Oil based enamel paint will also work. Very easy to clean.

As StephE said, semi-gloss paint will be very washable and easy to touch up if needed. Poly can yellow over time and you would need to use a top line primer over it before changing your paint color. I had a paint backsplash for 20 years. Paint alone is fine.

If you are dead set on applying Poly to your walls, check out General Finishes High Endurance in Satin and use a good nylon brush.

My walls are painted with eggshell, continuous with the rest of the house. I figured I could use a matt water-based (non-yellowing) polyurethane on the walls above the stove and sink without it being very noticeable.

I have eggshell in my kitchen, I have no issues cleaning my walls. If it's just the one area, go for it. I poly'd some of my lower cabinets on one side, where the light doesn't directly hit them, but my satin painted cabinets all wash up fine. If the sun hits that area, you will notice it.

Hi StephE You have no issues cleaning eggshell, even behind the stove and sink? That's good to know! Thanks.

No and I recently made a mess with cleaning my yucky fish tank filters at my sink and they washed up fine. I have BM Aura Eggshell btw. Just dampen a rag or paper towel with warm/hot water and should come off. Dry erase or chemicals might cause issues with darker paint colors. I had issues when I tried removing splattered paint off my medium dark grey walls (Thunder) with dry eraser. Came off, but I had to repaint the area later.

Mine is BM Aura too!

The only wall paint I use now. Call me a snob, I don't care.

Touch ups are completely seamless, low VOC, a little goes a long way, works well for solo painters, and you don't usually need a primer (but I usually do anyways), what's not to love?

I'm not a fan of polyurethane over paint. I fear the two will have a bit of a chemical reaction and then you are stuck with lots of problems. The other question I have (especially when using an over the counter product at home depot) would be cracking and peeling of the poly.

You would need a VERY specific polyurethane DESIGNED to work with the PAINT you used in that space. That gets VERY specific (and very expensive) very quickly. You would have had to PLAN this route BEFORE you painted. You would have picked a paint line that HAS this option and then applied the polyurethane.

Most painted cabinets have a high-end lacquer finish over the paint. This is DIFFERENT from polyurethane (I'm guessing this is where you got your inspiration from). Again, the cabinet paint is specifically designed to have several layers of lacquer used over top. Wall paint does not have this design feature.

If you like the look of your paint, then leave it. Keep a paint swatch somewhere safe so that in 15 years, when you need a LITTLE bit of a touch up (a pint of paint would probably do it) you can get a great match.

Dear gettingandspending. I have the exact same question as you, only one year later. What did you end up doing, and are you happy with it?

@marnacp I left the walls as they are, and a year later, so far so good. This is mainly a weekend place so it doesn't get the kind of wear and tear of a normal kitchen though.

Good to know. Thanks for your reply, gettingandspending. If I brave the polyurethane, I will let you know for future reference!

I have a no back stove and would like to have a unique 3 by 3 painted focal area. can I protect a canvas picture so it would be fire safe and able to be cleaned? I dont know that polyurethane is fire safe? I dont mind if it is a little yellow as the picture is that tone.

You would need to frame a canvas behind tempered glass - asking the glass place to be sure the glass is heat proof for behind a stove top. You might be better off looking for a painted tray or something painted on a surface that would not be affected by heat - but, that said, it is possible the paints would degrade due to the heat. The area behind a no back range can get very hot and dirty. I do have a back and have a copper tray between the top and the vent. It can get pretty dirty and I can only imaging that without a raised back, it would be even worse.

Years ago, I applied water-based poly over my painted end table and it did not react, yellow, or crack. It's matte and perfect and easy to wipe down. I am putting in butcher block counters and also do not want any backsplash at all. It's a small space and I'm going as minimalist as possible. The only place I am worried about is behind the sink... it is located under a window, but there is about 6" of painted surface before the window starts. I do not want satin walls (hate them actually), but I do plan to poly coat the 6" under the window with matte poly. I think it will work? I also will only use BM Aura throughout the house (it's a tiny 600 sf guest cottage) and am hoping it isn't too noticeable. Also wanted to shout out BM Aura paint. I covered a "merlot" colored wall with a light griege in ONE coat! It is as thick as whipping cream and levels out so nicely.

I have a flat paint on my walls - no tile and I have no problem cleaning them. If I do anything really "splashy" I use a splatter shield.