Kitchen Splash Back Areas That Offer Something More

Once you have fitted the upper kitchen cabinets and the counter tops in your kitchen, it is time to think about how to decorate the wall space between them. In by far the majority of homes this will mean one thing: ceramic splash back tiling. With so many tile designs to choose from, there is little excuse for a designer not to provide something that works well with the rest of the décor, simply because the splash back area is functional area, designed to be easily cleaned. Nevertheless, monotone and regularly spaced tiling can seem a little drab and, with only a little effort, you can achieve so much more.

Blue mondrian kitchen

Think of the area between the base and eye level units as something of a blank canvas where you can experiment with the look of your kitchen. Don’t be afraid to go for it in terms of color, shape and even abstraction.

Cool Coordination.

Blue mondrian kitchen
Blue mondrian kitchen

To get the best out of your splash back area, coordinate it with some other element within your kitchen’s design. For instance, a multi coloered, wavy design might well be picked up elsewhere, such as a dining area’s upholstery.

Blue mondrian kitchen

Large, abstract tiles that create an accent in the splash back area should coordinate with some floral decoration. And for another complimenting look, there’s nothing to stop you using the same color for your splash back as you have utilised for the counter tops.

Block Color.

Blue mondrian kitchen
Blue mondrian kitchen

A trendy look, block color splash backs are relatively easy to achieve. If you are making over your kitchen, without wanting a complete overhaul, this is a good route to go down.

Blue mondrian kitchen
Blue mondrian kitchen

Blocks of primary color work particularly well against plain white kitchen units. Remember to coordinate with an element or two elsewhere in the kitchen, such as a towel or your breakfast bar stools. And for a cool, bespoke block of reflective silvery gray try a material like glass fiber reinforced cement, which will afford a degree of kitchen sophistication.

Two Tones.

Blue mondrian kitchen
Blue mondrian kitchen
Blue mondrian kitchen

For a splash back area that needs to draw some disparate elements together within the overall kitchen design, go for two tones. However, avoid a dull 50-50 split arranged in checkers. Instead, opt for tiling with slightly different shapes and tones. Ensure one tone dominates the other for added interest. Slate tiling will offer slight variation in tone between the tiles and look fabulous set against brilliant white grout.

Go Round.

Blue mondrian kitchen
Blue mondrian kitchen

Because you are likely to be working in right angles between the cabinets in your kitchen it is tempting to only work with quadrilaterals. However, by simply invoking a circle or two into your splash back’s design you can come up with something much more original and eye catching. Remember that you don’t have to cover the entire wall with circles to get the round look. Mosaic tiling is perfect for creating all manner of curves and ovals.

Mondrian Style.

Blue mondrian kitchen
Blue mondrian kitchen

Piet Mondrian’s abstract artwork is the ideal inspiration for a cool looking kitchen. Think of white rectangles of various sizes, picked out with the occasional block of deep blue, red and yellow. However, you don’t need to stick to his famous color scheme to get the look. Try a combination of aquamarine, gray and blue as well to get an area of tiling that will not only be easy to keep clean but keep you smiling, too.

Picture sources: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14.