Using Color in Kitchen Backsplash Design

Color is often the most important element in a backsplash design. It's what people notice most and the element they react to most strongly. It can make your backsplash the focal element of your kitchen or make it a discreet background for other components.

Smooth, polished tiles reflect light and make the space seem bigger. They also give a more formal feeling to the room. Matte and textured finishes absorb light and give the tile more depth. They create a more intimate look. Matte finishes hide dirt and fingerprints better than polished finishes, but they can be harder to clean.

Color is personal! Before you make your choice, however, remember that lighter colors make a space feel larger, while darker colors make it seem smaller. For many people, red and other warm colors feel cozier and make a room feel more intimate, while blue and other cool colors are calming. Browns and grays give an earthy feel, which is why they are often used in designs influenced by the Arts and Crafts movement. Neutrals combine well with other colors and generally - but not always! - act as a background for other colors or objects.

Remember that color looks different under different conditions. Light can really change color! Tile will look different in daylight than under artificial light, and it will vary depending on the source or the artificial light, such as fluorescent, incandescent, or halogen lighting. That's especially important if you have under-the-counter lighting, since that will be the light source closest to your backsplash tile. Take sample tiles home and tape them to the wall to see how they'll look in your light. Remember to check at several different times as the light in your kitchen shifts during the course of a day.

Color also looks different with different neighbors. For example, blue will look far more intense if it is next to yellow or orange, and much quieter if it is next to gray or black. You can use these changes to your advantage. Experiment with different color combinations on your drawing, and check sample tiles in your kitchen. Remember that the sharper the contrast between colors, the more eye-catching the design will be. A black and white checkerboard gets a lot of attention!

Don't be swayed by the names that the manufacturers have given to tile colors. Names like 'tropical sun' or 'Georgian blue' are chosen for their emotional appeal.

If having a uniform color on each tile is important to your design, be sure to buy all the tiles for your project from the same manufacturer's run. The lot numbers should be printed on each box.

Historically, the glazing process made tile colors rather unpredictable. Blue was the easiest color to repeat predictably, and blue is a frequently used color in many tile traditions. Red glazes were quite hit-and-miss, so red tiles were not used so much in traditional tile patterns. We're lucky that glaze chemistry is more developed today. We have many colors to choose from when we design kitchen backsplash tile installations.