Planning a Kitchen: Which splashback is best for your kitchen

Kitchen updates tend to be fairly heavy-duty undertakings. Get them right and they can make a hard-working room a much more enjoyable place to be. They may even add value to your home. Get them wrong, however, and the results can be frustrating and expensive.

With that in mind, Tara Neil, specialists in bespoke kitchens, share their expertise and advice on what you need to know when choosing a new splashback for your kitchen.

The basics of splashbacks

Splashbacks are essentially protective coverings for your walls. In principle, you can have a kitchen without any splashbacks at all. In practice, that’s going to make for even more cleaning. Depending on your needs, tastes and budget, however, you could limit splashbacks to key areas in your kitchen. That would typically mean behind the hob, behind the sink and possibly behind the main food-prep area(s).

Food-prep areas can be up for debate. On the one hand, you can generally expect a bit of mess when you’re preparing a meal (or baking). On the other hand, the debris from most raw ingredients tends to be fairly easy to clean off. They’re also unlikely to damage the wall itself. The big problems tend to be hot fat and steam.

The main kinds of splashbacks

Tiling has long been the most popular choice for splashbacks, at least in domestic kitchens. It now comes in two forms, metro and encaustic. Stainless steel was and is a popular choice in commercial kitchens. It’s now making its way into domestic homes along with copper. The last of the mainstream choices are glass and acrylic. Each of these materials has its advantages and disadvantages.

Tiling

There are two main types of tiles, metro and encaustic. Metro tiles are generally in plain colours. When they have patterns, these are painted on (and then sealed). Encaustic tiles always have patterns and they’re made out of coloured clay. In other words, the pattern is, literally, baked into the tile rather than painted onto it. This makes them more durable but also, generally, more expensive.

Tiling comes at various price points. It’s fairly easy to install and it’s also fairly straightforward to replace damaged tiles. It is generally easy to clean although the grout can take some work. It’s also becoming increasingly straightforward to refresh tiles with products such as tile paint, decals and peel-and-stick tile coatings.

Stainless steel

Stainless steel is, literally, used all over commercial kitchens. Worktops, splashbacks, appliances, cookware and tools will all generally be made of it. The reason why professional cooks love stainless steel is that it’s robust and easy to clean. This means that it’s long-lasting and hygienic. These both apply in domestic kitchens as well. There are, however, three additional points to consider.

Firstly, stainless steel is one of the more expensive splashback materials. The extra cost can easily be justified in a commercial environment. It can be more of a judgement call in a domestic one. Secondly, stainless steel is noisy. In fact, it’s a large part of the reason why commercial kitchens are notoriously loud. Thirdly, it looks very modern. This means that it’s often aesthetically out of sync with older homes.

Copper and brass are softer than stainless steel. This means that they’re unsuitable for use in commercial environments. They are, however, often perfectly fine for domestic ones.

Glass and acrylic

When used for splashbacks, glass and acrylic have similar properties. They’re both available in clear, coloured and patterned forms. They are visually clean and light and, practically, they are robust and easy to clean. Like metals, they tend to be better suited to modern kitchens. That said, the clear forms are unlikely to jar too much with older/more rustic properties.

The choice between glass and acrylic can depend partly on your budget and partly on your lifestyle. Glass is more expensive, heavier and a bit harder to clean. It is, however, very scratch-resistant. Acrylic scratches fairly easily, although the damage is unlikely to impact its functionality. It is, however, affordable, light and very easy to clean.