How To Choose The Right Tiles For A Kitchen Splashback

The kitchen is the heart of your home but sometimes function can give way to style. That is why tiles are such a great choice for a splashback. They are hard wearing, hygienic and give you the opportunity to add colour and personality to the room. Also, because splashbacks are often a few square meters, you can splurge on the tiles you want without breaking the budget. 

Here are some things to consider when choosing the right tile for your splashback.

What tile materials are there to choose from?

Here are some of the main tile materials you can choose from when selecting a tile for your splashback.

Porcelain

Porcelain tiles are an affordable, durable and low-maintenance option for a splashback. They can also be digitally printed to mimic other materials such as timber, marble and terrazzo.

Ceramic

Ceramic tiles are the most popular material on the market. They are budget friendly, durable and moisture resistant. Like porcelain tiles, they also come in a range of look-alike finishes.

Natural Stone

Materials such as marble, concrete and composite terrazzo while beautiful tend to be more costly and will require sealing. They can however create a unique feature in your kitchen.

Glass

Tiles made from glass come in a huge variety of colours but are very delicate and can scratch easily. They also tend to be expensive and require professional installation. Also, if they are intended for use behind a gas stovetop, they will need to be specially toughened to meet requirements.

What tile size will work best in my kitchen?

There are no real rules about what size will work best in your kitchen however you do have to consider the look you are trying to achieve when deciding. For example, a popular choice for a Scandi-style or heritage kitchen is a subway (typically measure 75mm x 150mm) tile whereas if you are after a sleek, contemporary look you might consider an oversized slab tile.

What tile shape should I choose?

Tiles come in all shapes and sizes so what you choose is largely dependent on your style and budget. You will find that more standard shaped tiles require less labour and are therefore cheaper to have professionally installed. Also, choosing a tile that is on-trend right now might impact sale value in the future. If you’re intention is to not stay in the house forever, we recommend choosing a more standard tile shape to appeal to a larger audience.

What colour should I choose?

Similar to when choosing your tile shape and size the colour you choose will depend largely on the look you’re trying to achieve. It is also worth thinking about how long you intend to live in the house, if it is not your forever home or you are renovating an investment property, we recommend choosing a neutral colour that won’t impact resale value.

What about grout?

All tiles will need grouting however the amount that is seen will depend on the tile size that you have chosen. The smaller the tile the more grout lines so if you dislike cleaning and maintaining grout then opt for a larger size tile.

Still can’t decide?

If you are stuck on what tile to choose for your kitchen splashback, head on down to our showroom and chat to one of our friendly consultants. We recommend measuring your splashback before you come so our tile experts can provide the most accurate advice for what will work best in your kitchen.