Backsplashes are the decorative focal point of your kitchen, adding visual flair, exuding personal style, and setting the mood for the heart of your home.
But what’s regarded as a distinctive design element today began as a purely functional one—backsplashes were first installed as a way to protect the wall over the stove or sink from splashes of water, grease, and food spatter. The first backsplashes stood only 4 inches tall for this utilitarian purpose and were made of inexpensive ceramic tile.
It wasn’t until the mid-20th century that designers began to view backsplashes as an ornamental element. Backsplashes started to stretch taller, cover more space, and become more elaborate, featuring various colors, shapes, sizes, and materials. Design trends ebbed and flowed, ranging from the ceramic accent tiles of the 1980s to the glass subway tiles and stone mosaics that are popular today.
Choosing a Backsplash Design
The most important thing to consider when selecting the design of your backsplash is how it will complement or contrast with your countertop and floor. Depending on your taste, either matching or artfully mismatching the materials and colors can work well to bring everything together. Complementary variations on the prevailing color of the kitchen can create a sleek and harmonious effect, while contrasting materials and colors can add intrigue and excitement.
The strategic placement of a backsplash can produce different effects as well. One that wraps around the entire kitchen radiates continuity, providing a visually satisfying experience and making small spaces seem larger. On the other hand, selectively adding backsplash tiles to certain parts of the kitchen can spotlight those areas effectively and make a striking statement.
After considering how your backsplash will look with the other elements of your kitchen, choosing the material will depend on your personal taste and budget. Let’s take a look at five popular options.
Ceramic
Photo by Michael Krinke/iStockPhoto
The original backsplash material, ceramic retains its popularity today as an easy-to-maintain, durable, versatile, and often inexpensive choice. Ceramic tiles come in a large array of shapes, colors, and sizes, making them easy to fit in with your vision.
The way they’re applied can lend personality as well, from combining various sizes to employing accent tiles for flavor. Maintaining ceramic is pretty straightforward—all you have to do is clean it periodically.
Cost: Ceramic tiles range in price from $3 per square foot for 4-inch machine-made tiles to $12 and up for handmade tiles.
Glass
Glass tiles offer similar benefits to ceramic in terms of versatility and ease of maintenance. They have the added effect of reflecting light, making your kitchen appear larger and brighter. This option also come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes, ranging from classic square tiles to long, thin bars. Their opacity varies as well, with some tiles offering a crystal-clear translucence and others presenting a more matte effect.
Cost: Glass tiles tend to be pricier than ceramic and are more susceptible to damage (although they’re still quite durable). A popular size for glass tiles is 3-inches by 6-inches, which startaround $13 per square foot.
Stone
Photo by Ken Gutmaker
Using natural stone to create a backsplash can give your kitchen a more textured and organic look—although different stones will evoke different moods.
For example, white marble presents a clean, chic elegance, while slate adds earthy character and depth—so there is much variation to consider within this category. Stone is also a more expensive material to work with than ceramic or glass, and, being more porous, it is more difficult to keep pristine, requiring regular maintenance with a PH-neutral cleaner and periodic resealing.
Cost: The price depends on the type of stone; one of the least expensive options, Bianco Carrara, starts around $10 per square foot for 3-by-12-inch tiles.
Metal
Photo by Nathan Kirkman
Metal tiles and panels are becoming increasingly popular, and materials like stainless steel, copper, and brass can brighten up the kitchen with their reflective nature while going a long way to elevate your kitchen’s style.
Metal backsplashes come in a variety of sheens and textures, from smooth, brushed metal to shiny, bold geometric patterns. They are easy to keep clean and relatively impervious to damage. The biggest challenge to having a metal backsplash may be the possibility of introducing too many shiny surfaces to the kitchen, as appliances tend to be made of metal as well.
Cost: Comparatively, metal tiles are on the pricier side; stainless-steel tile in a 3-by-12-inch size starts at around $30 per square foot.
Wood
A wood backsplash can effectively complement a minimalist or cottage style, warming up stone countertops and stainless-steel appliances.
Backsplashes made from shiplap or beadboard are very much in vogue and look wonderfully distinctive, but they must be properly sealed prior to installation and carefully maintained afterwards to protect against stains and water damage. Fire codes also typically require clearance between gas burners and flammable surrounding materials so check your local code.
A contemporary option is to use porcelain wood, which is virtually indestructible and therefore easy to clean and maintain.
Cost: Wood plank tiles in the popular 3-by-12 inch size generally cost $3 to $12 per square foot, depending on the type of wood.
Porcelain, ceramic, metal, and glass tile top the easy-care list because they resist staining, are naturally nonporous, and don't require any special cleansers to do the job.
Ceramic or porcelain tiles for a backsplash behind the stove provides a durable, heat-resistant surface that combats inevitable oil splatters and sauce splashes, while offering tons of room for a creative kitchen wall décor.
White kitchen backsplashes are among the most popular and preferred options for all kitchen types and they will remain their popularity also in 2022. From classic white subway tiles to modern hexagons, white backsplashes come in an endless variety of styles, shapes, patterns, and texture options!
The design should be used to balance out the light and dark shades of the other elements, so if you have light cabinets and countertops, you may want to choose a dark backsplash to bring more depth to the kitchen. If you have very dark cabinets or countertops, a light backsplash will help the kitchen feel fresh.
Subway tile is the most enduring choice for a backsplash. Avoid bold, trendy colors, and instead look for white or neutrals. Keep it simple, and bring in color elsewhere in the kitchen, with more easily replaced items, such as dish towels, art, bowls of fruit and rugs.
Peel-and-stick tiles provide a cheap backsplash idea that's easier to install than traditional tile. The self-adhesive backing can be applied directly to the wall with no grout needed.
Erika explains, “A glossy subway tile can look brighter and more polished, often lending to a more formal look. It also hides water spots and fingerprints better than its less shiny counterpart. While a matte finish can convey a softer, more casual look.
A timeless kitchen backsplash is a classic design that will never go out of style. It is a simple, clean, and elegant way to update your kitchen without having to do a complete remodel. A timeless backsplash can be made from a variety of materials, including natural stone like marble or slate, glass, or even metal.
Adding a reflective backsplash is a reliable way to make a kitchen look bigger without a large renovation. Using materials such as glass, stainless steel, glossy tiles, and mirrors can provide that reflection to make your kitchen look far bigger than it is.
Tiles are one of the most common materials for any kitchen backsplash and they're also the most affordable option out there. Also, if you are looking for a low maintenance kitchen backsplash on a budget, then tiles are your best bet.
Still, some backsplash styles stand out in 2022. Among these kitchen backsplash trends 2022, we can count mirror, metal, patterned, subway tile, and geometric tile backsplashes as well as wallpaper designs. Also, open wall surfaces are preferred to create an airy and spacious feeling.
Insider asked interior designers about the kitchen trends you should expect to see in 2023. Backless stoves, open-concept designs, and darker hues are gaining popularity. Granite, gray cabinetry, and open shelving are on their way out.
Nature-Inspired Greens. Green is the must-have color trend everyone is buzzing about in 2022, and it's poised to be especially popular in cooking spaces. ...
Larger tiles (such as 4″ x 4″ tiles) can create a bolder statement in a larger kitchen. Subway tiles (3″ x 6″ tiles) are a classic option that can be used in both small and large kitchens. Hexagon tiles (6″ tiles) are another popular option that can be used in both small and large kitchens.
In most cases, installing the countertops before the backsplash makes the most sense. However, in some cases doing the backsplash before the countertop may make more sense for your particular situation. It all comes down to what you want as the focal point of your kitchen.
The splash should complement the floor, cabinets and countertop. I do not feel the backsplash should be a separate entity to the space. It can be dramatic but it should not be an eyesore. Lori Kirk-Rolley, Tile Industry Professional: The backsplash needs to complement the other materials in the kitchen.
Outdated Appliances. If the appliances are old, then the entire space will appear dated. White and small appliances tend to give an outdated impression. Although appliances are often one of the more costly updates, they can significantly impact your home's future real estate value.
Complex or colorful backsplashes go best with solid countertops. Likewise, bold patterned countertops work best with backsplashes that have a subdued uniform color palette. “If everything is a similar shade, we recommend contrasting the backsplash,” Kelly says.
The two most timeless colors of all, are white, and black. No one can deny the appeal of bright white cabinets streaming across a kitchen, they lighten the entire room and give it an airy, refreshing ambience. Likewise, black cabinets are equally timeless.
You have to warm up the tiles, directly and long enough, to soften the adhesive and make them easier to peel off. If you don't warm up the peel and stick tiles, they will be harder to peel off and may damage the wall. Smart Tiles are also resistant to the humidity of bathrooms.
Easy to clean tiles include vinyl, polished porcelain and laminate—the last two are just as easy to clean as vinyl but, usually, much easier to keep clean than vinyl.
Unfortunately, dingy and dirty grout is a somewhat common occurrence, especially with white grout. The good news is that you can get your grout back to its former glory with a few simple cleaning and maintenance steps.
Peel-and-stick tiles provide a cheap backsplash idea that's easier to install than traditional tile. The self-adhesive backing can be applied directly to the wall with no grout needed.
Peel and stick flooring can last between five and 25 years.
On average you can expect peel and stick floors to last between five and 25 years. However, their life span ultimately comes down to how well they're installed, how much traffic they receive, and whether they're repeatedly exposed to water.
Erika explains, “A glossy subway tile can look brighter and more polished, often lending to a more formal look. It also hides water spots and fingerprints better than its less shiny counterpart. While a matte finish can convey a softer, more casual look.
Ceramic tile is the most popular option for a kitchen backsplash. Ceramic tiles are incredibly versatile—they come in many shapes, sizes and colors and can be installed in numerous patterns.
What color grout is easiest to keep clean? The grout color that's easiest to keep clean is likely to be a neutral shade such as a gray, or a tone of beige. These are super-practical choices for both kitchen and bathroom tile, and will demand less maintenance to stay looking good as new.
If you want to highlight the pattern your tile creates, a contrasting color is best. If you're trying to unify your tile, such as with a wood look tile floor, go for a close match that's a little bit lighter than your tile.
What is important to know is that white grout will show dirt more, therefore you'll have to spend more time cleaning it. If you're set on white grout, you might consider using Epoxy Grout, which is stain-resistant.
If you're planning on keeping the design for a long time, we suggest sticking with a classic field tile size (such as a 3"x6" in a subway tile layout), which is timeless and always in fashion. However, if you want to add your own personality to your space, consider something beyond the square and rectangle.
Introduction: My name is Terence Hammes MD, I am a inexpensive, energetic, jolly, faithful, cheerful, proud, rich person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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