Burning Question: Backsplash Backlash?
This week’s big question is: kitchen backsplash- yea or nay? Do you love the easy-wipe feature of a nice tiled wall between your cabinets? Or do you worry that something like tin squares, beadboard, or mosaic tile may look dated later on? Do you long for a glossy painted wall that you can easily change out instead? Do you prefer just a small lip of granite (or whatever your counters are made of)? Or do you think a kitchen without a full backsplash is a deal breaker?
We’re excited to hear where you stand on the issue. In fact, we whipped up this handy little poll to keep everything tabulated:
[poll id="24"]
We’d love to hear more about why you voted the way you did, so feel free to comment away with more details.
Image courtesy of COCOCOZY.
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thanks for this poll! I’ve been considering tiling my back splash for awhile now….I agree with a few other posters about subway tile: it’s a classic. There are many new materials and colors now, so it can look modern, but still timeless.
Is this a project that very novice diy-ers can accomplish??
Hey Maggie,
Absolutely! Just google around or check out youtube.com to see if you can find a few tutorials! Good luck!
xo,
s
I like backsplashes, but I would only ever choose a timeless one like a white or gray subway tile. I think all sorts of backsplashes look great, but they can really date a kitchen even after just a few years, which is why I would stick with something timeless. I am not a big fan of kitchens without a backsplash, but sometimes it really depends on the kitchen. Some would just look weird with any kind of backsplash (like if they didn’t have upper cabinets) and sometimes a granite or marble lip does the trick without a backsplash. So, in all reality, I guess I’m kind of undecided, but lean toward liking backsplashes.
I love the look of a tile backsplash, I can’t wait to do one in my own kitchen. Mosaic tiles are gorgeous, and I think if you choose the right colors and patterns, it can have a timeless effect. Certain trends can become dated, but I don’t think a tile backsplash is one of them. (as long as you choose the right tile!) I also think it would be better for cleaning, right now I just have painted walls, and they can be difficult to clean.
We have a granite lip, but have the mosaic tiles already to be put up. Hopefully my dad and husband will install it over Labor Day weekend. I think that it will really make our kitchen more warm and inviting!
I gotta say, my hubs and I prefer a faux painted backsplash that LOOKS like real ceramic or stone tile, but is in fact paint. It’s extremely cost effective, and actually easier to wipe clean, without leaving messy grease stains on the grout. We’ve even started a little side business painting faux backsplashes to make some extra $!!! Here are some examples of our work!!
http://mrssywassink.blogspot.com/search/label/Backsplash
The little Craftsman bungalow has just paint, but I plan to either beadboard or subway tile before I put it on the market. The counters are vintage stainless and lino – very 50′s and I’m going for a diner-ish feel.
our house was built in 1925, so when updating our backsplash we opted for pressed tin…..love the vintage look, ease of cleaning, and the way it gently reflects the light…
We’re about to install a backpainted glass backsplash (one full sheet of glass, not tiles) in our kitchen … can’t wait!
I took the granite from my counter and put it all the way up to the cabinets. It worked really well in my kitchen – - – it is a backsplash, per se, but not a conventional one…
We have painted glass. It’s painted on the back and the colour is a neutral greige. We carried the painted glass over to some of the cabinet door fronts.
Am I the only one to pick up on the “Dora” reference in this post’s title? Just wait til Clara is about 2 years old, and you’ll be amazed at all of the different Nick Jr. theme songs that get stuck in your head.
I’m with Christie on the idea of a faux-painted backsplash. We have a 4″ backsplash in the same material as our new counter. The rest of the backsplash area is painted the same buttery yellow color as our kitchen (Valspar Maple Cream). But…I’m really hoping to add a bit more pizazz by painting a tone-on-tone harlequin pattern in that space – of course using paint we aleady have on hand! DIY Network has a nice little tutorial that uses auto detailing tape to make those nice crisp lines:
http://www.diynetwork.com/how-to/how-to-paint-a-faux-tile-backsplash/index.html
I haven’t got a kitchen (nor a house) of my own yet, but I know for sure what I’d like to have as a backsplash and that is ‘Vietri’ tiles. It’s a peculiar manufacture from Vietri in Italy but I guess they can be found all over the place. They are so timeless and colorful, they give personality to the plainest of kitchens I reckon. And you don’t go crazy running after every single drop of water that splashes on them because the decoration ‘disguises’ a little bit:-)
Here’s a link if you want to see what they are like:
http://www.lariggiola.net/
BEADBOARD….I can’t say it loud enough. That is, if you want a vintage look. We live in a 7 year old, typical suburban home (yawn) with absolutely no character. After living here a few years, we took the plunge and put in granite countertops with a beadboard backsplash and continued the beadboard into the adjacent breakfast room at wainscoting. The beadboard is the perfect traditional juxtaposition to the granite and the circa 2002 maple cabinets. I was expecting it to be a bit of a chore to clean, but we painted an eggshell finish and NO. Amazingly, any splatters just wipe down. I’d do it again in a heartbeat and really not that expensive.
I’m all about a “lip”of whatever stone the countertop is and then adding a different material for the rest of the backsplash. We just have glossy paint on ours, but I would love to add some stainless steel or tin. It’s just a matter of convincing the hubby we can do it.
I think the picture you posted is STUNNING! I love those little mini mosaic tiles.
We have white square tiles as our counter and back splash. Its very dated and I’m dying to change it. I’m thinking granite counter tops and copper tin backsplash. It will go with the feel of the kitchen. Although I do love glass tiles and white subway tiles in kitchens… they just won’t go in my current kitchen.
I’m having the hardest time deciding what to do in my kitchen. There are no cabinets above my sink- just a big window, but the surrounding area needs some sort of backsplash. On the other side there is a tiny wall with just one cabinet that has a few inches of drywall on either side between the pantry door and entry way. I think it might look awkward with a strip of wall on either side but it might be weirder with backsplash on the whole width. Where is the rule book for these situations? :)
We just had our entire kitchen remodeled… I know how much you love before/after photos and had to share!!
http://dreawood.com/2010/08/shirt-2-reveal-oo-and-kitchen-reveal/
WE BTW got a tile look backsplash ;-) so I am a fan of that vs just plain colors.
Thanks to everyone who sent backsplash eye candy our way! We’re loving it!
xo,
s
We used glass as a backsplash and we love it! We had it made to measure so it runs the entire length of our countertop in one solid piece for a seamless finish. I used to work in certifying kitchen equipment so I see hygiene issues where perhaps other people don’t, uneven surfaces like tiles & adsorbent surfaces like grout are not my first pick (despite the fact that I love white bevelled subway tile – swoon!) We choose to have it transparent so that you can see the paint behind it. It’s not siliconed in, so we can just uncap the screws, remove the glass, repaint and pop her back in! Timeless, elegant, incredibly easy to just wipe clean and best of all it doesn’t show dirty/grease quickly!
So a picture of your bedroom is on msn.com today. Why aren’t you credited? Not even with the taking the picture. What’s up with that? Does theknot/thenest have the rights to your photos?
http://lifestyle.msn.com/your-home/room-design/staticslideshowtkt.aspx?cp-documentid=25323684>1=32067#
Hey Jennifer,
We’re not credited because that’s actually a photo The Nest took when they shot our house back in 2008! So even though it’s our space, they’ve got the rights to that particular pic of it. But thanks for the heads up and we’re so flattered that you noticed it!
-John
This is a tough one. Right now we currently have a lip of Granite with semi-gloss paint in ‘Wistful Beige’ on the wall. For the most part it works. It’s simple.
-I have been tempted to have a tiled back-splash however I am afraid it will be to ‘busy’ between that and the granite counters.
We’ll see!
In Australia all we have had for years were tiled splashbacks on all of the walls between bench top and upper cupboards,now we are getting into glass or the same material as the bench[counter] top.
Id like to try beadboard [we call it tounge and groove] Iv’e never seen it used that way here.
i
White subway tiles with white grout! Or 1″ squares in some funky, fun color.
We didn’t have a choice wether we want a splashback or not when we moved in our current appartement, however I don’t wanna miss it, it is so easy to clean.
We just finished our kitchen redo and I did not want a typical backsplash. We painted our oak cabinets white and install oak butcher block counters. For a backsplash we used a 6in high section of stone meant to be used to create a stacked stone look on a wall. It is made of quartz and has a ton of variation in color and depth of the stone pieces. We are in love with it!
backsplash are yet they are messy as time passes..That is why I would like to have a glossy paint that can easily be change
We have a mixture of both. behind the wooden counters there is a short 2 inch wooden lip, the sink in in front of a low window so no splashback needed. Behind the cooker we fitted a piece of touched safety glass with the back painted the same colour as the room. Easy to wipe down, no break in the colour of the room and much cheaper doingi t ourselves than buying coloured glass.
Our kitchen used to have this hideous green vine wallpaper (barf!), we removed it, put up a temporary paint job until we decided the final kitchen plan.
I do not even want to tell you the amount of tape required, the time both taping and painting, and the contortion required to get into those corners!
[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v379/AngelaU/100_3644.jpg[/IMG]
In the end, when we upgraded the kitchen we got concrete coloured quartz counters (swoon!) and white (longer than standard and installed in a different pattern) subway tiles.
I love my kitchen, but do miss my lovely (and labour intensive!) paint job!
Right, forgot to really answer the question!
I like there to be something on the wall to protect it from moisture. Paint is ok, I just prefer something more substantial I guess.
I prefer the painted backsplash option to make it easier to change my mind later, but our new house came with a tumbled slate backsplash that, while not at all easy to clean, looks fantastic against the granite countertops.
I think I would go with classic white subway tiles or just leave the painted wall be. In the house we’re in now the previous owners did a kitchen reno previously and the tiles they put in drive me nuts. They are cream with a bit of another colour brushed in and on a few tiles there is this square brass design (but it’s sparsely used). My main complaint about the tiles is the grey grout. Why would anyone use grey grout in a kitchen? It mystifies me. The grout should be the same colour as the main background colour in the tile. Also there are huge grout lines. I want to paint the tile white but I fear it bubbling and looking horrible.
Hi Laura — You’ve described EXACTLY what I’m planning to do (clear glass backsplash, bolted on rather than glued). But it doesn’t appear to be all that common, and so far I’m not doing a very good job of finding information about the precise method of installation. Can you pass on any information about the hardware you used? I’ve got clay walls in the kitchen, and the clay doesn’t take glue. Anyway, it’s heartening to hear that it can be done. :) Thanks so much!!
I was actually just wondering where you got the picture for this post? I’m interested in finding out about that faucet (and actually the backsplash as well!)
Thanks!
There’s a link on the bottom of the post for the photo source. Hope it helps!
xo,
s