25 Fun Tile Backsplash Ideas
Whether your style is bold, traditional or understated, we've got a backsplash for you.
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Bring Out Vintage Vibes
Your backsplash can hint at the aesthetic you’re striving for in the rest of your space, or it can be the deciding voice of the theme. Vintage blue tiles these compliment the quirkier style of this kitchen, without shouting vintage vibes too loud.
Incorporate Iridescence
Make your space more modern with a dramatic, pearl-finish backsplash. Draw out each color and shade of the tiles through accent pieces, like these deep teal bar stools or simple curtain details. Designed by Marci Barnes.
Play with Marble
Don’t limit yourself to using marble only for your countertop. Marble backsplashes are beautiful because of the natural detailing and texture throughout the stone, but can also be cut into neat shapes as depicted here. There’s so much room to play.
Forget Traditional
Break from the traditional kitchen backsplash with the addition of a mosaic style. Printed and hand-painted tiles will warm up your space, give it a personality and make you smile every time you enter your space.
Go Geometric
Add bold visual interest to your kitchen through a geometric backsplash. Pair a busier pattern with neutral countertops and cabinetry, then insert floating shelves so as to not distract from the detailed backsplash.
Make a Statement
Make a statement with a brightly colored backsplash. Incorporating different shades of the same color through the tiles will create a sort of pattern effect, while maintaining continuity for the eye to follow. Contrast it with simpler features like this white farmhouse sink or simple stainless appliances to make the color pop even more.
Lay Tiles Vertically
If your ceilings hang low, try setting your backsplash tiles vertically, or purchase tiles that are already arranged as such. This vertical path will help elongate the look of your space, making the ceilings appear taller and the kitchen feel bigger overall.
Emphasize Pre-Existing Materials
If your home is older, odds are you have some really beautiful character integrated throughout. One way to draw out the beauty and character of this detailing is through your backsplash. Lucky enough to have an original brick wall behind your range? Leave it natural, or paint it a neutral color.
Pack a Punch in Small Spaces
Smaller areas are the perfect vehicle for bold statements. Want a busy backsplash, but concerned it will overwhelm the room? Find these smaller alcoves and incorporate that patterned pandemonium you’re longing for. It will pack the punch you’re looking for without distracting from the rest of the space.
Stay Neutral
Incorporating grays across your cabinets, countertops, appliances and backsplash will create a calm aesthetic that still feels interesting and captivating. Although gray is a neutral color, the range of shades facilitates a visual awareness that strays far from unoriginality.
Create Contrast
Often times contrast is created through the variation of countertop materials and cabinet colors. In this modern, urban kitchen, a darker backsplash is used to establish a captivating optical opposition.
Extend Your Backsplash All the Way Up
Instead of stopping your backsplash at the base of your upper cabinets, extend the tiles all the way to the ceiling. Continuing the pattern up the wall will visually heighten your ceilings, while also allowing you to make the most of the backsplash tiles you worked so hard to choose.
Use a Single Sheet of Stone
Instead of using individual tiles to create your backsplash, try using a single sheet of stone, like the marble pictured here. Natural stones have captivating detail, interesting textures and showstopping colors, so pay homage to Mother Earth’s creation in your own home.
Be Bold with Bright Geometrics
Love the idea of a colorful backsplash and geometric patterns? Don’t choose one over the other! Colorful geometrics like the backsplash pictured here make a bold statement in your kitchen and create focal point for the space.
Express Your Creative Side
Backsplash tiles don’t have to be strict and linear. If you’re looking for a more whimsical feel, choose tiles that have a bit of character and a bit less structure. These uneven edges will stop everyone in their tracks.
Don't Underestimate the Classic Subway Tile
There’s nothing better than a classic subway tile and it’s important to remember that! Just because they have a plain look about them doesn’t mean they have to be boring. This kitchen’s tile work highlights the natural coloration in the stone, with hues of blues and greens shining through the gray base.
Consider Geometrically Shaped Tiles
Tiles with geometric patterns are different than geometrically shaped tiles. Play around with more simplistic colors and interesting shapes to create a subtle, yet powerful backsplash effect. Pair it with a busier counter and your kitchen will be the talk of the town.
Make Your Own Rules
If you’re the kind of person who just can seem to settle on the perfect backsplash for you (we know, it’s a big decision), then go custom. This Rebecca Zajac custom design is just one example of how to incorporate your whole personality into your kitchen.
Choose Smaller Tiles for a Different Look
Your backsplash doesn’t have to follow any rules, especially when it comes to tile size. This modern, industrial backsplash captivates the room with smaller, speckle-like tiles in a variety of deep blue and gray shades.
Go Full Monochrome
Monochromatic cabinets are cool. Monochromatic backsplashes are cool. But both together? The coolest of them all. Make the most of your favorite color by going full monochrome on your kitchen.
Choose a Busy Graphic
Geometrically patterned backsplashes don’t have to look like separate tiles. Choose a pattern and tile style that look like one whole unit. You’ll be able to captivate the seamless single-sheet-of-stone look, while also maintaining interest through the geometric detailing.
Combine Geometrics and Mosaics
The sky is the limit with how creative you can make your backsplash. Combinations of graphic detailing, paired with the classic mosaic style can make your space reflect your eclectic taste.
Make the Most of Metal
Tile, brick, wood, shiplap... and metal! There’s no limit to the types of material you can use to make your kitchen backsplash. This industrial design utilizes a patterned sheet metal effect to protect your walls from the grease and grit of the kitchen, while also reflecting light back into your space.
Experiment with Speckles
Geometric patterns are bold. Solid colors are simple. Speckles sit right in the middle. Subtle enough to not distract from the rest of the kitchen, but visually still beautiful, a speckled backsplash like this one (made of terrazzo, a mixture of concrete and pieces of recycled glass) may be just what you’re looking for.
Stick to the Classics
Sometimes simple is best. Neutral kitchens with white subway tile backsplashes, like the space above, have a different kind of impact than the bright and lively spaces. They are soothing, relaxed and just as captivating.
