with the protective topcoat. Follow the same painting process for the topcoat that you did for the Tile Resin.
And just like that, you have a beautiful new backsplash!
Pin it, and try out your own Giani Subway Tile backsplash makeover when you're ready!
If you are feeling inspired and ready to plan out your own kitchen makeover with paint, be sure to check out our homepage for all the color and design possibilities! We try our best to match the product packaging/marketing to the true color but paint colors inherently vary on different monitors and the way they appear in each person's unique home lighting and surrounding colors. To work around this issue, we offer hand painted color swatches that we are happy to send out before starting your project.
If you’d like a swatch of our paint products, click on the image below to fill out a swatch request. Or contact us here.
