The very best kitchens seamlessly bring together practicality with aesthetics, providing a space that functions without a hitch on a day-to-basis, all at the same time as delivering bags of individual style – these are the spaces that become the buzzing hubs of the home.
When designing a kitchen, there are certain practical elements that also allow you to have a little fun – and splashbacks are one of them. Designed to take the brunt of splashes, spills and knocks, the kitchen splashback ideas you opt for can also become focal points and features which showcase your personality.
If you are struggling to get any more creative with your splashback than a rectangle of plain tiles, you're in luck – there are lots of other, more interesting, ways to approach this kitchen essential. We've pulled them together all in one place to help give you a creativity boost.
1. Introduce brick finishes for a laid-back rustic look
If it's a cosy, lived-in farmhouse kitchen that you're dreaming of, a sleek, glossy tiled splashback is likely to look rather out of place – you need something a little more rustic and textured to complete the look.
While exposed brick can work well, providing you seal it properly, this won't always be practical, in which case why not consider using a brick-effect tile or cladding instead? Grazzie Wilson, head of creative at Ca'Pietra, explains how she likes to recreate the look.
"Terracotta is brilliant for this. Using something like our Marlborough Terracotta (above) gives you all that lovely variation in tone, texture and character, so the splashback becomes part of the architecture of the kitchen, rather than something that’s simply been added afterwards. Taking it across a larger section of wall, as we have here, makes it feel almost like exposed brickwork, but warmer and softer."
Grazzie goes on to suggest what to pair it with. "I particularly love it against painted cabinetry, timber and natural stone because nothing is too perfect. The slight differences between each tile are exactly what make it work. And don’t feel you have to lay it in the most obvious way either. A different format or laying pattern can completely change the personality of the same material."
Grazzie Wilson is head of creative at tile company Ca'Pietra and is known for her creative and stylish approach. Offering consistently stylish and innovative solutions to tile and bathroom design has made her one of the most well-known and admired names in the industry.
2. Consider cork as an eco-friendly, anti-microbial option
Over the years cork flooring has fallen in and out of favour, being seen as the height of sophistication one minute (particularly during the 1960s and 1970s) and highly unfashionable the next. However, good-quality cork can make a fantastic material for all kinds of applications – splashbacks included.
Not only is cork a brilliant sustainable option, but it also resists mould and bacteria well, plus it lends a warm, tactile finish to the spaces in which it is used – something that can be lacking in many modern kitchens.
If you decide to use it as a splashback, make sure it is properly sealed to protect it against repeated exposure to water and stains.
Sold in packs of five, with each panel measuring 600 x 300 x 3mm, these cork wall panels are sustainable, lightweight, simple to cut to size and easy to fit on a DIY basis.
3. Add a little glamour with some metallic finishes
For some time now warm metallic finishes have been big news in kitchens, from taps and cabinet hardware to kitchen lighting – think brushed brass, copper and gold.
These tones add so much in the way of warmth making them ideal where you want to avoid a contemporary kitchen looking cold and sterile, as well as sitting perfectly alongside more classic units, such as Shaker. They also work beautifully against all kinds of colours, from rich blues and forest greens to pretty pinks and soft white.
Using metal as a splashback is the ideal way to add an instant hit of charm – as this patinated brass design demonstrates.
4. Go full-height for a streamlined finish
While the idea of a splashback might be to protect the section of wall directly behind a hob or kitchen sink, there is nothing to say that it has to be restricted in its size – in fact, the oversized splashback is something to be embraced.
"I think we’ve become a little too well behaved with splashbacks," picks up Grazzie Wilson. "There’s no rule that says they have to be a neat rectangle of glossy tiles sitting behind the hob or sink. One of my favourite alternatives is to take a material you’d normally expect to see underfoot and run it straight up the wall instead.
"My advice is to go bigger than you think," continues Grazzie. "If you’ve fallen for kitchen wall tiles with real character, don’t confine them to that little strip between the worktop and wall units. Take them to the shelves, around the cooker or even across the whole wall. A splashback can be practical and still be the bit of the kitchen that makes you smile."
5. Tie the look together by matching your island worktop to your splashback
While you might want your splashback to make a statement, there are ways of ensuring it sits in harmony with the rest of your kitchen ideas, rather than jarring with them.
Marble splashbacks have to be the ultimate luxury style statement, whether used in the kitchen or within the bathroom. We would strongly suggest you consider using the same marble for your splashback as you do elsewhere – and a kitchen island worktop works particularly well.
In this space, the splashback branches out into a useful shelf which not only adds to the kitchen storage ideas, giving somewhere for cookbooks and frequently used crockery, but also highlights the height of the ceiling.
6. Shake off what you thought you knew about laminate
There was a time when laminate was definitely seen by many as a quick and inexpensive material for kitchen worktops that wasn't necessarily designed with longevity or good-looks in mind – but all of that has changed.
These days there are laminates out there that do a fantastic job, not just of mimicking natural materials such as stone and timber, but that are also high-performing.
Be on the lookout for solid-core laminates that are fully waterproof and anti-bacterial – some are also heat-resistant making them a highly practical choice.
Get the look of real marble for a fraction of the price – plus enjoy easier installation with this stain- and water-resistant laminate splashback. Measuring 3000mm x 600mm x 9mm, matching worktops are also available.
7. Continue your splashback finish around your cooker hood
There is a reason why tiles remain such a popular way to form kitchen splashbacks – they are easy to clean, hardwearing and come in an enormous array of colours, patterns and textures.
Lesley Taylor, interior designer and founder at Baked Tiles, explains that tiles can still be considered for splashbacks, when they are used in clever ways. "An alternative splashback idea doesn’t necessarily mean using an alternative material. Often, it’s the way you design the tiled area that makes it feel different.
"The first thing I’d look at is the boundary," continues Lesley. "A traditional splashback tends to sit in a very predictable band between the worktop and wall units, but you can completely change the feel of a kitchen by ignoring that line. Take tiles to the ceiling, wrap them around cooker hoods, continue them across a whole wall or use a shelf as the point where one treatment stops and another begins. That immediately makes the splashback feel much more considered and architectural."
Lesley Taylor is an designer with more than 25 years’ experience across both residential and commercial property. A registered member of BIID – the British Institute of Interior Design – Lesley has authored 10 books on interior design.
8. Inject texture and interest with a slate splashback
Just as when it comes to stone flooring ideas, slate is hard to fault as a splashback. Not only it is super hardwearing, but it also comes in a huge choice of sizes, colours, textures and in natural patterns that suit both contemporary and traditional kitchens alike.
The beauty of slate is that you can find it in all kinds of colourways, from those featuring blues and greens to variations that are reminiscent of autumn leaves, full of reds, oranges and gold.
If you love the idea of a slate splashback, be on the lookout for one that features some of the same tones as those used elsewhere in your kitchen, such as the one above which mirrors the blue of the units, yet sits in beautiful contrast to the white used elsewhere.
9. Coordinate your floor tiles and splashback for a considered look
The kitchen is a busy, bustling space for much of the time – particularly in the case of family kitchens – meaning it is important that the decor you choose doesn't add to a sense of overwhelm. This is why exercising just a little restraint when it comes to the number of different kitchen colours, materials and patterns is important.
Matching your splashback materials to your kitchen flooring results in a pleasing sense of continuity and keeps things a little pared back – yet the end finish needn't look unimaginative.
María D Arraez, director of Tile of Spain UK, explains how to use tiles in a way that packs a visual punch without the look being 'too much'. "Splashbacks are becoming an increasingly expressive element in the kitchen, with large-format tiles creating a sleek, contemporary backdrop with minimal grout lines. Patterned tiles are also making an impact, introducing colour, character and decorative detail, while giving the splashback a more considered, statement-making role within the overall scheme."
Shop tiling essentials
Perfect for wall tiles, this ready-mixed adhesive is an 'instant grab' formula so tiles won't slip as you apply them. It is also showerproof, making it ideal for behind sink splashbacks.
Grout for a splashback needs to be able to handle moisture and this one can do just that. It is pre-mixed to save time and flexible so it can deal with a little movement.
Containing everything you need to create your tiled splashback, this kit comes complete with a tile marker and scorer, 100 tile spacers, an adhesive spreader/squeegee and grout finisher.
María Dolores Arraez is the Head of Tile of Spain at the Spanish Embassy's Commercial Office in London. She is responsible for the promotion of the Spanish ceramic tile industry in the UK and supports the Tile of Spain members in their export strategies to the UK.
10. Use your splashback for storage as well as to protect walls
Kitchen splashbacks can be used for so much more than simply protecting your walls – think of them instead as multi-tasking features that can combine your kitchen shelving ideas, additional light sources, as somewhere to hang your most-used utensils and, of course, as storage for pots and pans.
The beauty of the newest kitchen splashbacks is that, at the same time as being useful for all kinds of practical purposes, they can also add so much in the way of personality to your kitchen, something Oli Webb, director at Cullifords, is keen to point out. "Splashbacks are becoming a bolder design statement, with richly coloured stones bringing personality and depth to the kitchen.
"From sophisticated blues and playful pinks to warm, uplifting oranges, these vibrant tones are proving particularly popular, transforming the splashback from a purely practical feature into a striking focal point."
Oli Webb is a Director at Cullifords, a supplier of natural stones specialising in marble, granite, quartzites, travertines, onyx and slates. They also distribute man-made ceramic surfaces, which are specifically designed for the kitchen market.
11. Use a chequerboard design for added interest
Chequerboard patterns have rarely been out of fashion – in fact, this is a design that was being used in Roman villas thousands of years ago across floors. Now we are all getting a little braver, it is being used for splashbacks too, as Richard Skeoch, company director at Hyperion Tiles, explains.
"A chequerboard tiling pattern has been around for generations, but the way we are using it is changing. While the traditional black and white combination can make quite a bold statement, choosing warmer, more tonal colours can give you a much softer interpretation that feels more at home in a relaxed interior."
Lesley Taylor explains how the use of chequerboard patterns reflects the way in which people are beginning to realise that tiles can be used in some really inventive ways as splashbacks.
"Rather than asking, 'What can I use instead of a tiled splashback?', I’d ask, ‘How can I use tile differently?' The most interesting schemes often come from changing the scale, the stopping point or the direction of the tile, rather than changing the material altogether.
"Tile format matters too," adds Lesley. "A narrow KitKat tile creates lots of repeated vertical lines, which draws the eye upwards and can make a wall feel taller (perfect for rooms with low ceilings). That makes it particularly effective when you use it full height. On a larger wall, the repetition also creates texture and movement without needing a busy pattern, which is useful if the kitchen already has strong cabinetry, timber or stone."
With more than three decades of experience in the tile and flooring industry, Richard has developed an expert eye for how tiles can transform a space. As Director, he personally curates distinctive brands and collections to bring to the company's portfolio. Richard is also on hand to offer his expertise to homeowners, interior designers and house builders, whether they need help selecting colour and pattern or guidance on material, scale and practical considerations.
12. Reflect the colour of your units within your splashback choice
Finally, while designing your kitchen splashback to become a focal point within your kitchen can work really well, there is nothing to say it can't blend in with your kitchen wall colours and the rest of your scheme at the same time as adding plenty of design interest.
"When choosing your splashback colours, look at the shades and materials you already have in the room," suggests Richard Skeoch. "Picking out a tone from your walls, cabinetry, furnishings or other finishes can help it feel like a natural part of the scheme, rather than something that has simply been added because it is on trend."
Here, the blues of the cabinets has been reflected in the choice of marble splashback which features swirling sea green and blue tones, greys and a splash of rust.
FAQs
Can I install my kitchen splashback myself?
This very much depends on your level of skill as well as the splashback material you are working with.
Many people feel comfortable undertaking the task of tiling a wall, but might struggle when it comes to making multiple cuts or with complicated laying patterns – and some large format, natural stone tiles can be incredibly hard to work with.
In the case of slab splashbacks, bear in mind that they can be heavy, not to mention expensive, so it will be worthwhile looking into professional installation or, at the very least, have a second pair of hands to help.
If you are specifically after a splashback you can fit on a DIY basis, laminate, glass, stainless steel and perspex panels tend to be the simplest options.
When choosing your splashback be sure to keep an eye on the latest kitchen trends – they move quickly and you don't want to miss out on any of the latest kitchen innovations.
