Planning a brand-new kitchen design or a kitchen remodel can be overwhelming. There are so many elements to consider. Kitchen backsplash material. Cabinet color. Countertop color. Appliances. Wall color. Floor style and color. If you’re doing tile, you must choose a grout color. What’s going to be most cost effective? Lots of decisions?
The good thing is this isn’t our first rodeo. We’ll help you ask the right questions and provide information to guide you on your kitchen backsplash journey, wherever it may take you.
Here we go!
When you hear kitchen backsplash, you probably immediately think of a backsplash with tile. While this is probably the most popular type, it isn’t the only material for a kitchen backsplash out there. There are different materials and styles that can help personalize your perfect kitchen backsplash and bring your vision to life.
NATURAL STONE
Considering natural stone like a granite or a marble for a kitchen backsplash is popular with many people, especially an interior designer, because most likely it will be the same material as your kitchen countertop and make decision making easy. It doesn’t necessarily have to be the same, but a backsplash that matches granite countertops is a plus. They’re easy to clean, especially when you select granite, or a low maintenance stone plus incorporate sealing it. They burst with style. They offer a great focal point. They can provide a wide variety of elaborate designs and patterns. What’s not to love?
Selecting a granite or marble slab for your backsplash is always a wise investment. It’s a big selling point and can transform drab kitchen walls into gorgeous focal points for your dream kitchen. The granite countertop and granite backsplash combo will always be a win-win.
CERAMIC OR PORCELAIN TILE
This type of kitchen backsplash is one of the most common backsplashes there are. You can choose to mix and match to create a variety of looks when remodeling plus it’s fairly cost effective. These backsplash tiles can come in different sizes or colors, allowing you to really have fun in the kitchen. Want to complement your kitchen cabinets or flooring perfectly? This type of tile allows you to do it with ease.
You can arrange the tiles vertically, select the grout color, tile color, or even use mosaic tiles to style your perfect kitchen backsplash. White subway tiles are a very popular trend and with the ability to choose a white grout color, the unique looks people are creating with kitchen backsplashes make selecting ceramic or porcelain tile worth it all.
There are also many practical tips available when deciding on backsplash tiles, especially when it comes to the install. This includes sealing the grout so it isn’t susceptible to staining, which we know inside of a kitchen could be possible.
GLASS TILE
Similarly with ceramic tile, this type of kitchen backsplash offers a variety of color to match any look you want. Glass tile can be cut to size and pieced together as a colorful mosaic tile look or even be a subway tile style. This backsplash brings a cool and sophisticated look to your kitchen and because it’s glass, the reflective nature of it really stands out.
A huge bonus of glass tile whether it’s mosaic tile or not, is that it doesn’t have to be sealed. It’s easy to wipe down if something splatters on it, making it a popular material for kitchen backsplashes everywhere. Plus being able to choose a grout color whether it’s white grout or another choice, is fun to play around with when using tile.
METAL OR STAINLESS STEEL
An industrial look at its finest, installing stainless steel for your kitchen backsplash space is still considered trendy. It’s easy to clean, relatively inexpensive for your budget and you don’t have to seal it. The downside is the ability for metal or steel to be scratched, in which case you really can’t sand it or buff it out.
A stainless-steel install, however, is different than if you’d choose to use metal tiles. Metal tiles are still popular, though not quite as they used to be. Think of the metal tin squares used to adorn a ceiling only used as a kitchen backsplash. The designs are typically ornate, and they are very easy to install being that they’re lighter weight and can stick easily to the kitchen wall.
A unique look like this can bring modern life to any room and the material is highly stain resistant.
WOOD
When shiplap exploded onto the scene, we saw a huge increase in the use of wood for kitchen backsplash walls. The popular trend brought a different style to the kitchen space that hadn’t been seen before. Soon enough, people were combing alleys for wood pallets to repurpose for all sorts of projects. Tips for a proper kitchen backsplash using painted plywood or natural recycled wood became the talk of the HGTV design world.
Cheaper materials and easy installation, using wood on the kitchen walls is a fun, stylish way to spice things up.
As with anything else you choose to build or remodel, the more you know what you want and what you need the better. Doing the research upfront about your kitchen and your kitchen backsplash while collecting the right information will help eliminate stress moving forward.
Thinking about your kitchen remodel and choosing the right kitchen backsplash, we recommend asking yourself some of these questions. They’ll help give you some direction on design and function.
DO I WANT MY KITCHEN BACKSPLASH TO MATCH MY COUNTERTOPS?
It depends on what type of kitchen countertops you have. This could be in reference to not only the type of materials your countertops are but also the color. If you have granite, marble, slate or another type of natural stone for your countertops, then there’s a good possibility you can use that same material for your backsplash as well.
DO I WANT MY KITCHEN BACKSPLASH TO COMPLEMENT MY FLOOR OR CABINETS?
If you have natural flooring throughout your kitchen, the same idea applies here. You could choose the same type of material for your backsplash if you wanted it to identically match. If you simply want to consider the color of your floor to match your walls, then you may have other ideas in mind.
SHOULD THE COLOR OF MY KITCHEN BACKSPLASH MATCH THE FINISHES IN MY KITCHEN?
Often the look and feel of a space is all about the details. The hardware of your cabinets, the grout color between the tile, or the splash of color a simple rug can bring. Thinking about your backsplash, whether it’s a full wall behind your stove or if it’s a smaller mosaic tile, you can control how it goes with everything else in your kitchen. Do you have elegant finishes or are they more simple? When remodeling or creating your look, you can choose exactly how all the design elements fit together.
SHOULD MY BACKSPLASH GO BEHIND THE STOVE?
This decision is dependent on how much you want to wipe down your walls. Having tiles or a full backsplash behind the stove keeps the surface protected from splatters and other stains. If you choose a material that is durable, easy to clean and non-absorbent then it will save you future cleaning headaches. If you choose to go with a standard size backsplash that doesn’t go all the way up to the cabinetry, there will be more exposed walls for you to clean.
WHAT IS A STANDARD SIZE BACKSPLASH?
When someone mentions having a standard size backsplash, they are talking about a 4-inch-high backsplash measuring up from the countertop. These are not full backsplash layouts and do not cover the entire wall between the countertops and cabinets. Most people choose to have a full backsplash ranging from their countertops to the cabinets. Not only does it help protect your walls, it provides a unique focal point behind the countertops or even behind the sink. It does require a bigger budget because of the need for more material but it’s worth it for many reasons. Need some more tips? Reach out to one of our in-house designers.
When it comes to kitchen, bath, or home design, we have a unique range of materials to choose to bring your vision to life. In search of the perfect kitchen backsplash? We can help. Looking for the right fit for a countertop? We have you covered. From neutral colors to modern designs, our showrooms are the place to find exactly what you’re looking for.
Have any questions? —Please contact us at any of our 24 locations to see how we can help you choose the best surface to fit your needs.
