Kitchen backsplashes can be a subtle part of the decor or a notable focal point. Selecting the right backsplash can be a daunting task. There are many things to consider beyond just colour and design. We’ll provide you with a guide to help you learn more about backsplashes and how to select just the right one.

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What is a Kitchen Backsplash?

Your kitchen backsplash is located on the wall between your kitchen counter and the bottom of your upper cabinets. There are many materials you can cover this wall with, such as any type of tile or stone, or it can contain a full slab of the same material your countertop is made of.

Although it can serve as an accent piece in your kitchen, its main purpose is to protect the walls from food splatter, heat, and moisture. Therefore, selecting a material for your backsplash that is easy to care for and clean may be an important priority for you.

A kitchen backsplash is a great project that can be done at any time. Ideally, it’s best to do a backsplash as part of a new kitchen renovation so that everything coordinates. However, replacing your kitchen backsplash can be a great way to change up the look of your kitchen at very little cost or disruption to your home.

We had one client who was quite happy with her current kitchen layout and the cabinets. However, she wanted to freshen up the look a little and didn’t want it to cost more than $10,000. With that size of budget, we recommended a new quartz countertop, replacing the backsplash at the same time, and selecting a more contemporary paint colour for the walls. The end result was fabulous and even came in well under budget! A completely new look without disturbing the cabinets at all, and everything was done within a week!

Some of the options you have for a kitchen backsplash include:

Ceramic or porcelain tiles
Glass mosaic tiles
Mirror
Natural stone
Quartz solid slab
Metal
Wallpaper covered with clear glass
Painted glass

This is not an exhaustive list, but these are the most popular options. Essentially, your only limit is your imagination.

When Do I Select Tiles?

If you are planning your kitchen backsplash project as part of your whole kitchen renovation, then there is a preferred order to follow in making your decisions.

Unless you are planning a full-height quartz backsplash to match your countertop, I recommend that the backsplash tile be the last thing you select. Here’s the order I usually recommend to my clients:

Pick your cabinet door style and colour first. It’s the most important part of your kitchen and should reflect your style, needs, and preferences.
Next, select your flooring. That’s the next biggest surface area and should be one of your primary selections.
Next, you’re going to pick your countertop. Make sure you have a sample of your flooring and a sample of your cabinet colour nearby so you can put your countertop sample next to them to ensure you’re creating a cohesive look.

An easy way to see all of your colour options together is to have a large paint sample. You can order full 12"x12" actual paint samples from Samplize. These samples were made with two coats of real paint, so they are colour-correct. They are peel and stick, so you can just peel them, stick them on your wall, and then peel them off to move to another wall or tuck them away when you want to consider that paint colour again in the future. The Samplize non-damaging adhesive backing allows for viewing in multiple locations and in different lighting without marking up your walls!

This is such a brilliant product! No messy paint cans and brushes to deal with!

The samples are sent right to your door, so it's super convenient. Samplize has samples available for Sherwin Williams, Benjamin Moore, PPG, and Farrow and Ball.

Check out the samples here.

4. Now that you’ve selected your cabinet doors, the colour of those doors, your flooring, and your countertop, it's time to pick your backsplash. Make sure you have the paint chip sample, flooring sample, and countertop sample you selected when you are picking out your backsplash to ensure everything looks great together.

5. The last thing to select is your wall paint colour. You can click on the Samplize link again to order a large sample of your wall colour as well.

This is the order in which we recommend you make your selections. However, rules are meant to be broken, and this list doesn’t mean you can’t sway from them if you find something you love.

I had a client who was out browsing at Home Depot before she even planned her kitchen renovation or made the first phone call to have us provide a quote. She saw a backsplash tile she absolutely LOVED. She bought enough of it to do her whole backsplash. Because she loved it so much and wanted to ensure she used it as her backsplash, we just did things in a slightly different order. We made sure that all of the other decisions she made (colour of cabinets, flooring, and countertop) would coordinate well with the backsplash she selected.

An Opportunity to Be Creative

Whether you are planning to replace your kitchen backsplash as a project on its own or as part of your whole kitchen renovation project, there are a few things you need to consider and ask yourself before you start looking at tiles.

Do you want your backsplash to blend with the kitchen renovation colours and design? If so, select something that is more neutral and not eye-catching.
Do you want your kitchen backsplash to be a focal point? This is your time to get wild and creative with colour, design, and shape.
Do you want it to be an extension of your countertop and therefore a full-height quartz backsplash? Do you want it to be the same as your countertop or a complimentary quartz?
How important is it to have your backsplash easy to care for and clean? If so, you may want to avoid things like natural stone that require regular sealing.
Are you planning on selling your home within the next 5 years? If so, you may want to consider a more neutral backsplash, like a simple one-colour subway tile.

Some of Our Favourites:

Subway Tiles

One of the most common backsplashes we install for our clients is subway tile. Although traditional subway tiles are typically 3" x 6", there are so many other options available today that make the common subway tile anything but common.

We often install subway tiles that are approximately 4" x 12" or even 4" x 16". Sometimes they're flat, other times they're wavy, and some are even bevelled. If you can imagine the colour, it probably comes in a subway tile. We've even installed some gorgeous glass subway tiles!

What we love the most about subway tiles is that they have a very classic design that goes with almost any decor, and they are almost timeless. This makes them extremely versatile, and if you end up selling your home, they'll likely appeal to almost any buyer.

You can even take a simple subway tile and install it in a herringbone design to create a whole new look. Bear in mind that a herringbone design will usually come at a slightly higher labour cost, and you will usually need to buy more than normal quantities of tile, but at the excellent price point that subway tiles come at, that usually won't be a deal breaker.

Full-Height Quartz

Extending your quartz countertop to become a full-height quartz backsplash has really become a much more affordable option in the last year or so. It used to cost an insane amount, but now it really isn't that much more than some of the more expensive tiles out there.

The biggest advantage of a full-height quartz backsplash is that it has a clean, seamless look. This look works extremely well in smaller kitchens when you're trying to expand the look of the space. It also has a very contemporary, luxurious look and is almost maintenance-free.

Although most home owners will have the full-height quartz backsplash match their countertop, there's no rule that says that's the way it has to be. Quartz is available in such a wide variety of colours that you could very easily choose an extremely simple-looking countertop with a more dramatic, complementary full-height backsplash in quartz.

Mosaic Tile

There are tons of different mosaic tiles available! These have been popular for decades; just the styles have changed to reflect new trends. We've installed a lot lately that have a combination of porcelain, natural stone, metal, and glass all in one. These add tons of interest and texture and create a beautiful focal point in a kitchen. With the multitude of colours, designs, and styles available, you can introduce a new colour in your mosaic backsplash tile that can then become an accent colour throughout your kitchen.

Glass Tile

Glass tile is just about as versatile as mosaic tiles. It comes in every imaginable shape, size, and colour. Personally, I love the simple glass subway tiles, but we've installed tons of different shapes and designs for our clients. The glass tiles introduce a little bit of sparkle when the sun hits them.

Glass tiles are also non-porous and stain-resistant, so they're perfect for a kitchen backsplash. The biggest disadvantage of glass tile is that it's typically more expensive than porcelain tile and often comes at a higher labour cost. You also usually have to purchase more than the usual amount because of potential breakage when doing the cuts.

Although glass tile is also extremely durable, it's not shatterproof or crackproof. You do run the risk of it cracking or getting damaged down the road, so we always recommend ordering extra tile that can be replaced if necessary.

In summary…

Helping my clients design their kitchen backsplash is one of my favourite parts of kitchen renovations. It's an opportunity to go wild and creative and express a portion of your personality. There are so many tile options available that you can create an amazing focal point and accent piece in your kitchen.

It is just as fun to keep your backsplash subtle and neutral, but maybe add a touch of interest in the way that you install the tiles. You are truly only limited by your imagination when it comes to your kitchen backsplash.

What inspired you today when you read this post? What are you planning on doing for your kitchen backsplash? Let us know in the comments below, and share a picture of your kitchen backsplash with us.