If you like plaster, use it for the hood vent, or the wall space above a real back splash. Function has to come first in a kitchen. If you don't want tile or stone behind the range, you could use stainless steel, glass, or mirror.

With all due respect I’m not here to discuss my shelf. It’s made of stone and it’s not a fire hazard. I did check with the manufacturer of my range and they do not require any special material for the backsplash. Plaster is naturally non flammable and I’ve used fire resistant drywal behind.

I dont think matte paint belongs in a kitchen. But I'd go look at the range of what they call scrubbable paint...and you can get it in various sheens, likely. it's the technology within the paint molecules .....last I researched this for a high use area it was ceramic bead technology for high use and places like kids rooms where wiping and wear and tear occurs. If you want to avoid a satin . really want matte...just look for the technology within the paint. I'd let go of anything like a specialty wash and step it up from "regular matte" . I hear what you are saying about interest in a look...but I'd go for the harder wearing paint, and end up at eggshell if not satin then. Paint changes a lot reflecting chemical research...go see what is out there. PPG and Clark and Kensington are 2 of my latest best paints I've used.

Make sure not to store oils or spices on your shelf ... they degrade with heat. As for paint, did they recommend against regular paint? Regular paint can be used to create similar effects as real plaster.

Kat:

Apparently you've got a Bertazzoni range and they've got some really bad news for you on page 9.

Can you explain what the 6 inches mean? In their diagram they show it installed flush against a back wall with zero space on either side. So what is that referring to? I also reached out to their customer service about a plaster backsplash and they okayed it.

Here's the installation diagram for a Forno range:

The hood must be 30"-36" above the cooktop, and there can't be solid surfaces immediately to the side of cooktop; upper cabinets and such that are positioned next to the hood need to be 18" above counter height until you are at least 13" from the cooktop laterally. Or at least that's how I interpret the diagram.

So I designed this kitchen before I knew which range I would purchase. I based the design off california residential building codes which allow a non combustible vent hood at 24” minimum from cook top. So my shelf which is non combustible is at 26” and my range hood is at 36”.

What if you put in a clear glass backsplash on that whole wall? You'd still see the plaster treatment behind it but you'd get the flammability protection without tiling.

In this kitchen, they actually put fabric behind the stove and put glass on top:

Bohemian Apartment Kitchen with Fabric Backsplash · More Info

Thanks @Sabrina Alfin Interiors that’s a cool idea.

^ this

doesn't matter what you put over the wall. heat transfers in through the drywall and into the studs which could combust. Hence the option of rebuilding w/steel studs and cement board.

Glass, SS plate, etc, are for ease of cleaning. heat still transfers through. I'm guessing tile and mortar may be better than the others, but if the manufacturer is sayin 6" clearance, it's because that range gets really hot!

If they are requiring a 6" clearance from the back wall, it's to keep your wall from combusting.

as for the stone shelf, will it get hot to the touch and transfer heat to the wall? I don't know.

Calif codes are generic and minimal. You have a specialty range that is telling you EXACTLY what to do w/combustible materials. HU posted the directions. Have you read them?

As for the paint recommendation, find a scrubbable one that is easy to clean. All the regular matte and eggshell I've used are horrible when trying to wipe away something.

Have you considered adding a sheet of stainless steel to protect your wall -- whichever wall material you choose -- over your stove top?

https://www.bestbuy.com/site/broan-42-backsplash-trim-kit-stainless-steel/6229944.p?skuId=6229944&ref=212&loc=1&ref=212&loc=1&ds_rl=1260669&ds_rl=1273104&ref=212&loc=1&ds_rl=1273104&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIjKWKs8Lg8AIVEPzjBx1yRgOJEAkYCCABEgIAfvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

https://www.etsy.com/listing/124933343/stainless-steel-moroccan-backplash?ref=related-1

https://www.etsy.com/listing/462567732/stainless-steel-chevron-backplash?ref=related-4

I would say that glass over fabric would only serve the purpose of keeping the fabric cleanable ... it doesn't protect from the heat, though ... just grease and steam and spitting food.

So what you guys are saying is basically these stoves must always sit 6” away from the wall? Unless the entire wall has been rebuilt with steel studs? I’ve never seen a range in a home set 6” from the wall and I have a hard time believing everyone has rebuilt the wall behind their range. Diagram above is from my range. So basically everyone is doing it wrong? …I’ll call Forno customer service when they are open tomorrow and discuss with them. I would assume that the guidelines provided by Forno are based on every burner going at highest setting which I would never do either…

Kat, I insisted on steel studs behind my gas range...but both our cabinet guy and the electricians told me that they have never seen wood framing switching to steel studs behind the range. So, it's not widely done, and even the people who work around this stuff were questioning why I would want it.

These are from the manual. It is directly against the wall and makes no statements about wall combustibility. Am I interpreting it incorrectly?

does it say you can place the range directly against the back wall?

what's the 6" from wall??

@Beth H. : thats how I interpret the diagram I posted in the first picture. It says 0” to back wall and 0” to lower cabinets flanking it. Which most certainly would not be non combustible In most homes. I don’t understand what that 6 inches means. Looks like it’s being measured from the burner? Maybe for solid sidewalls? If upper cabinets they can flank as long as you have the 18” clearance?

@lucky998877 i reviewed my setup with all the tradespeople working on my project and they all think it’s fine. I’m sure they would have laughed if I asked to switch to metal studs. I certainly don’t have the budget for that anyway. I did ask them to use special fire resistant drywall behind though. what kind of gas range do you have? Isn’t the insulation great on modern ranges? My range never feels hot to the touch anywhere but the cooking surface.

then you'll prob be fine. check again w/the manufacturer tmrw and ask about clearance behind/in back of the range against the wall.

as for the plaster, isn't there a way they can mix the color into the plaster so you won't have to paint it?

I know there is a DIY plaster you can also do. Roman Clay. Portola Paints?

http://www.portolapaints.com/shop/sample-jars-roman-clay

otherwise, look for a scrubbable matte paint. if you find one that actually works, let me know!

In the first diagram, the six inches is a side parameter; it shows the range only sitting far out enough to accommodate gas connections, though it looks like the back vents might cover that.

In the next diagrams, it's showing that uppers cannot come more than 15" near the range ... Basically the front burners are more powerful and require more clearance than the back burners.

How about using a slab of Dekton concrete look as your backsplash?

@Beth H. : i will double check with them tomorrow about clearances and report back. And yes, regarding the marmorino plaster I want, I would have it tinted. So no paint. And the wall there is about 3/4“ of plaster already because my house is older. Roman clay is not advisable anywhere you may need to clean regularly, I checked with Portola. I was advised by several plaster tradesmen as well as plaster companies that both Marmorino and Tadelakt are appropriate for a backsplash area. It’s just high price, so I thought I would look into fire resistant or non combustible paint. Didn’t r realize the can of worms I was opening here.

@Kat Berkery I have a 48" range, it does not get hot on the outside (I haven't reached behind it...), and my power burners are in the front. Since ours was easy to do (full reno, everything was down to the studs and walls came down), I wanted it.

@deb s what is the material? a quartz like composite? It is very nice looking. probably out of my budget though, if I had the budget I would use marble. Probably everyone here will tell me the marble will catch on fire though 😒

@BlueberryBundtcake - 6a/5b MA the back of the range has a lower indentation or recessed area to accommodate plumbing and electrical hookups so that the range can sit flush against the wall. It also comes with a safety bracket that requires the range to come against the wall to attach to it. The power burners on this range are in the front. I’m still not exactly clear on what the 6” mean. I feel a bit thick. i keep rereading what you wrote. Is it that you need 6 inches side clearance for uppers that come closer to the cooktop than 15”? Or that are deeper than 15” from the back wall?

6" would be to a wall on the side or a full length cabinet. If the upper cabinet is 18" over the counter and no more than either 13" or 15" deep, depending on which diagram you read, it should be fine coming right up to the column of the range/hood.

Kat:

You didn't open a can of worms here. Here's where you opened the worm can:

"So I designed this kitchen before I knew which range I would purchase."

What you've done is incredibly common. Kitchen designers, pro and non pro, fail to comprehend the manufacturer's installation instructions of the products they specify. I've been called to fix the damage they've caused many times.

Just updating the thread in case future Forno owners come across it. I called their technical support. 0” clearance is acceptable to rear wall and side cabinets. No special wall construction is necessary. No special backsplash is necessary as long as the surface is not flammable. Ie unpainted plaster is fine. They did not think the stone shelf was a problem at 26” but referred me to local building codes. They sell their own range hood with a stainless steel warming shelf below, that can sit 25” above cooktop.

Hi Kat. Did you ever find the fire-resistant/non-combustable matt finish paint you were looking for? I’m looking to paint my rang hood which is currently dry walled…

Kat, what did you end up doing as a backsplash?

agreed, curious what you ended up using, send a photo!