10 Unique Kitchen Backsplash Ideas Spotlight Color + Pattern
Implementing a unique kitchen backsplash can bring an extra pop of personality to one of the most important rooms in the home. From bold geometric patterns to intricate mosaic designs, statement tile is everywhere. Consider materials like hand-painted tiles, glass-enclosed wallcoverings, or even metal for a distinctive look. Whether you prefer a traditional, eclectic or modern aesthetic, these creative backsplash ideas are sure to help your kitchen serve its purpose as the heart of the home—with an extra dash of style, of course.
Get Inspired By These 10 Unique Kitchen Backsplash Ideas
Hand-Painted Tile Forms This Kitchen’s Unique Backsplash
For an Edwardian-style Boulder, Colorado, residence layered with antiques and vintage-inspired furnishings throughout, the homeowner expressed enthusiasm for the intricate parquet floor and hand-painted blue-and-white tile, both by Tabarka Studio, that now make up the elegant kitchen. Coupled with a custom copper hood and gold-accent light fixtures, they make the space feel both design-forward and rooted in history.
Patterned Tile Backsplash That Wows
The floor-to-ceiling overhaul of this Tudor-style home took the kitchen to the next-level. While the room’s layout remained the same, its components received a significant stylish upgrade from designer Emily Tucker. Witness the white oak cabinets: Beveled-edge Shaker panels and a cerused finish that highlights the wood’s grain take them from expected to quietly extraordinary. Color plays a role too, from the animated pattern of the mosaic backsplash to the complementary range and its coordinating hood. “The backsplash has some really beautiful green marble in it and the veining on the quartzite countertop is green too,” Tucker says. “Putting it all together felt traditional, but also fun and inspiring.”
Bold Backsplash Makes A Statement
The “old-school Texas” architecture of this Austin home called to designer Cavin Winfrey, so she reconfigured the kitchen for both beauty and functionality while infusing nods to the abode’s storied history. Tabarka Studio tiles from Architerra climb up the kitchen backsplash, coordinating with malachite-and-brass cabinet knobs by Modern Matter. Regina Andrew’s French Maid chandeliers illuminate counter stools by Gabby. The Ilve range pairs with a Newport Brass faucet.
Mosaic Green Glass Tile Evokes Old-School Charm
In his time, legendary Seattle architect Gene Zema was known for interpreting modernism through the lens of Pacific Northwest landscapes and materials. So, it’s no surprise that the Laurelhurst home he designed for his family in 1964 contains hallmarks of his style: an extensive use of wood, rooms centered around the views, and interiors that embrace geometric lines and a Japanese aesthetic. Demonstrated to a tee in the kitchen, a later remodel pairs Thermador appliances with black granite perimeter countertops and a green glass tile mosaic backsplash in the kitchen. The island is topped with stainless steel.
Wallcoverings Add Wonder: Try This Creative Kitchen Backsplash Idea
Designer Kara Adam thoughtfully welcomed occasional opportunities for lively patterns through wallcoverings in this Naples home, appointing the most dynamic motif for a chic statement in the kitchen: Amid the white cabinetry, the designer designated a backsplash using a glass-covered de Gournay wallpaper depicting colorful birds and fauna. “Because the kitchen is muted, this was a way to add some drama to the space,” she observes. “It becomes another ‘window’ to the outdoors.” The cabinetry is topped with Calacatta Gold marble. A Jane Shelton Fabrics textile covers the stool by The Bright Group.
Geometric Elements Add Visual Intrigue
This Brooklyn brownstone is awash with playful ’70s hues. Orange accents distinguish the kitchen, from the island’s lava stone countertops from Ranieri Lava Stone, to the Mercury Mosaics triangle tile backsplash. A custom walnut range hood by Mason Woodworks LLC and a vintage industrial light from 1stdibs establish subdued hues.
Handmade Tiles Emanate Old-World Style
While the owners of this Seattle penthouse appreciated the expansive city and water views emphasized by its initial restrained palette, their lifestyle and tastes called for something different. Thus, the directive became to open the space and layer in color and texture to give the home a warm old-world feeling. The unique kitchen backsplash is made up of handmade Tabarka Studio tiles from Ann Sacks. A Jason Christian- crafted glass installation presides over the kitchen’s leathered granite countertops from Meta Marble & Granite, completing the space.
No Need To Feel Blue In This Updated Kitchen
Since the family behind this modern English-country home in Nashville love to cook and gather, their kitchen needed space for both activities. After working with residential designer Preston Shea on the room’s work triangle, designer Natalie Hager accented with Spanish-made Peronda tile on the backsplash. A bold blue vent hood from Ferguson perfectly matches the lower perimeter cabinetry, crafted by Opus Luxury Cabinets and painted a custom cobalt color.
Traditional Style Backsplash Inspiration
When updating this Aspen getaway, the palette of the kitchen was transformed from dark and heavy to light and bright, with the walls and cabinets painted a color designer Charlotte Moss calls “French vanilla,” and the addition of a colorful backsplash made of hand-painted Portuguese ceramic tiles from Solar Antique Tiles in New York. The barstools were reupholstered with a Pierre Frey fabric, and the pendants from Circa Lighting wear a Chelsea Editions textile.
Moooooove Over, This Creative Kitchen Backsplash Is Ready For The Spotlight
Merely hanging art on walls is antithetical to designer Kathleen Glossa’s approach. “The collaborative process started with, ‘How is art part of the architecture?’ ” she says. “I don’t know how many clients would embrace the idea of a Texas longhorn running the length of their kitchen backsplash, but these clients did,” she says. Glossa had photographer Robin Layton’s “Ferdinand” printed on metal and finished with a wipeable coating. Kartell’s Spoon stools pull up to an island topped with quartz from Architectural Surfaces.
