If you have ever even considered re doing your kitchen and have spent any time with the glossy home decor magazines or, as is more often the case nowadays, spent anytime on Pinterest looking for inspiration and ideas then you will have noticed that there are usually certain aspects of all the kitchens that immediately attract your eye, even if others do not. And very often what that is is a terrific kitchen backsplash.
The right backsplash design really can be the element that tie’s a kitchens features together and can be used to great effect. The odd thing is though that it can get rather lost in the middle of a complete kitchen remodel orkitchen renovation as homeowners spend so much time fusing over new cabinets and cupboards, flooring and appliances that it becomes an afterthought. This however is a real shame.
In terms of what you can choose for a kitchen backsplash in many ways the sky is the limit. Here however are a few of the popular basic kitchen backsplash designs and concepts that you could build off to create something that is uniquely your own.
Really Rustic
If your new kitchen will be incorporating granite or other natural stone then you already have the base for a rather rustic kitchen theme should that be your style and a similarly styled backsplash can cement the visual idea.
Such a look can be achieved by using tile in deep, rich colours – reds, yellows, browns – or by opting for a more ‘vintage’ look by sticking to cooler tones of grey and white that compliment the natural stone used elsewhere.
Marvelous Mediterranean
A Mediterranean style backsplash incorporates the bright colors of the beach and the ocean to create a lively, sunny vibe that will impart a warm and sunny feeling all year long. This style does work best for those who are not afraid to use (and live with) bright colour and want their kitchen to be a fun place to hang out as well as to cook.
Uber Modern
Black and white subway tile, bright colored laminates and even metal tile options can be used to create a striking kitchen backsplash that is totally contemporary and modern without looking like the space belongs to The Jetsons. Done right this look can become the focus of the space and yet still not overpower the other elements in the design.
Wonderfully Whimsical
Some people choose to use the ‘real estate’ in the kitchen backsplash area as a canvas of sorts and then really let their creative side come out. Farmyard type animals, rolling wine country scenes, great graphic art and even classic works of art all find their way into the more whimsical and personalized designs and such things can help make a kitchen remodel completely all your own.
Angelica Pinto is an artist, interior design lover and Realtor serving the Kitchener, Waterloo, Cambridge and Guelph, Ontario communities.