The backsplash is one of the most visible parts of any kitchen. It acts as the decorative focal point behind sinks, stoves, and countertops. With so many backsplash ideas and designs to choose from, it can be tricky to select one that perfectly matches your style. This article will explore unique and eye-catching backsplash options to suit any kitchen aesthetic.
Why Choose a Unique Backsplash?
A backsplash serves both form and function in a kitchen. Beyond just protecting your walls from splashes and stains, it offers the chance to inject visual interest, color, texture, and personality.
Rather than defaulting to expected materials like subway tile or mosaics, consider featuring a backsplash that captivates you and guests. Unique backsplash ideas range from colorful geometric patterns to nature-inspired textures.
An artful backsplash commands attention. It brings together your cabinetry, counters, appliances, and decor into one harmonious focal point. And it tells the story of who you are and what you love most.
Backsplash Design Considerations
Before selecting a statement backsplash, consider how it will coordinate with the rest of your kitchen design.
Style: Match your backsplash to your kitchen’s overall aesthetic – modern, traditional, farmhouse, etc. The patterns, colors, and textures should align.
Color palette: Determine the color scheme for your kitchen and choose a backsplash that sticks to it. Consider accent colors that pop against neutrals.
Material: Ceramic and porcelain tile, natural stone, glass, and metal backsplashes each make different visual impacts. Consider durability too.
Size and shape: The scale of your backsplash tiles or panels impacts the look. Large-scale options exaggerate the design.
Placement: Full backsplashes protect more wall space while accent sections highlight key areas.
Budget: Unique materials like handmade tiles or semi-precious stones often costs more. Plan how much to invest in your focal point.
Once you’ve weighed the options, it’s time to settle on a style and design that you connect with.
Modern and Geometric Backsplashes
For contemporary kitchens, backsplashes take an artistic turn with modern shapes, bold colors, and graphic designs. Angles, lines, and asymmetry inject visual dynamism into these backdrops.
Linear Tiles
Long rectangular subway tiles date back generations but feel fresh in modern color palettes. Stark white and light gray create cool, minimalist backsplashes. Or use bolder primary colors on a grid for retro appeal. Stack the tiles vertically, horizontally, or on the diagonal. Mixing up the orientations prevents monotonous rows.
Geometric Tiles
For more dynamic dimension, geometric tiles build patterns through shapes like hexagons, triangles, diamonds, and zigzags. Interlocking smaller tiles construct these intricate motifs. Stick to one bold geometric shape or combine several for more eclectic cascading effects.
Moroccan Fish Scale
Inspired by glazed tilework found in Moroccan and Spanish architecture, fish scale tiles overlay like snake scales or chainmail. The micro mosaic look brings artsy texture and light reflections to kitchen backsplashes. Use iridescent glass tiles to create entrancing mermaid-scale effects.
Graphic Art Tile
Some companies design ceramic tile collections featuring bold abstract designs straight out of an art gallery. Look for Warhol-esque pop art prints or abstract expressionist shapes and blobs. These graphic art tiles make ultra-modern statements in your kitchen.
Pixelated Video Game
For gamers and geeks, pixelated video game character tiles recreate the 8-bit charm of old school arcade games. Clusters of pixilated hearts, stars, and game heroes add kitschy nostalgic appeal. Use them sparingly as an accent before the pixels get dizzying.
Natural Stone and Wood Backsplashes
Natural materials like stone, wood, and concrete evoke an earthy, organic ambiance. Textured and tonal, they feel both elegant and bohemian in kitchens from modern to farmhouse.
Travertine and Limestone
With naturally occurring holes, troughs, and roughness, travertine tile makes an antiqued statement. The beige and brown striations feel warm and worn-in. For a lighter look, limestone offers subtle cream and gray swirls. Grouping small mosaic tiles together conveys organic movement.
Marble
Prized through the ages for opulence, marble backsplashes flaunt timeless beauty and luxury with colors and veining that vary tile to tile. Whites like Carrara marble look airy and bright while grays add moody drama. Keep marble backsplashes simple to avoid an overly ornate effect.
Slate and Quartzite
Slate and quartzite stone boast beautiful dimension from layers of metamorphic rock. Blue-gray and black-gray create sophisticated moodiness. For a tactile experience, use honed or leathered finishes to soften the naturally textured surface.
Wood Planks
Available in every tone from blond birch to rich walnut, wood planks lend rustic-chic texture to kitchens. Accent the grains and knots or go for a smooth sanded finish. Use large-format planks for a harmonious look or mix widths randomly for eclectic charm.
Brick and Cement
Brick backsplashes inject industrial edge, perfect for urban lofts. Stick with a single brick color for unified appeal or mix tones for a reclaimed wall effect. For a modern take, opt for poured concrete backsplashes with mottled gray pigments that resemble weathered cement.
Glassed and Metallic Backsplashes
Shimmering glass and metal finishes illuminate kitchen backsplashes with light-catching appeal. From sleek stainless to handcrafted tile, glow and glimmer take center stage.
Ombre Glass
Watch colors dance and blend with iridescent glass tile in ombre gradients. Using a single slender tile shape, arrange the glass in spectral order from cool to warm or dark to light. The fading rainbow effect mesmerizes. Use metallic ombre glass for even more shine.
Mosaic Glass and Mirror
Tiny glass or mirrored mosaic tiles refract and reflect light in dazzling ways. Keep the tiles small in scale and random in placement to enhance the kaleidoscopic effect. Pair metallic mosaic tiles with glass for more radiance. Shapes like circles, squares, and hexagons catch the eye.
Metallic Tiles and Sheets
Glittery solid metals like copper, brass, and nickel provide brilliant shine in clean sleek sheets or embossed tile. Push the reflective limits with mirror sheets or mirrored mosaic for disco ball drama. Keep the rest of the kitchen muted to let metallics gleam.
Stainless Steel
Engineered for commercial kitchen durability, stainless steel makes a slick modern backsplash. Opt for satin finishes to avoid overly sterile reflective surfaces. Welded metal, rivet details, and patina effects add appealing texture.
Unique Materials for Eclectic Backsplashes
Beyond everyday tile and stone, all kinds of distinctive materials can elevate your kitchen backsplash into an art piece. Eclectic finds like ornamental screens, pressed tin, or salvaged shutters create conversation-worthy focal points.
Pressed Tin
For vintage charm, decorative pressed tin tilesCalled Sheffield tiles replicate the stamped metal ceilings and walls of yesteryear. Look for period patterns like geometric flowers, scallops, or fleur de lys. Painted or raw metal finishes contrast beautifully with wood cabinetry.
Fabrics as Art
Commission an artist to create a showstopping fabric artwork backsplash. Options are endless – collage quilts, cross stitch samplers, abstract tapestries. Choose materials with durable backings like acrylic felt or vinyl to withstand kitchen conditions.
Recycled and Repurposed
Give retired items renewed purpose, like using the aluminum backs of old baking sheets to create shimmering metallic backsplashes. License plates, circuit boards, and piano keys offer kitschy possibilities. Antique shutters, salvaged signs, and orphaned window frames all inspire.
Wabi-Sabi
This Japanese philosophy celebrates imperfections and transience. Look for backsplash materials exhibiting natural flaws, weathering, and aging. Unmatched ceramic tiles, chipped dishes, crusty rusted metals, and distressed reclaimed woods all speak to the beauty in flaws.
Beach and Ocean Motifs
Bring coastal vibes to your kitchen with backsplash materials evoking sand, waves, and sea creatures. Look for sea glass tiles, shark’s tooth pattern porcelain, shell mosaics, fish scale tile, and three-dimensional carved coral.
Backsplash Ideas by Kitchen Style
Now that we’ve sparked ideas with material possibilities, let’s explore full backsplash designs suited to popular kitchen aesthetics.
Modern Farmhouse Backsplash Ideas
The modern farmhouse style pairs weathered, vintage charm with clean lines and brightness. Backsplashes in natural wood, brick, or concrete strike the right balance.
- White shiplap boards arranged in a herringbone pattern for timeworn appeal
- Handmade terra cotta tiles glazed in creamy whites for organic texture
- Subway tiles with varied gray and white color for a classic feel
- Weathered thin red bricks in soft uneven rows like an old garden wall
Rustic Backsplash Ideas
Rustic kitchens embrace nature’s imperfections with unrefined materials, rich grains, and inspired textural details.
- A multicolored slate mosaic replicating the rocky layers of a natural stone formation
- Reclaimed barn boards mounted randomly for an improvised look
- Field stones and pebbles clustered in an organic mosaic pattern
- White marble with artful gray veining and subtle pitting that shows its age
Industrial Backsplash Ideas
Industrial backsplashes rely on sleek metals, concrete, brick, and glass to mimic factories, warehouses, and lofts.
- Corrugated metal sheet backsplash punctured by round ventilation holes
- Exposed brick wall used as a raw, unfinished backsplash surface
- Poured concrete backsplash with metal tooling marks and embedded gravel
- Stainless steel penny tiles riveted together in an irregular pattern
Traditional Backsplash Ideas
Traditional kitchen backsplashes offer classic elegance with subdued colors, symmetrical layouts, and refined materials.
- Subway tiles in white, light gray, or almond arranged in a grid pattern
- Octagonal marble mosaic tiles laid in neat straight rows
- Beveled white marble rectangles stacked vertically with even grout lines
- Ornate decorative tiles featuring filigree and scrollwork details
Contemporary Backsplash Ideas
Contemporary backsplashes make bold stylistic statements with eye-catching colors, graphics, shapes, and glossy surfaces.
- Vivid turquoise glass tiles stacked asymmetrically as wall art
- Polished brass hexagonal tiles reflecting light in a honeycomb pattern
- A photorealistic cityscape mosaic mural spanning the backsplash
- Sleek white quartz surfaces and floating shelves instead of standard backsplashes
Design Your Own Unique Backsplash
The options for creative backsplashes are virtually endless. Use these guides to conceptualize a backsplash design perfect for your own style.
Draw Inspiration from Your Interests
Think about your passions, hobbies, favorite destinations, and treasured memories. Translating something meaningful into your backsplash makes it personally special. Some hobby-related ideas:
- A gardener could press and frame actual leaves or flowers between glass tiles
- A surfer might use real crushed shells, shark’s teeth, or frosted sea glass
- A vintage car buff could display antique auto emblems and license plates
- A baker may opt for artful spoons, rolling pins, and measuring cups as three-dimensional accents
Mix Unexpected Materials
Don’t limit yourself to typical backsplash materials. Utilize other purposeful kitchen items as artistic backsplash forms.
- Mount a cluster of hammered copper pots and pans on the wall
- Arrange colorful vintage enamelware in creative patterns
- Alternate traditional tiles with ingredients like ribbons of cinnamon sticks or jars of spices
- Use the insides of teapots, milk jugs, and silverware drawers as unconventional mosaic shapes
Tell a Story
Use your backsplash to share memories, inside jokes or a meaningful narrative. Some storytelling concepts include:
- Framing childrens’ artwork in sections across the backsplash
- Spelling out meaningful words, names, dates, or song lyrics in tile
- Incorporating travel mementos, tickets, and souvenirs from adventures
- Creating imagery of favorite fictional characters or movie scenes with tiles
The storytelling options are endless. Get creative combiningbacksplash materials in ways no one else has thought to do.
FAQs About Unique and Eye-Catching Backsplashes
Still undecided on your dream backsplash design? These answers to frequent questions provide more insights.
What backsplash goes with everything?
Subway tiles make a classic and versatile choice compatible with most kitchens, whether modern or traditional. Their simple tidy lines pair well with any cabinetry and countertop material. White is the most flexible color but pale grays also coordinate in any setting.
How do I choose a backsplash color?
Consider factoring in the undertones of your existing elements like cabinetry and counters. Warm wood cabinetry pairs better with cream, beige or brown backsplash tile while cool gray counters call for light blue, frosted, or white tile. If your kitchen is neutral, embrace any vibrant backsplash color you love.
What backsplash is easiest to maintain?
Glass, metal, and ceramic tile backsplashes clean up the easiest. Their non-porous surfaces resist grime buildup and don’t require sealing. Just avoid textured tile that traps grease in grout lines. Stainless steel backsplashes offer the most indestructible option requiring minimal maintenance.
Can you use wallpaper as a backsplash?
Yes, water-resistant vinyl-coated wallpaper makes a removable and customizable backsplash alternative. Choose washable papers meant for high-moisture areas. Remove wallpaper easily whenever you remodel or tire of it without damaging your walls. Some even mimic real tile!
Is a full backsplash necessary?
Full backsplashes spanning your entire countertop to lower cabinet area provide the most effective protection from cooking messes and water. But partial backsplashes can also get the job done above key areas while highlighting a decorative focal point.
Achieve Your Dream Backsplash
A backsplash serves as a central decorator element tying your entire kitchen together. Rather than blend in, make it boldly stand out with an artistic focal point true to your taste.
Break conventions with unexpectedly creative materials, eye-catching colors, imaginative textures, and designs that share your passions. With so many innovative ideas, you can achieve a one-of-a-kind backsplash as compelling as a gallery masterpiece.