In our last house, I stenciled leaves on the painted wall in the backsplash area. The cabinets install got delayed, and I had time to kill! I could have tiled over it at some point, but I never did. We're outdoorsy folks, so the falling leaves suited us. I was going for subtle, so I tried not to go overboard.

Oooh, that’s very nice - and a personal touch!

We did the simple 4 inch splash. We live in a log cabin and the walls for most of the kitchen are log. We did not want to tile over the logs but wanted a little something for any larger spills.

I have a short one in the countertop material. I am waiting for a piece of stainless for behind the cooktop, but we have been using the kitchen for a year (I am perpetually put back in last place by the fabricator because it's a small piece not a whole counter). without one and the wall is still clean (we don't eat fried food).

I think the right short one can be cleaner looking than a backsplash. I like something rather than nothing at all because I don't like a joint with drywall at a horizontal corner since the counters get wiped off a lot.

My kitchen could probably be a puzzle-of-the-day What is 'wrong' here? Hmmm---- no backsplash. Theres a piece of corian 4" up to the bottom of the sink window. Also a peninsula vs island, Small floor tiles circa 1989, not too many drawers on the bottom, scatter rug instead of runner....... This not only works for me--it makes me smile to be here.

Getting new solid surface countertops and having a 2 1/2 inch standup against the painted wall. I might use the floor tile or a sheet of stainless steel behind the stove.. or just have the painted wall.

I’m planning a 4” standup that will tuck under a shallow ledge mounted to the wall. I have old wavy walls and this will conceal the gaps between straight counter and wavy wall. The ledge can be scribed to the wall.

I’m leaning toward paint above the ledge. I’d really like blackboard paint to be able to write notes on it, but not sure what I think about black walls.

The way I cook there is potential for "splash" almost anywhere. Just as soon not have it running down behind the cabinets, hence a backsplash. Currently have full height granite, which I'm sure would be castigated as hopelessly dated, but which works pretty much as well as full height seamless stainless counter and backsplash (the perfect material), but looks way more interesting. Once I'm gone it can get replaced with something more trendy.

I've currently have a 4" backsplash behind the stove with paint above. The paint is a dark color. Tomato sauce and grease hit the paint and generally wipe off. My paint may be a semi-gloss, so that helps along with the dark color.

I'm remodeling now, and I'm doing a full granite backsplash behind the cooktop that will go up to the bottom of the upper cabinet. It is a dark granite with very pronounced veining. It will be both a visual statement as well as easier to clean than paint or tile.

Behind the range and sink are where a full height backsplash have the most raison d’etre, from a functional point of view.

I’ve been thinking of tiling behind my range. Stainless steel is still in the running, as is semi-gloss paint - something tough, for kitchens or even for exteriors. My sinks have integral backsplashes.

I use a variable combination depending on what's cooking. The wall behind the induction cooktop is washable paint, and there are season-varying framed art prints that stand there, washable glass in the frames, and the hood suction prevents steam damage. Induction allows towels around the area for frying/splattering, and I also use a splatter screen for smaller jobs. For heavier frying, I use a folding stainless steel backsplash that stands between the cooktop and the wall. Over time, thus system has been the most flexible, and everything involved goes either into the laundry or the dishwasher, so none of that dreaded frying-clean-up. You could search for folding stainless-steel backsplash grease splatter gaurd if you wanted to have a look.

"Whether it inspires me or not." If something isn't needed for function, then I think inspiration is the thing to follow. @AnnKH's painted leaves and @gra8fulgal's quotes (see this thread) are great examples. For me, I wanted to bring the outside in (our lot is wooded in the back) so I chose a green tile with a level V2 or V3 variation. It makes me happy!

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No backsplash and no problems. Going on 20 years.

Happy for those who do well without one. You need a backsplash (a vertical surface impervious to water) to join your counter top (horizontal surface impervious to water) at a caulked joint (impervious to water) to protect your cabinetry. Cabinets are generally made of mdf or plywood, both of which rely on glue (urea formaldehyde or PVA) to keep them together. These glues dissolve in water when exposed to it for any length of time.

There’s also the hygiene issue. There are a lot of things older kitchens didn’t have (like refrigerators) that we now find necessary for food hygiene. You could have a major spill that is predominantly water, but you could have a spill of fish stock or milk. Without a seal between your vertical and horizontal surfaces, you risk in addition to cabinet damage, having a kitchen that sinks. You can’t really know how the kitchens people describe as just fine without a backsplash, smell, or whether their cabinets are damaged beneath their counters.

Our kitchen was remodeled to have a bit of a 1930's vibe. We have a 4" backsplash of counter material, and to get a bit of beadboard look, we purchased a beadboard-look wainscot tile for the cooktop area only.

The tile was 39 inches tall, and we cut it down to fit between the range hood and the 4" splash.

This was so that there would be no horizontal seams, and therefore easier to clean.

Just say no. It is easier to clean a painted wall, costs less than a splash, and reduces the visual clutter of a kitchen.

I have now remodeled three kitchens and used as my splash just a strip of the countertop material around 4-5".

I think the tile industrial complex is to blame for splashes and I won't give in! Same with the kitchen sink industrial complex urging folks to get bathtub sized sink with all kinds of accessories.

A 4” piece of counter material is a backsplash. For areas less likely to see liquid you can even use a 2” piece. This is @breezygirl’s dining room, I believe.

Oue cabinets were therefore we were in 1997. No backsplash then, none now. Cabinets are fine

Kitchen is fine.

My cooktop is on a middle island so I chose to use painted bead board on the periphery. The seller had built the house and chose a rather complicated mix of different backsplash tiles, which I really disliked. When I refaced the kitchen and got a new countertop, I leaned into our farmhouse vibe and just used bead board. I also ran it up the wall behind the cabinets that have glass fronts. Most people don’t notice it, but I know it’s there.

There’s no grease or cooking near it.