Do you have a back splash in your kitchen?

[RE2Boys]

Our custom built home in Alabama had a backsplash consisting of off-white 4x4 ceramic tiles with with a line of 1x4 blue tiles about 3/4 the way up. In our existing home, we remodeled the kitchen about 15 years ago and installed a backsplash, again with 4x4 tiles this time with a line of 1x4 tiles with floral design. Would never install a kitchen without something easy to clean. Must be practical when dealing with splatters. Tiles runs from to the bottom of the cabinets. The 4x4 tiles were very inexpensive, not so much the decorative 1x4's, that was more of a blow that dough item.

 

[tb001]

I prefer a backsplash. It’s just easier to keep clean and I think more attractive. Especially behind the stove! Even our backsplash is a mess there, but we do a lot of cooking.

Our current house has the same granite as the counters all the way up, with a copper tile inset higher over the stove. The granite color wouldn’t have been my choice, so having so much of it is a negative, but the maintenance is so easy. We love no grout lines to clean. I must be a messy cook, because no way could we just have painted walls!

 

[MC Rider]

Sidetrack not hijack.


We also did a line of clear caulk along each side of the slide in stove, to prevent spills from going down the side of the cabinets. Because we really don't want to pull the stove out right now to clean up and not damage the cabinets. It does not slide out all that easy, especially with the anti tip over thing back there.

 

[disneysteve]

I must be a messy cook, because no way could we just have painted walls!

Our stove isn't against a wall so no backsplash behind it. We have an "L" shaped counter and the stove is on the part that sticks out and separates the eating area from the rest of the kitchen.

 

[MC Rider]

Ever see someone put up an aluminum foil backsplash behind the stove?
Oh yeah, sweet.

 

[badatmath]

Frankly I barely care if I have a kitchen!!

 

[iloveyoga]

I have never had one either, in any of my homes. But we like to talk about what kind we want.

 

[rk911]

we do. tile on the wall but also a small backsplash that matches the counters.

 

[RobbieB]

That granite is really popular!

 

[disneysteve]

we do. tile on the wall but also a small backsplash that matches the counters.

That's the way our counter is. We just don't have anything on the wall above it.

 

[RetiredHappy]

Our home in California, right side of the picture is a metal thing above the stove. The rest of the counters have granite backsplash.

 

[MC Rider]

Here. Like this.

 

[Out-to-Lunch]

I remodeled our kitchen (by myself) about 7 years ago. I intended to put in a backsplash, but couldn't quite decide on a design. So I left it as the OP described, i.e., simple painted walls.

After a number of years, the area behind the sink begain to suffer: peeling paint, then water-damaged drywall. I recently installed a tile backsplash. I used 3"x6" marble subway tiles, but cut half of them into 3"x3" and used a Flemish bond pattern. (Just to be different!)

So, OP, if you don't see the need for a backsplash, good for you, but my experience is that they serve a purpose.

 

[Ronstar]

Yep we have a backsplash. Marble tiles. I did it as part of 2018 kitchen remodel. Went a little overboard and put it up to the ceiling above the kitchen window.

 

[Teacher Terry]

I have owned 10 homes and some we put it in and some we didn’t. I definitely prefer them.

 

[Out-to-Lunch]

Yep we have a backsplash. Marble tiles. I did it as part of 2018 kitchen remodel. Went a little overboard and put it up to the ceiling above the kitchen window.

That is fairly swoonworthy!

 

[38Chevy454]

Granite countertop with white subway tiles style backsplash from countertop to bottom of cabinets. Backsplash does have an accent line of approx 2 inch tall contrasting tiles that match the countertop color at around 2/3 way up.

 

[tmm99]

Black granite countertop with light gray marble subway tiles and white cabinets.

 

[Telly]

When I renovated our kitchen, I had a 4" backsplash made of the same quartz material as the countertops installed (the quartz was only available installed, no DIY sales). Above that I put ~6" x 8" glossy tiles on 1/8" grout lines. All the way up to cabinets, and behind the cook top, all the way up to the range hood. I bought the tiles at the Re-Store, they were perfect for our needs, nothing else we saw at tile stores or outlets could compare to those. Glad I bought them at first sight and didn't wait.

I had spent time at various tile places and tile outlets. Saw people in there with their "tile guy" or their "contractor". Saw people picking out really (in my opinion!) miserable choices for backsplashes behind cook tops. Like small rectangular rough pieces of stone (lots of grout area and rough surface to clean without a power washer ), or lots of itty-bitty tiles (lots of grout area!) or... Travertine pieces!!! What, really? Travertine by definition is a hole-y substance. Just what you need when cooking ground beef, have splatter of little bits or grease into little holes! Travertine was really trendy then.
I really wondered if some of the people I overheard ever cooked anything at home, or was the kitchen just for show!

 

[Sunset]

We have one.
I put one in a house I was selling, white subway tiles with a gray tile to add interest.

 

[Badger]

When I bought our little house around 1982 everything in the house was exactly as it was when built in 1955. There was a stainless steel backsplash in the kitchen. I think it was around 9+ years ago I took the kitchen down to the studs and built a new kitchen with a backsplash made out of the same Formica as the counter tops.
I like the look and the ease of keeping the kitchen clean.
If I am still around when the counter top starts to look worn then I will replace the counters and backsplash with quartz.


Cheers!

 

[donheff]

We enclosed a screen porch and expanded and completely redid our kitchen about 30 years ago. We went with granite countertops and no backsplash. Still looks good.

 

[CaptTom]

I've never liked the look. The 4" (or whatever) backsplash that's built into the stock countertops from the big box stores is plenty. And they're cheap and easy to replace.

I tend to take the long view. What's trendy this year will just look tacky in a few years. Simple and low-key is more my style. I've already renovated the same kitchen three times in my life. I don't want to ever do it again.

But that's just me. Blow that dough on whatever works for you!

 

[Venturer]

We had 4inch tile counter tops and backsplash here when we moved in 10 years ago and DW hated it after a while. It was hard to clean and the grout never did look really clean. a couple of years ago we had new granite counter tops installed both in kitchen and the master bathroom. We left the tile backsplash up and matched the granite to the tile. Mama is a lot happier now with both but now she is talking about replacing the bath floor tiles for the same reason ,she hates the grout. I'm hoping I can keep from changing it out because I feel it would be a waste since we aqre wanting to try to find some place out in country where we can park our RV at home instead of at a storage lot.

 

[CRLLS]

we do. tile on the wall but also a small backsplash that matches the counters.

Same here. At first, we didn't want the 4" granite backsplash, due to all the TV shows. The outfit that did our granite said that most of his customers who didn't install the 4" came back later and wanted to it retrofitted. Matching the stone is difficult if not cut from the same slab. They threw in the backsplash for us to store and said in the future, we would want it. They were right. When they did the countertop install, we had them install the backsplash, then tiled above that. That was 15 years ago. Maybe things have changed?