Firstly, thank you in advance for reading and any advice. I am a DIY novice at best. Basically, if it takes cutting with a saw, it is beyond me. (Although I am willing to try).

Five years ago, we put bought a house and put in a favorite nice faux-granite floating laminate floor in our new kitchen. We like it very much. And have done much to improve the rest of the house, here and there, since.

But now we have a desire to tackle a job that appears to be beyond us.

The same kitchen that has the grey "granite" floor also has a very bad blue/white tile backsplash that stretches from counter to wall cabniet - a full 16". I desperately want to replace it, but the idea of popping off a bunch of existing tiles and replacing them genuinely scares me. I had considered some sort of self-adhesive replacement material right over the top of what I already have, but am not finding anything that looks reasonable; lots of bad reviews. I am open to suggestions. Also, to be clear, these tiles are trimmed to the left and right in cheery trim to match the cabinets. This is something I would like to keep, but it would also be something that would cover the end edges of something that I did put over the top.

Secondly, the horizontal surfaces of the counters themselves are a worn, bland white laminate. The edges are again a cherry trim that I would like to keep. I am not sure if there is a good way to replace or update these surfaces. When I looked at a "faux-granite" paint, it looked kind of cheap. Again, I would love some suggestions.

So here I am, looking for help, motivation, suggestions... anything. Thanks in advance!

- Andy

The backsplash part of your project is not very difficult and could be a successful DIY project - depending on your skills. Fixing or replacing the countertops however, is going to take a pro. Since the two are tied together and is sounds like even the backsplash may be beyond your skills, why not start by getting an estimate or two for new countertops and backsplash. At worst, a high price could be a big motivator to learn the skills needed to do it yourself. At best, you could get a professional job at a reasonable cost.

Yeah, that is my sense as well. The good news is that we can take a crack at something, and if it does not work, then the pros can come in and redo everything from scratch.

So let's put aside the counters. What are some creative alternatives for the tile backslash, other than pulling it all down and putting new stuff back up?

The simplest creative thing with backsplash tile is to install it on a 45 degree angle. While this does require more tile cutting and a little more waste, the diagonal lines tend to make the backsplash area taller and more open.

Beyond that, you can always use random decorative tile or a cleaver border effect.

I'd concider replacing the counter tops first. Reason being any tops you get will have to match and the back splash may have to be redone once the new tops in place because of differant heights.
Take a look at some of the tops Home Depot is now carrying. They have a roman ogee front and back lip and look very much like real granite.