Hi. Seems like things are going in and out of style pretty quick these days. I have simple white subway tile( I like simplicity as well). Even subway tile could too….think of how dated small subway tile seems now compared to the larger versions available now or even how rectified tile that allows a thinner grout line makes even lovely tiles with thick grout lines look a bit old school. The professional decorators on here will definitely give you the scoop about where trends are headed, but I’d guess that in 20 years every house design will be a bit aged by then. Do something that makes you happy.

I’d venture that most things today will be dated in 10 years. However, in my non professional opinion, I think a plain white quartz would fair very well in 10 years or more. I guess the “dated” factor would also depend on the style of your cabinets, floor, etc. Frankly, I don’t care for quartz, but if my next home had white quartz everywhere I’d be perfectly fine for many years. It’s clean, neutral, - lots of pluses. So if you love this look, I’d do it to please yourself.

I see it in a lot (most) of the multi million dollar new builds. It’s clean, easy, seamless. And takes out the horrible chore that is picking out a backsplash. It’s definitely more of a modern look.

Anything you choose will be dated in 10 years, it seems. The question is, will that matter? Will you feel the need to change it to suit the new fashion? Or, will you be thinking of resale in 10 years? If the latter, then do whatever you want, and consider changing it later if it has not aged well. What about the cabinet style and color? The countertops? Fashions change for those, too.

No one knows what the most popular design choice in kitchens will be in a decade. Don't you want a refresh by then anyways? Quartz with veining to me is already very overdone...but that is my opinion, not a fact.

@shadyks2 LOL that's what I've been telling myself! Thanks for the affirmation. I hate cleaning grout and knowing us, I don't think we'd do a good job of it. We are in for having to have an entire bathroom regrouted because it is in such bad shape (partially from hard water stains and partially because it wasn't done properly the first time when the previous owners did a D+ job on the tile/grout) and I know that's not cheap and certainly isn't what you want to do in a kitchen in 5 years or whatever.

@bpath we aren't very exciting on any of the style fronts, to be honest. We have an older 1900s foursquare home in a small town in Iowa, so going super trendy wouldn't really work anyways or fit with our home. I like midcentury modern, husband is more a fan of traditional. We finally found middle ground in the ever popular white shaker kitchen and and are doing a white oak island....I'm pushing for simple clean lines since the majority of our house is a fair bit more traditional (lots of original woodwork, warmer paint colors, etc) so that it doesn't look completely out of place but also appeals to my desire for "clean" visual space. We have SO much color and wood in the entire rest of our house, I want lots of white. We can be trendy with pieces like our chairs/stools, lighting, and smaller decor (that's my thought). The white oak island is quite a bit different than the direction i thought we'd go (we have original solid quarter sawn oak pocket doors we thought we'd match) but I think it will be a nice surprise and look good!

Appreciate the general affirmation to do what makes you happy - that's what I'm thinking! I've always liked white subway tile (even 17 years ago when my parents redid their kitchen) so if we decide not to go the route of the seamless backsplash, we'll probably go that route.

We just built a new home with a huge kitchen and chose to do the same quartz as the backsplash that we did for the counters. Its seamless, clean looking and super easy to keep clean. I HATE grout and avoid it whenever possible. I prefer to decorate as close to what the forecasted trends are while loving it at the same time so I can relate to you being concerned with future styles.

I have Silestone quartz countertops and chose a 4 “ backsplash also in the Silestone. Behind my range I have the backsplash of the Silestone too. So easy to clean. I also dont care for grout. In my last picture it shows how there is a bit of distance ( 6 “) from my back burner to the Silestone backsplash ( both my burners are simmer burners). The backsplash never gets warm when I use the oven or rangetop. I had my kitchen renovated a few years ago ( pre-covid, thankfully, before all the supply issues). I think the simplicity of my Shaker style cabinets pairs well to my simple backspash. Picking out a backsplash is quite a personal choice.

You've probably read somewhere on this forum that it is not recommended to use quartz behind a cooktop. I much rather have to clean grout than have to replace a quartz backsplash because it has burn scars.

I am like you, I prefer plain and simple backsplashes.

My quartz backsplash does not have any scratches, burns, chips. It looks as good today as the day of installation. I cook from scratch and use my oven and range top daily. I have friends that have had a quartz backsplash over 10 years old and they still love it, no issues.

@theresa21 what i've read is that with proper installation there aren't issues but maybe there's more to be concerned about. We are planning to have a induction range.

@Jennifer Weinman there have been recent post (with photos) concerning burnt quartz backsplashes. Here is one I found from last year.. https://www.houzz.com/discussions/6016107/is-it-safe-to-use-quartz-as-a-backsplash-behind-a-range#n=76

I'm sure in some installations a quartz backsplash is fine, as is testified by @kculbers. But in other situations it may be vulnerable. I cannot say what those variables may be that would lead to damage. I have induction too, so I would think that induction would be a safer bet. However, the oven to my Bosch Induction Range vents at the back, so I'm not sure.

The solution to that is a back guard. The back burners do not get used as much or get as hot anyway, but a back guard solves that problem.

Everything ends up dated to some degree. My designer pushed me away from white cabinets back in 2000 because we would only be in the house 5-7 years. The designer assured me travertine is a classic material that never goes out of style. LOL.

My friend had a white on white on white kitchen back in 2000 in a very high-end house. She was worried about resale. My designer pushed me away from white cabinets because we would only be in the house 5-7 years.

I just saw a french country kitchen for resale for $16,000. Originally paid $250,000. Over-the-top design will not stand the test of time.

Moral of the story: Anything overly trendy, no matter how classic the material or finish, ends up dated.

Get what you like.