I wouldn't. Even if there isn't a safety issue, it will be a bear to keep clean. I would use white tile or stainless. Or cover the beadboard with glass there.

I don't see why not, unless you are doing some sort of Benihana hibachi cooking that shoots giant flames into the air. My mom has beadboard behind her stove, and with several good coats of gloss paint, it is very easy to clean with soapy water and a dishrag.

I have 6 or 8" tongue and groove paneling. It's easy to keep clean if you use good paint. BUT, I'm not sure beadboard will be as easy with all those grooves. Also, my paneling is quite thick, which, if I remember correctly, was one of the reasons why it easily passed code. Ask your GC about this issue, just in case. I've had no problems with mine. I also have the high, again 6-8" stainless spacer behind my stove.

Get both -- there is beadboard tile. I saw one when I was looking and just saw that Crossville makes one on their website. I think it was in the Savoy group.

Depends on your range or cooktop. If high powered, neither the beadboard nor something like the mirror is ok. It'll need to be fireproof.

My beadboard is 3/4" thick. The range is the GE Cafe, which has one 18k BTU burner in the front. I don't do alot of high smoke, etc. cooking, so I don't foresee that as an issue. Also, the range is not set against the wall, but out 3" from it.

I am not too concerned about cleaning as I plan to use paint that will be easily cleaned.

I had considered the beadboard tile, but it is WAY more than I want to spend on this, and also, I am going for a matte look as well, and I don;t recall seeing the bb tiles in a matte finish.

pirula- I am soon going to be faced with what color to paint it too- hmm, the wall color or the cabinet color.....

Oh that is tricky. For what it's worth, you remember from the other thread that my cabinets and walls are two slightly different shades of cream. I went with the wall color on the panelling. Since it was, well, on the wall!

You don't have a husband who will suddenly acquire the desire to flambe things, like mine has, do you?

beekeeperswife- so far not yet ;). He mostly sticks to the grill outside anyways.

pirula- the reason I am not sure is because there will be very little regular painted wall in the kitchen proper, and the cabinets die into a refirgerator cabinet on the left (same color as the rest of the cabs) and a drywalled utility closet on the right (wall color). I am not sure if it will look weird to have a stripey effect going with horizontal bands of color. I will post a pic once I can get a clear shot of what I mean. I've got some time to decide on that. We have to get the beadboard up before Monday because the soapstone templating is on Monday. I want it behind the stone so I don't lose any countertop (bb is 3/4" thick). Then we will do some sort of small molding piece at the change of plane between the ss and the bb.