Here's Why You Should Be Using Wallpaper as Your Kitchen Backsplash
Move over subway tile, there's a new kitchen backsplash trend in town: wallpaper! As kitchen design takes a turn toward more personal style (a kitchen design trend for 2021 predicted by top designers we interviewed) and away from the all-white look that has reigned supreme for so long, it's only fitting that wallpaper, that most transportive and textural of design elements, should come along for the ride.
We're particularly dazzled by this Naples, Florida, kitchen featured in our March/April 2021 issue and designed by Summer Thornton Design, a Chicago-based interior design firm. Along the wall behind the Lacanche range, Thorton installed a hand-painted de Gournay wallpaper called Sans Soucis.
"I've always wanted to do a scenic wallpaper as a backsplash, and this felt like the perfect space to do it because of the high windows, and we didn't really have a need for upper cabinets," says Thornton, noting that wallpapering a kitchen backsplash brings so much color, pattern, and personality into a space that all too often is devoid of those things.
"This paper, which has a lovely citrus palette and just felt so tropical, gives the kitchen a much more whimsical vibe and encapsulates the essence and mood of this house perfectly. This house is a getaway, so we like the idea of fantasy, something out of the ordinary that you wouldn't see coming. I love how it says, 'I may be a kitchen but I'm still on vacation!' "
As more people are making design upgrades to their homes in part due to spending more time at home over the last 12 months, wallcovering firms have noticed an uptick in demand for offerings to use in kitchens. "Everyone’s home, and we’re spending so much more time in the kitchen," notes Phillip Jeffries Design Director Tara Van Lunen. "Wallcoverings are a way to pull in personality, because they're so versatile and there are so many options. Plus, you can also change them out more easily than tile or cabinetry."
Here, three design considerations to keep in mind when selecting a wallpaper or wallcovering for your kitchen backsplash.
Protect Wallpaper with Glass
If you're going to use actual wallpaper as a kitchen backsplash, it's imperative to protect it from heat and moisture with tempered glass, as Thornton did in the Naples kitchen above. "It was not a simple task, but totally worth it," she notes. Wallpapering the kitchen backsplash is "totally practical once covered in glass. You slop spaghetti sauce, and it just wipes right off."
Thornton designed the glass to truly disappear from sight once installed. "We designed it to be installed in three panels custom-cut to fit around the windows, hood, pot fill, literally down to one-sixteenth of an inch," adds Josh Thornton, Summer's husband and business partner. "You can't see how the glass is affixed to the wall. Certainly we didn't want any glue on the wallpaper or visible mounting, so we just used a tiny bead of epoxy on the glass edge at the countertop and ceiling, which is totally invisible to the eye."
Install a Performance Wallcovering
Glass protection is not the only option for using wallcoverings in the kitchen. Thanks to their durability and the fact that they can be wiped clean, many wallcovering manufacturers recommend using performance wallcoverings, typically made of vinyl, in the kitchen.
"People hear vinyl and they think 'contract, contract,' but it's a great material for high-traffic residential areas too," says Van Lunen. "All of our vinyl wallcoverings can wipe clean, and you can even use a bristle brush with a light touch on the crevices."
Wallpaper and fabric brand Thibaut also recommends using embossed vinyl wallcoverings in spaces like kitchens and baths. "They're scrubbable and can be wiped down," says Cortney Henry, public relations manager for the brand.
One thing to keep in mind when using vinyl wallcoverings, however, is protection from heat. "We don’t recommend this material for installation behind ranges that are unprotected because of their hot temperatures," says DeAnna Hain, executive director of marketing for York Wallcoverings. "A range with finished sides and a console at the back that rises above the cooking surface would be suitable for this installation, though.”
Consider Peel-and-Stick Wallpaper
“Believe it or not, peel-and-stick wallpaper is growing in popularity not only with do-it-yourselfers but also among the design community because it’s a fantastic way to pack a powerful design punch without long-term commitment," says P.J. Delaye, president of RoomMates Decor, a division of York Wallcoverings. "You can be incredibly bold and daring. And we’re seeing these types of patterns perform particularly well for kitchens and spaces above the sink."
Delaye notes that fruit-inspired patterns, like RoomMates Decor's Lemon Zest and Citrus Peel, have been particularly popular in the kitchen, along with floral patterns. "The kitchen is becoming more nostalgic with everyone cooking more meals at home," says Delaye.
RoomMates Decor peel-and-stick wallcoverings are also made with vinyl, making them another durable and easy-to-clean option for the kitchen. "This combination of wow-worthy designs without long-term commitment, while also supporting the day-to-day performance needs of kitchens, has truly catapulted peel-and-stick wallpaper to be a big consideration for today’s splash zones," says Delaye.
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