10 Designer-Approved Kitchen Backsplash Ideas That Are Both Pretty & Practical
More than any other room in a home, a kitchen has to fulfill one of design’s most difficult challenges: balance. No one wants a purely utilitarian kitchen, and no one wants one that’s entirely for show, either. In the midst of this give-and-take, though, there is one kitchen component that can make achieving balance easier: your kitchen backsplash.
“The kitchen backsplash is not only an important functional element in the kitchen, but a place to really make a statement,” says Gabriela Eisenhart, founder and interior designer at Silo Studios.
Since the main job of a kitchen backsplash is to protect the walls from casual whoopsies like sprays of pasta sauce and splashes of milk, you’ll want to choose one that can stand up to everyday messes. But given that a backsplash usually covers a considerable amount of square footage, you’ll also want to determine just how much of the design spotlight it should get. Below, designers weigh in on 10 kitchen backsplash ideas to consider that mix both form and function.
1. Continue the Countertop Up the Wall
Deciding to use the same material for your countertops and backsplash tends to make your entire kitchen feel more cohesive — and can also create the visual illusion of taller ceilings. Jen Levy, a designer at Surrounded by Color, suggests going this route when you want the cabinets to be the star of a kitchen. “In this kitchen, we continued the countertop all the way up the wall, which neutralized the space,” Levy says. “We wanted a seamless look, which allowed the cabinets to be the layer of texture.”
2. Go for a Strategic Use of Color
Given that cabinets can be a big-ticket item, most renovators will advise going neutral. That’s why all-white kitchens are perennially popular, because they feel financially safe, as well as effortlessly stylish. If you do go the route of white cabinets and countertops, Levy suggests choosing a color for your kitchen backsplash to add some variety. A good rule of thumb? If it’s a common shade in your closet, then you’ll probably love seeing it in your backsplash for years to come.
3. Embrace Simplicity to Draw the Eye
Eisenhart wouldn’t overthink the backsplash too much: “I believe that simplicity can be dramatic,” she says. “Overly busy backsplash patterns will draw attention to the backsplash, rather than allowing the eye to flow through the room. That’s why I love using simple tiles, laid out in an orientation that supports the style of the kitchen.” Tried-and-true subway tiles are one example, but other clean-lined geometric shapes would also fit the bill.
4. Let the Orientation Add Dimension
Speaking of the orientation of simple tiles, Eisenhart says that there’s a trick for making sure that the direction of your grid contributes to your kitchen’s overall design. “If your ceilings are low, lay the tile vertically to create height,” she says. “If your kitchen feels small, orient the tile horizontally to add width.” If possible, you can also tile a range hood and around a window so that this visual continues all the way to the ceiling, amplifying its effect.
5. Keep Grout Easy
Did you know that there are lots of grout shades to choose from? While it’s possible to pick a bright pink grout, a dark green one, or even a stark black option, Eisenhart wouldn’t fuss too much over the details. “I always recommend going tonal and matching the grout to the tile for a more minimal, clean look,” she says. Doing so will help the backsplash blend into the rest of your kitchen, making it appear like a backdrop to your daily life.
6. Find Shapes That Are Complementary
Clean-lined squares and rectangles aren’t for everyone, so if you want a kitchen that has a more graphic backsplash, designer Julia Newman of Julia Adele Design says you should go for it. “Have fun with shape,” she says. “There’s a way to do it with white that still adds visual interest.” In this kitchen, she layered a small, graphic grid behind the stovetop, which mirrored the rounded curves of the fish-scale backsplash throughout. As long as the shapes share a detail, it works.
7. Pay Attention to the Bigger Picture
You might not want a kitchen backsplash that steals the spotlight, simply because you’d prefer other components of the kitchen to have a starring role. “Sometimes, we love to make a statement by running the backsplash up the walls or continuing it on the range hood,” Eisenhart says. “Other times, we may focus more on the countertops or lighting, and in those cases, a more subtle backsplash material is more appropriate.” She decided that this kitchen would have a bit of both, but the main feature would be the graphic floors. So the backsplash covers the hood, but stays neutral.
8. Play with Shiny and Matte Features
Another way to look at how your kitchen’s components work together is to consider the finish of your backsplash. Whether it leans more shiny or appears more matte, you’ll want it to complement your countertops and cabinets. “If you have a beautiful honed natural stone as your countertop, consider a polished or glazed backsplash to reflect the light,” Eisenhart says. “The combination of honed and polished materials creates depth and offers balance.”
9. Choose an Unexpected Material
Sure, there are countless tile options to choose from for your backsplash. But if you want to think outside the box, Levy encourages leaving this form behind entirely. “You could use something totally different, like stainless steel or formica,” she says. To keep it from feeling too industrial, a stainless steel backsplash can complement a Soapstone countertop with easy-to-spot veins.
10. Make a Kitchen Backsplash “Bookend”
Your kitchen backsplash should sit between your upper and lower cabinetry, but the rules on where it ends depend on your personal preferences. Either it’s entirely even with the ends of the countertops and eye-level ledges, or it extends further a few inches for a unique flourish. For example, Eisenhart wrapped this kitchen’s backsplash to finish on an empty back wall, which only had room for a window. The additional texture of the floor-to-ceiling backsplash makes the wall look complete.