Project Lily: The Herringbone Wall We Love
We used glossy cream herringbone tile to bring Project Lily's navy cabinets, light uppers, brass hardware, and Wolf range together.
Georgia Home Design
Winnipeg, MB
There is always one decision that makes a room click into place. In Project Lily, it was the backsplash. We chose a glossy cream tile in a herringbone pattern to warm up the long cooking wall and connect the navy base cabinets, pale uppers, white counters, brass hardware, natural wood floor, and stainless Wolf range.
We selected and installed the tile with Task Reno, and Shray Doors supplied the cabinetry. This page takes a closer look at that one finished wall and the details that helped it feel balanced. The earlier cooking wall had warm wood cabinets and a metallic subway tile. The new herringbone is the finish that lets the completed wall feel whole.
View the full Project Lily post on Instagram
Finding the finish between light and dark
This kitchen already had several confident elements: dark navy cabinetry at floor level, much lighter cabinets overhead, warm brass pulls, white counters, a natural wood floor, and a professional-style stainless range. The backsplash needed enough personality to complete such a large wall without competing with all of them.
A plain white field would have made the space between the cabinet colours feel flat. A darker or high-contrast tile could have crowded the range wall. Cream gave us the middle note we needed. It brings warmth and movement while staying close enough to the upper cabinets and counters to keep the room feeling bright.
Finished cooking wall
Getting the herringbone just right
Herringbone has a beautiful energy, but it needs a thoughtful starting point. We centred the pattern on the hood and range so the diagonal lines meet the focal point evenly. From there, the same layout continues across the worktops on both sides, turning separate counter sections into one continuous cooking wall.
The tile has a softly irregular, glossy face. During the day it reflects natural light in little shifts instead of one flat shine. In the evening, under-cabinet lights bring out the texture and illuminate the counters. We used a close grout colour so you can enjoy the geometry without every joint feeling heavily outlined.
Why the whole wall feels balanced
The warm undertone of the backsplash softens the transition from navy below to light cabinetry above. It also speaks to the brass pulls and wood floor, making those warmer elements feel connected. Stainless steel on the range and hood can remain the strongest material at the centre because the cream tile gives it a calm background.
This was a finish-focused part of the project, not a new kitchen layout. We approached the entire cooking wall as one composition: dark storage below, light storage above, a centred appliance, and a warm patterned surface connecting everything in between.
The before view makes that choice easier to read. Warm wood cabinets and a brushed metallic subway tile gave the earlier wall a different temperature and a flatter pattern. The cream herringbone keeps the professional range, but it lets navy, brass, and white share the wall more gently.
Up close, the glaze and herringbone give the wall texture and charm. From across the kitchen, the range still sits at the centre of a clear, balanced shape. That is what we wanted for Project Lily: a backsplash with enough character to be remembered, but enough softness to let the whole room shine.