7 Kitchen Backsplash Trends for 2017

A quality countertop is a big step in refreshing your kitchen. If you’ve already chosen your dream countertop, what follows naturally is selecting the right backsplash to go along with it. Besides easier maintenance of the back wall, backsplashes are meant to complement countertops and bring out their distinctive features.

Of course, because the backsplash you choose depends on the countertop you’ve installed, you may not end up getting one of the latest backsplash trends in your kitchen. At the same time though, it’s not too difficult to include those trends in your kitchen design if you already know what they are in advance. So for those of you who are looking for the hottest backsplash trends this year, here are seven up-and-coming ones:

Backsplash to the ceiling

It used to be that when we hear “backsplash”, we imagine it only going up to the bottom of the top cabinets; recently, more and more are designed to go all the way up to the ceiling. This not only makes your kitchen ceiling seem higher up, but it can also be used to highlight kitchen features such as the sink window or even the range hood.

Marble slabs

If you want to make a bold statement in your kitchen, the way to go is making your backsplash one whole marble slab that’s only interrupted by appliances and cabinets, if necessary. The sleekness of this design makes your kitchen at once modern and luxurious. It’s especially eye-catching when you get a marble slab with a thick, distinctive vein going across it, which transforms the backsplash into a contemporary artwork centrepiece. The best part about this idea is that you can have the backsplash done at the same time as your countertop so that they match each other – just ask your countertop manufacturer about off-cut marble for your backsplash.

Tumbled marble tiles

The most in-style return to the rustic is through tumbled marble tiles. These tiles have a weathered look that’s achieved by tumbling them inside a drum along with crushed rocks, sand, cement bits, and water. Each marble tile is already unique on its own, but weathering them this way vastly increases the variety of patterns you can choose from. Although it takes more time to mix and match the tiles, the warm countryside feel you get in the end is well worth it.

Oversize subway tiles

Subway tiles have always been reliable in kitchen design because of their timeless style. These days, people are taking that classic look and pushing it to the extreme by supersizing it. In doing so, they’ve given it a cheeky twist as well as the illusion of a larger kitchen, especially if they’re installed to ceiling height.

Small grey glass mosaic tiles

Now let’s go to the other end of the size spectrum. Using grey in the kitchen has actually been an ongoing trend for the past couple of years because of the shade’s remarkable ability to accent pretty much any colour you want; the contrast of neutral grey with another colour – or even with black! – brings a modern touch to the kitchen. With small grey mosaic tiles, you’re still being true to the grey accent spirit since the tiles themselves won’t draw too much attention while the glass material gives the backsplash just enough gloss to not completely fade into the background.

Patterned tiles

Here’s another idea that’s designed to make a statement in your kitchen. If you’ve discovered a batch of tiles with a pattern that you’d love to be the focal point of the kitchen, use them as your backsplash and help make them stand out by using solid-coloured quartz countertops.

Metallic look

One way to be adventurous is to take the road less traveled by or, in the case of backsplashes, the material less used. You can step away from all the tiles and simply use wide panels of metal like tin, copper, bronze, or even stainless steel for your backsplash. Depending on the decorative motifs, you can get a vintage look with tin, copper, or bronze backsplashes; with stainless steel backsplashes, you’ll get a more industrial look.

The wonderful thing about this list of ideas is that it gives you a range of options whether you’re looking to use your backsplash as an accent or the centrepiece. Regardless of which is your preferred style, it only works if all the other elements like the countertop in your kitchen design work in sync to create the theme you’re looking for. As long as you keep the big picture in mind, you’ll have no problem complementing your countertop with a backsplash worthy of 2017.