My friend Cindy and her husband have been finishing some updates in their kitchen the past week or so. They started with painting the cupboards, and if you've ever had the pleasure, you know how much work it is. I'm talking tedious, frustrating, relationship-straining kind of hard.

Take it all a step further, and they decided to put up a backsplash as well - together - with tile, and grout. Need I say more about how brave they are and how strong their marriage is. Jim and I tried a tile job in our kitchen once. Let's just say wasn't our best moment.

Cindy's home is restyled to a country look and she has a great eye and intuitive flair for putting it all together. She wanted her backsplash to have that same country look. She decided on a straight-lay pattern with a twist. By turning them vertically she got a perfect bead-board/board and batten country style. Her idea for placement of these tiles is brilliant and she gave me permission to share it with you.

All that said to say this. If you have a vision for your space and stick with it, you do end up with a beautiful end result, just like Cindy and her husband did. Kitchen upgrades are still way up there for the best investment in your home.

Tell us what you think of this creative tiling - leave a comment!