Splashbacks used to be a humble utilitarian choice, something to prevent grease build-up on the wall behind your cooktop and bench surfaces.
But now, the splashback is a key feature on its own!
Here’s how to select the perfect splashback for your kitchen:
One of the best approaches to selecting a splashback for your kitchen is to select your benchtop first.
There are generally fewer material and colour options for benchtops, whereas your choices for splashbacks are almost limitless. This will immediately narrow down the material and colour choices.
Some of the most common materials for kitchen splashbacks include glass, stainless steel, pressed metal and tiles.
If you would like to go for a more traditional look, then consider tiles or pressed metal. But think about cleaning when you’re choosing your splashback material. Mosaic tiles may look beautiful, but they’re more difficult to clean than larger tiles which will have less joins and less grout to clean.
If you’re after a more contemporary and streamlined look, then glass is a great option. It can be colour-matched to pretty much any colour in the world, it’s super easy to keep clean and it has great reflective qualities which will help to bounce light around the room.
It’s also worth thinking about using the same material as your benchtop for your splashback. This will create a lovely, consistent look in your kitchen. Look at this stainless benchtop and splashback, for example:
Consider having a shorter splashback in lighter work areas and a full-height splashback behind the cooktop (this will save on cost considerably if you’ve opted for stone, for example) and also looks quite smart.
You will have already narrowed down your choices if you have selected your benchtop material first.
Depending on the material you have chosen, you can decide whether you want your benchtop to take centre stage, in which case, you should opt for a more subtle, perhaps even very minimal splashback that won’t draw attention away from the benchtop.
On the other hand, if you’ve chosen a neutral colour benchtop, you could opt for a feature colour for your splashback to add some drama and a focal point to your kitchen. Look at this coloured glass splashback:
Choose colours that are either similar tones to your benchtop for a more consistent look, or colours that are complementary or contrasting if you want to add interest.
This light-coloured tiled splashback is a nice contrast to the darker benchtop, however by choosing similar tones, the look is tied together.
Want something a bit different that will help to open up the kitchen space?
If the scope of your renovation will allow, why not install a splashback window and let the view outside bring colour to your kitchen. This is an easy-to-clean option that adds natural light and brightens your work area during the day.
If a splashback window is not an option for you, why not think about a mirror splashback?
This is a great way to make a kitchen feel bigger than it really is. It will reflect both natural and artificial light around the room.
Plus, it can be a great way to introduce colour, especially if the mirror reflects a view through a window opposite.
You may already have your heart set on a bold splashback colour, an eye-catching material or you may even want to consider a glass splashback with a digitally printed image. You can design the rest of your kitchen around this!
Choose a benchtop colour that will complement your feature splashback but won’t fight it for attention – allow your spectacular splashback to take centre stage in the kitchen.
If you’re really struggling with splashback choices, rest assured that you don’t need to decide straight away.
Your new splashback will be one of the last components to be installed in your new kitchen, so you’ll have an opportunity to consider your kitchen, once your cabinets and benchtop have been installed.
Once they’re fitted, you can assess the overall look of your new kitchen, which can be difficult to visualise in the planning stages. This will help you to decide what materials and colours to choose for splashbacks, to tie the whole look together.
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