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Eric Piasecki
Ready for a kitchen refresh? You don’t have to put a sledgehammer through the wall to give your space a new look. Sometimes it’s simply a matter of adding tiles and a fresh coat of paint, et voilà! And when it comes to home improvements, nothing makes a kitchen stand out quite like a backsplash. Whether it’s a cheeky patterned inlay, an unexpected metallic backdrop, antique ceramic gems, or classic white subway tiles, the perfect backsplash can be the final touch that brings your design scheme together for the cooking space of your dreams. So wherever you fall on the chef spectrum (no judgment, HelloFreshers), here are 65 inspiring ideas from designer spaces that will make the hub of the home the heart of your home.
Some backsplashes speak to a time and place in a big way. Case in point: these wavelike majolica tiles, which invoke the island surroundings of this midcentury villa on Capri. These tiles, custom-made by Galleria Elena, were reproduced in the likeness of some found at Capri’s Villa Torricella, the stately former home of the American expats Kate and Saidee Wolcott-Perry in the early 1900s. Talk about a backstory!
There’s nothing more classic than white glazed subway tile, an elegant solution for nearly any interior style—and the kitchen of this idyllic retreat on a remote Scottish island is proof that this simple design passes the test of time. With a custom hood and a peacock blue–painted vintage table (not to mention the pop of red flooring), this color palette brings in all the romance of its illustrious history—with a dash of pizzazz.
For those going all out on glam style, there’s just one oft-repeated word of caution: Too much can sometimes be, well, too much. But designer Bradley Stephens—who incorporated his first muse, Art Deco banks, into this Manhattan apartment—knows when to rein it in. So of course this subtle backsplash offers a stabilizing neutral blue-toned background to the dramatic patterned flooring and vintage brass pendants. A weightless backdrop to the main act, we give a (metaphorical) round of applause to the true star of the space.
We love how this bold kitchen turns informality on its head, merging postmodern-inspired lighting with charcoal-colored tiles that create a cozy Pacific Northwest feel, West Vancouver, British Columbia–style. The backsplash brings the dark hues throughout the room together, linking the black back-of-the-island block to the delicate pendant lines.
Did you hear? Pots and pans are the new wall art. The owners of this 18-room townhouse added modern appliances but kept the patina of the room’s existing subway tile. With chairs made from recycled Coca-Cola bottles by Emeco, this room is anything but dated—albeit, not without a nod to its treasured Harlem history, backsplash tile considered.
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Green and Copper Hamptons Home
This dreamy summer home is brimming with East Hampton energy, complete with a vintage tole chandelier and Palecek kitchen chairs. The copper hood and pots almost glow against the horizontally stacked bright white tile. The high-contrast scheme plays well with the seafoam-green cabinetry—a refreshing deviation from the ubiquitous Hamptons scheme of blue, white, and gray.
Officine Gullo’s design of this farmstead-turned-luxury hospitality space, Tenuta Carleone in Radda, Italy, is honing all the vibes of its bucolic setting. Patterned tiles create a stunning mosaic that is bordered by warm sunshine-yellow cabinetry with stainless steel appliances and polished chrome hardware. With an abundance of natural light shining through the arched windows, the kitchen is a sun-splashed utopia.
This 300-year-old historic home, property of Restaurateur Rose Bonura, is a study of contrasts: past and present, black and white, rustic and modern. Which is why these Shaker-style paneled cabinet doors really sing, accented by the large white tile backsplash that is satisfyingly proportioned for the expansive room.
Though designer J. Randall Powers’s clients favored white cabinets in the kitchen of their Houston home, he gave them only half their wish, painting the lower cabinets and an island in a bright green strié. The tile, however, honored their wishes, adding humility to the room and a touch of gloss that stands out against the kitchen’s matte finishes.
Talk about an unconventional build. This 1970s geodesic dome home required a custom build of everything, including this Heath tile backsplash, a refreshing square motif that creates variety in this dome world of triangles, octagons, and pentagons. This is giving us serious Harry Gesner nostalgia.
We could get comfortable in a kitchen like this, with a sweeping merlot-maroon backsplash that acts as the focal point of the room. The Mosaic House tiles from Mission Tile West are proof that you don’t need a bright color to make a pop in a room.
The kitchen is generally considered the neutral zone—anything but in this classic Park Avenue apartment. These large white backsplash tiles mirror the floor stripe width. All set against an invigorating palette of baby blue and pastel yellow that pops against the bright white. It’s as welcoming as it is soigné.
We can hardly fathom a former rendition of this kitchen that doesn’t involve a colorful backsplash. But believe it or not, the rich green Heath ceramic Half Hex Stack tiles in this Brooklyn townhouse kitchen were once humdrum developer-installed white subway tile. Thank the design gods for Danielle Fennoy of Brooklyn-based Revamp Interior Design, who had the vision to gussy this room up with an audacious backsplash that honors the homeowner’s design mantra, “whimsical but not insane.” Challenge accepted.
It’s the black-bordered tile that really gives this Austin ranch house the charming Texas kick we know and love. Referencing both southern and central Texas roots as well as the easy-living houses of Southern California, this calming, light-filled home balances earthy textures with bursts of color and pattern.
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Blue and White Spanish Tiles
A step into this kitchen is as much an adventure as the seaside vistas just beyond its walls. A melting pot of periods and places—with varying colors, layering, mixed patterns, and natural elements—this villa is a fitting salute to the rich history of the Spanish island of Menorca. In this space, that blue-and-white Spanish tile, carried across the cabinets themselves, is artwork in its own right. ¡Increíble!
Designer Ellie Cullman (with Cullman & Kravis) was not afraid to take some chances here, with this stunning hexagon backsplash by Studium, which provides a satisfying distinction from the pops of yellow throughout this New Jersey family kitchen. The hood range ties the color scheme together in a resulting fanfare of color and contrast.
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Black, White, and Icy Blue
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Tiled Backsplash, Counters, and Shelves
Don’t just stop at your backsplash when applying tiles. Continue it onto your countertops and shelves, like in hotelier Carlos Couturier’s kitchen—clad in Portuguese tiles—in his home on the Pacific Coast of Mexico, designed by LeCoadic-Scotto.
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White Subway-Tiled Walls
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Black-and-White Patterned Tiles
When you have a white-tiled backsplash, that gives you room for color to shine through elsewhere, like in this Washington, D.C., home. The cabinets are painted in Farrow & Ball’s Card Room Green.
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Sicilian Majolica Tile
The antique Sicilian majolica tiles blend in perfectly with this kitchen—once a cave in Sicily that dates to circa 600 B.C.—belonging to Bill Brockschmidt of Brockschmidt & Coleman and his husband, Richard Dragisic.
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Basket-Weave Backsplash
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Tiles for a Neutral Kitchen
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All White Plus Stainless Steel
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White With Hermès Orange
In a Hearst family estate in New York’s Hudson Valley, the kitchen’s white-tiled backsplash recedes against the Viking appliances in a vibrant custom Hermès orange.
In a Brooklyn brownstone designed by architect Elizabeth Roberts, a custom teal-colored backsplash featuring tile from Alchemy Materials blends seamlessly with custom cabinetry that’s complete with hardware by E.R. Butler & Co. The range is by Wolf.
Designer Christine Markatos Lowe loves nothing more than a kitchen with a statement backsplash, like this design boasting a range of green hues. “A backsplash is the best place to add a pop of color into a kitchen design without having to do a full kitchen renovation,” she says.
Martyn Lawrence Bullard’s West Hollywood home—a Moroccan-meets-midcentury oasis—showcases his passion for crafting global-inspired interiors. Green accents, including a backsplash with Moroccan from Zellij Gallery, complete the standout kitchen.
A backsplash featuring mosaic tile from Ann Sacks steals the show in a Richard Mishaan-designed kitchen in a TriBeCa building. The space also includes a custom island, range, and hood by Herzog & de Meuron. The barstools are by Gabriel Scott and the cabinetry is custom.
ELLE Decor A-List designer Steven Gambrel is a master of blues, and this Chicago kitchen is proof. Gambrel opted to awash the space with Urban Archaeology handmade glass tiles in variations of blue spanning from aquamarine to jade. The polished nickel, hardwood, and glass cabinetry and island are custom, and the range and hood are by Officine Gullo. Hanging from the ceiling are eight circa-1930 C.F. Otto Müller ceiling lights and a pendant designed by Gambrel for the Urban Electric Co.
In a Lake Tahoe retreat designed by Palmer Weiss, the neutral kitchen’s backsplash tile by Exquisite Surfaces serves as a point of interest. The countertop is by Caesarstone, the ceiling beams are reclaimed barnwood, the flooring is stained white oak, and the artwork was painted by the owners’ young daughter.
A classic backsplash made of Carrara marble tiles by Walker Zanger adds balance to a powder blue kitchen in a Pacific Palisades, California, home belonging to designer Alison Palevsky and her husband, Alexander. The wooden bar stools are from Organic Modernism, the kitchen stove is by Viking, and the 1920s pendants are from Thanks for the Memories.
A classic onyx backsplash and custom cabinetry complete an all-white modern chef’s kitchen design by Jeanne Finnerty.
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Off-White Portuguese Tiles
Off-white 19th-century Portuguese tiles add character to a London kitchen. The island is made from a 19th-century cast-iron stove and topped with Carrara marble, and the pendant light is early-20th-century French.
Antique patterned tiles from Southern Italy make for a lively backsplash in a 17th-century farmhouse in the South of France. A Louis XIV farm table, a skirted farm sink, and ample open shelving complete the design.
In a suburban Chicago home by PROjECT Interiors, Moroccan tiles in a custom size from Ann Sacks add elegance to a warm gray kitchen. A cantilevered island with Carrara countertops maximizes space.
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Olive Green Tiled Kitchen
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Classic Portuguese Tiles
This charming kitchen in St. Moritz, Switzerland, is filled with history: 18th-century Portuguese tiles cover the ceiling and walls; the 19th-century French table is surrounded by English chairs from the same era and a 19th-century French light fixture hangs above.
A small galley-style kitchen in Monaco, France, features square white tiles that play off of the other geometric elements in the room. The small table and chairs are by Jeanneret, the oven, cooktop and and hood are by Aster Cucine.
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White, Off-White And Copper
The homeowners kept the original tile backsplash and flooring in the kitchen of this Loire Valley home. English mahogany chairs and a stylish chandelier, which was found at a flea market, give the space a lived-in feel.
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Industrial-Style Tiles
A modish New York kitchen integrates custom-made cabinetry and vintage hardware alongside large white tiles. The 1950s scones are by Gunnar Asplund, and the light fixtures are from the 1970s. The sink fittings are by Dornbracht.
The custom redwood cabinetry in this Los Angeles kitchen complements the backsplash of penny tiles by Mission Tiles. The oven and dishwasher are by Miele and the sink fittings are by Vola.
Gray tiles blend in with the stainless steel appliances in this modern New York City kitchen decorated with touches of silver and white. The floors are lined with Corten steel tiles, the oven is by Wolf and the stools are from the 1940s.
This open kitchen in Melbourne, Australia, features handmade Spanish tiles on its backsplash. The table is made of pepper granite, the pendant lights are by Produzione Privata, the stools are by Bassam Fellows and the oven is by Lacanche.
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