Accentuate Your Kitchen with Stacked Stone Backsplashes

Upgrading your kitchen with a stacked stone backsplash can take the design from drab to dramatic. The rich textures and earthy colors of natural stone add beauty and visual interest to kitchen walls. Stacked stone backsplashes made from thin slices of quarried stone or stone veneers create a charming Old World look with multidimensional style.

Whether your taste runs traditional or contemporary, a stacked stone backsplash brings warmth and character to any kitchen. The varied shapes, colors, and textured look lend an organic, handcrafted feel that manufactured materials simply cannot replicate.

Types of Natural Stone for Backsplashes

Stacked stone backsplashes can be crafted from different types of natural stone to achieve your desired aesthetic. Some popular options include:

Granite

With its speckled appearance and earthy beauty, granite makes a timeless and elegant backsplash. It's also one of the most durable stones, resistant to scratches, heat, and stains. The cost of granite can range widely based on color and rarity.

Marble

Prized for its soft veining and upscale look, marble backsplashes add a touch of luxury. Carrara and Calacatta marbles are especially popular. However, marble requires more sealing and care than granites. Prices span from moderate to high-end.

Travertine

Travertine brings a rustic Tuscan warmth, showcasing natural pits and holes in the stone. Low-cost options are available, making travertine an attractive choice. Filling the pits creates a smoother finish. Travertine needs regular sealing.

Limestone

Offering subtle swirls and muted earth tones, limestone infuses a soft, organic feel. It's a great budget-friendly option for achieving a natural stacked stone look. Keeping it sealed is important since limestone is porous.

Slate

With its layers of rich color and texture, slate adds dark, brooding depth. The soft cleavage planes and irregular edges of slate stones create visual drama. Slate holds up well to kitchen demands despite its softer composition.

Stacked Stone Styles and Textures

In addition to the natural stone type, the stacked stone style makes an important design impact. Some popular stacked stone styles include:

Ledgestone

As the name implies, ledgestone backsplashes mimic the layered strata look of natural rock formations. The elongated stones have dynamic shapes and irregular edges. The ledgestone technique results in an organic, asymmetrical appearance perfect for rustic styles.

Drystack

Drystack stone features an unfinished look where the layers of irregularly-sized and shaped stones fit closely together without mortar between them. This method recreates the APPEARANCE of weathered fieldstone walls, although the stones are carefully cut. The drystack style brings a textural, timeworn feel.

River Rock

Capturing the smooth, rounded edges of stones washed over time in rivers, river rock backsplashes have a delightfully organic flow. The pebble-like stones intermingle in freeform patterns, lending relaxed movement. Paired with neutral grout, river rock has a refined yet natural look.

Fieldstone

Quarried fieldstone maintains the original shapes and sizes of natural stones removed from fields. The random, irregular silhouettes with chiseled edges evoke pastoral charm. Fieldstone brings idyllic ambiance to cottage spaces as well as contemporary designs.

Limestone

With its muted tones, mottled look, and fossilized patterns, stacked limestone resembles aged building blocks. The variegated colors and shapes found in natural quarried limestone transport the imagination to old castles and seaside cottages. It's perfect for Old World styling.

Design Considerations

Certain design factors require thought when planning your stacked stone backsplash to ensure it complements your kitchen aesthetic.

Choosing Stacked Stone Colors

Carefully consider the color scheme of your kitchen cabinets, countertops, flooring, and other elements when selecting stacked stone colors. You can pick up hints from the other finishes to achieve a cohesive look. Whether you prefer monochromatic or multicolored stone, keep the overall palette in mind.

Incorporating Stacked Stone Accent Walls

Using stacked stone as an accent wall or focal feature can transform the entire kitchen's aura. Stretching the backsplash from counter to ceiling makes a dramatic statement. But even doing a single section behind the stove in stacked stone creates enticing contrast.

Complementing Other Kitchen Elements

Look for ways to align the stacked stone lines with cabinetry or other architectural details. Repeating the height of stone layers or colors used in cabinets pulls everything together. Matching the width of stone pieces with drawer dimensions also establishes pleasing continuity.

Creative Uses of Stacked Stone

Think beyond just the backsplash area when planning your stacked stone application. Installing stone on the range hood surround or nearby columns adds compelling texture. Stacked stone designs can also adorn open shelving, the space above cabinets, or even the range wall itself.

Installation Tips and What to Expect

Proper installation is key to creating a structurally sound stacked stone backsplash that brings you enjoyment for years.

Hiring a Professional

Having a professional installer experienced in working with stacked stone materials can ensure the design is properly executed. Remove existing wall materials to expose the studs and masonry wall foundation for secure mounting. Stone will determine equipment and techniques used.

DIY Installation

With proper planning and building expertise, DIY installation is doable. Create a simple layout and gather the necessary construction adhesive, grout, sealants, and tools. After surface preparation, install a concrete backerboard and use a slurry adhesive to apply the stacked stone. Apply grout between stones and seal.

Ongoing Care and Maintenance

Most stacked stone backsplashes will need periodic sealing and re-grouting as necessary. Use mild cleaners and avoid harsh chemicals. Never use a wire brush. Even tiny damages like scratches can start allowing moisture to penetrate, so monitor for any issues.

Infusing organic texture and naturally beautiful colors, stacked stone backsplashes provide the perfect means to accentuate your kitchen's style. The charmingly imperfect shapes and varied dimensional details offer endless opportunities to showcase your personal taste.

Allow your imagination to wander freely in creating a stacked stone design that awakens your senses and brings new life to your most creative room in the home.