Your kitchen can function perfectly well with out a backsplash. I painted my walls because I couldn't decide - renovation burn out. 20 years later - still no backsplash. I have really liked the painted walls. Go figure!

Don't be discouraged by people who try to dictate size or style - you have to love it. We do subway tiles, mosaics, patterned and now are doing more large format tiles.

Good luck!

I think to wait until you find something you love is good advice . BTW of course you can do galss tile behind a range I do it often usually up the wall to the hood too, Have you looked a back painted glass it can add a totally different look to your kitchen maybe in a color you love to add a spark .

@Patricia

What color would work best in this kitchen?

The glass is very shiny! A matte grey to match some of your veining would be a subtle addition.

@G G

My go-to color would be a nice timeless warm white - unless you REALLY need to spice your kitchen up. In that case i’d suggest an accent color you can use as a fil-rouge throughout the whole house

I am not particularly a fan of all white so I would lean gray. I am a big fan of more pattern - but that's not for everyone.

Good luck!

I found 3 more tiles that I liked. Can any of these work?

can you number them..but do not think the skinny white or the white next to stove look good. prefer the putty shade closer to sink. is that ribs ? do they have anything else in that color. [color works with counter veins] you have to photoshop all those ribs and stand back and see what that does in the space. might work...might not. maybe the putty color in some sort of shape...picket fence ..or????

Color-wise, I think that last one is the best but I still don't love the texture. You think a zellige tile can work? Or maybe they are too shiny?

Oh no, honestly, zelige is the wrong choice for almost every American kitchen that uses it. It is the 2024 version of a Tuscan kitchen. Unless you have a coastal home with other Moroccan influences (tile, metal work, textiles) it will look ridiculous when you finally wake from the trance it puts you in. Your installation cost will likely double as well since it is difficult to install well.

Do you have inspiration images you can post for us? What look are you aiming for?

If you want a matte tile, you should have no difficulty finding one. This is City Distressed Matte 2” x 10” subway tile from Mineral Tile.

@eam44

The problem with this kitchen is that it ended up looking very different than my inspiration photos. I used a designer for the space planning and design and a contractor for the execution. I had originally wanted the white and wood look but the designer discouraged me from doing so saying that my kitchen was too small for 2 colors. So now I am working with a kitchen that I don't even love, to the point where I am thinking of tearing it out and starting from scratch.

But for reference, here are my original inspiration photos.

I don’t like the fluted tile. But any of the others are great.
The fluted one feels like a bathroom tile to me.

sometimes you have to trust your instincts..but designers and others enter the planning and things happen ....its tough....i think the warmth you missed with the bit of wood removed is regrettable. but rather than feel desperate and starting over look at some tiles that wouldnt be " the usual suspects " but would give back some warmth. thats what i would do given what you are feeling.

these first two in particular are really great tones ...I'd consider.

12"x11.5" White Oak Marble Mosaic Tile, Big Diamond, Honed, Set of 5 · More Info

11.25"x10.25" Arlo Mosaic Tile Sheet, Wooden Gray · More Info

Espelta Taupe Rectified Porcelain Tile, 12x60 · More Info

“[color works with counter veins]”

Exactly my thought. The putty color does seem to work with the veining color based on your photo. I think I’d prefer it not ribbed.

Thank you all!

I could get the putty color tile in a very version without the texture.

Does anyone know how to do a mockup on how this backsplash would look?

Hi!

If you’re unsure about your samples, check out our mosaic art collection for some fresh ideas. We have stunning, customizable designs that could be perfect for your kitchen backsplash.

Let us know if we can help!

Now this comes from someone who has a painted beadboard backsplash. BUT if you love wood & white and need the wood added put a wood backsplash up. Have it sealed with a marine poly. We made our bathroom countertops out of 100+ year old flooring & sealed with a marine poly with absolutely no problems, over 10 years ago. You could go vertical or horizontal.

RE what Patricia Colwell says about wanting tile that "does not require white grout": Never use white grout with white tile. If white tile, use a light grey/silver grout. I promise, that is the saving grace choice.

RE the designer discouraging you from your original "white and wood" saying that your kitchen was too small for 2 colors: Hogwash!

I hate the fact that you earnestly tried to get what you wanted, yet end up sorely dissatisfied.

As herbflavor said, trust your instincts. Any reason you can't now add the wood shelving?...or some other wood (or other) accent?

All white is just plain boring. Besides wood, what color do you like? You might consider a white subway tile with a colored glass tile band, say midway or 3/4 of the way up.

Where there's a will, there's a way. Don't lose your will and faith in achieving what you can love. Have it Your way!

Can you post the whole kitchen and what does the rest of your home look like?

Here's a photo of the whole kitchen, I would love to hear if I can still add wood somewhere.

Check out LARGE FORMAT PORCELAIN TILE, no texture to clean!, much less grout that WILL change color eventually, and available in lots of colors, patterns,

looks, INCLUDING wood look!

Generally a " seamless " look.

Buy a box of wood looking tiles and see if they bring in the warmth you want. Or you can add warmth with the right beige tile. Tilebar.com is a great resource for ideas.

I think you are right to want to add some warmth to this kitchen.

How much do you use the kitchen and make a mess? I would discourage any tile with serious texture simply because cleaning it would be a chore. Grease spatters, mixer splatters, coffee splashes...find a backsplash that will be easy to wipe down!

Be sure the tile is easy to clean - nice and shiny. Just do not use grey - ugh - was terrible when it was trendy. Use white subway tile, or pick a pastel color like blue, green, yellow, pink, etc. Or just paint or put up wall paper (easy DIY) until you decide.

Here's a picture from Pinterest with a wood backsplash. Looking at your picture of the entire kitchen you could add a wood cornice above the windows. I made wood cornices for ours. Here is a picture of one. We have 8 windows in our living room/dining room. I made the cornice boards out of cedar picket fence wood & added the lace curtains.

@trixylarue

While I love wood accent in the kitchen, a full wood backsplash like the photo you attached, is slightly too rustic for me. It's hard to find something that looks warm and nice but not overly woody and rustic.

Thanks for your help though!

So, your inspiration photo shows a wood floor but your actual kitchen shows tile flooring that looks like it belongs in a bathroom. Not sure what the flooring is in the surrounding areas but what you have now is a very sterile looking space. Not sure any backsplash pick is going to make it look like your inspiration photo.

If you can afford to switch out the larder cabinets with side panels and add some trim to the top of the cabinets this is what it could look like

It’s unfortunate about the flooring material but you could throw a large rug down to add some colour and texture for warmth.

I don’t know if you like this colour but I can see if you paint the wall with the window in a rich colour it would bring the wall closer visually and feel warmer. I like this photo from Ruggable with the colours and the rug.

@Andhi

Thanks for your help!

I love the way my kitchen looks with the added wood!

How can I get it done?

@susan49417

The white floor is only temporary until I redo the floors in the rest of the house. The old kitchen had grey vinyl tiles and when I removed them there was a thick layer of cement and glue and it wasn't salvageable. We did not want to put new wood floors now because we are planning to redo all of it in a year.

G G where did you source the cabinets? Who did the install?

I think the options would be to
1- add either real wood panels and door fronts to the existing cabinets
2- take out the entire cabinets and replace with new using side panels that either look like wood or are real wood.
And then add real wood trim above the cabinets. It shouldn’t cost too much I wouldn’t think other this. Maybe a day’s labour plus cost of materials.

@Andhi

My contractor sourced and installed the kitchen but there is no way I am asking him to finish the job for me. He did a terrible job and the install itself took close to a month.

If you are going to replace the side panels, think about possibly pulling the larger cabinets out a few inches deeper than the rest of the cabinets and it will show more wood to the floor and also break up the long row a bit.

GG yikes! 😬 perhaps do some looking around and talking to people about a general contractor or if it’s in the budget a finishing carpenter and if you are resourceful also look for where you can buy the panels. I found in my city the company that is used by some kitchen cabinet makers for panels and they make them and sell to anyone here.
The company is schenk. You may have something similar where you are.

this kitchen needs some color. It’s too sterile. if you get a nice backsplash with some movement, it’ll bring everything together. That along with some hardware on the cabinets will be your best bet without having to rip everything out and start over. Don’t rush it just keep looking for something that you love.

If it were me, I think I'd table the backsplash for now and wait a year. Make this part of your flooring replacement project. The flooring is a huge design element in the room and I think it will take you in a completely different direction. Wait until the flooring is in!

You can get decorative panels and wood doors from a number of places online. Check out Scherr’s and Cabinet Doors Depot.

I really like the idea of adding wood panels and trim. I think that you could have a woodworker/finisher/other type of professional to use thin plywood (or maybe just a wood veneer) over the existing cabinet panels that you want to change to stained wood. I know someone who added wood veneer to some IKEA cabinets to make a nice looking cabinet - I wouldn't have ever known that it started as white particle board from IKEA (her husband added the veneer after watching many YouTube videos + asking questions from the place he purchased the veneer - he had the option of using a paperbacked veneer or a veneer with very thin plywood). This would be quite a bit less $$$ than ordering new panels from the cabinet manufacturer + paying $$ for the labor involved to take certain cabinets down + replace panels with real wood ones.

You could paint the backsplash area a color that you are thinking that you would like for backsplash tiles - just to try out the color(s). You could then take your time deciding what tiles to install.

You could also add some nice wood cutting boards + some plants + rugs to help make the kitchen look less sterile.

Someone posted back painted glass panels for your backsplash - if you want a very modern kitchen (which is usually true when someone selects slab doors), a back painted glass panel could work for you. I'd still try just painting the area before commiting to having the glass panels made + installed.

I've seen quite a few people use glass mosaic tiles similar to these in kitchens with white cabinets + faux marble countertops:

Some people have used wood tiles like below also - I've seen these used in a few kitchens - but I've seen them used more in bathrooms or on fireplaces.

Thank you all for your input. I will be looking into wood panels for a less sterile look and keep you posted!

If anyone knows where I can get them in montreal Québec I would appreciate hearing from you.

G G I just did a quick online search and found this place.

I would honestly call around and ask lots of questions about purchasing panels etc. .

https://mykitch.ca/pages/kitchen-cabinet-products-montreal

Make sure the finish can be wiped clean without affecting the overall look after a couple of years.

I have I have finally found something that can work.

What do you think of this? It has some color and some texture but the colors and textures are not too overpowering. The color is exactly the color of the veins,.

Can this work?

I would lay it vertically not horizontally as in the photo.

I’m not entirely sure i understand this choice. The color of the veining is not going to enrich your space, it is certainly not going to get you closer to your inspiration image. You have already deviated so mych from this image, you don’t want to be too literal about the backsplash. But it would be great to see you use that space to warm up the place.

Wood-look tiles can be rustic, but they can also look refined. This is Kenridge Ribbon Maple Brown fluted tile from Tile Bar. It is a 24” x 48” porcelain tile so you will need a good installer. You don’t have to use a wood look tile, but do you see the warmth it brings?

You seem to respond to the reddish tones in wood, so you might want to consider something like this Bariano terracotta colored porcelain tile, also from Tile Bar.

Or you can bring in the color of the wood you are missing in a tile that looks like tile. This is Fireclay tile in Antique and Cardamom in the Star and Cross shape.

And one more option would be this.

It's a download of the tile visualizer on the store website so obviously it's

not the best photo.

@eam44 brings in a good idea - something in the creamy beige family. Her last suggestion (the star shaped tiles) would probably look beautiful in your kitchen. Get samples and live with it for a few days.

My concern about the fluted wood - which is gorgeous- is the difficulty in keeping splatter out of the grooves. If the tile is far enough away from your stovetop, it might be a great look. Again, a box of samples is the only way to assess these options.

I agree with @eam44 and love the fire clay vertical tile. 👍