Wow! Found this discussion a year after it was going on and it was very helpful! We're remodeling our kitchen now, it is small (8 X 10), I'm getting new cabs in "cinnamon spice", and a granite counter top that is a speckling of browns, tans, gold-ish colors with black specks (I have no idea what the call it). I have an exposed cement :( chimney stack that we have decided to tile over with sheets of 2 X 2 tumbled white/off white marble. I was really not sure on back splash and we were thinking tile - but I thought of bead board last night and think it will go really well if painted the "off white/pumpkin" Laura Ashley color I found.

I will be installing this in about a week or so. I plan to use a baseboard trim piece at the bottom to facilitate easier cleanup (caulked). This way nothing gets stuck at the countertop level in the grooves. I also think that using a really good quality paint is key.

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.

We are installing beadboard currently as our backsplash. It is a planned interim solution. See my thread here on GW where I was asking for Backsplash suggestions for our current remodel: http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/load/kitchbath/msg011656215647.html?27 Since we plan to replace the countertops and sink in the next year or two (or three), we went with beadboard - we like the "look" and it will save us from installing an expensive BS only to tear it our when we do the countertops. Plus, I think beadboard is a great looking backsplash. In fact, we are painting our beadboard today - we will use a solution (for the trim) that runs throughout our entire (4600 square foot) house: step 1 - oil base primer step 2 - oil based enamel (semi gloss) enamel (two coats) All of our current crown molding, doors and all other trim and molding (corner cupboards, fireplace mantel etc.) had been painted and maintained this way when we bought the home - it is a beautiful long lasting finish. We tried Benjamin Moore latex (high gloss) in another area of our home (on the trim) and it is not nearly as long lasting or washable compared to the oil based paint. The oil based paint we are using happens to be Diamond Vogel - we use this because the previous owner had chosen this solution and it is a beautiful trim paint. We (regrettably) also used latex (Benjamin Moore Aura high gloss) when we repainted our kitchen cabinets (which had been oak) and it is not holding up (aaaarghhh). We didn't do oil based because of the smell for this large project, but we should have bit the bullet. We DID use oil based paint in our current remodel (see above link) - in the elaborate fluted trim that surrounds the cutout opened up area in between the kitchen and the family room - we just completed it but I know it will hold up as it will be the same oil based trim type paint as is in our entire house - which looks gorgeous and wears like iron. DW & I are hoping the beadboard with oil based enamel will hold up well for our planned two years -I have a feeling with oil based paint it might last longer - and, it is very easy to wipe clean and it is TOUGH. Good luck!