8 Kitchen Backsplash Trends for the Coming Year

Here’s what’s just around the corner and destined to become popular for the next bright new looks in kitchen renovation:

• • • Reach for the Ceiling: Savvy designers are taking fabulous new tile walls all the way to the ceiling, making upper cabinets look as if they’re floating in a sea of color.
      
    • Turn Up the Temperature: Brighter, bolder hues in tile are no longer taboo in the kitchen, even if you plan an tire wall of tile. Go ahead and install chili pepper red tile, or saffron or kiwi green. Just ground that color with darker tones or temper the bright with white or black.
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    • Turn Tiles on Edge: Rather than installing elongated subway tiles horizontally, turn them vertically to add a whole new dimension to your backsplash. The look is new and “edgy,” whether you use small or large tiles. For a totally different vibe, find an installer who won’t balk at the prospect of a herringbone design.
      
    • Forego the accents: If you’ve previously enjoyed the look of a contrasting line of tile, tile mural or a design featuring “dots” and inserts, a newer expression using only one kind of tile throughout is more sophisticated.
      
    • Step It Up: Anything durable enough for the floor will probably work for a backsplash. Ceramic or clay tile, wood planks, vinyl, or laminate and marble are all suitable materials. For the newest of the new, pick matte tiles in an earthy clay tone or dusky hue. Sturdy floor tiles are perfect for this look. Price range varies greatly.

Just because they bear repeating, here are the best backsplash trends that we identified at the start of the year:

• • • Tile with a Twist: Take it your way. Mosaic tiles shine, literally. They can be polished metal or reflective glass, but shiny small mosaics are one of the hottest looks around. Choose small squares, old-fashioned penny tiles, miniature subway tiles, or a custom pattern combo.
  • • Glass or mirror: Install clear or colored glass or create illusions with standard or tinted mirrors for an out-of-the-ordinary kitchen backsplash. The beauty is in the cleanup — keep a spritzer of vinegar water handy for quick touchups! Art glass scenes are also stunning, whether you choose muted tones or “50s Diner” primary colors. Just pick a look you can live with long-term.
  • • Take Note: Chalkboard paint provides a surface for leaving notes; magnetic paint will keep recipes and shopping lists in plain sight. Switch to a more durable (and easy to clean surface) for behind the cook top and adjacent to the sink. Yes, feel free to use more than one style in the same kitchen.
  • • Return to the past: Mimic the look of a traditional European kitchen with a mismatched jumble of tile patterns in related colors, or make your kitchen a Mexican fiesta with a charming hand-painted tiles.
  • • Ceiling Panels: Embossed metal ceiling tiles look trendy when placed on a kitchen backsplash. There are scads of patterns available from simple to ornate, and multiple sizes as well as various metals from copper to tin.
  • • Step It Up: Anything durable enough for the floor can probably work for a backsplash. Ceramic or clay tile, wood planks, vinyl or laminate and marble are all suitable materials. Price range will vary.
  • • All in for Art: Commission a graphic piece of art, or bring in a tile artist to create a one-of-a-kind backsplash from broken shards or different colors and sizes of tile.
  • • Go Organic: Like pebbles? Love bamboo? Consider natural and recycled options for your kitchen backsplash. Tumbled or textured surfaces are trending higher than polished stone. However, they are more difficult to keep clean.

Though they’ve slipped a bit on our list of favorites, the following two backsplash ideas still work for kitchen remodels:

• • • Return to the past: Mimic the look of a traditional European kitchen with a mismatched jumble of tile patterns in related colors, or make your kitchen a Mexican fiesta with charmingly rustic hand-painted tiles.
      
    • Glass or mirror: While glass and mirror are practical, shiny finishes are not quite as appealing in the kitchen as they seemed earlier in the year. Smoked or bronze tone glass or mirror could be stunning, though, in today’s darker-toned kitchens. The beauty is still partly in the cleanup — keep a spritzer of vinegar water handy for quick touchups! If you dare, achieve a one-on-a kind-look with a swath of colored glass — how about bright red, Thunderbird turquoise, or electric yellow? Just pick a look you can live with long-term.

Whatever you prefer, our professional designers at The Kitchen Master will help you achieve a dynamic, personalized backsplash for your kitchen desing and renovation. We’ve been making local kitchens spectacular for our clients for decades and look forward to working with local homeowners to update Chicago kitchens. Why not contact us to get started?