I did a similar thing over my stove. I went to a local sign maker's shop and had them cut a piece of stainless to fit. Far less expensive than buying it from a kitchen designer, too. And, very easy to install: just a couple of tubes of Liquid Nails.

I don't know. I've lived in military housing and they put sheet metal behind the stove to act as a backsplash. It was okay. I think when it's kept pristine all the time, it works. But really, you know how much time it takes to keep it looking pristine?

ehy2k - do you mind me asking how much that cost you?

What an interesting photo. When I first glanced at it I thought it was a room.

I've played around with a roll of aluminum flashing from HD for this same purpose. It worked very well as a backpslash. I didn't actually finish the job with the flashing as I switched to tile, but I may use it in the future.

In my case, I made panels out of wall board and contact cemented the flashing to the panels. I finished the edges of the panels with extruded aluminum wallboard trim.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/art_chel/548611622/in/set-72157600128826994/

how much does it usually cost per square foot to install a tile backsplash slightly unrelated but i was just curious?

I used flashing (comes on a roll @ Home Depot) when I did this, it was really cheap (less than $20 total if memory serves...). It's been up for almost 2 years and has done really well.

mpolo, it depends on how you do it. I'm looking in to small square glass tiles, and they run anywhere from $10-30 per square foot, depending on how you do it. One color is always cheaper than multiple colors, larger tiles tend to be less expensive than smaller tiles. Unfortunately for me, I'm looking for small tiles in different colors, so I'm on the higher end. You can find them online for cheaper, but make sure you're looking at a reputable company and that you order more than you need.

I moved into a new construction condo last year and I have stainless steel backsplash like this - keep in mind how EASILY it scratches and also that it's very hard to keep looking clean. Other than those 2 factors though ( it's never clean looking and all scratched up from the kitchen installers ) it's great though. Just my 2 cents.

we used ikea stainless backsplash on ours---it was easy to glue in place and looks perfect! It was only about $20 I think.

Jenny here, John's wife. The stainless John used is brushed so it doesn't show any scratches and is incredibly easy to keep clean. Often I have to remind myself to wipe it down!

Formica has a line called Deco Metals--basically a lamination of metal foil over the usual formica substrate. They have a wide array of metals and finishes available, including brushed stainless steel.

Because the metal lamination is rather thin, this product isn't practical for a work surface such as a counter--too prone to being cut or scratched through. But it might be a great choice for backsplashes (not to mention replacement panels for the fronts of old refrigerators and dishwashers to make them match other stainless appliances).

In the neighborhood of $100 a sheet it's quite affordable, and it would be possibly easier to install than flimsy sheets of actual steel.

Question: I'm trying to install the aluminum flashing directly to the wall, with some large flat head hex srews, but I'm worried about the curling of the aluminum. I wonder if there's any way to straighten it, or if I can simply install it in a convex fashion, and provided I press it very flat before screwing it down, it will look fine.