The HUX Report Vol 10: Kitchen Splashback Ideas

Splashbacks were all about function in the past, protecting the walls behind worktops, hobs and sinks from splashes. Nowadays, however, their ability to contribute aesthetically as well as provide practical benefits is crucial to a successful kitchen design, whether you’re designing a stylish kitchen on a budget, creating a traditional family kitchen or planning a small kitchen. And if you want an eye-catching feature, a sleek finish, or a touch of luxury, there’s a world of choice. These kitchen splashback ideas will introduce colour, texture and pattern to your kitchen. Here are our favourite kitchen splashbacks ideas, and why you should choose them. 

1. Double The Impact With Mirrored Splashbacks

A mirrored splashback can make a small kitchen feel larger, brighten any space, and provide an intriguing new perspective. Choose from plain mirror, antiqued finishes or coloured versions like this bronze.

2. Match Splashbacks And Worktops

Using the same worktop materials for preparation and island areas, as for the splashback looks sleek and contemporary. Here quartz stone looks like natural stone, but it is much more hardwearing.

3. Natural Marble Slabs Bookmatched For Maximum Impact

Love the solid and impressive appearance of real stone in this kitchen, the polished Blue Savoie marble for the hob splashback has been bookmatched, which creates a mirror image, and is an elegant focal point that complements the handsome cabinetry. Natural marble is however much more expensive than quartz engineered stone.

4. Create An Industrial Style Kitchen

The material you choose for a splashback can help evoke a distinctive feel. Stainless steel or metal zinc worktops are often used in creating an industrial style kitchen vibe.

5. Pick Good Looking Stone Splashbacks But With Easy Care Properties

If you want a kitchen splashback that’s a has a stunning stone effect, go for natural stone that displays beautiful veining and colour. This Black Beauty Granite from Sensa by Cosentino is treated with a protective surface to avoid staining, and costs from £350 per square metre.

6. Add An Extra Dimension With Textured Tiles

Consider tiles to bring a tactile element to the room, it can often warm up the look for a room giving it texture and feel.

7. Select A Super Versatile Hardwearing Sophistcated Splashback For A Cook’s Kitchen

The keenest of home chefs might like to consider a splashback that promises to be stainproof whatever the dishes being cooked up. Orix, from Dekton, from £450 per square metre, is a porcelain material. It has high UV resistance to avoid fading, is very heat resistant and hardwearing.

8. Make Your Splashback Metallic

Follow the trend for warmer metals in the kitchen with a splashback that continues the theme. This copper splashback is matched with polished copper handles and has a Verdigris finish which is lacquer hand applied, making each piece unique. £690 per linear metre at standard height.

9. Play With Polished Plaster For Your Splashback

Polished plaster – a decorative plaster finish – can reproduce the look of different types of stone to stunning effect. In this kitchen, it’s teamed with a worktop upstand for additional protection at the base of the wall.

10. Focus On The Detail – Mosaic Tiles

Make a working kitchen prettier with a splashback in intricate mosaic pattern. This Templo Sky Mix above, £157.26 per square metre, Topps Tiles.

11. Experiment With Geometric Pattern In A Pared Back Palette

Do you like the idea of designing a kitchen splashback that uses pattern to create interest but doesn’t overwhelm a space? Opt for patterned tiles in muted shades for a unique yet pared back finish. We love how these Cool Triangles Tiles but there are many geometric designs on a hardwearing porcelain finish to choose from. 

12. Create A Moody Effect With Glass Splashbacks

This kitchen has been given a dark and moody update featuring a glass wall panel splashback. The back can be painted any colour to match with the scheme and you can have gloss or matt finish.

13. Create A Luxurious Look With A Bespoke Mirror Splashbacks

How about a glamourous kitchen? The devil is in the detail with gorgeous taps and a bespoke splashback. This kitchen features a bespoke antique mirror-effect splashback.  

14. Embrace The Terrazzo Trend

Cool in the ’70s, it’s back with a bang. We have opened our arms to terrazzo once more and we aren’t just limiting this finish to the floors but starting to take terrazzo to the walls and splashbacks.
The splashback in this kitchen has been made by Dzek and it can be ordered in tiles or as one whole block, which is much more expensive but looks the real deal.

So Which Kitchen Splashback Material?

There’s plenty on offer in terms of splashback materials. Cost, care requirements and how they complement the rest of the kitchen design should all factor into your selection. Tiles offer many colour, style and pattern choices, as well as a large range of price points. They’re easy to keep clean, although grout may not be as easy to upkeep over time. 

Stainless steel or zinc worktops have an industrial look, or bronze metal surfaces have a slick masculine look, all these are easy to look after. 

Glass can be a barely visible addition giving an element of simplicity to the kitchen design. Glass can also protect a wallpaper for an individual look or stand out in its own right if you choose a coloured design. Natural Stones will make a statement, if you’re prepared to invest more.

An attractive quartz or quartzite solid surface materials are hardwearing options. More unusual are mirrored glass, antique glass and metallics, which can brighten as well as protect well. These give more of a statement design looks.