Moroccan Kitchen Island Backsplash in Oak Park
About This Project
This Oak Park kitchen renovation included tiling the face of the kitchen island with Moroccan-style patchwork ceramic tile. The island face was the only tile work in this phase of a larger ongoing renovation — the homeowners were working room by room while living in the house.
Moroccan patchwork tile has individual tiles of varying pattern, which means each tile is oriented differently. We laid out the full island face dry before setting, arranging tiles so no two similar patterns were directly adjacent. The patchwork effect reads best when the individual patterns are distributed evenly.
The tile is ceramic with a slightly irregular surface — typical of handmade-style tiles. We used a white polymer-modified thinset to avoid any adhesive bleed-through on the lighter tiles, and an unsanded grout in cream to complement the warm tones in the tile palette.
Project Details
- Service
- Kitchen Backsplash
- Area
- Oak Park
- Materials
- Moroccan patchwork ceramic tile, white polymer-modified thinset, cream unsanded grout
- Scope
- Residential
- Timeline
- One-day install
What We Did
- Dry-laid all tiles on island face and distributed pattern variation evenly
- Set tile with white thinset to prevent bleed-through on lighter tiles
- Grouted with cream unsanded grout to complement tile palette
- Sealed grout after cure to protect against kitchen grease and moisture
Kitchen tile project in Oak Park? Contact us for a free estimate.
