My current kitchen has black subway tiles with white grout and everyone loves them. I bought my house with the existing kitchen and have changed the accent colour of the light shades and accessories from red to green in the last year (photo is pre green!) as I love retro mid bright green. Herb plants and glass containing cut herbs from my garden plus cheap black metal indust chic shelves that house lovely green china items also help soften the tiles. I would ideally change the benchtops from white laminate to med rimu type wood and steel, go for a darker grout for practical reasons and change the cupboards from this grey/dark brown laminate to lighter wood (not scandi white type though - I think is now getting dated and is to me a very cold style and not practical). I have my own style, love colour pops and I would best describe it as eco retro boho industrial chic - eclectic. Go for your style and if its not your forever house - think budget and what will be easy to update. I think subway tiles work well for updating and are classic but perhaps think colour instead of white or black as well and also grouting colour - it makes a difference.

Hi, I am at same stage of renovating kitchen, regional Western Australia, harder to get different but I have found these at my local tile shop, that had to be ordered in, not up yet but our house is 1960 build and I had the red brick exposed with glass over the top, while very unique and lots of positive comments it was in a chimney location and debris fell behind and I have had it replaced once to clean it up and it happened again so I am afraid it is going, I am covering with same stone as bench top in fire place but I am using some marble tiles on other area. I wanted the stone behind stove top for cleaning purposes but I love the tiles I have selected I hope they look as good once up, I agree about not wanting house stuck too much in 50/60, my bricks were red and I found it quite dark when cooking as well, I am looking forward to clean white behind stove, I actually found the harshness of the old brick a bit depressing.. I don't think industrial look is for me .. I love your lights I think I actually had them on my list... the whole look looks fabulous, I hope you are surviving, I have had enough of cooking in the laundry but I must say I could write a book on the creative gourmet using $29 electric frying pan from target, I have fallen in love with it. :)

Thanks Margot. I think I've more or less got it sorted. The only challenge remaining, I think, is finding a way to give it a visual lift. It currently has floor to ceiling tiles in a standard size, square, and a very uninteresting colour with no texture - but in very good order. Very dull! I hate grout in showers so I'm thinking maybe some Mr Wetwall panelling or something similar over the tiles in the shower and on the new wall formed by moving the linen cpd, plus on a part wall along the long side of the shower to replace the glass screens that I insist must go (I'm a lazy cleaner and I hate cleaning glass!) Hopefully that would be enough to relieve the dullness of the existing tiles. Then some feature shelving over the new bath tub perhaps. Not yet decided whether to install a freestanding back-to-wall bath or a drop-in, but the latter might provide scope for some more feature tiling or panelling around it. I want to open the room directly to the outdoors but the current window opening is only 1200mm wide and the wall is 8 inches of solid concrete - not easy to cut to enlarge the opening - so I'm looking at either a hinged door with window inset into it or a standard size glass swing door with a narrow window beside for ventilation. My other challenge is doors for the relocated linen cpd, as the existing mirror doors have got to go! I loathe them. As the cpd will be visible from the living area, it needs stylish doors.

i have not looked into the splashback pricing yet, as i am still stuck onto the colour fr the cabinets. we have to decide it tonight. I have been looking at warm whites, as suggested earlier in the thread. Antique white USA in 1/4 strength i think will go with the grey colored stone. I have read tht in full strength it throws cream tones. NOt sure if this colour scheme will work. i still have to decide the wall colours for the kitchen. We have finalised hog bristle1/4 for the living area with natural white for ceiling n trim.