BackSPLASH Do’s and Don’t

Backsplash always seems to get people excited!

I always have first time customers with 3 granite samples asking me “Which backsplash do you think we should get?”, and my answer is always the same. “Wait!”

Backsplash should be the icing on the cake, it should complement all your other kitchen elements, and happen just before you dig in to enjoy it.

Its tough, as I mentioned in a previous post, to in-vision how all your kitchen elements are going to come together. So my advice is always to wait until the cabinets and countertops are complete then make a final decision on the backsplash.

Certainly shop it in the meantime though! Look at Houzz and Pinterest to get ideas with your granite, but once your countertops are in it will take out a lot of the guess work and be a much simpler decision to hold up a sample and say “YES! That is it!”

Exceptions to the WAIT! Rule:

Besides the most popular option of tile there are a lot of other alternatives.

Full Height Backsplashes are one of the exception to the waiting rule. These will create a striking kitchen and you’ll want to have it flow into your countertops for maximum impact. Its going to be a pricier option than tile, but WOW does it create an effect.

4″ or 6″ granite backsplash are another common request.

My recommendation is not to do a 4″ splash, it becoming more and more of a generic and dated look as we no longer need to hide gaps between the countertops and the wall with digital templating technology, which is the reason these 4″ splash have become so common. Don’t be generic!

If you’re tiling I recommend bringing the tile all the way to the counter and not adding the costly visual clutter of a 4″ splash…granite starts at $35 a sq ft, tile costs are much less! Save the money on the 4″ splash and get a tile backsplash you really like!

6″ splashes are a good idea if you don’t plan on tiling. They provide actual “splash” coverage unlike the 4″ option and give a clean updated intentional look to the kitchen.

So don’t do this…

Do this!

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