Formica to Fabulous: Tiling a Glass Mosaic Countertop

The Formica countertop in my daughters’ bathroom had to go…that much was clear.  Getting two teenaged girls to agree on its replacement was another matter indeed.  Granite? Tile? And what about color??  In the end, their mutual love of the ocean and all things seashore provided the answer: sea glass.  We all fell in love with a glass tile mosaic entitled Caribbean Glass with its swirls of blues, greens, and sand.  And here’s how I installed it…right over that ugly Formica.

Before

After

The tile we chose comes in a 12×12 inch square, with individual tiles glued onto a net backing.  This makes it simple to cut out and remove tiles as needed.

Powder Room Pebbles

“The beauty of Zen is found in simplicity and tranquility, in a sense of the all-embracing harmony of things.”

~ Thich Thien-An

Zen. Tranquil. Simple. This was the state I was trying to achieve when I remodeled our downstairs bathroom. Less was more, and I didn’t want to clutter the small room. However, I still desired a certain pop. A floor-to-ceiling pebble wall instead of a traditional tile backsplash achieved all of these goals.

Pebble tile is available at most tile stores and online as well. Pebble tile is sold as a mosaic, with individual pebble stones attached to a mesh backing, usually in 12×12 squares. The edges are patterned to fit together like interlocking puzzle pieces–what could be simpler?