Today’s kitchen designs are more personal than ever before. People today want a mesh of style and function that extends to every area from the flooring to the moldings on their cabinetry. This can make choosing all the various pieces of the overall design a little overwhelming as you try to coordinate them all. So when it comes time to select the backsplash tile – the most decorative portion of the room – a lot of people don’t know where to begin. Because the backsplash doesn’t serve as much of a function in the room as other areas, it often makes sense that this area be left for last when updating the space. By making all of your other decisions first, you’ll likely find that you already hold the key to your backsplash design right in your hands.
Picking the Color
Sometimes you’ll have a general idea of what it is you want to install in this area, but the color is what stops you. Remember that you’ll have already made numerous decisions in color and design for the space, so this one may seem more difficult than it is simply due to decision fatigue.
The best thing to do is to gather up samples of all those other items you’ve already selected – your cabinets, counter, flooring, and wall color. Your backsplash sits between your cabinets and your counter, so those two areas should get the most consideration, but your flooring and walls should still work with the final choice.
If you’re using granite, quartz, or another counter material that has a lot of color already in it, consider using this as the base for your backsplash color decision as well. Oftentimes these types of counter-tops have a lot of different colors already infused in them; choosing one, two, or even three of these colors for the backsplash time can help you pull everything together in a cohesive way.
For example, one popular choice for the counter is Sainte Cecilia granite, which is a gold-colored stone with cream, dark brown, and cranberry flecks. Many people choose to pair this stone with a dark wood on the cabinets or the floor, so it becomes a natural choice to want to lighten up the area by picking up the cream color from the granite for the backsplash tile. You can use the cranberry color as an accent to help brighten things up and cement the color scheme of the room.
If you’re using a countertop that is solid in color, the key here is not to try to match the color of the counter, but to match its tone instead. For example, if you’re using a solid gray counter, look at the undertone – is it warm and brown or cool and blue? Now find a color of tile that matches that undertone to create a cohesive look for the space that doesn’t clash with what you already have going on.
Picking the Design
Sometimes just narrowing down the color that you want for the space is enough to make the decisions for the rest of the design easy. Other times, however, you may still have a wide variety of choices out there, particularly if you decide that what you want is something neutral in color on the backsplash.
In this case, the overarching style of your kitchen should be your guide. For example, if you have a Country style kitchen, using a plain, handmade subway tile may be the answer, while in a contemporary space a mosaic made of a mixture of glass, stone, and metal might be the better choice.
By pairing up your color selection with the style of your kitchen, you’ll likely find that your choices get narrowed down considerably, allowing you to make the perfect final selection for your kitchen design.
Let Your Previous Choices Lead the Way
A lot of people make the mistake of simply choosing the first backsplash tile they see, simply because they feel they can’t make one more decision about the space. While this is understandable, it can often lead to disappointing results when seen in the space as a whole. By allowing your previous decisions to influence what you choose for the backsplash, you can make a decision that’s much more in keeping with the rest of the design, and that will likely make you happier in the end.
When you’re ready to begin designing your new kitchen, give Bianco Renovations a call. Our design team will help you coordinate every last detail right down to the backsplash to help ensure you’re satisfied with the results no matter what style of home you own. Call today to get started and perfect the kitchen of your dreams.