Ideabook 911: We Need a Backsplash!

leo52 In my opinion definitely picture #9!! White subway tile with a narrow flush trim piece. The trim piece can be white (my favorite) or a color that's in the granite countertop. Keep it simple, it will make it timeless.
Good luck!

Becky Harris leo I'm liking the flush trim as well - I was just talking to Wicki on the phone and we both like the simplicity of it and felt it wouldn't look dated in a few years!

twilcox I recently remodeled a kitchen in my new home and went with the subway tile and trim. Hope you can see it in these pictures. I have been pleased.

Becky Harris twilcox that looks great! Thanks for sharing. BTW, I have the same farmhouse sink as you. ;)

Serena Ludovico, ASID, CID In this kitchen, spending more on a medallion paid off. The owner was really happy with the result. The field tile was not expensive.

Alison Aves We just finished a kitchen remodel in which my husband and I did most of the work ourselves -- the backsplash is my favorite part! It really "makes" the design for me. I haven't seen very many others where there are two high-contrast colors used, so am throwing this idea into your mix. These are Heath Ceramic field tiles in Soft White and Volcano (which has been discontinued).

Rebekah Zaveloff Great post! I agree - the white subway tile with the flush trim so it doesn't compete with the granite...but, they might want to do a bone or light gray grout to give it a little more contrast and tie in with the granite...

nique Pic number three has me coming down with an uncontrollable urge for ChOcOlAtE!!! mmmmmmm!!! Beautiful.

jeg700 700 I personally would go with back-painted glass adding a great pop of colour while I'm at it!

Lori Doro What is the countertop in the Amoroso Design picture? It is beautiful!

dancingfish More More more! Loving these!

Karen Dyck I think a kitchen can only use one "starring" element, and the rest have to compliment that. In our open plan hose, the backsplash will echo the stone on the fireplace across the room (in a more kitchen appropriate texture) because that is what you will see from everywhere in the living room, dining room and kitchen. It also won't fight with the granite counter. I wish I could share a picture, but the work is not even started :(

Kathryn Peltier Design Becky: Could you tell me who the mfr. of your sink is? Thanks!

Shannon Kirby Interiors Actually I am not a fan of any backsplash except behind the stove/cooktop and sink if absolutely necessary! I like to add paintings and other things of interest on those walls. I am working on one now that will use a lovely old piece of marble from a bombe chest for behind the stove and in another used antiqued glass framed in tile for behind the cooktop.

lynne whiteside doing my tile research I came across obsidian black subway tile, OMG, so beautiful and contemporary...the pearly glow made these tiles extra special.

Patty O'Malley I love the marble, I wish I could have it in my kitchen but it is not kid friendly. Love the pendant lights in the white kitchen, anyone have any idea where to find this type of lighting?? Has anyone used white glass subway tile...can't decide between glass or regular subway.

InterDesign Studio Multi-colored Italian glass tiles liven up an otherwise traditional kitchen.

Becky Harris Vivienne, it's the Shaw's Original (the farmhouse sink). It's pretty widely available, though I will warn you, it looks good, but I'm not thrilled with the way the water drains - you really have to waste a lot of water trying to lead everything toward the drain. I like the way it looks so much that it's worth it, but I feel like I really have to stay on top of making sure it's clean inside.

4shannon, I agree in a lot of cases (my own kitchen has beadboard and a lot of my African American folk art collection of smaller paintings) , but these guys cook so much that everything gets splattered and they need an easy to wipe off surface. Splattered hot oil + drywall = not great!

Loridoro, I'll ask Shelly Amoroso. She's awesome about getting back to me with this stuff - she just let me know about some gorgeous limestone over on the buzz board:

http://www.houzz.com/buzz/18222/Anybody-know-what-this-counter-surface-i---

Pomalley, which white kitchen? The one at the bottom by Amoroso or the one by Fiorella? I'll try to find out for you.

Villa Lagoon Tile None of these images shows the creative use of encaustic cement tiles...something to consider. Ck : http://www.villalagoontile.com/cement-tile-backsplashes.html

jcarpentercc I have some salvaged corrugated tin that I'd like to use as a backsplash, but do you think it's practical? Will it clean well or will it get even more rusty than it already is?

Becky Harris j - I'm wondering if there is a way to seal it? I'd go to a local store with a sample and see what they recommend.

lilbirdfly Becky, What about back splash ideas for the renter? we rent a 1920s dutch colonial. Although the kitchen is very clean and bright, with painted white cabinets, it has not been redone recently and has a terrible old, gas, top of counter stove. with a newer stainless steel hood. The counters are a generic Formica (white with a 70s beige design). not noticeable. The walls are a pretty lilac blue, which is great against the white. But no back splash. I would love to do something, at least, behind the stove. Any inexpensive suggestions that I could take with me if we leave?

Becky Harris Hmmm, I don't know of anything you could take with you, but I'm wondering if your landlord would cut you a break on rent if you improved it? Wicki and Alex actually had some inexpensive fake tin peel-and-stick tiles they used before their renovation that were kind of cool, but I don't think they could have peeled them off and saved them.

lilbirdfly hmmm. That sounds interesting. I don't think that they would cut a break for us, but even if I couldn't take it with me—if it didn't cost too much, it would be better than nothing. Do you know where they found the fake tin peel and stick stuff? (don't know if my husband would like the fake though—he likes things to be 'real') Right now I have one of my favorite antique platters (it's a yellow deviled egg platter) tilted behind the stove against the wall. But, it's too small. I had thought of that peel and stick stuff but wasn't sure how it would hold up.

jcarpentercc Good idea - thanks!

marykmonroe I need help with this right now. What do you think of birch cabinets, stainless appliances & countertops with pale gray paint...with marble tile for a backsplash? or more color?

Becky Harris Mary, are the counters wood?

cookingchick We did a fun thing for a backsplash behind our cooktop. The walls on both sides of the cooktop are brick...pretty traditional looking. I had seen some kitchens that used sheets of stainless steel for backsplashes and it looked really great...but very contemporary. My husband went to Home Depot and came back with a sheet of stainless steel trailer flashing...stamped in a brick pattern. Perfect!

Becky Harris cookingchick, this might be a good suggestion for MARY! Thanks!

Roberta Philbrick We did our backsplashes in the kitchen and bathroom last spring and it was so great and really a very affordable way to make a BIG IMPACT. We used white subway tiles with a black trim tile that looks like a "ribbon"...very cute...we love our Love Shack ;)

Becky Harris rlp, I think what you've done would be perfect for Wicki and Alex!

Sonja Hilliard, DVM They could also consider a cork backsplash, especially if they're wine-lovers (like me). It would add some warmth to the kitchen a subway tile might not, and would pick up on the beige/warmer tones in their coutertops. No need to move the stove until they're ready, as they can add more corks later and the fun part is in collecting them while they're waiting! I incorporated pictures into mine but you can do with out or incorporate anything-decorative larger tiles, framed wine labels, etc.

Sarah Pryor of Etown Kitchens + Baths Something that can be pretty inexpensive and easy to customize/change out (may work well for lilbirdfly): screw sheets of glass or plexiglass to wall, with something cool sandwiched between wall & glass (use creativity here--could be wallpaper, fabric, drawings, collage, a vintage-looking poster behind the range, whatever!). Plexiglass would be cheaper + easier to DIY, but behind range you'd need to use glass for fire safety purposes. You could use a sheet of aluminum/stainless steel behind range and plexiglass elsewhere. Here's a kitchen using this technique (they used wallpaper turned sideways) from Nov 08 issue of This Old House:

zuitzy I'm with livelovenow on the choice of obsidian black subway tiles. They have a beautiful reflective quality with the white cabinets and the black would ground the kitchen and add some depth to all that white. The subway tiles never go out of style.

Becky Harris lilbirdfly, I just spied this cool DIY backsplash on a Paris Rental apartment on Jetsetter - it's vintage postcards!

Sonja Hilliard, DVM Love this idea, Becky!

lilbirdfly sarah_cabinettrends and Becky, What a great idea!! I love the picture with the wallpaper and the aluminum. I may just have to try this! thanks so much! The vintage postcards are very creative—but I'm afraid I would find myself gazing at them and burn my dinner! ;)

pmnmlppp462 Thanks for sharing. BTW, I have the same farmhouse sink as you. ;)


chimney pipe

leo52 Twilcox, That looks really great! The good thing is you will not get tired of this, this is timeless! IF you want more color one day, use accessories. Congrats, job well done.

Kathryn Peltier Design @lilbirdfly: You can make a backsplash out of just about anything you want and attach it with either velcro or mirror clips to the underside of the cabinet and/or the wall. I would think you could even use some plywood, cut to fit, and put tile on it (although this would be quite heavy). What about just handpainting a plywood backsplash? Or, in an area that would not be near an open flame, etc. just wallpaper a piece of foam core board and wedge it in. Someone posted a backsplash made out of wine corks - this would be a lightweight and good looking alternative (albeit one which would take a LOT of drinking LOL)

Kathryn Peltier Design I have to say that I don't like photos 7 or 8 at all. The whole purpose of installing an attractive backsplash is to make that vertical surface appear as one, lovely whole. By installing a low strip of contrasting tile, that space is just broken up horizontally. This is why the little 4" p.lam. backsplash bit the dust - it mostly did it's duty of keeping spills off the wall, but it looked awkward.

If these people are big cooks, I would suggest installing actual glass as a backsplash. They can have it etched with a pattern, if they like, or they can have the wall painted with a design and install the glass over that, or they can just paint the wall, install the glass and be done. Glass cleans up very well. Any tile you install will have grout lines, which it sounds like they might find to be a maintenance problem. The other way to go with this is to have a slab granite backsplash installed, however, it might be a problem now matching their countertops. At the very least, they might want to go with one of these ideas, or a st. st. backsplash, behind their range/cooktop.