CREATE A KITCHEN SPLASHBACK

HOW DIFFICULT IS IT?

Intermediate

EQUIPMENT NEEDED:

chisel hammer strip of tiles manual tile cutter tile adhesive grout cloth

“Updating tiles on a kitchen splashback can be a cost-friendly way to refresh your kitchen,” says ShoneSanders who, with her wife, recently installed a tiled splashback in their own kitchen: “If you go for hexagon mosaic tiles, they come on a meshed back so you don’t need to worry about lining up each tile,” she adds.

Try Topps Tiles for a basic – but much Instagrammed – strip of mosaic tiles (£94.87 per sq m; toppstiles.co.uk) or Fired Earth for the next level up (£149.76 per sq m; firedearth.com).

HOW TO DO IT:

Prepare the wall and strip off any old tiles. Work out the size of mosaic strip you need and cut to fit. “Cutting small mosaic tiles can be fiddly, so leave the hexagon shape at the top, as it means less cutting in and creates a nice detail,” says Shone-Sanders. If your splashback runs the full length of a wall, you may need to cut the end tiles with a manual tile cutter.

Apply tile adhesive to the wall and the back of the tiles (on the mesh side). Press the tiles to the wall and gently apply pressure.

Give the adhesive time to set, then wipe away the excess. When it is thoroughly dry – 24 hours later – mix up the grout and apply it between the tiles, working in sections and removing excess as you go.

Polish any excess off with a dry cloth when it has set. Once you’re confident, you can take your tiling up a gear…