Take Kitchens to the Next Level with Statement-Making Backsplashes
Kitchen remodels are one of the most popular home improvement projects year after year. And a key component that can make or break the new kitchen design is the backsplash. Going beyond basic white tile, a statement-making backsplash introduces eye-catching textures, colors, shapes that instantly elevate the whole space.
From gleaming metal and crystal-clear glass to handmade art tiles and textured natural stone, stunning backsplash choices abound. Clever backsplash design even allows you to continue natural stone countertop materials up the wall for brilliant cohesion. The options for creating a showstopping, unexpected focal point are endless.
Natural Stone Backsplashes
For those partial to the remarkable veins, tones, and flecks of natural stone countertops like granite, extending the stonework into the backsplash creates a seamless, integrated look. The organic textures and colors of natural stone backsplashes infuse kitchens with subtle drama and beauty.
Granite
Given its tailoring to kitchen countertops, polished granite tiles carry worksurfaces up the wall in an understated yet compelling style. Whether featuring timeless neutrals or bold earthen hues, a full granite backsplash emanates sophisticated elegance.
Glossy finishes and tightly pieced stonework keep the look tidy while allowing granite's natural charms to shine. Black granite backsplashes interspersed with metal tiles amp up the glamour. And pairing exotic multicolored granite with white subway tiles makes for an artful statement.
Marble
The delicate yet complex veining of marble backsplashes introduce movement and polish. Ethereal whites and grays promote light and brightness, playing beautifully against dramatic cabinet colors. Warm-toned options like peach, beige, and brown marbles lend an Old World aesthetic.
As a highly porous stone, sealing and careful cleaning is a must for long-lasting marble backsplash beauty. But treated properly, marble backsplashes with countertop counterparts bestow kitchens with remarkable flair.
Travertine
With tan, cream, rustic red, and gray varieties, travertine brings ancient stone charm to backsplashes. Layered, porous textures make a neutral yet eye-catching foundation for kitchen colors and materials to pop against. Fill small pits in the stone with grout or opt for unfilled travertine's naturally rustic vibe.
The stone's honed or tumbled finishes play beautifully with travertine floor tile while complementing granite, quartz, or concrete countertops equally well. Warmth and texture unite travertine and granite backsplash pairings.
Onyx
Prized for its translucency, onyx brings a sheer yet substantial element to backsplashes through sliced slabs fitted together like stained glass. Often backlit for luminous effects, onyx infuses kitchens with soft glows. Neutral translucent shades promulgate airy elegance and bounce surrounding light playfully.
As a more fragile stone, onyx requires gentle handling. But glassy backlit panels behind a resilient granite-topped workstation makes a striking duo. Contouring onyx around countertops and focal walls sculpts mesmerizing movement.
Limestone
Understated creamy beiges and taupes with subtle fossilized detailing make limestone a versatile backsplash neutral. Matching limestone counters in finishes from polished to ruggedly honed expands the veined stonework's reach.
Softer and more porous than granite, limestone needs sealing for water resistance. But harmonious colors and faint patterns blend beautifully with many kitchen schemes while linking countertops in subtle style.
Pros and Cons
Matching granite and other natural stones from countertop to backsplash results in splendid cohesion. Neutral shades effortlessly match most color combinations too. Yet special care for sealing and cleaning is vital for porous stones like marble. Costs run higher as well, but stones lend uncommon, artful drama.
Glass Backsplashes
Like jewelry for kitchen walls, glass backsplashes introduce eye-catching brilliance through an array of polished tiles. Glimmering glass tiles refract and reflect light, bringing delightful radiance and visual texture.
Glass Tile Types
From translucent to opaquely colored, finishes range from shiny, mirrored effects to naturally dimpled. Classic subway shapes offer straight-lined order while intricate mosaics and 3D glass tiles mesmerize. Oversized rectangular formats make dramatic statements.
Pure clear and frosted whites brighten elegantly. Jewel-toned rich blues, greens and goldenrod glass tiles lend striking pops of color, beautifully contrasting granite's natural hues.
Design Considerations
All that dazzle needs a durable surface for lasting visual impact. Employing epoxy grout ensures glass splendor stays vivid. And since glass lacks absorption, matching granite's durability makes an ideal combo.
Strategically placed lighting exponentially amplifies the glimmering magic. Lining the lower edge with accent illumination spotlights sparkling tilework to brilliant effect. Backlighting adds glowing dimension for jaw-dropping nighttime drama.
Maintenance Notes
Smooth glass leaves little purchase for grime, making upkeep blissfully simple. Occasional cleaning with gentle soap and water easily maintains the unparalleled shine.
Metallic Backsplashes
Infusing kitchens with contemporary industrial edge, metal backsplashes like stainless steel, copper and brass tile add brilliant sheen. From small shimmering mosaic tiles to large variegated statement sheets, metals lend effortless modern elegance.
Stainless Steel
Sleek stainless-steel backsplashes promote an aura of cutting-edge sophistication with eye-catching luster. Matching stainless workstations continues clean lines while contrasting black granite countertops ups the aesthetic intrigue.
Formatted in various sizes and finishes from mirror to industrial hairline brushed, stainless makes a compelling contemporary style statement. Integrated properly, this strong material easily withstands decades of use.
Copper
Warmly shimmering copper backsplash tile pairs perfectly with granite counters in corresponding tones. From pale creams to dramatic emerald greens, swathes of polished copper enrich kitchen spaces with artisan allure.
Patina develops enticingly over years of use, lending each unique copper tile distinct vintage charm. Strategically placed copper accents contrast crisply with matte cabinetry as well.
Pewter, Brass, Bronze
Silvery pewter, golden brass and bronzed metal tiles lend a glam yet organic touch as backsplashes. Antiqued and hammered metal finishes contrast beautifully with polished granite slabs.
Tarnishing can become a concern if seals wear thin over time but easily restores with polishing paste. And using durable waterproof grout ensures long-lasting ultra-reflective sparkle.
Boldly Patterned Tile
Vibrantly colored, boldly patterned tile backsplashes make dynamic style statements, energizing kitchen spaces. Intricate mosaics, textural patterns like Moroccan zellige, and geometric designs infuse personality with artistic elegance.
Geometric Tile Patterns
Herringbones, chevrons, basketweave layouts and creatively intersecting lines signal modern sophistication with graphic impact. Contrasting matte blacks with high-gloss whites adds stylish dimension.
Handmade encaustic cement tiles feature sweeping freeform geometry for organic allure. Concrete's earthiness plays beautifully against the brilliant complexity of granite surfaces.
Global Tile Inspirations
Vivid Spanish, Mexican and Moroccan art tiles applied in eye-catching backsplashes make compelling style statements. Terracotta, hand-painted Talavera and brilliantly glazed zellige tiles infuse rich, saturated hues.
Combining these culturally inspired designs with granite's natural veining creates global-chic kitchens with artistic spirit. Consistent sealing protects the tiles' saturated colors and intricate paints.
Custom Designs
Commisioning custom ceramic tile murals renders backsplashes into one-of-a-kind art installations. Photographic images, kids' artwork, abstract designs or any creative concepts tile out in brilliant detail.
Making a personalized art piece the kitchen's focus celebrates imagination while harmoniously pairing with granite countertops. Such heartfelt creations resonate joyfully for years.
Mixing Backsplash Materials
Blending an artful mix of stone, glass and metal backsplash tiles builds beguiling and beautifully balanced feature walls. Combining all three materials intricately plays up each one's inherent shine and texture.
Creative shapes like rounded stone and oval hammered metals contrast with elongated rectangular subway tiles in materials like marble, travertine and stained glass. Framing sections in coordinating granites pulls the collage together seamlessly.
Creating Cohesion
Tying backsplashes together through a unified color story prevents combinations from feeling chaotic. Matching glass or metal to dominant granite slab tones promotes harmony. Adding black metals and stones grounds schemes in sophistication.
Alternating handmade artisan tiles with matching polished granite inserts creates captivating blended designs. Sections of accent metals and vivid glass keep the composition intriguing yet composed.
Backsplash Shape and Configuration
Shaping statement backsplash installations in rounded contours, creative angles and asymmetrical configurations adds sculptural modern artistry to kitchens. Combining matte cabinetry with polished stone and glass contrast dramatizes dimensions further.
Focal Points
Concentrating eye-popping treatments into specific focal feature areas maximizes visual impact economically. Wrapping a single section of space in ornate mosaics or vibrant paints focuses attention while allowing plainer surrounds to recede.
Curving on a three-dimensional plane enhances the focal area's fluidity and artistry. Matching the molded shapes in glass or stone with squared-off counterpart countertops and vertical cabinetry plays up pleasing architectural tensions.
Full Backsplash Installations
Enveloping full backsplash expanses in stone, glass or metal achieves a wonderfully enveloping effect. Sprawling neutral polished natural stones promote openness and continual fluidity. Mirrored metallic finishes render walls weightlessly ethereal.
Coordinating extensive finely pieced stone or glass backsplash tile layouts with gorgeously grained granite countertops links spaces in remarkable style. Contrasting matte cabinetry grounds the gorgeous composition.
Coordinating With Cabinetry
Kitchen cabinetry represents a major surface area, making coordination critical so all elements enhance each other. Contrasting finishes spotlight respective textures while tone-on-tone schemes yield highly livable sophistication.
Matching cool gray granite counters with equally softly gray cabinets allows stunning blue mosaic glass tiles to pop brightly. Warm-toned woods emphasize the vibrant colors and organic flecks of earth-hued granites and marbles.
Using Contrast
Allowing cabinetry and countertops to diverge in tone and texture uniquely frames both in style. The dynamic tension enlivens palettes excitingly. Bold crimson-stained cabinetry intensifies the mesmerizing veining of neutral granites as an unexpected foil.
Alternating matte painted cabinets with polished stone surfaces illuminates each element's best attributes. Crisp white cabinetry enhances the saturated colors and artisan textures of handmade global tile installations.
Grout Color Considerations
Far from an afterthought, grout color plays an integral role in kitchen tile backsplash design. Matching or deliberately contrasting mortar hue enhances the tile format for pronounced impact.
Deeply saturated grout colors like black, dark gray or navy intenisfy mosaic glass or stone tile mix vibrancy dramatically. Staining concrete grout to complement granite slab veining tones promotes seamless cohesion.
Conversely, clean white or very lightly tinted grout allows ornately patterned handmade tiles to shine as the undisputed stars very clearly. Crisp definition also lends modern artistry and precision to everything from subway layouts to geometric mosaics.
Statement Pairs for Specific Granite Countertop Colors
Certain backsplash materials and formats make especially stunning partners for popular granite slab shades. Matching onyx to black granite mimics cosmically beautiful nebulae. White marble backsplashes dramatize exotic multicolor granites gorgeously.
Black Granite
With lush white stones like calacatta marble or soft gray quartzites, black granite's dark intensity becomes profoundly elegant. Backlit gold-flecked glass or glimmering mother of pearl mosaic tiles scintillate brilliantly against the stone's void.
White Granite
Pristine white granite finds its soul mate with crisp white subway tile patterns featuring intermittent inky blue glass accent tiles. Contrasting with dramatic dark stained wood cabinetry electrifies the interplay palpably.
Gray Granite
Steel gray granite grounds itself regally with white grouted gray stone mosaics in materials like quartzite, soapstone or limestone. Contrasting with reclaimed barnwood cabinet panels adds organic allure.
Brown Granite
Luscious organic movement plays out enticingly between coffee-toned granite slabs and textural travertine tile backsplashes. Natural stone elegance meets textural intrigue in this compelling, down-to-earth duo.
Just as jewelry and accessories punctuate an outfit with personality, a statement-making backsplash transforms kitchen spaces radically. Tiling up a singular focal wall or enveloping full expanses establishes stunning showstoppers.
With everything from glittering glass mosaics to global art tile collections, metallic industrialesque textures and gorgeously grained natural stones to choose from, kitchen backsplashes represent an open creative playing field. Complementing the veining and movement found in natural granite countertops satisfies aesthetically and pragmatically.
So instead of resigning to boring basic backsplash design, create a personalized artistic centerpiece. Craft unexpected material collages or extend stone slabs right up the wall. Take kitchen style to daring new heights through the creative backsplash possibilities are endless.