What Is the Most Popular Backsplash for the Kitchen?

When you rethink your kitchen’s aesthetic, you have a unique opportunity to express your creativity. Homeowners increasingly add backsplashes to their kitchen walls to update the overall design. What is the most popular backsplash for the kitchen?

Master Remodelers’ kitchen remodel experts in Knoxville, TN, recommend their favorite materials, colors, and textures to fuel your renovation endeavors. Explore our suggestions below to find what works best for your aesthetic.

Our Recommendations for the Best Backsplash for the Kitchen

A backsplash represents more than just an artistic choice. It also serves as a countertop extension. If you tend to splash ingredient mixtures, you could probably use a backsplash to catch the mess. 

A backsplash protects the wall underneath from becoming stained and water damaged. However, it also acts as a canvas for you to express your artistic talents and design preferences. So, what is the most popular backsplash for the kitchen? One of the imaginative designs below will surely suit your design tastes. 

#1 Bold Color Patterns

This backsplash design makes your kitchen vibrate with fresh, unapologetic energy. Jewel-toned tiles with shimmering hues, lush greens, and serene azures will make your kitchen walls sparkle with iridescent pigments. 

This pattern pairs well with muted cabinets, countertops, and flooring, drawing guests’ attention to surrounding structures. Large windows will add extra flair to the overall design. 

#2 Gray Stone

Perhaps you want other structures to grab more attention while the backsplash plays a supporting role. In that case, the hushed appearance of gray stone supplies a natural, calming aura. Plus, stone tiles come in numerous styles. 

Elegant marble lends an opulent aura, suggesting you spared no expense. Earthy quartz sparkles softly. Alternatively, slate stone quietly upholds the ambiance throughout the rest of the kitchen. This durable material resists damage and stains for years. 

#3 Natural Wood

Most homeowners will only consider wood for cabinets or floors. However, you can also use wooden slats as a unique backsplash option. Few materials summon the warmth and coziness that every kitchen should harness quite like richly grained wood. 

Before installing wood as a backsplash, remember that while you’ll save on material costs, you’ll pay back in time and effort. Wood demands more upkeep than stone, ceramic, or glass. It can also incur damage more readily. 

#4 Celebratory Terrazzo 

Porcelain tiles featuring terrazzo patterns remain a timeless classic. Their popularity might wane for a few years, but it never fully fades. How could terrazzo become passe? Its playful, vintage pattern can make any space look more fun! 

That’s exactly the note you want to strike with a kitchen backsplash. Vibrantly colored chips set into a solid, contrasting porcelain tile can make cooking, cleaning, and exploring recipes more enjoyable for all involved. 

#5 Stately Stainless Steel

Stainless steel is yet another classic. However, its effect opposes terrazzo. Steel’s subtlety and seriousness craft a more modern, industrial vibe.

If you work tirelessly at keeping your kitchen clean, you might prefer the luminous yet commanding shine of stainless steel. It requires little maintenance beyond an occasional wipe-down and rarely becomes damaged.

#6 Classic Subway Tile

Who doesn’t love the timeless look of a subway-tile backsplash? Variations of this pattern can give your kitchen a design akin to a retro diner. Its cool, casual vibrance invites guests to enjoy a glass of lemonade and a finger sandwich. 

You can add some attractive contrast by alternating between dark and white tiles. Another fantastic design option involves using dark grout with light tiles or vice versa. Each option adds more definition and variance to an otherwise sleek, modern backsplash design. 

#7 Pure, Clean Glass

What is the most popular backsplash for the kitchen? There are far too many to choose from! However, a simple, translucent glass backsplash amplifies the area’s elegance and lavishness without affecting the interior’s balance. 

Because glass tiles come in many colors, shapes, and sizes, they can suit almost any taste. Plus, their nonporous surface makes them low maintenance and easy to clean. If you want the sanitary nature of stainless steel combined with the artistic variations of assorted tiles, you’ll adore sleek, luminous glass. 

#8 Opulent Mother-of-Pearl

Mother-of-pearl needs no introduction. While many words describe its beauty, “extravagant” is perhaps the most apt adjective. Mother-of-pearl comes from the shells of shellfish like sea snails, oysters, and mussels. Its naturally iridescent glow makes it irresistible to jewelry aficionados. 

You can also make this striking material a part of your kitchen backsplash design. Any surface covered in mother-of-pearl will endlessly glimmer. If you want the sparkle without the price tag, consider isolated designs embedded in other materials like glass, porcelain, or stone. Alternatively, you can purchase tiles that imitate mother-of-pearl’s undeniable allure. 

#9 Crisp Copper

A copper backsplash can make myriad visual impacts, depending on the chosen application. For example, some copper backsplashes feature baroque patterns that lend a grand, antiquated beauty to any kitchen. Other options have a more minimal, rustic look and feel. Still, others exude eclectic artistry when inlaid in porcelain or ceramic tiles. 

Regardless of your preferred copper application, you’ll find a helping hand in this material. It has antimicrobial properties that prevent germs from spreading across the surface. Its benefits help you maintain a happy, healthy kitchen.

#10 Rustic Brick

Few materials enhance a kitchen’s native warmth, comfort, and sense of belonging quite like exposed brick. Its rich, earthy hue commands joy without overpowering the area. The material also boasts a hardiness unlike any other tile or inlay. 

If you want something softer than brick, you might explore terracotta, its quieter younger sister. Terracotta blends into the background more readily while still lending the same rich warmth. Plus, terracotta clay comes in various tile shapes, making it more visually diverse than most exposed brick. 

#11 Mirror, Mirror on the Wall

Who has the fairest kitchen of all? You will when you add reflective, mirrored tiles to your backsplash design. Their appeal goes far beyond their visual allure. 

They can also make a small, cramped kitchen feel more spacious, especially when coupled with white porcelain tiles. Kitchens with little natural light can also benefit since reflective surfaces increase the light in a space. If your kitchen looks small and dark, open up the space by adding reflective mirror tiles to your overall design. 

#12 Motley Mosaic

What if you want a combination of these options? Can you combine materials for a more individual design? You certainly can with a mosaic approach. 

A traditional mosaic consists of materials in diverse sizes and shapes. An artist uses these pieces to create a picture. Your remodeling team can use a similar approach when crafting your kitchen backsplash. 

Use assorted glass pieces to create a stained-glass effect across your kitchen walls. You can also save money by combining matte ceramic with smaller glass tiles for a contemporary effect. Alternatively, use mirrored tiles to contrast cool, white porcelain. 

Other design options involve blending terracotta with ceramic tiles. Creamy ceramic blended with warm terracotta creates a retro vibe. Add tiny squares of mother-of-pearl to craft an alluring, pearlescent luminousness.

Let Master Remodelers Help You Choose an Exquisite Kitchen Backsplash for Your Kitchen

What is the most popular backsplash for the kitchen? At Master Remodelers, we recommend choosing a backsplash based on your aesthetic preferences and how you want to alter your kitchen rather than popularity. You should also choose materials based on your cleaning habits, as maintaining a kitchen backsplash varies with the tile choices. 

Let Master Remodelers design a backsplash as unique as you. Call 865-458-0416 for a consultation with our team.