The splashback in a kitchen or laundry can completely transform the overall design of the space. Being at eye-level, the splashback is often one of the first things that you notice and can set the scene for the rest of the design. Tiles are an incredibly popular choice for splashbacks due to the huge variety of options available for size, shape, colour and finish. Depending on the tiles chosen, they can also be a more budget friendly option. To get you thinking about splashback ideas, we have put together 5 types of tiles that can be used for your kitchen or laundry:
1 | Subway tiles
Subway tiles are a classic choice that never goes out of style. Subway tiles come in various rectangle sizes as well as many colors and finishes, allowing you to choose a style that suits your kitchen/laundry's aesthetic. There are also many ways to lay a subway tile from a timeless brickbond pattern, a stacked lay for a more contemporary look or in a herringbone or basket weave pattern for something a bit more interesting. If you're interested in learning more about this, we have a blog post about the different ways that subway tiles can be laid - click on the link below to read.
2 | Square tiles
Similar to subway tiles, square tiles are also very popular due to the large range of colors and finishes. Square tiles are usually between 100x100mm and 150x150mm, although smaller squares can be found in mosaic form. They can also be laid in either a stacked or brickbond pattern, or can be laid diagonally for more of a diamond shape pattern. If you're after more of a retro look, you can even combine two colours for a check pattern look.
3 | Mosaics
Mosaics are a great choice as their smaller size allows you to see the full effect of the mosaic pattern in a splashback. Mosaics can be made from many materials including glass, metal, tile and stone. They also come in a huge range of patterns such as squares, stacked rectangles (called kit-kat tiles), herringbone rectangles, hexagons, circles (called penny mosaics) and fishscales. Because of their smaller size, you will get a lot more grout than with other tile types. This means that extra care needs to be taken with cleaning, and also means that extra consideration needs to be taken when selecting the grout colour as this can really change the way the mosaic tile looks.
4 | Large format tiles
Large format tiles (300x600, 600x600 or 1200x600) usually give more of a clean and contemporary look. You can select a fairly plain tile for a very minimal aesthetic or choose a stone, concrete or terrazzo pattern to add some interesting natural texture to the space. It's important to keep in mind that most splashbacks will be 700mm high, so a 600mm high tile will require a 100mm piece at the top.
5 | Patterned tiles
If you love pattern and colour but want to avoid the larger grout areas of mosaic and subway tiles, then a patterned tile could be the answer. These types of tiles are usually called encaustic-look tiles, due to the way they were originally made. They are 200x200mm in size and come in a range of classic patterns in both neutral or colourful combinations.
I hope these ideas have been helpful! If you want to find out more about how we can help you with your project, get in contact with us below:
Have a wonderful week!
Nina xx