EXPLORING THE KITCHEN BACKSPLASH

I love kitchens

Which is a little surprising based on how little time I have to spend in them these days.

But I can't help it.  I love kitchens -

They are the heart of the home.



I love designing, remodeling and updating them, almost as much.

I can't wait to show you a couple I have been working on... 

but they aren't quite ready for the camera yet

  Kitchens have a lot of design elements

and each design element has endless possibilities

take the backsplash for example

a relatively small design area

with a huge design impact

a back-splash design can introduce pattern

texture

drama

and color

to an otherwise neutral kitchen

Back-splash can be the continuation of the counter top design element

or it can establish a color scheme 

from ceramic to glass

to stone....

a back splash adds personality

It can be a small element,

or cover the entire wall

With a little pre planning it can include a niche for frequently used items

incorporate classic materials

rustic

or smooth and polished

Best of all, its a small area that is easy to accomodate a quick change

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QUESTION FROM A READER:

My kitchen rehab is complete and I'm stuck on a backsplash tile - especially the color. 

Cabinets are BM dove white.  Floor has been stained dark Jacobean.

Counter is a quartzite called LaDolce Vita that has gray veins, beige color and white. 

I really wanted a white on white kitchen, but the counter I chose is more beige than I wanted...but can I bring out the white with a white tile?

I have purchased tile samples of marble -- will that be too busy? 

Glass -- some of the color looks too green.  

All white tile just looks wrong.  

Need help!  

Pat 

Hi Pat.    Benjamin Moore's White Dove is a warm white - not stark or yellowed.    So a stark white tile looks off, especially with the creaminess of the counter top.    White tile can work if it is an off-white - more in line with the paint color.   If it is an all-white kitchen you desire, you can still achieve that look.  Try and match the tile to the cabinet color instead of the counter top.  You have enough variation in your counters that most colors will work. There are many `whites' out there - and they can work together even if they don't all 'match'.

Marble tile is tricky.  You already have a marble look in your quartzite counter top.  Adding a marble element with veining could fight with or even overpower the counter.  The likelihood of a perfect match to the quartzite is remote; however, a mosaic pattern breaks up the veining pattern in the marble and adds texture.  Carera marble is very gray and white.  You may like the warmer crema marfil or calcutta gold. Crema has less grain or movement.   Limestone is found in many light beige and cream tones and it is more uniform in color.  A slightly warm tone like the limestone or a very light  Travertine would be beautiful -  (see below).

Your countertops have enough variation of color that any of these stone choices should look lovely.  The challenge comes in finding a stone that will also blend well with the color of the cabinets.

This all white kitchen uses painted beadboard as a
back splash -

Good Luck!