“It looks like a cable knit sweater on the wall!” That was my first reaction after we installed the marble backsplash tile on the back wall of our laundry room. That textured, cozy vibe instantly upgraded the space, and I’m definitely on board with an “under-cabinet sweater” look. We had already tiled the laundry room floor, and this time we finally used the tile we’d purchased months earlier for the wall behind the washer and dryer: a small marble herringbone mosaic that creates a refined yet tactile marble backsplash.
Suddenly the room feels much more finished than the blank box it was before. The backsplash only took 13 sheets of tile, and already it makes a dramatic difference. We still have a removable wood shelf and counter to finish — they’ll be stained, sealed, and installed soon — but the tile sets a beautiful backdrop and prevents stray socks from disappearing behind the machines.
The shelf will rest on L-brackets and be fully removable so we can still access plumbing and the small triangle between the washer and dryer in an emergency. We installed the shelf framework first so we could mark a clean line for how far down to tile and avoid placing tile where the brackets will go.
We’re staining the wood a touch darker to add warmth and complement the polished marble. The tile itself is a Hampton Carrera-style marble in a tiny herringbone pattern, which reads like a textured, elegant field of light and movement on the back wall.
This tile project introduced two new things for us: working with a marble mosaic sheet and using premixed mastic to install tile directly over painted drywall. We lightly scuffed the drywall first so the mastic would adhere better. The mastic had a consistency similar to spackle and behaved a lot like thinset during application. For these small mosaic sheets, we used a 3/16″ V-notch trowel to spread the adhesive.
Cutting the mosaic sheets was a concern because the tile was on back-order and we wanted to avoid breakage. In the past we’d had mixed results with a wet saw versus nippers, but for these marble mosaics the wet saw with a steady water feed worked wonderfully. A helpful trick was placing two scrap pieces—tile or wood—on either side of the blade to give the mosaic sheet a flat surface as it passed through. Cutting slowly with plenty of water prevented chipping and kept the small angled tiles intact.
We applied mastic for two sheets at a time, since premixed mastic sets faster than thinset. After spreading adhesive with the flat side of the trowel and combing with the V-notch, Sherry pressed each mosaic sheet into place and followed the manufacturer’s guidance to give each sheet a slight twist to ensure a strong bond. Careful alignment between sheets was important because some mesh backing spacing was imperfect; we nudged sheets together, adjusted vertical placement, and occasionally trimmed excess mesh so seams would blend seamlessly.
To conceal horizontal seams across the back wall we staggered the sheets. For example, above the appliances we used one-and-a-half sheets vertically, so we started one vertical row with a full sheet on top and a half-sheet below, and reversed that order on the adjacent row. This staggered layout avoids an obvious horizontal line that would otherwise run across the splash.
We hung the mosaic backsplash in about two hours while the kids napped and played nearby. The mastic was likely ready for grout by that evening, but we waited until the following morning to be safe. Because the grout joints were wider than 1/8″, we used sanded grout in a standard white tone. Grouting a mosaic wall requires more material and more patience than a larger tile surface because of all the narrow spaces to pack and smooth.
After wiping away excess grout with a damp sponge, a light haze appeared on the polished marble as the grout dried. For polished marble, chemical haze removers are not recommended, so I used microfiber cloths and elbow grease to buff the haze away. Two passes removed most of the haze, and a final pass will make the marble gleam.
One upside of the shelf will be that it hides any ragged edges along the bottom of the tile until we finish staining and sealing the wood counter. We saved extra tile and grout in case a future washer/dryer requires different shelf placement; the shelf is removable, so adjusting height or replacing the shelf later won’t be difficult.
We’ve started testing stain and sealer options on scrap wood to choose the right finish for the counter and shelf. We hope to share the finished shelf and installation details — including how we reinstalled the washer and dryer and tied in the overflow — in the next update.
We still have several finishing tasks left: stain and install the wood counter, rehang doors, add trim and cabinet hardware, install lighting, and complete final touches and repairs. With a working washer and dryer again and the marble backsplash in place, the laundry room is well on its way to feeling complete. Also, fair warning: Sherry may be caught petting the tile once or twice.