7 Kitchen Back Splash Ideas

Spice Up Your Kitchen With A New Look 

Without Draining Your Bank Account

With These Back Splash Ideas:

Kitchen back splashes can run the entire length of the counter, as well as just the area behind the sink. In this case, a rich Tuscan look is achieved with cream tiles off-set by a tile centerpiece or medallion. This medallion was built from scratch by the tile-setters, turning the tiles diagonally to distinguish them from the surrounding tiles.

You're looking at tiles that are individually 1 inch high, 2 inches wide, giving your kitchen back splash more visual "length." Not only that, but they just look cool. These 1"x2" tiles come in 12 inch sheets for easy installation. To finish off the bottom and prevent water intrusion to the walls, this homeowner has installed a three-inch marble border.

 Why be boring? For a bold kitchen back splash idea, install 8" tiles in multiple colors. This homeowner has a contemporary IKEA kitchen design, so she was able to install purple and pink tiles in vertical columns. Installation is easy, because you are dealing with bigger tiles, and thus have less grouting to contend with.

A seriously easy kitchen back splash design. 

How easy?

Measure the width and height of your back splash area. Don't omit any cut-outs (i.e., electrical outlets) unless they are more than a few feet square.

Purchase Daltile's Egyptian Glass Series, Mediterranean Blue. That's the field tile, the main area. In the field, each tile is 1" x 1", but don't worry. These come pre-mounted on mesh backings that are one foot square. 

 Wait. How did they do this kitchen back splash?

At first glance, it looks like it is inset in the wall. But before you think, "Ah, I don't have a wall alcove," notice that the inset is actually an off-set: a simple structure of dimensional lumber, drywall, and an off-the-shelf shelf (yes, repetition intended) from your local big box home improvement store. It's quick work for a handyman, or a couple of weekends for the ambitious DIY homeowner. 

A bold kitchen back splash design from American Olean. The main feature of this back splash is a pair of coordinated harlequin tiles--harlequin, meaning diamond-shaped--called Mink and Smoky Sky. Each tile is six inches vertical, three inches horizontal.

The bottom-most border is Sylvan Accent Strip Rattan, 4" x 8". 

 

This is fabulous stuff.

From a distance, this kitchen back splash looks like regular ceramic tile of three different colors. But on closer examination, you would see that we're actually dealing with a glass tile back splash made of 4 1/4" tile.

This kitchen back splash catches the light from the vent hood and makes the tile appear luminescent.

If you're uncomfortable cutting glass tile, then have an tile installer do the job. Other than the cutting, it's a fairly straight-forward back splash installation.