Last year I helped my sister give her original 1950’s kitchen a budget-friendly but impactful makeover – complete with new and painted cabinets, new countertops, and new flooring. She later decided she wanted to add a backsplash, but she wasn’t sure she wanted to spend the time or money to install a real tile backsplash.

After researching options, we decided that a Smart Tiles peel and stick backsplash would be the perfect solution. We liked Smart Tiles because, unlike other peel and stick tiles we’d seen, Smart Tiles look like real tile.

They’re thicker than a sticker or wallpaper, they are easy to clean, won’t mold, and don’t yellow or crack. They also have been around the longest of the peel and stick options, and there are tons of reviews online singing their praises.

I reached out to Smart Tiles, and they generously agreed to donate the product for this project. My sister chose the Smart Tiles Square Velden pattern, and in just one day we installed her new peel and stick kitchen backsplash. This new backsplash upgraded the look of her 1950’s kitchen even more, and I can’t wait to give you all the details!

How Do You Install a Smart Tiles Peel and Stick Backsplash?

Installation of this peel and stick backsplash was fairly straightforward. Here are the tools and supplies we used (note that some of these links are affiliate links. You can read my disclosure policy for more information.):

• Smart Tiles Peel and Stick Tile
• TSP or Krud Kutter
• Level
• Pencil
• Utility knife with new/sharp blade
• Scissors
• Self-healing cutting mat
• Non-slip ruler
• Printer paper
• Tape

Peel and Stick Tile Preparation

My sister cleaned the walls with Krud Kutter before I arrived, giving them enough time to thoroughly dry before we installed the tiles.

We then checked the countertops to make sure they were all level, which they were. Had they not been level, we would have drawn a level line on the wall in the location where the top of the first row of tile would stick. This is to ensure that the peel and stick tile is level on the wall.

Starting in the Corner

Since this backsplash needed to go on two walls, we started the Smart Tiles installation in the corner. In order to get the appearance of a grout line running down the center of the corner wall, we started by trimming off the inner edge of one set of tile so that it looked like this:

When we put it on the wall, it looked like this:

We then put the next set of tiles on the adjacent wall, and it looked like this:

You can see that the “half tile” on that second row is missing. At the end of installation, we cut a half piece, with a grout line, and stuck it in the gap. This created the look of the grout line running down the corner of the wall. You will see that in the completion pictures later in this post.

Once we had the corner tiles installed, we worked our way down the walls – installing as many full pieces as possible, and overlapping the edges with Smart Tiles’ awesome overlap system that helps ensure you get a properly spaced look upon installation.

Cutting the Peel and Stick Backsplash

When it came time to cut peel and stick tiles to accommodate outlets and around things like the windowsill, we used computer printer paper to create templates that we taped onto the tiles and then cut directly through. My mom was actually the rockstar template maker, and this helped installation go really fast!

Depending on the shape we needed to cut, we alternated between using the utility knife and scissors for cutting the Smart Tiles.

Finishing the Peel and Stick Tile Edges with Smart Tiles Smart Edge

One of the other reasons my sister and I chose a Smart Tiles backsplash is because of the corresponding Smart Edge strip pieces that you can use to finish the edges of a peel and stick backsplash. Instead of just being left with raw edges, the Smart Edge pieces trim out the ends just like on a real tile backsplash!

These Smart Edge pieces were easy to cut with scissors. I cut mitered edges for the corners, and they really finished off the backsplash ends nicely.

The Finished Smart Tiles Backsplash and Frequently Asked Questions

In several hours on a Saturday (including a nice Jimmy John’s and cupcakes lunch break – ha!), we added this beautiful peel and stick backsplash that looks good and functions well. This project was a total win!

I know there are a lot of questions surrounding Smart Tiles peel and stick tile backsplashes, so I’ll do my best to answer them.

Are Smart Tiles removable or renter-friendly?

During the installation process, we were able to move the Smart Tiles around as needed. However, in certain spots they did remove some of the paint when we lifted them up. Because of that, I wouldn’t say that they’re totally renter-friendly the way a tile sticker might be, for example.

The adhesive on these is strong so that they will stay on the wall and not fall off over time. They’re not meant to peel off the way a window cling comes off of a window, for example. The beauty of Smart Tiles is that when you’re ready to remove them, you can easily do so without causing significant damage to your wall (like my husband and I did during our DIY Kitchen Remodel!).

Are Smart Tiles Waterproof?

Smart Tiles are not waterproof, but they are water-resistant in that they keep water off the wall. They are also heat and humidity resistant, which is perfect in a kitchen!

You would not want to install these in a very wet place like a bath tub or shower, however!

Do Smart Tiles Stick to Textured Surfaces?

A huge positive of this peel and stick backsplash is that the walls were not totally flat in all places. At one point there was a pass through in the wall to another room, and the patch that covered it was good but not seamless. The Smart Tiles covered those variations with no problem.

Also, I brought home a leftover Smart Tiles piece and stuck it on mosaic tile in my powder room to see how it would work to cover tile. It sticks perfectly and you cannot even see the texture of the tile beneath! I was shocked. So yes, Smart Tiles work to cover textured walls and tile.

Where Can I Buy Smart Tiles?

As I mentioned, we received these Smart Tiles direct from the manufacturer. You can visit the Smart Tiles website to check out all of the patterns and also to place an order.

Good news for Americans is that certain Smart Tiles patterns are also available at home improvement stores like Home Depot and Lowes!

My sister is so happy to have her new backsplash to complete her kitchen, and I am always happy when she’s happy. If you have any questions about Smart Tiles peel and stick backsplashes, please leave me a comment below or send me a DM on Instagram!

Have you heard the expression “always never done”? That’s the perfect way to sum up my kitchen makeover project! Although I declared it finished last spring, I was wrong. (Shocker.)

I decided to add DIY cabinet end panels with shaker style trim to dress up the cabinet bases and tie into the kitchen soffit disguise.

Adding trim to the cabinet bases to create the look of nicer end panels did a lot for the look of this kitchen, and I’m really glad I did this. It was actually very easy, and something even a novice DIY’er could accomplish.

Supplies Used to Create DIY Cabinet End Panels

These are the supplies and tools I used to do this project exactly as shown in this post. Some of the links are affiliate links, and you can read my full disclosure policy for more information.

• 1/4″ x 4″ select grade wood boards (note: if covering a gap at the bottom of the cabinet base, make sure the 4″ width will completely cover that. You may need to get a wider board if your gap is larger than mine.)
• Miter saw (alternatively you could use a circular saw or even a hand saw)
• Brad nailer
• Tape measure
• Speed square
• Contour gauge (if cutting wood to fit flush with baseboards)
• Jigsaw (if cutting wood to fit flush with baseboards)
• Pencil
• Caulk
• Wood filler
• Sandpaper
• Primer & paint
• Small crow bar or pry bar (if removing shoe trim or quarter round from cabinet bases)

How to Add Shaker Style Trim to Cabinet End Panels

While there was nothing technically wrong with my cabinet bases, they felt plain to me and they were pretty beat up along the edges. I brainstormed for a long time on how to make them look better, and I decided that making them look more like the soffit trim we previously added would be the best bet.

My cabinets had a pieces of shoe trim at the base, so I began by removing that trim along the bases where I was adding the trim or panels. I also had to remove the adjoining shoe trim pieces because they would stick out too far once the new base panels were complete.

With the shoe trim removed, I then measured the distance from underneath the countertop to the floor, and used my miter saw to cut one piece of 1/4″ x 4″ wood to that size. I then used my brad nailer to attach it to the left side of the cabinet base.

I repeated the measuring and cutting process, and attached another board to the right side of the cabinet base. The left and right measurements were slightly different, so it’s important to measure for each piece and not assume that they’ll be the same!

Next, I measured the top piece and bottom piece, cut those boards, and attached them with the brad nailer.

This first one was the easiest cabinet base to add paneling to because it only needed perfectly straight boards.

Cutting Trim to Accommodate Baseboards

The other two cabinet bases are attached to a wall and have adjacent baseboards, which meant that I either needed to remove (and replace) the baseboards, or cut two of the wood panel pieces to fit snugly with the curvature of the baseboards.

I chose the latter option and used a contour gauge to trace the profile of the baseboards onto the wood trim. I always wanted to use one of these tools because they remind me of those toys that look like nails and they make a perfect impression of your hand, face, whatever. But I digress . . . ;-P

Then I cut out that squiggly design (I’m sure that’s a technical way to describe it) with the miter saw, and it fit perfectly!

I added all of the trim just as I did for the first cabinet base.

Cabinet Base Panels Finishing Work

Once that was finished, I filled holes with the wood filler, caulked all along the edges, primed, and painted. I also added new shoe trim to the fronts of the cabinets where the toe kick remained.

Before finishing it all up, I popped on a new outlet cover that blends with the painted cabinets. It’s a special cover that goes over the existing outlet, so no electrical work is required and you’re not painting the actual outlet – just the decorator cover.

I’m so happy with how it all came together! And, I’m really proud that I did this 100% all by myself. Let me know if you have any questions in the comments below or by messaging me on Instagram!

As part of my sister’s 1950s kitchen makeover, we updated her linoleum with a peel and stick kitchen floor applied right on top of it.

This post is not sponsored and I have no affiliation or relationship with the company that makes FloorPops tiles – the peel and stick we used here. This is a totally unbiased review of their peel and stick floor tiles meant to, help you!

Also, I’m not going to give you a step-by-step of installation for these floor tiles because the instructions that come with them are great. I will share tips that we learned, which helped us along the way.

This post contains affiliate links. Read my full disclosure policy for more information.

Before Installation: How to Prepare a Floor for Peel and Stick Tile

Before we even stuck one tile in place, my sister had to do some dirty work.

She scrubbed the old linoleum clean and used a heavy duty floor stripper product to get up all of the built-up wax on the surface. The floors still looked yucky even after all that cleaning!

Once the floor dried, she primed it with a multi-purpose primer. Simply2Moms recommended it in their blog post about peel and stick vinyl tiles in the laundry room. She let that dry overnight.

(P.S. sorry for my man hands in the below photo: I didn’t polish them since I was doing manual labor! :-))

The FloorPops instructions didn’t say anything about priming the underlying floor, but because the linoleum was so old and probably still had some wax or polish build up in the divots, we figured better safe than sorry!

FloorPops Vinyl Tiles

For my sister’s kitchen, we used FloorPops peel and stick vinyl tiles in the Parthenon pattern, which seems to only be available at Floor and Decor.

To help give some perspective, she spent around $275 on tile for her kitchen, which included a box of extra tile to keep for future replacements, if needed.

FloorPops are available at many other stores and in many other patterns.

You can buy them at Amazon, Home Depot, and even on WallPops’ website (they make FloorPops).

Peel and Stick Tile Installation: a One Day Project

The day after my sister cleaned and primed the linoleum, we got to work!

We started by finding the rough center of the kitchen and drawing a straight horizontal line intersected with a vertical line on the floor in Sharpie. Then we pressed the first tile into place, and rolled over it with our tile roller tool.

The tile roller tool really helped press that adhesive to the linoleum floor. I definitely recommend using one if you plan to install peel and stick tile over linoleum.

If you’re wondering why we started laying the tile in the middle of the room, you should watch my video on starting in the center!

We worked outward from the center in a staircase pattern, for the most part, and made sure to look at each tile closely to line up the patterns as much as possible.

We left a border around the edges to complete last.

Amy at The Crazy Craft Lady gave us a helpful tip for sizing the edge pieces in her YouTube video. Definitely watch her video if you plan to install FloorPops in your home!

We cut the edge pieces using a combination of a self-healing mat and utility knife, and regular scissors! The self-healing mat / utility knife combo worked great for straight cuts. The scissors were perfect for cutting pieces that had notches, etc.

The edge pieces went in easily, and once we finished installing all of the peel and stick tiles, my sister added new shoe trim around the baseboards to help hold the tiles in place even better. This also gave the floor a more finished look.

And in case you’re wondering: yes, we tiled underneath the refrigerator and oven! #nottoofun

Are FloorPops Durable?

When I posted a video of our peel and stick tile installation on TikTok, many people asked about the durability of FloorPops, especially in a kitchen.

At the time of writing this post, my sister has only had these in her kitchen for four months, but they’re holding up great.

There has not been any peeling of the tiles, nor have there been any adhesion issues. The tiles are staying put and looking great!

How Do You Clean FloorPops Peel and Stick Tile?

People were also very interested in how you clean these peel and stick tiles, especially in a kitchen!

My sister mops them as she did her linoleum floor, but she makes sure not to use too much water. Since there is no grout in between the tiles, she doesn’t want to get water in between those gaps and cause problems with them sticking.

Of course they vacuum nicely, too.

One thing we were worried about was if adhesive would puddle or ooze between the tiles and cause crumbs and dirt to get stuck there. This has not been a problem at all – thank goodness!

My FloorPops Review

All in all, I definitely recommend FloorPops peel and stick tiles for certain situations.

I would not look at these peel and stick tiles as a long-term flooring solution. I think they’re perfectly suited for a facelift that you want to get a few to several years out of before upgrading to a more traditional floor type.

In this case, my sister and her husband plan to renovate the kitchen in the future, so the FloorPops were the perfect flooring update while they wait to renovate.

They’re easy to install, come in a multitude of on-trend colors and patterns, and clean nicely. They are a fantastic option for anyone looking to make a budget-friendly update, while recognizing they will not last as long as regular flooring.

Leave me a comment here or message me on Instagram if you have any questions!

-Bre

My sister and her husband recently purchased their first home and welcomed their first baby. While they loved much about their new house, they did not love the dated and barely functional 1950s kitchen.

The 1950s Kitchen Before: Aesthetic and Functional Problems

There was no dishwasher, and with lots of baby bottles to be washed, that was a problem. The range vent hood also hung so low over the stove that it made it almost impossible to use the back burners.

Limited cabinet space forced them to use a mash up of bookcases to store food and appliances. At least they had that great wall-mount telephone to call their friends! Ha.

And style-wise, well, I think the photos speak for themselves. What is hard to tell in these photos is that the yellow gingham wallpaper also covered the ceiling. It made a statement. The large exposed hinges on the cabinets also drove my sister crazy.

In addition, there were two types of countertops (wood-look laminate and black tiles), and multiple styles of tile backsplash – all of which were falling off the wall.

In short, this kitchen was a HOT MESS.

Kitchen Remodel: The Plan

My sister and brother-in-law planned to do a gut renovation of the space (like, with real contractors and designers). But when they realized their remodeling priorities would need to shift with the addition of a new family member, I devised a plan to remodel their kitchen for both looks and function . . . DIY style.

Having just completed my own DIY Kitchen Makeover, I decided to torture myself again.

Here is the official proposal and plan, which I scribbled on notebook paper Memorial Day weekend 2021. It’s very sophisticated, as you can tell.

Since my sister and brother-in-law are both teachers and had the summer off of work, we decided to tackle this 1950s kitchen remodel project as a team, and with the help of many others, so that their kitchen would be ready to go before school started again.

We got to work almost immediately! It was a lot to take on, but so much fun (not always – I’m not going to lie to you!)! We worked hard to make the kitchen look so much better, and work better for the family, and I am so proud to show you how it all turned out!

DIY 1950s Kitchen Makeover: The Process

A lot of the work was completed by my sister and brother-in-law while I wasn’t there. We live in different states, so it was impossible for me to be there all of the time! During the times I wasn’t there, I was obsessively calling my sister to make sure they were staying on track with the insane job list I’d given them.

They started by removing the wallpaper, repairing the walls, and painting the walls and ceiling Sherwin Williams Moderne White. My brother-in-law also removed that low-hanging vent hood and shortened the upper cabinet to accommodate an over-range microwave / vent combo.

Once these jobs were complete, my mom, kids, and I crashed in to do an intense three day cabinet painting marathon. We took turns sanding, priming, painting, and entertaining children. We could not have done this so quickly without my mom taking care of the kids and pitching in to paint while the baby was napping!

Having painted my own kitchen cabinets months earlier, I knew exactly what to do, so we were able to pound this out. (And hey, if you’re interested in learning how to paint cabinets, check out my digital cabinet painting ebook, which gives you EVERYTHING you need to do this job right!)

For these cabinets, we used Behr Cabinet and Trim Enamel in Hillside Green. I really liked working with this cabinet paint because the recoat time was much faster than Benjamin Moore Advance. I also think it covered and self-leveled nicely.

Once we finished painting the cabinets green, we felt like the kitchen was already looking so much better!

The next project in this kitchen was covering up the old linoleum, which was discolored and dingy no matter how many times it was cleaned. My sister scrubbed the floors and removed all of the wax buildup, and then primed them with a self-adhesive tile primer.

The next day she and I worked like crazy while my mom watched our kids (she was the MVP for sure), and we put down an entire new peel and stick floor right over the old linoleum! (Check out this post on her Peel and Stick Kitchen Floor!)

I loved this part of the project; it was exhilarating to see this kitchen change right before our eyes! This peel and stick tile is beautiful and very nice quality. I don’t think it will last forever, but it will do the trick until my sister and her husband are ready for a full renovation.

On the wall where the bookcases previously served as a pantry, we added floating shelves, new cabinets painted to match the original 1950s cabinets, and a portable dishwasher. Yes, that’s right, a portable dishwasher! My sister and brother-in-law just roll it over to the sink when it’s time to do the dishes. It’s been a game changer for them.

During this process, my sister was sharing her progress on Instagram, and one of her co-workers saw that we needed help with some electrical. She enlisted her husband, a contractor, to help, and he spent 1.5 days with my brother-in-law teaching him how to fix the electrical issues. Can you believe that generosity?

Once that was taken care of, the new countertops could be installed. My sister opted for a beautiful marble-look laminate as a durable and budget-friendly countertop. She went through Home Depot for installation, and they did a great job!

The Kitchen Remodel Reveal

Although there are still a few minor details to be wrapped up in this kitchen, after about four months of work it is 95% finished! I am so happy for my sister and brother-in-law because they have a kitchen that makes them feel good when they step inside, and it actually works for them now!

The original 1950s cabinets look so much better painted in Behr Hillside Green, and updated with gorgeous hardware that was gifted to us by D Lawless Hardware.

My sister chose flat black hinges, black knobs, and black pulls to coordinate with the black appliances in the kitchen. I’ve purchased hardware from D Lawless before (including for my Oak China Cabinet Makeover), and the price and quality cannot be beat. The updated hardware was a huge improvement from the original 1950s cabinet hardware!

In case you’re missing the gingham wallpaper that previously covered the walls and ceiling, don’t worry. We saved a piece of it and used it as artwork in the kitchen. Aaah, memories.

Unfortunately, one relic of the 1950s kitchen that didn’t survive was the wall-mounted telephone. Taking its place is an entirely new bank of cabinets, the portable dishwasher, and gorgeous DIY open shelving that houses items my sister and her family actually use, as well as decorative items to give the space personality. (I think we’ll take the shelves over the phone.)

The toe kick panels still need to go on the base of the cabinets, but you get the idea of what this will look like when it’s totally finished.

This added counter space and storage (including pull-out trash), has been incredible for the livability of this kitchen!

This 1950s kitchen remodel was a lot of work, but it was an incredible joy for me to get to spend time with my sister and our families, and to make such a difference in her happiness and home.

With the constant flow of home renovation content on television, Instagram, and blogs, it can feel like a total renovation is the only option for updating a kitchen and making it work for you. But that is not the case: with some creative planning and hard work from family and friends, you can create a space you love and that works for you, without spending a small fortune!

Thank you for reading all about this project that we poured our hearts and souls into. Please let me know if you have any questions or need a pep talk! You can leave me a comment here, or find me on Instagram!

If you have hardwood floors, you know how frustrating it is to see scratches marring their beauty.  After lots of trial and error, I have figured out the easiest hardwood floor scratch repair technique, and it doesn’t involve ANY sanding at all!

I can’t tell you how excited I am about this hardwood floor fix.  It may seem dumb, but I lived with unsightly white scratches on my hardwood floors for years before finding this solution.  It takes about 20 minutes and costs hardly anything to fix.  

Supplies Needed to Fix Scratched Hardwood Floors Without Sanding

This post contains affiliate links.  To read my full disclosure policy, please click here.

• DAP Wood Blend Sticks (get the color that matches your hardwood floors most closely.  There are packs for dark wood and light wood)
• Clean, dry, lint-free cloth (tip: I like to use cut up men’s undershirts for this)
• S.C. Johnson Paste Wax (if your floor is not finished with glossy poly or in an ultra-matte finish)

Hardwood Floor Scratch Repair with a Wax Stick

After replacing some furniture in my living room, scratches left on the floor from the old furniture were really starting to bother me.  There were large sections of white marks that stuck out like a sore thumb all over the place.

Then one day while digging through my utility drawer (aka the “who knows what’s in there drawer”), I found a pack of DAP Wood Blend Sticks.  I have no idea where these things came from.  I have no memory of buying them and neither does my husband.  But I digress.  Anyway, I decided to see if they would fix my scratched wood floors problem.

Step One: Rub the Wax Sticks on the Hardwood Scratches

I cleaned up the section of the floor where I needed to work, and then I started rubbing the wood blend sticks over the scratches – kind of like I was coloring on the floor.  (My three-year-old was watching me the whole time, and I just know that I’m going to find Crayola crayon drawings on the floor sometime soon.)  

I used several of the colors that came in the pack, since my floors vary in tone from place to place.  

Step Two: Buff off the Excess Wax

After I applied a lot of blend stick to the scratches, I let it sit for a couple of minutes.  Then I grabbed a lint-free cloth and got to work buffing the areas I’d colored.

I had to use a lot of elbow grease to get all of the excess wax stick off of the floor.  It was easy to tell when I’d removed all of the excess blend stick from the floor because the cloth moved over those spots easily and it no longer felt sticky to the touch.

The scratches looked much less pronounced after I’d done that, but it wasn’t totally perfect yet.

Step Three: Apply Paste Wax

I then grabbed the S.C. Johnson Paste Wax that I love to use on my furniture refinishing projects, and I applied a thin layer over the scratched areas.  

Once it had been on there for about twenty minutes, I buffed the excess off and was SO EXCITED to see that the scratches on my hardwood floors were virtually invisible now!  Everything blended together so nicely and the floor looked beautiful once again!  

Of course if you put your face right up to the scratches you can see them because there are still the scratch indentations there (I didn’t sand anything down after all), but to a person who isn’t checking the floor out with a microscope, they look beautiful once again.  

This little trick for fixing scratched hardwood floors without sanding has made a big difference in the look of my floors.  And it is so inexpensive (compared to refinishing!), and easy!  

If you have any hardwood floors that are in need of touching up, I recommend giving the DAP Blend Sticks and Paste Wax a try.  Remember to only use the Paste Wax if your floors have a finish of a subtle sheen (as opposed to gloss or matte).