If you’re looking to set your kitchen apart and give it a high dose of style, why not try a new backsplash? This is a detail you can add to customize a brand-new kitchen or change to update an existing one. The latest trends in backsplash styles incorporate colour, pattern, and fresh new shapes. Read on for inspiration!

Unique Tile Shapes

While subway tile is a classic that will never go out of style, if you’re looking for something a little more modern, unique tile shapes are the way to go. Popular choices include herringbone, hexagon, chevron, and fish scale, pictured above. Done in neutrals or subtle colours, the overall effect is streamlined, elegant, and adds texture. Of course if you love colour, go for it! Shaped tiles are intricate, beautiful to look at, and lend the space a refined feel.

Large Tiles

While kitchen backsplash tiles are typically on the smaller side, there is a trend toward larger, more substantial tiles. Some designers are using large slabs of marble or quartz instead. This helps to create a really smooth, seamless look that visually expands the space. Those who love veining, whether dark and dramatic or light and subtle, are often drawn to this look. Bonus: with fewer (or no) grout lines, slabs are also easier to keep clean.

Ceiling-height Backsplash

Gone are the days when your kitchen backsplash rises just a couple of inches above your countertop. Now you can actually tile all the way up to the ceiling. The advantages of this approach? The smooth and continuous run of tile looks dramatic and rich. It can also make a standard ceiling appear higher because there are no visual obstructions to stop the eye.

Colour!

While so many of us have neutral kitchens, the backsplash is the perfect spot to add in a little colour. The shade you choose can be subtle and quiet or more vibrant and attention-getting. A wide range of colour options are available, so pick whatever best suits the mood you’re trying to create. If you have a favourite colour you’ve always wanted to incorporate into your kitchen, this is a creative and relatively easy way to do it. Blues and greens seem to be especially popular.

Pattern

Nothing updates a kitchen faster than a patterned backsplash. It freshens up your space and makes it feel current. Patterns can be graphic and bold, but they don’t have to be. Some options are very subtle and look quite refined and expensive. It depends on the overall look you’re going for; pattern in general tends to add energy and interest to a space. If you want to avoid having a bland kitchen that looks like everyone else’s, try a patterned backsplash tile.

This one small, practical detail in your kitchen packs a lot of punch and can transform the room’s overall look. See which style you’re drawn to most and get started on an update of your own. Thanks for reading and don’t forget to follow the Gemterra blog for more great home decor tips.