At least 3 of the featured kitchens in the Aug/Sept 2021 issue of House Beautiful had it. I like how it looks, and keeps the focus on the beautiful counter tops.

If you think the short backsplash says "builder was here," then you haven't seen some of the beautiful upscale kitchens featured currently. Also, a backsplash is but one piece of a larger puzzle--the way it appears all depends on context, what else is going on in the room.

My kitchen has it. My house is a log cabin and we were not going to cover the logs with tile.

I have leathered steel gray granite in my mud room, chose to do a 8" splash out of the same slab. Absolutely love the simple look. We had the outlet cut in, it's almost unnoticeable.

If you look at most of those inspiration pics, the new 2-4" backsplash isn't 4" anymore. It's a bit taller. Like most styles that come back around, it needs to be adjusted to look updated. In the past, you didn't often see the 6-8" version that is becoming popular now. If it suits your kitchen and you like it, go for it. Like any style, some will like and appreciate it, others won't.

It never really seemed to go out of fashion in the UK if you look at Plain English and Devol websites. I have pictures saved that must be ten years old from those sites that have shortish backplashes 2" -8"

If you are not flipping this house, go for the backsplash look that pleases you. When you sell, chances are the new owner will remodel the kitchen to their liking and current trend.

I love 4" or 6" backsplash instead of tile and the photos that everyone posted above are lovely - plus I have never understood why the small/random wall between the cabinets and the counter should be "the star of the kitchen" with dramatic tile (aaand I always say this but tile looks dated in about 15 min thanks to Pinterest/Insta)

La_la Girl, I believe manufacturers’ marketing efforts have convinced most that the more tile or stone we use the better! For practical purposes, it is only needed at the cooktop to protect the wallboard from grease stains and at the sink to protect the wallboard from water splashes, the rest is just to create a look, a look which changes with each marketing trend.

Why cant you wipe up a tomato or cake batter splash from a painted wall the same as you would from a tile splash? That is what I do and my kitchen is no worse for it.

Re small kitchens Manhattan kitchens - it would have cost me $5k to run a marble slab along one side of my galley kitchen. No thanks!

Kendrah, Yes to cleaning the walls. It is easier to wipe a painted wall than to clean a grouted backsplash. I have the 4 inch backsplash and off white painted walls. I love it. I used Behr Eggshell on the walls and Behr semigloss on the cabinets.

I have seen very few counter/backsplash combos I like.

I am so tired of tile.

It’s really comes down to taste, how kitchen feels and the combinations, budget, style of kitchen and perceived functionality of tile vs bare walls. My husband!! is a messy cook and I have no trouble wiping the occasional splatter. A good paint and finish is important.

For over $3,000, I’d be investing instead on upgrading appliances, flooring, or elsewhere in your home.

I think a 4” backsplash will still look dated/builder grade. For an updated look, I think if you go big (8-10”) or small (2”) it makes a unique statement.

Apologies if I came off overly negative on tile backsplashes - I just see a lot of stress/angst around selecting the perfect tile (there are thousands of "hate my backsplash" and "ABB kitchen" posts on here) - didn't mean to be a hater 😅

I’m a huge fan of Devol and find their designs timeless and beautiful. I recently completed a kitchen renovation and considered a 4 inch splash, but wound up tiling as it made more sense in my small kitchen. (I love it.)
But I think the short splash look is trending-not dated at all, if high quality materials and thoughtful design are used throughout.

@chinacatpeekin has it there--quality materials and thoughtful design are key. I think the short splash is a higher risk move. Gorgeous and timeless when done well. Cheap and dated looking with some materials, or just with the wrong combo of cabinet/countertop/wall color. Where simple subway backsplashes will generally look fine in almost any kitchen. If you're on a tight budget, or you are DIY designing w/o lots of experience, stick with tile. If you've got great design skills (hired or your own) and a budget to make it work, short splashes are awesome.

I love the 4" backsplash! Also consider going down to 2" or even up to 6". I would look at loads of pix and decide what you like. We chose a 4" backsplash 5 years ago with 12" behind the stove. Love it still. Walls are easy to clean too! And of course it is coming back in style--everything eventually does.

I think it can be done beautifully. The key is to look at the entire design, not just add the 4" backsplash as an afterthought. And I still don't think it's in style to combine the 4" countertop material with tile above.

I like the small splash. I've had customers do 3" up to 6" and are happy with it. Its your space and your design - if you like it go for it!

The reason tile splashes became so popular were because of the affordability of granite and quartz. So when you do a laminate or acrylic solid surface countertop, the backsplashes can be sanded down (scribed) to fit your UNEVEN & WAVY WALLS! When you cut a slab of granite or quartz for a 4" splash....it's not bending nor can you sand it down to fit. This is the main reason tile splashes are now all you see! It covers up all evils! So before you go for this look....get a straight level or 2x4 and put it up against your wall.....those are the gaps you'll see unless you have your walls redone. In my last house (1915)...I remodeled in 2000. I had gaps probably that were easily 1/2" thick in some places.

Ps. And this is also reason sometimes drywall must be cut and notched out.

This is the thread I've been waiting for. Great reading -- lots of good insights from Houzz peeps. On sites that feature European kitchens I notice 1) short splashes and 2) far fewer upper cabinets.

Palimpsest and chinacatpeekin, thanks for your mention of Plain English and Devol websites. I’m in LOVE! Such gorgeous kitchens.

I love your second inspiration pic, the herringbone floors, inset cabinetry and short backsplash with movement that continues flawlessly from the countertop. All of these "details" work with the short backsplash to make a beautiful space. To me the short backsplash in the first inspiration picture looks basic, kind of uninteresting.

Lucky998877, would you mind posting a pic of your laundry room 8" tall backsplash? I am thinking of doing this in a kitchen update and how found many inspiration pics on line but I just don't know exactly how tall those splashes are. Thanks and sorry for the hijack.

ffpalms- If you’re not already familiar with it, you may also like Remodelista, a wonderful home decor and design site featuring both North American and international home design.

A great blog post with some beautiful short backsplash kitchens. https://mariakillam.com/no-backsplash-alternative-subway-tile/

One thing to consider is the relationship to the upper cabinets. Proportion may not make much difference at all if there are no upper cabinets. But if an 8" backsplash is almost half of the distance between the counter and the upper cabinets, dividing that wall space in half, pretty much, might not look quite right. 5" or 6" may be the max.

You have to be more careful with outlet position too. Tile can be cut around anything almost, if you are not that picky about how it lays out in the tile, but an outlet can't intersect both a thick piece of backsplash and the regular wall. It has to sit fully on one or the other.

I recently did exactly what you are thinking of doing. It looks great and so easy to clean behind the stove. I went with a 6” perimeter to add a bit of visual heft. Did this for many clients and always looked beautiful. You could later add vertical or horizontal wood if looking to add texture and interest. No tile needed unless you want it.

Some designers start a kitchen project by choosing the tile to use as the focal star of the kitchen. That focal idea may have come to an end, and cost savings might bring shorter backsplashes back into vogue. Four inches does seem a bit short to me. If a window sill is involved, that could be the height to go for, unless it makes the space between the splash and the upper cabs seem crowded. Tape up some pieces of poster board cut to the various sizes you're considering and see what appeals to you. Be sure to use painter's tape.

@mihelene here you go, I took a 2nd picture to show the splash size in front of a faucet also.

There are many great ideas for backsplash. However 3'x6' is timeless and has been around for hundreds of years. It just depends on what you like and what makes you happy.

Very interesting discussion. What are your thoughts on backslplash for bathrooms? I'm getting ready to remodel three of them and am pondering a short backsplash vs. tile.

Thanks lucky 998877!

Bathrooms, I have one 1/2" backsplash, a cove really, that the tile sits atop in one bathroom, and the other bathroom has a 4-1/4" coved backsplash and a short cove on each side for tile to sit on. I did not want a caulk joint at the countertop level or a 90-degree corner on the countertop. But I have a lot of tile in my bathrooms. Full wainscoat all the way round behind the toilets and tall enough to create a lot of coverage around the sinks.

Tozmo1: In all my bathrooms I have 4” backsplashes. I love the simplicity of the shorter backsplash.

Short back-splashes are old-fashioned and I don‘t think they ever went out of style. They look just right in old-school kitchens!

Also, there is a lot more to tile backsplashes than bright white highschool chemistry lab subway tile and white quartz/washed-out marble.

Wow I like many of the photos with the shorter backsplashes. I think it makes the kitchen look bigger and more airy. I never realized how tile backsplashes close off the entire area. (And I have a subway tile backsplash that I love.) If you like the look definitely go for it.

Thanks so much for this discussion. It’s made me start thinking about our next kitchen in a completely different light. I would love to forgo the tiled backsplash.

@royhobbs please re-read my post…I never wrote the backsplash must be tile, or that the backsplash must be dramatic, or that any look would be outdated in 15 minutes.

Another DeVol kitchen, in New Jersey, redone in the last five years

Perfectly happy here with not having a tiled backsplash. The counter backsplash is about 3 inches high, and works fine for its intended use. The wall over the range is painted eggshell, which can easily be wiped down. I had looked for tile I liked there - but didn't see anything that would "go".

If you have a good well designed and functional kitchen, a four inch back splash will NOT look builder-grade,

Glad I didn't go with tile. Grout is harder to clean grease from than a good paint job.

I think if a simple short splash is making a space look builder grade, then there is more going on there. The kitchen posted above looks far from builder grade..

JMO

Agree Debbi....there are some really smart looking kitchens that look amazing with a short splash. If a kitchen looks builder grade, it probably IS builder grade. I agree with you...probably more reasons as to why it looks so. ie. poorly designed (cabinets just filling the space without real thought), no decorative elements, no focal point, low end builder grade appliances, poor color choices, lowes clearance linear mosaic tile....etc to name a few.

I am so glad that different size backsplashes are coming back in style. I love the look of most of the pictures posted in this thread. I think it is not the size of the backsplash but how well it ties in with the rest of the design kitchen elements that matters.

HAHHAAHAHA WOW people are really STUCK on what's the latest Fad. Many builders grade kitchens look beautiful--BECAUSE THEY ARE! It's really tacky the way so many think that's an insult. To not over spend for spending sake is "Builder grade". The shorter back splash is inches the owner loses for appliances to sit back out of the way. That step from the 3" guard I have found irritating in more that one incidence. Function over looks people!!! Bottom line your kitchen do what you want/like NO MATTER who says what!!!

Actually, I think the short backsplash just looks ugly.

I know this is an old thread, but as im contemplating a 4” tile BS I thought id throw this in. By Reath.

In these two years solid backsplash more counter or something else is all the rage. It's your kitchen, your money do what works for you. The next people will do what they want...this is how this goes.

I love that I ran into this post! I am also over the moon with DeVol kitchens and when I had my soaptone counters installed, I went with a 3 inch back splash. The fabricator thought I misspoke LOL, but it turned out exactly the way I wanted it to! Clean, simple and I think classic. I also do not have anything more than that behind my stove. In fact I went rogue and hung my favorite picture. I am not saying I don't

have to wipe up something once in a while but never been a problem for me.