Before and After: 5 Kitchens With Light Neutral Backsplashes
These kitchens illustrate how pattern and texture can make a white or other light neutral backsplash a knockout
A kitchen backsplash in a light neutral is impervious to color fads and works with any cabinet finish. But while going neutral may be a safe choice, it needn’t be a boring one. See how textures, layouts and patterns add visual interest and style to neutral-toned backsplashes in these inspiring kitchen makeovers.
After: Johnson removed the awkward partitions as well as the decorative beams, then opened up the space to an adjacent breakfast area to add more than 100 square feet to the kitchen. With the extra space, she could create a more efficient U-shaped layout with pantry wall storage and an ample island with a marble-look quartz countertop with sweeping gray veins. The complementary perimeter countertops are dark gray quartz with soft white marbling.
New custom inset rift-cut white oak cabinets have Shaker-style fronts with thinner and more contemporary 1¼-inch stiles and rails.
Wall, range hood and ceiling paint: Simply White, Benjamin Moore
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New custom inset rift-cut white oak cabinets have Shaker-style fronts with thinner and more contemporary 1¼-inch stiles and rails.
Wall, range hood and ceiling paint: Simply White, Benjamin Moore
Shop for kitchen and dining furniture
Johnson relocated the sink to the new island and, behind it, installed a 36-inch dual-fuel range flanked by casement windows. Brass pendant lights with glass shades hang from the vaulted ceiling on chains, reinforcing the symmetry and adding light without blocking views.
The backsplash is a 4-by-4-inch ceramic tile made to resemble zellige, which is a terra-cotta tile traditionally handmade and glazed in Morocco. It’s prized for its color variation and irregular surface, which imparts an organic, earthy feel and subtle gleam.
“We were going for a zellige tile look, and this tile color worked well with the perimeter countertop,” Johnson says. “Also, because it’s not a handmade product, you have more control over the look of it.”
Tile: Moroccan Habitat Canvas Zellige, Kate-Lo Tile & Stone; pendant lights: Akron in Warm Brass, Savoy House
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The backsplash is a 4-by-4-inch ceramic tile made to resemble zellige, which is a terra-cotta tile traditionally handmade and glazed in Morocco. It’s prized for its color variation and irregular surface, which imparts an organic, earthy feel and subtle gleam.
“We were going for a zellige tile look, and this tile color worked well with the perimeter countertop,” Johnson says. “Also, because it’s not a handmade product, you have more control over the look of it.”
Tile: Moroccan Habitat Canvas Zellige, Kate-Lo Tile & Stone; pendant lights: Akron in Warm Brass, Savoy House
Read more about this kitchen remodel
Photos from McGuire + Co. Kitchen & Bath
2. Stone Slab Stunner
Kitchen at a Glance
Who lives here: A family of five
Location: Saugus, Massachusetts
Size: 292 square feet (27 square meters)
Designer-builder: Kelley Antonuccio (design) and Rob McGuire (build) of McGuire + Co. Kitchen & Bath
Before: This Massachusetts kitchen was showing its age with generic cherry cabinets, a textured ceiling, dark granite countertops and a busy yet bland beige backsplash and floor tile. It also had a peninsula (not shown) that awkwardly divided the space. Its owners wanted the space to have a more contemporary look and better flow, so they hired design-build duo Kelley Antonuccio and Rob McGuire.
2. Stone Slab Stunner
Kitchen at a Glance
Who lives here: A family of five
Location: Saugus, Massachusetts
Size: 292 square feet (27 square meters)
Designer-builder: Kelley Antonuccio (design) and Rob McGuire (build) of McGuire + Co. Kitchen & Bath
Before: This Massachusetts kitchen was showing its age with generic cherry cabinets, a textured ceiling, dark granite countertops and a busy yet bland beige backsplash and floor tile. It also had a peninsula (not shown) that awkwardly divided the space. Its owners wanted the space to have a more contemporary look and better flow, so they hired design-build duo Kelley Antonuccio and Rob McGuire.
After: The team took the room down to the studs, which included removing the peninsula, then created an L-shaped layout with an island. The island has enough room for storage, seating for up to six and a butcher block chopping station at one end. Its spindle legs suggest a piece of traditional furniture.
Black lower cabinets and white uppers comprise the new “tuxedo” color scheme. Light gray walls and a countertop and backsplash of Super White quartzite slabs in a leathered finish connect the two cabinet tones.
Topped off with a smooth white plaster finish on the ceiling, the new kitchen now has an overall look that’s serene and sophisticated.
Cabinetry: Luxury Line full-access in Frosty White and Heritage Black, Tedd Wood; wall paint: Gray Owl, Benjamin Moore
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Black lower cabinets and white uppers comprise the new “tuxedo” color scheme. Light gray walls and a countertop and backsplash of Super White quartzite slabs in a leathered finish connect the two cabinet tones.
Topped off with a smooth white plaster finish on the ceiling, the new kitchen now has an overall look that’s serene and sophisticated.
Cabinetry: Luxury Line full-access in Frosty White and Heritage Black, Tedd Wood; wall paint: Gray Owl, Benjamin Moore
New to home remodeling? Learn the basics
Structural changes included pushing out the range wall about 6 inches to accommodate a double wall oven and new 36-inch gas cooktop set into an alcove, seen here.
Honed 1-by-1-inch marble tiles cover a corner appliance niche in the alcove and echo the gray and white in the quartzite backsplash and countertop. The stone’s movement and pattern add to both its beauty and practicality.
“Any dings are less noticeable, because it already has that texture to it,” Antonuccio says.
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Honed 1-by-1-inch marble tiles cover a corner appliance niche in the alcove and echo the gray and white in the quartzite backsplash and countertop. The stone’s movement and pattern add to both its beauty and practicality.
“Any dings are less noticeable, because it already has that texture to it,” Antonuccio says.
Read more about this kitchen remodel
Photos by John Wilbanks Photography
3. New Dimensions
Kitchen at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple
Location: Bellevue, Washington
Size: 433 square feet (40 square meters)
Designer-builder: Allison Scott (lead designer), Nip Tuck Remodeling
Before: This cluttered 10-by-10-foot kitchen simply wasn’t cutting it for its owners, who are modern architecture and cooking enthusiasts who love to host crowds. They’d hired April Bettinger, owner of Nip Tuck Remodeling, to remodel their whole house, and she saw immediately that the wall separating the kitchen from the adjoining dining room should come down in order to make one large space.
To land on the room’s style, Bettinger had the couple create Houzz ideabooks where they could share inspiration images and comments.
3. New Dimensions
Kitchen at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple
Location: Bellevue, Washington
Size: 433 square feet (40 square meters)
Designer-builder: Allison Scott (lead designer), Nip Tuck Remodeling
Before: This cluttered 10-by-10-foot kitchen simply wasn’t cutting it for its owners, who are modern architecture and cooking enthusiasts who love to host crowds. They’d hired April Bettinger, owner of Nip Tuck Remodeling, to remodel their whole house, and she saw immediately that the wall separating the kitchen from the adjoining dining room should come down in order to make one large space.
To land on the room’s style, Bettinger had the couple create Houzz ideabooks where they could share inspiration images and comments.
After: After removing the wall dividing the kitchen and dining room as well as the cabinets and refrigerator on the opposite side, Bettinger and her team could install this modern, functional, minimalist-but-warm kitchen that the homeowners envisioned.
It includes new oak flooring, a capacious island and an enlarged window over the sink that offers a better view of a creek in the backyard.
The homeowners didn’t want any cabinet hardware, so the custom slab-front fir cabinetry has notched cutouts, push-to-open magnets and channels instead of pulls.
Caesarstone quartz in Organic White tops the island and lower perimeter cabinets.
It includes new oak flooring, a capacious island and an enlarged window over the sink that offers a better view of a creek in the backyard.
The homeowners didn’t want any cabinet hardware, so the custom slab-front fir cabinetry has notched cutouts, push-to-open magnets and channels instead of pulls.
Caesarstone quartz in Organic White tops the island and lower perimeter cabinets.
The team installed vertical-grain fir floating shelves on the wall above the sink and induction cooktop.
They left plenty of space to make a statement with a backsplash of hexagonal dimensional tiles in a glossy finish. Urethane grout makes the backsplash easy to clean, and LED lights below the floating shelves accentuate the ceramic tiles’ cool concave shape.
Cooktop and ventilation hood: Miele; backsplash tile: Verdon in Dove, Cepac Tile; wall paint: High Reflective White, Sherwin-Williams
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They left plenty of space to make a statement with a backsplash of hexagonal dimensional tiles in a glossy finish. Urethane grout makes the backsplash easy to clean, and LED lights below the floating shelves accentuate the ceramic tiles’ cool concave shape.
Cooktop and ventilation hood: Miele; backsplash tile: Verdon in Dove, Cepac Tile; wall paint: High Reflective White, Sherwin-Williams
Read more about this kitchen
Before Photo
Photos by Michael Alan Kaskel
4. Zigzagged and Crisscrossed
Kitchen at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple and their three young children
Location: Northbrook, Illinois
Size: 255 square feet (24 square meters)
Designers: Nancy Jacobson of Kitchen Design Partners (kitchen design) and Rebecca Pogonitz of GOGO Design Group (interior design)
Contractor: Macnon Builders
Before: This Chicago-area kitchen had inferior-grade cabinets and a lot of wasted space, especially along the wall pictured, which has a pantry closet, a desk, a refrigerator and dual ovens. Its dark cabinetry and backsplash had the owners craving a bright all-white kitchen.
To update the kitchen’s efficiency and style, the homeowners hired kitchen and bath designer Nancy Jacobson, who collaborated with them via Houzz ideabooks. Meanwhile, Jacobson pulled in interior designer Rebecca Pogonitz and the team at Macnon Builders to help complete the job.
4. Zigzagged and Crisscrossed
Kitchen at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple and their three young children
Location: Northbrook, Illinois
Size: 255 square feet (24 square meters)
Designers: Nancy Jacobson of Kitchen Design Partners (kitchen design) and Rebecca Pogonitz of GOGO Design Group (interior design)
Contractor: Macnon Builders
Before: This Chicago-area kitchen had inferior-grade cabinets and a lot of wasted space, especially along the wall pictured, which has a pantry closet, a desk, a refrigerator and dual ovens. Its dark cabinetry and backsplash had the owners craving a bright all-white kitchen.
To update the kitchen’s efficiency and style, the homeowners hired kitchen and bath designer Nancy Jacobson, who collaborated with them via Houzz ideabooks. Meanwhile, Jacobson pulled in interior designer Rebecca Pogonitz and the team at Macnon Builders to help complete the job.
After: The wall pictured in the previous photo now features tall white cabinetry — some with slab fronts and others with Shaker-style fronts — housing separate 36-inch fridge and freezer units, pantry cabinets with rollout shelves and a small-appliance cabinet with an outlet for charging a handheld vacuum. The wall still has double ovens, but now there’s a drawer below them and a cabinet above.
The new island has a black base and the perimeter base cabinets have an alder finish. Crisscrossing the ceiling are beams reclaimed from an old farmhouse.
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The new island has a black base and the perimeter base cabinets have an alder finish. Crisscrossing the ceiling are beams reclaimed from an old farmhouse.
Shop for kitchen islands and carts
The rustic beams and mixed cabinetry warm up the kitchen and give it a modern farmhouse feel. Meanwhile, the white quartz countertops, white uppers and white tile backsplash balance out the darker tones to create the light and bright look the owners wanted.
Despite being plain white, the backsplash has plenty of subtle character. If you look closely, you can see that the tiles are set with matching grout in a chevron pattern that echoes the angles of the ceiling beams.
Read more about this kitchen remodel
Despite being plain white, the backsplash has plenty of subtle character. If you look closely, you can see that the tiles are set with matching grout in a chevron pattern that echoes the angles of the ceiling beams.
Read more about this kitchen remodel
“After” photos by Jeri Koegel Photography
5. Artful Arabesque
Kitchen at a Glance
Who lives here: An empty-nest couple
Location: San Clemente, California
Size: 190 square feet (18 square meters)
Designer: Joseph Rodrigues Interiors
Before: The empty-nest owners of this 1980s kitchen appreciated how its terra-cotta flooring and Talavera tile countertops and backsplash complemented the home’s Spanish Colonial architecture. But the latter made the room look busy and was difficult to keep clean, and the former was hard on their backs and feet. What’s more, they disliked the color of the cabinets, the G-shaped layout felt tight, and an induction cooktop used up all the counter space on their island.
The couple hired Joseph Rodrigues to create a better-functioning kitchen with an updated but still architecturally consistent style.
5. Artful Arabesque
Kitchen at a Glance
Who lives here: An empty-nest couple
Location: San Clemente, California
Size: 190 square feet (18 square meters)
Designer: Joseph Rodrigues Interiors
Before: The empty-nest owners of this 1980s kitchen appreciated how its terra-cotta flooring and Talavera tile countertops and backsplash complemented the home’s Spanish Colonial architecture. But the latter made the room look busy and was difficult to keep clean, and the former was hard on their backs and feet. What’s more, they disliked the color of the cabinets, the G-shaped layout felt tight, and an induction cooktop used up all the counter space on their island.
The couple hired Joseph Rodrigues to create a better-functioning kitchen with an updated but still architecturally consistent style.
After: Rodrigues removed the old kitchen’s appliances, tile, island and peninsula, and he raised the ceiling about a foot.
Then he created a more efficient U-shaped layout surrounding an island, which added about 10 feet to the room’s usable space. To improve flow around the island, he changed its orientation and topped its alder base with a rounded gray quartz countertop.
He chose a deep green paint (Tarrytown Green by Benjamin Moore) for the pine perimeter cabinets. A new engineered hickory hardwood floor with a hand-scraped finish has the warmth of terra cotta but not the unforgiving feel underfoot.
“The home is Spanish Colonial but is very Mediterranean,” Rodrigues says. “It was important we brought the color element back into the kitchen.”
The homeowners chose the bronze-and-blown-glass pendant lights over the island.
Pendant lights: Everly in Olde Bronze, Kichler
Then he created a more efficient U-shaped layout surrounding an island, which added about 10 feet to the room’s usable space. To improve flow around the island, he changed its orientation and topped its alder base with a rounded gray quartz countertop.
He chose a deep green paint (Tarrytown Green by Benjamin Moore) for the pine perimeter cabinets. A new engineered hickory hardwood floor with a hand-scraped finish has the warmth of terra cotta but not the unforgiving feel underfoot.
“The home is Spanish Colonial but is very Mediterranean,” Rodrigues says. “It was important we brought the color element back into the kitchen.”
The homeowners chose the bronze-and-blown-glass pendant lights over the island.
Pendant lights: Everly in Olde Bronze, Kichler
Continuing the Spanish Colonial theme, Rodrigues selected a glossy handmade ceramic tile in an arabesque pattern for the backsplash. Warm oyster gray grout accentuates its shape.
In the previous photo, you can see a band of handmade accent tile on the range hood that’s reminiscent of the kitchen’s original patterned tile. Its sparing use makes it even more impactful.
“The overall aesthetic looks authentic to the look of the home but also looks transitional,” Rodrigues says.
Backsplash: Studio field ceramic tile in arabesque pattern, Arto
Read more about this kitchen remodel
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In the previous photo, you can see a band of handmade accent tile on the range hood that’s reminiscent of the kitchen’s original patterned tile. Its sparing use makes it even more impactful.
“The overall aesthetic looks authentic to the look of the home but also looks transitional,” Rodrigues says.
Backsplash: Studio field ceramic tile in arabesque pattern, Arto
Read more about this kitchen remodel
More on Houzz
Read more kitchen stories
Browse kitchen photos
Hire a kitchen remodeler
Shop for kitchen products
1. Zellige, Please
Kitchen at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple
Location: Minneapolis
Size: 179 square feet (17 square meters)
Designer: M. Victoria Johnson Interiors
Before: This Minneapolis kitchen may look attractive in the photo, but its new owners disliked its aging white cabinets and island cooktop, which hogged most of their prep space. It also had some head-scratching elements, such as partition walls that served no purpose other than to chop up the 77-square-foot room and make it feel even more cramped than it was. So they brought in designer Victoria Johnson before they moved in to the home to upgrade the kitchen’s style and functionality.
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