How To Choose The Perfect Backsplash
- Sara Scott
- Feb 12
- 5 min read
Your backsplash may seem like one of the smallest design elements, but it has a big impact on how the entire space feels. From tying together your cabinets and countertops to adding personality and texture, the right backsplash can make or break your space.
This blog will walk you through how to choose a backsplash that complements your space, fits your lifestyle, and still looks good years from now.
The Purpose of a Backsplash
Backsplashes in the kitchen, baths, and home bars aren’t just for looks. They serve a purpose, too. Think about all those spaces in your home – they see a lot of traction, water, heat, and let’s face it: messes (My fellow moms, I know you get me here). A backsplash helps protect your walls from all those splashes, spills, and stains. It’s a simple solution that makes cleaning easy and keeps your walls looking fresh. But at the same time, it adds an extra layer of texture, color, and personality that can really bring a design together.
Choosing The Perfect Backsplash
Step One: Pull All Your Materials Samples Together
We use 3D renderings to help you visualize your project when you work with us at Tailored Designs, but to feel the textures and see the colors in person – that’s one thing we can’t replace with an online view. That’s why, during the procurement process, we pull together all material samples. There is truly no substitute for viewing everything side by side. You can’t choose a backsplash by itself; it needs to work seamlessly with your countertops, cabinetry, hardware, and even your flooring. Texture, color, and undertones all matter, and the only way to ensure they align is to see how they interact in real life.
Step Two: Decide on the Goal of Your Backsplash
Before choosing a tile, decide what your end goal is with your backsplash. What role will it play in your space? Do you want it to blend in or become a focal point?
Every kitchen and bath needs visual balance. If your countertops have a lot of movement or pattern, a quieter, simpler backsplash often is a better pairing. If your cabinetry and counters are more neutral and subtle, your backsplash is a great opportunity to introduce texture, pattern, or a light statement without overwhelming the space.
There’s no right or wrong answer here; it’s all about where you want eyes to be drawn when someone walks into the room.
Step Three: Think About How You Use Your Space
Just like countertops, the materials you choose for your backsplash can have different levels of forgiveness. For example, if you’re someone who runs their kitchen like a Michelin-Star restaurant, clean, orderly, and maintained, you may have more flexibility with materials that require a bit of upkeep. If you’re the opposite and your kitchen feels like an episode of Worse Chefs in America, we’ll guide you toward options that can handle extra splashes, spills, and daily wear without showing everything.
The same goes for your bathroom backsplash selection. A guest bath can be more decorative and statement-driven, while a kids’ bathroom needs materials that can stand up to toothpaste splatters, water spots, and frequent use without the constant cleaning.
Here are a few rules of thumb for the backsplash material selection process.
Ceramic & Porcelain: Durable, easy to clean
Glass: Reflects light, modern look, shows smudges more easily
Natural Stone: Timeless, higher maintenance (sealed annually)
Zellige & Handmade: Beautiful variation
Step Four: Think about Scale and Layout
This step is so important, but often forgotten. The tile size, pattern, and layout impact the look of the tile entirely. Smaller tiles and patterns add detail and texture, while larger-format tiles create a cleaner, more modern look with fewer grout lines, and can also make spaces feel larger. Vertical layouts can draw the eyes up, making your space feel tall and dramatic. Horizontal patterns, on the other hand, can help to elongate your space and create a feeling of grounding.
Taking scale into account when selecting your title can take it from overwhelming or underwhelming to cohesive.
Step Five: Don’t Overlook the Grout
Grout isn’t just a finishing touch. It’s an element that needs to either complement or contrast the tile to enhance its overall look. Like the title material, grout also comes with different upkeep options. Lighter grout tends to show stains and discoloration more easily, while darker grout is often more forgiving. That said, durability isn’t the only factor. Your grout choice also needs to align with the tile you select.
A grout color that closely matches the tile creates a softer, more cohesive look that’s ideal for blending in. On the other hand, a contrasting grout can emphasize the layout, highlight color variation, and bring attention to the tile pattern itself. When chosen correctly, grout helps complete the backsplash rather than feeling like an afterthought.
Common Backsplash Mistakes
Choosing something trending versus timeless
We’ve all seen the overwhelming use of subway tile in the early 2020s and travertine in the early 2000s. While these are popular trends, they also can have a timeless appeal with the right design. Timeless backsplash choices often rely on classic materials, neutral color palettes, and simple layouts that can evolve. These selections tend to age well and feel relevant for years to come.
Selecting the backsplash and/or grout option last
Interior design works best when you intentionally plan and select materials together. Waiting until the end to choose your backsplash or grout can create incohesiveness with countertops, cabinetry, or hardware. Planning it all together ensures everything works seamlessly as a whole.
Not Getting Creative
Your kitchen design is customized, and tile is just one option for a backsplash. Don’t be afraid to explore alternatives, like stone, glass, metal, or even carrying your countertop material up, that can add texture, interest, and personality while complementing your overall design.
Stopping the backsplash in the wrong place
Unique situations like no upper cabinetry, open shelving, or a hood above your range can create confusion about where to end your tile. Planning the backsplash height and boundaries ensures a balanced look. Going back to our point about whether you want your backsplash to be a focal point, carrying it higher and even up to the ceiling, or full-height behind a range hood can instantly elevate the space and make the backsplash a standout design feature.
Working with Tailored Designs
When you work with an interior designer like Tailored Designs, choosing a backsplash becomes a collaborative process. You’re not left standing in a showroom holding a dozen samples and on the verge of tears. Instead, we guide you through every decision, from materials and colors to layout and grout, ensuring your backsplash fits your personal design style and isn’t going to go out of style in a year.
We are certified through the National Kitchen and Bath Association (NKBA), a certification that reflects our extensive knowledge of building codes, appliances, and mechanical systems, and an emphasis on consumer health and safety. This expertise ensures your kitchen and bath aren’t just beautiful, but thoughtfully planned and executed correctly from the start.
The right backsplash is about more than just protecting your stunning wall paint color. With the right planning and guidance, your backsplash can be both functional and a standout design feature that you’ll love for years to come.
Ready to start a conversation about your kitchen, bath, or whole house renovations?
