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An Honest Review of My Peel and Stick Tiles – One Year Later

An Honest Review of My Peel and Stick Tiles – One Year Later

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Have you ever considered peel and stick backsplash tiles or removable wallpaper as a more cost-effective alternative? In this post, I am sharing my honest experience (the good, the bad and the ugly) with both of these materials.

I know I have said it before, but for those of you less familiar with my personality it is worth expressing again…I am a bit of a rebel.

You are probably thinking to yourself,  “Great! But what does this have to do with peel and stick tiles?” 

Let me freakin’ explain…

Due to my personal disdain for authority and the idea of  “working for someone else”,  I have intentionally scaled the growth of my blog to be independent of brand/product sponsorships. So what does this mean for you?

Because I haven’t developed any monetary ties with brands or their products, I can basically say whatever the hell I want to about a product without fearing the repercussions (AKA losing money or a partnership as a result of sharing a critical review of a brand or product).

This basically just means that you can always trust me to keep it real with you babes. So here I go with the  truth bombs…

Vinyl Peel and Stick Subway Tile Backsplash Review:

Last year, I completed two home improvement projects that involved the use of peel and stick subway tile backsplash and removable wallpaper.

In my laundry room, I decided to adorn the walls of my washer and dryer closet with peel and stick vinyl tile (you can read the original reveal post here)…

how my peel and stick subway tiles are holding up one year later

I had always been curious about this home improvement revelation and decided that a closet would be the perfect place to test it out.

While the installation of the tile stickers was definitely less intimidating than installing legit,  grout-able subway tiles, the process still required some basic skill and patience.

I wouldn’t claim this project to be a breeze by any stretch of the imagination. Nonetheless, it was a quicker and cheaper alternative to learning how to lay tile on the fly.

After a half day’s work, I was pretty satisfied with the result…

removable vinyl tile review

As long as you didn’t actually touch the tiles, the effect was pretty convincing.

For months it seemed to do well. That is…until I recently noticed some discoloration on the tiles (pictured below).

a review of my peel and stick backsplash tiles

While the adhesive on the tile stickers is holding up beautifully and has proven to be durable, some patches of tile are turning a dingy, yellow color (see the bottom three rows?).

Given this section isn’t exposed to water or dirt, I am pretty perplexed as to why this is happening. My husband is just as baffled.

I can only assume the discoloration is some sort of product defect. Needless to say, I am pretty disappointed with this product.

Bottom line: While the adhesive has proven to be durable so far, the discoloration of the white tiles leaves me disappointed in the product. As a result, I would not recommend this particular product to my readers.

Moving onto my experience with removable wallpaper…

My Experience with Removable Wallpaper:

One year ago, I transformed my powder room on a budget using vinyl, removable wallpaper (you can read that reveal post here)…

honest review of vinyl peel and stick back splash tiles

I was determined to give the space some much needed character, but refused to shell out the dough for real cement tiles.

Much to my delight,  I found a company on Etsy that sold removable wallpaper that looked like the real deal. (Here is the affiliate link to removable wallpaper. ) *For your shopping convenience, I have included affiliate links.*

I am not going to lie…installing wallpaper was a pain in the a$$ (it’s more of a two person job), but a pain that was totally worth it in the end…

my experience with removable backsplash tile wallpaper

(Click here for the exact wallpaper I used)

I had some readers who expressed their concern with the paper being so close to the sink, but luckily enough, this area is actually holding up beautifully. In fact, the only problem area I am dealing with is at the very top of the wall …

peel and stick vinyl tile as backsplash review

In the section of wallpaper closest to the ceiling, I have a corner of the vinyl that keeps coming detached from the wall. Whenever this occasionally (but inevitably) happens, I simply flatten it back to the wall with my hand.

Given I have seen this occur with traditional wallpaper as well, I am not really sure that the “removable” aspect of the product is to blame.

This being my first and only time installing wallpaper, it is possible this could be entirely attributed to faulty installation technique.

I can only keep my fingers crossed that the problem won’t surface on other sections of the wall. Only time will tell.

Bottom Line: Everything considered, I am still satisfied with my self-adhesive/removable wallpaper. While it was tricky to install, it made such a rewarding impact on the space. We shall see how well it holds up in its second year.

So there you have it, my friends! I hope this has given you a better idea of what to expect from self-adhesive wall treatment technologies.

You can read more articles about DIY backsplash ideas here.

Now get out there and design some good vibes!

PS. I would also greatly appreciate your support. If you found this article helpful, please be sure to share with a friend, social media or on Pinterest (Remember?? I am a bada$$ rebel who doesn’t take money from brand sponsorships, so I depend on your support alone!)…

an honest review of my DIY peel and stick tile backsplash

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ashley allen

Wednesday 27th of February 2019

So glad you did this review, I have been seriously considering using both of these products and knowing about the tile just saved me a ton of headache! The wallpaper still looks wonderful in your bathroom :)

Designing Vibes

Wednesday 27th of February 2019

I really hate to give a bad review about a product...it seriously has me wondering if its some super bizarre defect that just happened to occur under my unique circumstances (but I cannot make sense of why the hell it would have discolored when its not exposed to water or dirt).

luvmyferretz

Saturday 16th of February 2019

Great review and very helpful! I just bought a house and I'm still in the process of what to with each room and what to leave alone. I recently removed an above the stove microwave. Now what to do with the wall behind the stove. I considered the peel and stick tiles but I was a little concerned about their endurance. Thank you so much for the follow up review on them. I'm going to give them a try!

Designing Vibes

Sunday 17th of February 2019

I am so glad you found this review helpful, my friend. I hope your project goes smoothly. Best Wishes!

Tracy B

Wednesday 13th of February 2019

Thank you for your honest & bad a$$ review.. it's much appreciated!

Designing Vibes

Wednesday 13th of February 2019

Thank you so much, Tracy! That makes me so happy to hear. Wishing you a fabulous week. ;)

Mary-The Boondocks Blog

Wednesday 13th of February 2019

Erica how weird is it that I was just looking for peel and stick tiles for my kitchen. Thanks for the review I'll have to steer clear of this particular product. And most of all thanks for being a bad ass!!

Designing Vibes

Wednesday 13th of February 2019

We must be operating on the same wavelength , Mary! I am so glad my timing on this post helped. Wishing you a wonderful Valentine's Day. xoxo

Alison Carter

Wednesday 13th of February 2019

THANK YOU! I honestly love your blog, style and your true honesty! I will definitely share your information!

Designing Vibes

Wednesday 13th of February 2019

Girl...your sweet words have totally brightened my day. Thank you so much! xoxo

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