Ditch Subway Tile Backsplashes: Joanna Gaines' Gorgeous Alternative For Modern Homes

There are so many tile options out there, so why do we keep going back to the same ones? Subway tile backsplashes are classic for a reason, but if you want to make more of a statement, take a cue from Joanna Gaines. The HGTV star and Fixer Upper host knows a thing or two about finding the perfect tile for a space, and one style featured in her Lake District house offers a fresh, contemporary alternative.

If you need a reason to ditch basic subway tile and try alternative ideas, this will likely convince you. In the 2024 limited series Fixer Upper: The Lakehouse, Gaines and her husband Chip overhaul a home by Waco Lake in Texas. Blending midcentury modern style with Spanish Revival influences, Gaines incorporates small square tiles throughout the house. Arranged in a simple grid, dark green square tiles give the kitchen backsplash and coffee station nook a modern edge, while white tiles with orange grout bring a playful pop of color to a powder room wall.

Gaines has embraced this tile style in other projects, too. "For a simple, clean, and modern look, set your tiles directly on top of or beside one another," she wrote in a Magnolia blog post about tile styles. "This style fits in especially well with midcentury design." If you've been looking for a simple tile idea to replace a typical subway brickbond, let this be it.

According to the Lakehouse project sourcebook, Gaines uses Fireclay Tile's 2-by-2-inch Natural Press Ceramic Tile by Fireclay Tile in Sap Green for the kitchen and coffee nook. The deep green shade complements the home's midcentury modern style, while the small format offers a fun way to experiment with scale. 

But Gaines has a few words of advice on choosing tile sizes. "While the tiles we have included here are small in scale, you might want to consider the full range of tile sizes available for the home," she wrote in a Magnolia blog post about another project. "Large tiles can make a big impact but are typically used in rooms with lots of square footage. To put large tiles in a small bathroom might make that space appear even more compact." This is why her choice of small, grid-arranged tiles works particularly well in the small coffee nook. Here, they also prove that square tiles can do more than dress up a backsplash.

It's worth noting that at $28 per square foot, Fireclay's tiles are a splurge. For a more budget-friendly alternative, Bedrosians' Marin 2" x 2" Square Matte Porcelain Mosaic Tile, available at Wayfair, costs just $5.89 per square foot. Although the color selection is more limited, nine shades are available, including Ocean Teal, a close match for the deep green used in the Lakehouse. Whether you're remodeling a bathroom or renovating a kitchen, these little squares offer a simple way to make a big design statement.