Kitchen Backsplash Materials, Flooring and Textiles: A Simple Guide

MilyaHome Planner Team · January 16, 2023

Five popular backsplash materials and what to check before you buy, then kitchen floors from marble to linoleum, and where textiles still work.

Start with the backsplash

You are planning a kitchen, and the wall behind the stove and the sink is still empty. Choose the backsplash early. It becomes the focal point of the room, and you will look at it more than at anything else in the kitchen.

This guide compares kitchen backsplash materials first, then kitchen floors and textiles. Two questions come before any material: how much do you want to spend, and how much do you want to customise the design?

Can you build a kitchen backsplash on a budget?

Yes. Glass, stainless steel and ceramic are affordable today, and they still give the kitchen a refined look.

A luxury look does not need a luxury budget. These three materials also need almost no maintenance, so the low price stays low after you install them.

The trade-off: marble looks luxurious, but the cost does not stop at the purchase. It needs special cleaning products to stay in good condition.

Which is the easiest backsplash to clean?

Glass, stainless steel and ceramic. They need almost no care, and polished stainless steel and ceramic are also hygienic, rust-resistant and durable. Granite shares these qualities.

That is why price alone is a poor guide. Choose the material that fits both how you use the kitchen and the look you want.

The most popular backsplash materials:

• Vinyl
• Ceramic tile
• Glass
• Stainless steel
• Natural stone

How to choose a backsplash for your kitchen

Choose the colour palette of the whole kitchen first. The backsplash has to match the countertop and the cabinet doors, and the material is much easier to pick once the colours are set.

Some homeowners work the other way round. They choose the exact design of the backsplash first, then look for a material that can produce it.

Before you buy, check the material against these questions:

• How often do you cook?
• Do you want it polished or not?
• Do you want it thin or thick?
• Is it easy to paint?
• Is it easy to clean?
• Is it durable?
• Is it rust-resistant?
• Is it hygienic?

Tile, wood or laminate: how to choose kitchen flooring

Choose a floor that suits both cooking and rest. Tile is often a good choice; marble costs more; wood needs a protective coating; laminate and linoleum cost less.

A kitchen is not only a place to cook. It is also a place to sit down and relax, so the floor has to be comfortable as well as practical. You probably do not want to see or step on rugs there, so a tile floor is often a safe choice.

Marble. A marble floor looks luxurious, and marble tiles are a material worth paying more for. They are also expensive.

Ceramic tile. Do you like the clean lines of marble but not the price of natural stone? Ceramic tile gives a similar look, in a wide range of prices and designs.

Wood. If marble or ceramic is over your budget, wood is an alternative. It is a popular flooring trend that combines traditional design with contemporary ideas. To keep the natural texture of the wood, protect it with a fine surface coating such as polyurethane or oil. The right material plus the right coating gives you a kitchen floor that looks good and lasts.

Laminate or linoleum. The more economical option.

Do textiles belong in a kitchen?

They can, if you accept the care they need. Textile finishes in a kitchen can look cheap, are hard to clean, and wear out quickly.

Still, many interior designers use textile patterns in kitchens. The result depends on the combination: choose the wall colour and the pattern together. For example, a rug with a pattern similar to the one on the wall makes the two read as one design.

Try the materials on your own kitchen

A backsplash that matches the countertop and the cabinet doors is easier to judge on your own kitchen than in a showroom. Draw your kitchen in Home Planner, add a backsplash on the wall and a floor, and check the colours together in 3D before you buy.

In the same app you can measure your space, make 2D and 3D floor plans, decorate and furnish the room with products from well-known brands, create realistic images of the result, and start from ready-made layouts for a bedroom, bathroom or living room.