35 Beautiful Kitchen Backsplash Ideas That Will Add Personality to the Entire Room
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One of the most fun selections in kitchen design is the one and only backsplash, ripe for adding all kinds of personality to your overall look. Here we give you 35 elegant kitchen backsplash ideas to inspire the kitchen of your dreams and complement your cabinetry, lighting, appliances, and hardware.
Below are ideas for tiles and other materials (like wallpaper!) that coordinate with classic white kitchen cabinets and other colors and materials in your design (perhaps blue elements or other energizing kitchen paint colors?). Some backsplashes shine especially well in small kitchens and others in larger spaces; some come from the most popular trends you'll see today, some have a modern look, and others are as timeless as they come; some are lighter and some are darker colors in coordination with the countertops. Today backsplash don't necessarily have to be contained between lower and upper cabinets; instead they can cover an entire wall or climb up around a stylish vent hood (one of many kitchen design trends we are seeing for 2023).
And now for those kitchen backsplash ideas to add personality and color to the kitchen design you are dreaming up! Get ready for inspiration and more inspiration.
Blue and White Portuguese Tiles
Portuguese tiles form a kitchen backsplash mural akin to classical artwork in this 1920s Tudor in Houston designed by Charlotte Moss.
Grey Tiles
Classic grey tile work is the backdrop for a show stopping French bistro–inspired brass hood from François & Co.’s new in Atlanta’s Pink Palace designed by architect Philip Trammell Shutze. Lighting, Visual Comfort & Co. Stools, Bradley
Black and Gold Ceramic Tile
Custom glazed ceramic tiles by Fornace Brioni (Clé) ascend the walls in the kitchen of this colorful Florida home designed by Ellen Hamilton. Plaster and gesso chandelier, Codor Design. Range and vent hood, Gaggenau
Botanical Wallpaper
de Gournay’s Amazonia wallpaper envelops the kitchen in a vivid turquoise rainforest in this Baker’s Bay, Bahamas estate designed by Amanda Lindroth.
Belgium Blue Stone Tiles
Belgium Blue Stone tiles by Country Floors make a statement under a rustic wooden beam in this Michigan lake house designed by Amy Meier. The kitchen cabinets are bandsawn knotty white oak—“the knottier the better,” as Meier said— and the kitchen island is painted Salamander by Benjamin Moore, bookended by displays of splatterware and copperware sourced from all across Michigan. The stools are by Bicyclette.
Checkerboard Tile
At this Bronxville, New York, home designed by Carrier and Company, the kitchen’s chic checkerboard backsplash, fashioned out of glazed terra-cotta tile (Ann Sacks), energizes the space. Perimeter countertops, Caesarstone. Sink fixtures, Waterworks
Arched Windows
For an airy twist on the backsplash, designer Melanie Turner and architect Yong Pak placed the range in this Atlanta home in front of windows with a graceful arch that echo the tiled arcs in the barrel-vaulted ceiling. Encaustic cement tiles (Mosaic House) infuse the kitchen with the spirit of a French bistro.
Hand-painted Wallpaper
Talk about bringing the outside in: At this Naples, Florida, home, designer Summer Thornton clad the kitchen backsplash with a hand-painted tropical wallpaper (de Gournay). To protect the wallpaper backsplash, Thornton covered it with a thin glass pane. The range is Lacanche; the leather stool upholstery is Moore & Giles.
Lively Pattern
For a small dose of pattern, designer Philip Gorrivan clad the backsplash of this Connecticut colonial with colorful Moroccan tile (Exquisite Surfaces), a graphic contrast to the kitchen's rustic maple butcher block and honed granite counters.
Subway to the Ceiling
In the kitchen of this Connecticut home designed by Ashley Whittaker, a subway tile backsplash extends to the ceiling on the wall behind the range. A duo of disarming patterns (checkerboard flooring and a geo-floral seating fabric by Raoul) enlivens warm shades of white in counters, cabinetry, and subway tile. Counter stools, Palecek. Range, Viking. Pendant lighting, Charles Edwards
Black and White Chevron Tile
At his home in San Antonio, designer Todd Romano proves small kitchens are ideal for punchy pattern. Custom Talavera tiles are arranged in a graphic chevron pattern with glossy ebony cabinetry (Black, Fine Paints of Europe).
Mosaic Wainscoting
In the kitchen of this Sea Island home designed by Sara Gilbane, shimmering mosaic tile (Mosaic House) envelops the room. Addison Mizner-inspired beams and hand-forged iron bell-jar lighting by Formations lend rustic contrast. Counter tops, Caesarstone
Glazed Moroccan Tile
At this Dallas home designed by Meredith McBrearty, glazed Moroccan tile (Clé tile) infuse the modern kitchen with hand-crafted texture. Blown-glass pendants by MoMA alum Alison Berger turn over-island lighting into modern art while quilted leather stools (Studio Piet Boon) and leathered quartzite counters add warmth. Range, Wolf.
Rustic Painted Tile
At this Windsor, Florida, cottage, designer Alessandra Branca packed a powerful style punch with the blue-and-white Casa Branca tile backsplash, which stands in colorful contrast to a sleek, lacquered SieMatic island. The Palecek stools are covered in a Kravet fabric with Samuel & Sons trim. Fittings, Kohler. Pendants, Circa Lighting
Extra-Large Subway Tile
For her kitchen bar in Connecticut, Waterworks cofounder and author of The Perfect Kitchen Barbara Sallick clad the walls with 4-by-8-inch subway tiles, which she took all the way up to the ceiling. "I love the grid they create, I love the materials, and I love the scale of the larger-size tile," Sallick says.
Painted Mirror
At the 2020 Kips Bay Decorator Show House Dallas, designer Chad Dorsey wowed his stunning kitchen design that centered on a dramatic backsplash made of a Chinoiserie-painted antique mirror by artist James Mobley on Industry Glass. The painted glass is inset into a Cambria stone-clad cased opening.
Glossy Squares
This Nashville, Tennessee, kitchen designed by Richard Hallberg features a backsplash "wall" made of square Belgian tile with a hig-gloss glaze that extends up to the ceiling. The glossy finish on the tile lends dynamic contrast to the rustic ceiling beams. Louis XIII reproduction stools (Dennis & Leen) are upholstered in a textural, raffia-style woven fabric (Opuzen). Cabinetry paint color, Egret by Sherwin-Williams
Quilt Motifs
At this Utah mountain retreat designed by Tony Baratta, geometric pattern reigns in the kitchen, from the oversize checkerboard floor to the backsplash and wall tile, from Solar Antique Tiles, painted with quilt motifs. The pendants are from Dessin Fournir, and the range is Viking.
Handmade Abstract Waves
Austin, Texas-based designer Mark Cravotta has predicted the resurgence of craftsmanship in kitchen design in 2021, and we couldn't be more excited about that. "In the kitchen, there are so many more options now that are better than polished granite," Cravotta says. Backsplashes are ideal places to showcase craftsmanship and artisanry, as these handmade tiles illustrate.
Gray Marble
In this kitchen, designer and Veranda Next Legend Jason Arnold took the countertop material—marble with gray veining—onto the walls as a backsplash for a seamless look.
Classic Blue and White
At this California home designed by Mark D. Sikes, blue-and-white tile with an antiqued finish, along with creamy white cabinetry (White Tie, Farrow & Ball) and oil-rubbed bronze hardware (Rejuvenation), give the kitchen a warm, aged appearance. Sink and fixtures, Rohl
Dramatic Soapstone
This galley kitchen on Brays Island, South Carolina, designed by Beth Webb, features a soapstone backsplash and countertops, which stand in dark contrast to the rift-cut white oak cabinetry. Range, Bertazzoni. Sink fixtures in unlacquered brass, Waterworks
Charcoal Herringbone Tile
At this Montana home designed by Palmer Weiss, the kitchen features a backsplash comprising rectangular tile laid out in a herringbone pattern, which adds depth to the moody, monochromatic space. Cabinetry and ebony finish, Provincial Store Fixtures. Silicon bronze brushed pulls, Rocky Mountain Hardware. Dual fuel range, Wolf
Slender Subway Tile
In this Georgia kitchen, designer James Farmer created a backsplash with slender, glazed subway tile to infuse pattern and texture into an otherwise neutral space. The kitchen is also featured in Farmer's most recent book, Arriving Home.
Geometric Wallpaper
In the bar of her Mountain Brook, Alabama, home, designer Caroline Gidiere complemented cabinetry made of antique glass and Chippendale fretwork with a historic wallpaper: Philadelphia Harlequin, which dates back to the beginning of the 19th century, from Adelphi Paper Hangings. The stained mahogany is framed in fiery orange trim (Lava by Porter’s Paints) and gold leaf ceiling paper (Phillip Jeffries). Pendant lighting, Visual Comfort & Co.
Antique Portuguese Tile
This Connecticut kitchen designed by David Netto boasts a global air thanks to Scandinavian bent birch plywood stools (Alvar Aalto), a collection of copper cookware, and 19th-century Portuguese tilework (Solar Antique Tiles). Dual-fuel range, Wolf
Wood Paneling
In designer Philip Mitchell's Nova Scotia home, the servery features vertical V-groove paneling as the backsplash. Heirloom Limoges fish sets hang on the painted paneled walls. Wall color, Gray by Benjamin Moore
Timeless White Marble
For Ellen Pompeo's Hollywood home, designer Martyn Lawrence Bullard clad the counterops and backsplach with marble. Along with the terra-cotta tile floors and Pompeo's European range, the white marble backsplash complete's the kitchen's old-world style.
Sophisticated Mirror
Soft, smoky tones lend a high-fashion, sophisticated touch to the alluring yet tiny galley kitchen of this 18th-century flat in Paris. The upper cabinets feature mirrored eglomise facings, which echo the mirror backsplash and “almost look like venetian blinds,” notes decorator Jean-Louis Deniot. The lower cabinetry paint color is Midnight Oil by Benjamin Moore. Range, La Cornue
Zig-Zag Wallpaper
At this Austin, Texas, home designed by Angie Hranowski, colorful moths, which the owner refers to as her “barflies,” line up to form the bar’s groovy, zig-zag-striped wallpaper (Timorous Beasties). Cabinetry paint, Nocturnal Sea by Pratt & Lambert
Painted Square Tiles
In this Low Country home designed by Andrew Howard, the kitchen boasts an old-fashioned sensibility, thanks to the painted tile backsplash, brushed-brass-and-copper station lights (Ann-Morris), and a walnut island with baluster leg details. Stools, Serena & Lily. Counters, Caesarstone
Stars and Diamonds
This Los Angeles kitchen features a tile backsplash with a diamond and star pattern (Solar Antique Tiles) in an inky blue and crisp white palette that complements the wood grain cabinetry and green island top and chairs.
Smoky Mirror Subway Tile
At this Palm Beach home designed by Phoebe Howard, the bar features blue walls and cabinetry, painted Van Deusen Blue by Benjamin Moore, accented by a backsplash made up of smoky mirror subway tile. The woven barstools are from Walters Wicker with cushions upholstered in a Ralph Lauren Home stripe.
Emerald Subway Tile
This stunning kitchen designed by Hubert Zandberg Interiors features a backsplash in emerald green subway tile, which also covers the cookspace's open shelving. The range and depth of color in the tile glaze makes it the focal point of the room.
Glazed Moroccan Tile
Blue-and-white glazed Moroccan tiles (Moorish Architectural Design) lend a far-flung vibe to the rooftop outdoor kitchen at this Alys Beach, Florida, retreat designed by architectural firm Khoury & Vogt and Atlanta-based interior designer Shirlene Brooks. Fixtures, Kohler
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