A backsplash protects your walls behind the kitchen countertop or bathroom sink from water, grease,food, and other inevitable stains that may occur during cooking or cleaning. Backsplashes are made of various materials such as tiles, glass, stone, metal, or wood. They not only protect your walls but also serve as a decorative element, adding both aesthetic appeal and a stylish vibe to your space. you can create your personal design that adds a personal touch to your kitchen, complementing the overall decor and aesthetics of your home.
How to Know the Right Backsplash Placement?
Backsplashes are a practical and beautiful addition to a kitchen. They make it easy to clean the surface after cooking and contribute to the overall ease of cleaning and maintaining. Backsplashes help in avoiding the need for frequent wall repairs or repainting due to messes.
Determining where to place a backsplash in your kitchen is necessary for achieving aesthetic appeal and protecting the walls. knowing where it should end is equally important. The answer depends on various factors, such as your home's aesthetic, your personal style preferences, budget, and what's required for a specific wall.
Here are some tips to help homeowners determine the best backsplash placement for their kitchen according to their home.
Simple Rules for Kitchen Backsplash Placement
The placement of backsplash plays a significant role in determining the overall look and functionality of your kitchen. Usually, the backsplash is placed between the upper and lower cabinets. The design, colour, and material should complement the cabinetry and other elements of the kitchen to create a cohesive look. While using different colours and patterns to express your own style can be a good choice, it's important to ensure that these choices don't create a disjointed or overwhelming effect. Properly chosen design and placement can enhance the sense of space and make the kitchen appear spacious, welcoming, and well-designed.
Install a Backsplash Everywhere You Prepare Food
As you know, a backsplash protects the walls from inevitable stains and splashes in the kitchen, making it easier to clean. It's important to install a backsplash wherever the food is prepared to help maintain cleanliness and protect your kitchen walls.
Install a Backsplash Between Cabinets
Backsplashes serve as a visual connection between the upper and lower cabinets, contributing to a more cohesive and polished design. While it can enhance the perception of space, its primary function is to protect the walls from stains and splashes.
Avoid Installing a Backsplash Behind Fridge or Other Appliances
If a space behind an appliance is not visible, such as the wall behind a fridge, do not spend on installing a backsplash.Doing so would waste the money, labour, and materials, as the area is hidden and won't be seen. Installing a backsplash in such areas serves no practical purpose since they are already covered by the appliance.
Install a Backsplash Behind Cooktop and Hood Vent
It's common to install tiles behind the cooktop and hood vent in the kitchen to add a focal point. However, sauce, oil, steam, and other splatters from cooking can create a mess and make cleaning difficult. Installing a backsplash solves this issue by simplifying any hassle to clean and maintain.
Use Cabinets to Determine the End of Backsplash
Usually, tiles extend to the edges of the cabinets and provide help to make the kitchen look clean and well maintained. The cabinet edges would guide you to determine where the backsplash should end, ensuring a well-defined and aesthetically pleasing finish.
Extending the Backsplash: Should It Go All the Way to the Ceiling?
While extending the backsplash, the height depends on the desired look and outcome. Usually, homeowners install them near the bottom of their upper cabinets. However, extending them all the way to the ceiling is also an option that some homeowners prefer. This can help you create a taller appearance, by making features like open shelves stand out and act as a focal point, depending on the style, colour, and type of material chosen.
This approach can also lend a more High-end look.
Analyse the kitchen design and select the backsplash accordingly.
Using Your Backsplash to Create a Focal Point
Now that we know that backsplashes serve as a focal point, you can install them in a way to act as a centre of attraction and make the kitchen stand out. For this purpose, homeowners can install mosaic tiles vertically from the bottom of the walls all the way to the ceiling. A set of accent tiles above the sink can also help in achieving this effect. Creating a custom design by installing different tiles for the backsplash and adding your own touch would help customise the look.
How to Handle Misaligned Upper and Lower Cabinets
The main reason for the question where the backsplash should start and end?' is misalignment between the cabinets. If the upper and lower cabinets don't coordinate, homeowners can do a few things to solve this issue:
- End the backsplash near the end of upper cabinets.
- Taper the tiles or angle the backsplash to connect the top and bottom.
- Line the backsplash with the base cabinets.
- Run the backsplash up to the ceiling.
For open kitchens, this approach helps establish a distinct zone for the kitchen area, separating it from the other spaces,making it a good choice for such concepts.
Finding a Natural End to Your Backsplash
Finding a natural stopping point is important. A wall, window, cabinet edge, etc., can help determine the natural placement and where it should end. To create a distinct edge, using a tile edge trim or bullnose tile can be helpful. Homeowners can also use an edge design to create creative ends such as tapering a set of hexagon tile or other designs you might like.
Analyse your kitchen and its decor to decide on the backsplash design and its endpoint. This will help create a distinct, spacious, and focal look in the kitchen, adding to the aesthetic appeal of the space.
