Julianne Hough's tiled backsplash feature upgrades this timeless kitchen style – I thought I was over modern farmhouse kitchens until I saw her space

There's no question that subway tiles are classic. My own feelings on subway tiles, however, are slightly more complicated. When your job is looking at beautiful contemporary kitchens, you start to see a lot of subway tiles. and I mean A LOT. I'll admit, I became a bit bored of the style.

That is until I saw Julianne Hough's kitchen backsplash idea. Her innovative pairing of classic subway tiles with teal cabinets and brass hardware transforms the classic tiles from milquetoast to marvelous. The dancer and actress's kitchen features marble countertops that contrast beautifully with her black oven hood and rounded wall sconce. Her white subway tile backsplash with black grout reaches from the countertops to the ceilings. Overall the look is a fresh, fashionable take on the modern farmhouse style.

What makes Hough's use of the kitchen tile trend different? In my opinion, it's that her space takes a point of view. My biggest qualm with subway tiles in a modern farmhouse kitchen, is that they're often chosen as a 'safe' design. Rather than listening to their own personal style, trends, or innovations, people often choose these tiles are often because they won't date, are versatile, and easy to clean. While there's nothing wrong with this reasoning, it's not necessarily conducive to boundary-pushing design. Sometimes, 'safe' means refusing to take a point of view.

Shop the Look

Hough's modern farmhouse kitchen, on the other hand, has a distinctive point of view: it is bold, contemporary, and original. Although her subway tile backsplash has the same benefits of timelessness and ease of cleaning, it doesn't feel like another splash of white in a sea of beige and white. The design feels like something dreamt up by Hough, but still has the same mass market appeal as a simpler space. It's proof that following your bliss doesn't mean risking saleability. Rather, it's about nesting in your space and making it your own.

To recreate her style, I recommend pairing your white subway tile backsplash with a bold kitchen cabinet color. I absolutely love Hough's choice of teal, but I think the look could be just as effective with black cabinets, dark green cabinets, or even burgandy. The personality of these colors helps to offset the potentially generic quality of subway tiles. Instead, it highlights their classic beauty and versatility.

Hough's kitchen demonstrates that it's never a bad idea to take a point of view in your design. When combined with classic design principles and theory, it's possible to completely remake an already established style.