Selecting a backsplash

Wrenda Goodwyn • special to the Fort Myers News-Press • March 5, 2020

This bright kitchen showcases Cambria's Oakmoor design on a dramatic waterfall island paired with a white backsplash. www.cambriausa.com Photo: Michael Sage

Selecting a backsplash. It’s complicated.

I’ve wanted to write about this for a long time. There’s a lot to coordinate: the countertops, the floor, paint color, cabinets. The end result is usually disastrous. And the reason is immediately clear when I walk into a home.

As a Fort Myers interior decorator, I see them every day. The homeowner tried to pull it all together and ended up with backsplash that is a mish mash of colors that they tried to match to the countertops. And it just doesn’t work. Busy, dated and just plain ugly.

The answer is simple: keep it simple.

The kitchen is the most expensive room in the home to renovate or to start from scratch in a new build. It’s important to focus on putting your money where you will get the best return on your investment. And even if you are on a budget, this means selecting finishes that will be timeless and will look fresh and new for years to come. I mean, seriously, who wants to replace a backsplash or countertops again in a couple of years?

A popular trend uses the same material on the kitchen's island, perimeter, and backsplash. Shown: Cambria’s new Clovelly design with copper and brown swirling veins. www.cambriausa.com Photo: Cambria.

So, back to keeping it simple.

Whether you have existing countertops that you are wrestling with as far as selecting a backsplash, OR if you are selecting all new finishes for your kitchen, these tips will keep you from a backsplash that will have you saying, “What was I thinking?”

What comes first? If selecting both new countertops and backsplash, always start with the countertops.

Continue up the wall. A big trend now with marble or quartz countertops: continue the same material up the wall as your backsplash. It creates a timeless, classic look that is always in style.

Go for a clean look. You can’t beat subway tiles. The price is right. There are lots of choices. You will never regret sticking with a solid color. I recommend this option for homeowners who have granite countertops that they wish to keep. You can give your kitchen a whole new look with a solid backsplash that coordinates with the granite rather than trying to come up with something that includes all o0f the colors in the granite.

Stick with a solid. We see lots of patterns in magazines and in showrooms. My recommendation is to fight the temptation and stick with a solid. A pattern will go out of style and date your kitchen.

Run the backsplash all the way up the wall to the ceiling or molding. There is nothing pretty about that little space between the tops of the cabinets and the ceiling. Continue a beautiful solid color all the way up and it becomes the focal part of the kitchen and draws the eye up. I did this in my own home with blue/green subway tiles and love the look.

Gather some samples. Place your solid color samples at the back of your counter behind the stove. Line them up together to determine which works best with your countertops. You will need to consider undertones, paint color, cabinet color, etc.

This bold, asymmetric island and backsplash in Cambria's design Golden Dragon showcases sparkling golden currents that flow through the midnight black surface. www.cambriausa.com Photo: Cambria

You can’t go wrong with white. Rather than trying to “match” a color, white is my go-to backsplash. And don’t think it has to be boring. Scalloped, herringbone, arabesque and subway are just a few and there are many with sparkle and bling.

Go big. This is important. Select the largest version of your favorite tile. Remember: this is going in the kitchen and you want to make cleaning as easy as possible. The tiny, patterned tiles can make cleaning the grout a lot more work than you need.

Remember this. You can still have great taste on a small budget. If you are having trouble visualizing what might work for your next backsplash, it may be time to call a professional. We can help you make a decision that works for your kitchen and will be timeless.

More tips. Too many to mention here. To see more photos and tips for selecting a backsplash, visit my blog at www.spectacularspaces.com/blog

Wrenda Goodwyn is a Southwest Florida interior decorator, A.S.I.D. associate and gold member of the Interior Redecorators Network. She helps homeowners throughout Southwest Florida with timeless, affordable ways to create beautiful spaces and solves decorating problems. Her articles appear the first Saturday of each month. For more information visit her website at spectacularspaces.com. Call her at 949-1808 or e-mail wrenda@spectacularspaces.com. For more decorating tips, articles and photos, visit spectacularspaces.com/blog