Bathroom: Do you have to put a backsplash behind the faucets

9 years ago

last modified: 9 years ago

Hi there,

Hoping to get some help. In the master bathroom, we have a mirror and floating vanity combo (see picture below). The wall the vanity is attached to will be painted only. All 3 other walls in the bathroom are tiled (dark gray tile).

Will the section between the mirror and the vanity (i.e. behind the faucets) be unbearably dirty/old-looking if we just leave it as paint from your experiences? Do we need to put in a back splash?

Thanks!

Featured Answer

PRO

User

9 years ago

Walls get dirty, just like tile. The reason people put backsplashes in is to protect the paint and drywall from the water, which will destroy them over time. If you just don't like the look of tile, consider something like plexi or glass instead.

Do you have to tile? No. But it will protect your investment.

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Comments (11)

PRO
BeverlyFLADeziner
9 years ago
The two easiest choices are to run the counter up the wall or run the mirror down the wall.

The bath below has large format tile on the wall which makes a nice composition of elements with this floating vanity.
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PRO
Patricia Colwell Consulting
9 years ago
Not sure why you don’t use the same tile as a backsplash as you have on the other 3 walls.
Judy Mishkin
9 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
how about run a band of tile the width of the vanity from floor to ceiling?

Mid-North Residence · More Info
Powder Rooms & Small Bath Ideas · More Info

and not tiling another area, instead.
PRO
Brenda M. Miller Designer of Interior Spaces
9 years ago
You can do anything you want since it is your space. I would suggest running tile from the top of the ceiling to the floor the width of the vanity.
printesa
9 years ago
You don't need it, but it protects the wall better..We added tile so that it ends just a bit behind the mirror. I know there are images here that have similar cases,,here are just some the end at the bottom of the mirror. If your mirror is not floating on the wall, meaning there is no space between the mirror and wall behind, then you would need to finish the tile right at the bottom of the mirror

Mid-Century Remodel · More Info
acm
9 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
People have lived without this for ages -- that's what semigloss paint is for (easy wiping, not waterproofness). If you're using a splashy set-up like a vessel sink or a waterfall faucet, you might have issues, but otherwise it's usually just a bit of dripping around the faucet, and you can keep an eye on that.

I've put my money where my mouth is on this point:

No complaints thus far.

I mean, I wouldn't remove one that came with a vanity, but I'm not losing sleep over the need to invent a backsplash where the design doesn't need one...
PRO
BeverlyFLADeziner
9 years ago
Nothing worse in appearance than semi gloss paint in a chic bathroom.
printesa
9 years ago
acm, you have beautiful bathrooms!
PRO
User
9 years ago
Backsplahes behind the sink don't have to be there. You can get away with not putting one in if you run the mirror all the way down to the vanity, or do something like we did in our design below.
Modern Farmhouse · More Info
vtng
Original Author
9 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Thank you all for the comments and great feedback with pictures! The reason why I don't want to put the same tile behind the vanity as I did the other 3 walls of the is because (a) I made an impulse decision earlier to tile one of the walls I didn't need to, and (b) that tile is a dark/marble-esque grey and it's giving the bathroom a "prison cell" vibe, tiling a 4th wall would be far too much.

acm and Tawna, thanks for your photos! Your bathrooms are lovely. I think I will stay with no backsplash thanks to your validation.