When selecting a backsplash, it is important to have it match the fixtures in your kitchen, but not the appliances, since they will change over time. The fixtures however are more permanent items in the kitchen.
The most popular materials for kitchen backsplashes are ceramic or porcelain tiles, natural stone tiles, glass or metal tiles, and faux painting or wall paper.
Kitchen Backsplash Materials to Consider
When you are creating a kitchen backsplash consider these materials:
Ceramic or porcelain tiles
Natural stone tiles
Glass tiles
Metal tiles
Faux painting or durable wall paper
Stainless Steel
Tile Backsplashes
The nice thing about using tile as a backspash is that it comes is a huge variety of sizes, colors, textures and shapes. It is even possible to have custom painted tiles to match any theme of design. In addition a tile backsplash can be easy to install, as well as easy to clean. Many design experts say that you should consider keeping it simple by choosing the same tile for your kitchen backsplash as you've chosen for the floor - just in a smaller size.
Natural Stone Tiles
The most popular natural stone tiles are marble and granite. Of the natural stones marble captures more detail than granite and since it is a softer stone it is good for applications like kitchen backsplashes.
Metal Tiles
This material can work very well for use in country kitchen style backsplashes. The tiles can be installed as the entire surface from counter to the bottom of the cabinets. Brushed aluminum tiles are good for modern or 1950's retro design kitchens. Metal tiles should match the color of the faucets and lighting.
Glass Tiles
A new design trend in kitchen backspashes is glass. Textured glass tiles are usually installed between the cabinets and counters. Glass is easy to clean and scratch resistant.
Wallpapering Kitchen Backsplashes
Wallpapering kitchen backslashes can dress up a kitchen with very little work especially with pre-pasted wallpaper this will be a lot easier to apply. You will find that with a small area for the backsplash the job shouldn't take very much time to complete. Just make sure that you choose wallpaper that is washable so that spattering from cooking and splashes can be removed.
Stainless Steel Kitchen Backsplashes
Stainless steel backsplashes are coming back in style because they can create a modern streamlined look to your kitchen. These types of kitchen backsplashes are able to blend in well with stainless steel kitchen appliances like the stove, refrigerator and dishwasher. Other advantages to stainless steel kitchen backsplashes include being easy to clean and durability.
