75 Kitchen Backsplash Ideas to Brighten Any Kitchen

In this vibrant 5,800-square-foot Bay Area retreat, ELLE DECOR A-List designer Ken Fulk devised an open-concept great room where the family—including teenage daughter Isadora—spends the most time together. A small area features Italian tiles that contrast well with the room’s pink flourishes—proof that small vignettes can pack a mighty punch.

If your cabinets make their own statement, consider tiles that complement them. In this Paris getaway, the custom green cabinetry is accentuated by a backsplash in tiles hand-painted by artist Matthieu Cossé.

Take a page from this mural-filled kitchen in Valenza, Spain. The kitchen, which dates back to the 18th century, shows scenes of daily life depicted on azulejos tiles.

In a new Spanish-style Houston house designed by Curtis & Windham architects, with interiors by Ashe Leandro, the kitchen’s diamond-patterned floor mixes reclaimed terra-cotta tiles from Chateau Domingue and acid-washed limestone tiles from ABC Stone. The kitchen’s backsplash tiles are the cherry on top.

We love a laquered shine. In the kitchen of this 155-year-old house in Massachusetts, painted in Atmospheric by Benjamin Moore, the kitchen tiles provide a much-needed neutral backdrop that is practically gleaming—no matter how much spaghetti sauce is thrown at it.

Whoever said a monochromatic moment is boring? In this Florida pied-à-terre, the kitchen’s backsplash and ceiling tiles are custom-painted by Matthieu Cossé. Ivory on ivory never looked so good.

The striking burnt orange tile backsplash of this Los Angeles home was a holdover from ELLE DECOR A-List design firm Nickey Kehoe’s first renovation of the house. “It was a color that liked being in the house,” she laughs. Points for sustainability!

The cooking space of this lowkey Toronto home features a custom backsplash that nearly steals the show. The wall is ornamented in Brutalist-inspired tiles by local artist Catherine Carroll of Black Rock Tile Studio. A shelf, illuminated by vintage Charlotte Perriand sconces, showcases a bevy of vintage vessels. Who needs wall space for art?

Designer Ellie Cullman (with Cullman & Kravis) was not afraid to take some chances here, with this stunning hexagon backsplash by Studium, which provides a satisfying distinction from the pops of yellow throughout this New Jersey family kitchen. The hood range ties the color scheme together in a resulting fanfare of color and contrast.

The raked-edge countertop of this seaside guest retreat is White Macaubas quartzite, and the terra-cotta backsplash tiles are from Mosaic House. The island sink fittings are by Waterworks, and the vintage pendants are from Ollier.

Kitchen backsplashes do not have to turn into soaring statement walls to truly make a statement. This one, by Studio Muka, is perfectly contained and plays off the floor’s reclaimed terra-cotta, as well as the olive green walls that enclose it. The tiles have an almost mother-of-pearl sheen to them—both relaxing and refreshing to the eye.

No, chevron is not strictly a 2015 thing. This print stands the test of time and is used here by designer Anne-Marie Midy, in the form of talavera tiles—to add a bit of playfulness to the rust-orange walls and pine cabinets. Imagine this being the first thing you see when stepping out of the bedroom for your morning coffee. Instant invigoration!

In the kitchen of artist Julie Polidoro, the backsplash is kept to a subtle and unimposing strip of tiles rimmed with marble—sharply contrasting with the neon green walls. These are Sicilian tiles, to be exact: a great choice when it comes to infusing the space with some timeless geometric appeal. Sicily is calling—answer!

This ceramic backsplash by Portuguese artist Bela Silva, in an Eric Allart–designed apartment, would be a bit emo if it weren’t boosted by the painted pink walls above and pops of color in the form of the red kitchen chair, similarly red countertop, and that blue fish-vase hybrid (!). Look at how the tile material shines. Let it inspire your upcoming kitchen reno.

Though you can barely make them out, the galley kitchen here is treated to a backsplash of gemstone green hexagonal tiles. Gone are the days when the only pop of color in a kitchen had to be relegated to the rug. Thinking outside the box for backsplashes (in terms of tile shape and hue) has never felt better.

Did you expect to witness designs of chile peppers and harissa tubes on a tiled kitchen backsplash? Neither did we, but this apartment in France proves that good design doesn’t have to be so serious. The aforementioned harissa tubes actually bear the homeowners’ names in Arabic—showing that the possibilities for customization are endless!

Officine Gullo’s design of this farmstead-turned-luxury hospitality space, Tenuta Carleone in Radda, Italy, is honing all the vibes of its bucolic setting. Patterned tiles create a stunning mosaic that is bordered by warm sunshine-yellow cabinetry with stainless steel appliances and polished chrome hardware. With an abundance of natural light shining through the arched windows, the kitchen is a sun-splashed utopia.

You’re going to see a lot of subway tile backsplashes in this roundup, primarily because they bear a classic shape, are easy to install, and bestow an understated kind of sophistication upon any kitchen space. The cooking hub in this Pappas Miron–designed Greenwich Village apartment is made even more elevated through the addition of brown quartzite (versus the comparatively ubiquitous marble) countertops.

Designer Jana Roach can’t stop gushing about her four-inch Riad Snow zellige tile backsplash—and we can’t blame her when it looks this good. “I adore zellige tile,” she tells ELLE DECOR. “It transcends trends and decor styles. It has the best texture, and the natural variation in color adds so much depth and character to my kitchen.” If you look closely, no tiles are exactly the same, with their individual pits, cracks, and chipped edges. For Roach, that adds to its charm. “It gives my space a one-of-a-kind, handmade feel that perfectly complements my preference for old furniture and natural materials.”

Interior designer Madison Lussier had her work cut out for her before she renovated the kitchen in this Santa Barbara, California, home. “Originally there was a very heavy-feeling hood with molding that had carved grapevines in it, and the cream crackle subway tile that’s in the rest of the kitchen was behind the range as well,” Lussier explains. She replaced the hood with a much simpler look that matched the cabinetry and framed it all out in a more rustic wood. “I really love the way it turned out,” she adds. “I think it complements and draws attention to the stunning LaCanche range so much more than the original design.”