Tired of Tile? Give This Trick a Try on Your Backsplash Instead
One of the coolest things about maximalist design is the beauty in all of the detail. Everywhere you look, there’s something unique and unexpected, which makes a space feel that much more interesting. Take Meg Gustafson, for instance, whose maximalist style is on full display in her colorful and eclectic ’80s inspired home in Chicago.
Gustafson purchased this 1885 workers’ cottage in Chicago’s Bridgeport neighborhood two-and-a-half years ago. Since then, she’s been transforming her home into an incredible space, basically one square foot at a time. Each room in Gustafson’s home is almost more interesting than the last, with creative touches in every nook, cranny, and corner. Her kitchen in particular though has a renter-friendly, budget-friendly, and honestly — super unexpected! — backsplash alternative material: electrical tape.
“Ninety percent of the kitchen is drenched in white paint (Benjamin Moore’s Decorator’s White),” Gustafson said, which makes a perfect neutral backdrop for a few pops of color to ground the space and give it a little edge. The former comes from a “Mel’s Diner-esque neon strip” of pink light just above the kitchen cabinets, which is made of LED rope. The latter? The above-mentioned black striped backsplash, again, made of electric tape methodically laid on a diagonal beside and behind the kitchen sink.
To get this look, it’s probably best to use a ruler or some kind of straight edge, just to ensure that you’re laying the tape as straight and consistently spaced as possible. You could trace guide marks on your walls, too, if you’d find that helpful. The best part about this backsplash alternative though has to be the low cost of creating this kind of a focal point in your cook space. Electrical tape comes in at least five different colors and can be purchased from a home center for at little as $6 for several rolls. You might even have some on hand in your toolbox already! If you’re on a budget and looking for a cheap alternative for a backsplash or even an accent wall, then this might be the perfect trick that’ll take your walls from drab to fab.