I’ve done a lot of work on my kitchen over the last 6-months. The most noticeable improvements being that I stained the oak cabinets a rich, java brown, and upgraded the laminate countertops to a white acrylic, but despite having completed those two ambitious projects, there’s still one thing lingering on our minds: Do we need to have a backsplash?
I can’t decide whether a backsplash is essential in a kitchen, because these days I don’t see many kitchens that aren’t fit with a backsplash as either an extension of the countertop, or as a tiled wall surface. Is there something aesthetically missing from my current kitchen (shown above), or would you just tell me that the tomato sauce is going to stain my white walls?
I suppose I’m writing about it here hoping to hash it out with other home improvement enthusiasts. Is a backsplash necessary from a functional standpoint? Or will a well-sealed countertop edge and a coat of semi-gloss paint that wipes clean easily suffice?
As I argue with myself relentlessly, I also take the time to investigate other options that I could do myself, and this photo gallery really has me thinking. What’s your take on the idea of a backsplash? If you have any inspiring photos or have seen inspired backsplash projects, please post links in the comments, I will be looking for good ideas!
Catching the home improvement bug at an early age, Emily Winters is a now a devoted DIYer living in Rochester, NY. The projects she covers on her blog Merrypad range from painting a wall to building a deck, so it’s only natural she landed at DIYNetwork.com. You can follow Emily on twitter at @merrypad and like her on facebook at facebook.com/merrypad.
I took think your kitchen looks fine without a backsplash. Having a different texture/color for a backsplash can break up your wall visually and make the space look smaller depending on your layout style .
My husband and I are going to be embarking on our kitchen reno in the coming months. We have a rather small kitchen and for this reason, decided not to have a back splash or have any back splash lip on our soapstone counter top. The idea is to create a white on white look that is bright, airy and open and let our appliances, stainless steel 4×4 backdrop in the range area, soapstone counter and hardware be our contrast. We will however be putting a wall treatment in the form of vertical beadboard to draw the eye up and make the room taller. We will be using an oil-based paint on the beadboard which will make it easy to keep clean.
Of the ideas in the link you posted Emily, I really like the pegboard idea which is very practical!
I think your kitchen design/style looks good without a backsplash. I would leave it the way it is.
I guess it would be personal choice. If your walls are in good shape and they have been painted with a good paint that is cleanable, then leave them. I have also seen backsplashes that would be almost impossible to keep clean, stone for instance.
It's your kitchen, have fun with it.
My (rental) kitchen doesn't have much of a backsplash (2 inches of tile) and semi-gloss walls, and I've never had any trouble with wiping away tomato sauce (or the time most of a jar of tumeric heavy marinade exploded all over the kitchen). I just wipe the wall down whenever I wipe down the counters (although its a small kitchen and there is only one small wall to wipe down).
I vote no backsplash because I like the clean look, or keep it minimal and white
A back splash makes it easier to clean rather then paint.
A back splash makes it easier to clean rather then paint.
Wiping away stray tomato sauce is easy, but I would point out those "invisible" bits of stray oil from cooking that you won't notice until dust has started to cling to them, making the area look particularly nasty. Oh, is that just me? Anyway, a backsplash would be way easier to clean. It doesn't have to be the standard tiled area that you see on so many blogs–try picturing pressed tin or something subtly colorful?
I don't think that you really need a back splash…it's about personal taste. If your walls are in decent condition and you can get away with only painting (and you like it that way), then why not? I just pulled down my dark maroon laminate back splash a couple of weeks ago, revealing varying layers of horrible 80's/90's wall paper and finally a nasty salmon-colored paint. I'm going to put something else up in its place though because the wall is not in good enough shape to just paint and call it close enough!
[...] In a second very important post on DIY Network, I ask, to backsplash or not to backsplash? That is the question. Help me out. If you like it, share [...]
The question is if you should have a back splash in the kitchen. Answer is Yes! From simply just frying eggs and bacon, you will mess up the wall. Take my advice and either put tile or formica back splash.
You can't just wipe it clean promptly? Or is it a heat or humidity thing?
I definitly beleve that a back splash not only helps with messes from cooking, preping, or just simplly washing dishes. It also makes the kitchen look much nicer if u give that little poof of splash, nice back
splash makes a great kitchen. So i agree a back splash is nessacary for alot of reasons!!!!