I like my slab backsplash (blue eyes granite). i have a smallish galley kitchen with cool white euro-style cupboards and it does not overwhelm and i like that the number of different materials is minimal. it can be a real chalkenge to pull together 1 or 2 cab colors + floor + backsplash + appliances. it seems marketers are laying a trap for homeowners.

Love this question. I was wondering the same thing. When I redo my countertops, I was thinking continuing the counter up the wall would be easier in terms of picking out a backsplash to match and same here, I have a tiny galley kitchen, might look cleaner, uniform.

I didnt want a tile backsplash, and my quartz was too bold to use as backsplash. so i did sheets of glass, backpainted in a silver metallic color. beautiful, simple, no grout and so easy to clean.

i couldn’t vote in your OP because of the way you worded your choices. I am in favor of a slab backsplash for the reasons you mentioned. Any issue of being dated or not has to do with the material chosen for the slab, not with the idea of using a slab as a backsplash. You could see a kitchen from the ’80s or ‘90s with a slab backsplash, but the material might be the speckled granite that was very popular then, and is dated now. Or even now, we are starting to see a reluctance to use the kind of Quartz as a backsplash that has the thick tree-root veining pattern. So in 5 years or so, that pattern will be considered very much of its 2015-2022 time period. But the idea of the slab backsplash itself will not be dated, just the pattern used for it.

Other things to think about: You can do a tile backsplash around your kitchen, but have the slab be just behind the cooktop, where the backsplash tends to get the most spattered. Also note that you cannot have Quartz directly behind your cooktop. Quartz is not heatproof. If directly behind the cooktop, Quartz will get scorch marks and even crack; there have been a number of posts on this forum from people who experienced this issue.

Excellent point about the materials being relevant, @M Miller. We plan to use Danby marble. It feels like a bit of a gray area to me because marble is technically timeless, but we are seeing marble slab backsplashes everywhere. What do you think about that?

Slab backsplash is classic and looks especially beautiful with a material like real marble that has authentic movement. I agree the material has to be right. I do think using slab just behind the cooktop is dated.

We have a slab backsplash Montclair Danby marble.

@Sue 430 would love to see that backsplash!

@shasta would you share a picture?

I had a granite slab backsplash in 2003, remodeled my house in 2018 and did glass tile backsplash, building a new house and doing slab backsplash again. Lol It always seems to come back around. As a realtor I see a lot of new builds and it’s about 50/50 tile vs slab. I like it 1) ease of cleaning and simplicity and 2) it was the hardest decision of my kitchen remodel and I am still not gaga over it anyway haha

@km51571 here you go!

You know what’s really dated? Burned plastic.

This is Montclair Danby with slab backsplash.

Quartzite doesn’t burn does it? Either way I’m doing a back guard/riser just in case, though I rarely use my back burners anyway, and if I do it’s at very low heat. It’s not AS cool but I’d rather be safe than sorry.

Shasta that is STUNNING

I like the look of it and the cleanliness of it, but i do think it will look dated. Not because of the concept, but because the materials used will date it. Tile backsplashes will date a kitchen too, its just less expensive most of the time to install and you wouldnt feel as bad ripping it out to replace it someday.

We are considering doing 4” all around and then from range to hood in either taj mahal quartzite or soapstone. im honestly most worried about how they affix it to the wall, especially with soapstone since it is so heavy. are they bracing pieces behind the range behind the range? surely they don’t go all the way to the floor behind the range?

"Here to stay" I don't think will ever be a thing again, if it ever was. The slab you choose will reflect your taste. Its staying power will be 100% dependent on how long you like it or if the next owner likes it. There is not a design choice one can make that a designer and other's won't be able to date back to a certain decade. I do think it remains true--the more individual a choice, the more out of the ordinary it is the faster it will get tiresome. The plainer your slab the longer it will remain looking current as it will fade into the back ground vs scream LOOK AT ME.

We've had full height granite backsplashes (now called slab backsplashes?) for at least the last 25 years through three houses done with fairly wild granite. I never get tired of looking at the beautiful rock and couldn't care less whether it is "dated" or what anyone else thinks of it.

FWIW, both my grandparent's houses had full height tile or formica, as did my parent's. That covers nearly 100 years of kitchens. I think the horse has left the barn with respect to "classic".

Gaya

This is Portomare Quartzite. Very Beautiful

Slab Backsplash matching Waterfall Island 😍

Sue 430,

could you share where you got you backpainted glass and what was approximate cost of product and installation?

I can give many examples... stones are so naturally beautiful!

Taj Mahal - Hawaii Stone

Casablanca - https://www.hawaiistone.com/collections/slab-series

Vitoria Regia Quartzite - more info

Hi

"You know what’s really dated? Burned plastic."

No, what's "really dated" are kitchen designers who fail to read and comprehend the appliance manufacturer's installation instructions. Instead of owning up to that failure, they foist it off on fabricators, installers, and most unfortunately, engineered stone manufacturers. Shameful; like a toddler's playroom, I pick up after them constantly.

Depends on the material you select. Some stone slabs will become outdated especially if they have pronounced colors and patterns. The more subtle slabs should have a better chance of standing the test of time.

M Miller really? About quartz can't be behind a range? I'm on the verge of doing that and the design studio didn't say anything about that. I was thinking of running a Slab instead of subway to have less surfaces that can clash.

Maxineshell, I’m not a pro, but my understanding is that it depends on your range. For example, a powerful Wolf gas range is much more of a risk than an induction range.

My previous 1976 house had original slab backsplash and countertops. Unfortunately it was a pale peach / pink laminate so it certainly didn't look classic. My point is that the use of countertop material as full backsplash is something that has been done for a long time, but using a high end beautiful material that isn't specific to the era will help the design stand the test of time better.