She Didn’t Touch Her Gray Kitchen Cabinets, but Forest Green Tiles Changed the Entire Room
Gray cabinets, white countertops, and bare white walls made this kitchen look finished, but the backsplash was missing. Behind the gas hob, a pale glass panel protected one section of wall, while short countertop upstands ran beneath the cabinets. Nothing connected the cooking area to the sink wall except the white surfaces.
The homeowner wanted more color without painting the cabinets or replacing the countertops. She chose forest-green rectangular tiles, covering the walls behind the gas hob and sink, including the narrow sections around the window.
Posting as u/CakieStephie on Reddit’s r/kitchenremodel, she shared four photos showing the kitchen before and after the tile installation, with the cabinets, appliances, and layout left untouched.
Before: Gray Cabinets Against White Walls
Pale gray shaker cabinets wrap around the kitchen, with a built-in oven housed in tall cabinetry on the left and a stainless steel chimney hood centered above the gas hob. White countertops have faint gray veining, while gray wood-look planks run across the floor.
The cooking wall has no traditional tile backsplash. Instead, a glass panel sits between the hob and extractor hood, with painted white walls extending beneath the upper cabinets. Short white countertop upstands protect the bottom of the walls.
Above the cabinets, black storage boxes fill part of the gap beneath the ceiling. Open wooden shelves beside the window hold LEGO models, providing one of the few areas of color.
The Existing Layout Stayed in Place
From the second angle, the tall cabinet bank contains the oven and additional storage, while three wide drawers sit beneath the gas hob. Cabinet doors have recessed panels and straight metal handles, with the same gray finish extending along the sink wall.
The stainless steel sink sits beneath a double window, leaving countertop space on both sides. A long stretch of white counter continues toward the right end of the kitchen, below the open display shelves.
The renovation didn’t involve moving the sink, changing the cabinet doors, or installing a new worktop. The work concentrated on the exposed walls above the counters.
Forest Green Tiles Cover the Entire Cooking Wall
The homeowner selected Topps Tiles Matrix Wilderness Green Matt, rectangular ceramic tiles measuring 9.8 by 19.8 centimeters.
Installed in a staggered brick pattern, the tiles stretch from the countertop to the underside of the wall cabinets. White grout outlines each dark green rectangle, while the stainless steel extractor hood remains mounted above the gas hob.
The original glass splash panel has disappeared, replaced by the same green tile used across the rest of the wall. Tile continues into the left corner and along the counter toward the sink, covering the sections that previously had white paint and short upstands.
The homeowner confirmed that a tradesperson handled the installation. Asked about removing the original countertop backsplash, she said it appeared to have been glued to the wall.
The Tiles Continue Around the Window and Sink
Green tile extends along the sink wall, surrounding the lower sides of the window recess and continuing beneath the open wooden shelf on the right. The upper portion of the wall stays white, with the backsplash ending at a consistent height beyond the window.
On the cooking wall, the upper cabinets determine where the tile stops. Along the window wall, that boundary remains visible without cabinets above it, creating a green band that runs across the countertop.
The gray base cabinets, stainless steel sink, curved faucet, and white countertop haven’t changed. With the original short upstands gone, the green tiles now meet the counter surface.
She Chose Forest Green Instead of a Safer White Backsplash
White subway tiles with dark grout would have been an obvious choice for this kitchen, matching the countertops while adding a pattern to the walls. The homeowner went in another direction, choosing dark green tiles with white grout rather than another pale surface.
One Reddit commenter suggested extending the tiles to the ceiling and around the entire window, but the homeowner stopped at backsplash height, leaving the upper wall white. The result raises an interesting design question: would a full-height green wall have been too much for a kitchen with gray cabinets?
The homeowner was happy with the result, describing the matte green finish as having the feel of a forest. Another commenter thanked her for not choosing white tile.
Would you have chosen forest green, or would classic white subway tiles with contrasting grout have worked better?
Image credits go to u/CakieStephie