A Splash of Creativity & Designs with the Kitchen Splashback

Your kitchen splashback offers an important function in your kitchen – it protects (as the name implies) the wall behind your worktop, hob and sink, from splashes of water and food. It also gives the kitchen a cohesive, pulled together look that adds interest. If you choose a splashback that is a little different from the average few rows of tiles, you can even make a fashion statement that will take your kitchen from average to extraordinary.

Bricks

Achieve a rustic industrial look with a brick wall as the backdrop behind the main kitchen run. This wall adds a natural splash of organic colours to the whole kitchen, and they can be relatively cheap to buy. It is also relatively easy to maintain, with a damp-cloth wipe down from time to time. A careful selection of the colour and finish of your bricks to reflect the style and theme that you want to achieve, is required.

Stainless steel

Whether brushed, matt or highly polished, stainless steel makes an excellent splashback – especially behind a hob. While maintaining the shine can be tricky, this material has long lasting qualities and will add an industrial or commercial feel to your kitchen that will work in a modern home. Stainless steel splashbacks are best protected with a thin coating of oil to prevent rust spots – but also to give a lustrous shine to the material.

Moroccan tiles

Far from the rather boring plain white tiles often used in kitchens, Moroccan style tiles are often highly coloured with intricate designs and can be used to create a focal point in the kitchen. Because of the “busy” nature of this style of tile they can be overwhelming in large spaces, but as splashbacks they add some excitement to the room without becoming the main event.

Glass

A glass splashback is the perfect way to add colour and simplicity to your kitchen. Glass that has been coloured on the rear allows you to choose any shade that you want and for that colour to remain vibrant indefinitely. Water and food splashes can be easily removed and the glass kept clean with simple glass cleaner or vinegar and water. Your glass splashback will need to have sections cut out for your sockets – making it a tricky material to work with – but ultimately, well worth it.

Wood

Now this might seem unusual, but we often use wooden worktops and think little of it. That wood can also be used as a splashback and will give your kitchen a rustic and interesting feel. Reclaimed wood planks are an especially good way to achieve this look on a budget and the interesting nature of the wood with its nail holes and knots will bring your kitchen to life. Simply treat the wood as you would a wooden floor and varnish or oil it regularly to keep the moisture out.

Mirrors

For a high end and luxurious feel, mirrored tiles or panels works incredibly well as splashbacks. Easy to use and relatively cheap, this look is one that will give even the smallest or darkest kitchen an edge. Not only will the space appear to grow, but the backsplash is easy to care for and keep clean. Plus the reflections will bounce around the light, especially those undercounter lights.