Kitchen backsplash
The backsplash is the detail people notice first
It protects the wall behind your counter and it is the cheapest way to change how a kitchen reads. Small area, large effect.
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Options
Ways to treat the wall above the counter
Subway tile
The 3 by 6 standard, and the most forgiving place to start.
An 18 inch run gives six even rows, which is why that height became standard.
Full height
Tile or slab carried up to the wall cabinets or the ceiling.
Fewer edges, no dust ledge, and it makes a small kitchen feel taller.
Slab
The counter material continued up the wall.
No grout lines at all. The most seamless option and the most material.
Mosaic
Sheets of small tile in glass, stone, metal or mixed material.
Texture and colour without cutting hundreds of pieces by hand.
Diagonal set
Standard tile turned on the diagonal.
A different look from the same tile. Allow more material, because diagonal cuts waste more.
Mix and match
Coordinating tiles combined for texture.
Repeat a tone from the counter, then bring in a second colour to pick up the cabinets.
Frequently asked
What homeowners ask us about backsplashes
How high should it be?
Between 15 and 18 inches, measuring from the counter to the underside of the wall cabinets. That is the standard gap in most kitchens.
Do I even need one?
Behind a sink or a range, yes. Kitchens throw a lot of water and grease at that wall. If a counter does not meet a wall at all, a splash is purely a design choice.
What size subway tile?
3 by 6 is the most common, and the 1 to 2 ratio is what makes it look right. In a shower the same size with contrasting grout can read busy, but in a kitchen it works.
Which grout?
Sanded lasts longer, but it cannot be packed into a narrow joint. At 1/8 inch use unsanded.
Virtual Studio
Try a splash against your counter
A backsplash only makes sense next to the surface it sits behind.
Design it first
Combine splash, counter and cabinet in the kitchen visualizer.
Then hold the samples
Screens flatten texture and gloss. The samples are on the floor at our Laguna Hills showroom.
Get a real number for your backsplash
Removal, installation or repair. We measure, set out the layout and price it in writing.