Beyond the Surface: Making Intentional Backsplash Choices

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Transforming your kitchen with the perfect backsplash starts with understanding its role as the "jewelry" that completes your space. Should you choose your backsplash first, or follow the more traditional sequence of cabinets, countertops, flooring, and then backsplash? While there's no absolute rule, Mike and Abby share their professional approach to creating kitchens that feel intentional rather than haphazard.

The conversation delves into an essential design question: what element should be your kitchen's star? If you've invested in showstopping cabinets or a dramatic countertop, your backsplash might play a supporting role. Alternatively, in a kitchen with simpler elements, a bold backsplash can instantly elevate the entire space from ordinary to extraordinary. One client example featured plain shaker cabinets and a white countertop completely transformed by metallic glass tile that added unexpected glamour.

From material selection (with a myth-busting discussion about glass tile's enduring appeal) to practical maintenance considerations, Mike and Abby cover everything homeowners need to know about backsplash design. They explore how newer grout options like urethane and epoxy have revolutionized maintenance, offer installation tips like using caulk at transition points, and emphasize how proper lighting makes even simple tile selections look high-end. Their practical advice on budget considerations, from affordable ceramic options to splurge-worthy custom mosaics, ensures listeners at every price point can create backsplashes that truly belong in their kitchens.

Ready to transform your kitchen with a backsplash that perfectly complements your space? Visit belktile.com, call 614-543-8334, or connect with us on social media to turn the insights from this episode into your own beautiful kitchen reality.

Episode Transcript

BELKY (00:01):
What kind of tile can you put on the wall or shower?
Do you have to seal tile?
How much extra tile should Ibuy for my project?
What thinset is the best for mytile application?
How hard is it to maintainnatural stone?
You have questions.
We have answers.
Welcome to the Belk TilePodcast.

(00:22):
How to style the bathroom, thebackyard, the kitchen, how to
improve your home style withtiles to make your home
absolutely beautiful?
Welcome to the Belk TilePodcast.
Here's your host, Mike Belk.

Abby (00:43):
Happy Friday everyone, and happy Friday Mike.

MIke (00:46):
Good morning, abby, and, yes, happy Friday.

Abby (00:48):
Well, the kids are back to school and I am ready for the
break.

MIke (00:51):
Oh, yes, it is that time of year, isn't it?

Abby (00:53):
Yes, it seems like a mad rush right before school starts,
with shopping for clothes,school supplies and so on.

MIke (00:59):
I am glad I am past that part.
Now it is just writing checksand paying college credit cards.
So what will be the topic ofconversation today?

Abby (01:07):
I thought we would get into kitchen backsplashes.

MIke (01:10):
Always a good topic and a popular one this time of year.

Abby (01:13):
All right, mike, let's jump into it Designing a
backsplash that actually feelslike it belongs in your kitchen.
I get this question all thetime when do you even start?
Do you pick a backsplash first,or is it cabinets and counters?

MIke (01:25):
Yeah, that's always kind of funny, isn't it?
Folks think there's just oneright order, and honestly I've
seen it every which way.
But what usually works best ispick your cabinets first,
countertop, second then flooringand finally the backsplash.
The backsplash is, like youknow, the jewelry for your
kitchen.
Sort of ties it all together atthe end.
But hey, nothing's set in stone.
If a wild tile catches your eyeearly on, run with it.

(01:47):
Just grab a sample first.

Abby (01:49):
Exactly.
I always tell clients you'vegot to live with a few tile
samples for a week.
Stare at them with yourcabinets, your counters, under
your actual kitchen.
Lighting Photos help too.
Sometimes I'll have folks emailme a snapshot of their space
with their sample tiles thrownin, and it's wild how that one
little detail can change yourwhole perspective.
The camera picks up stuff youreye misses or maybe that's just

(02:12):
me.
Sometimes I'm squinting andoveranalyzing the lighting.
Mike, you ever notice that?

MIke (02:18):
All the time.
Abby Lighting's a whole topicin itself.
But real quick, ask yourself doyou want your backsplash to be
the star, or is it there to backup the counters or the cabinets
?
Like if you've got acrazy-veined quartz slab, maybe
let that shine and thebacksplash blend in quietly.
But if your kitchen's sort oftame making the backsplash pop
adds the drama, oh, I have theperfect example.

Abby (02:38):
I worked with a client last year Super plain shaker
cabinets, white countertopreally nothing fancy.
We installed this metallicglass tile for the backsplash.
The whole vibe changed.
It caught the light andsuddenly the kitchen felt
intentional and, dare I say,glamorous.
It was like putting on thatstatement necklace.
Everyone stops and stares.
That's the impact of going bold.

(02:58):
But sometimes you want thingsto just flow and let you know
your grandma's china or thecountertop do the talking.
It's just about deciding whatyour star is.

MIke (03:09):
Totally and look.
Even after all these years, Istill ask people what's got to
stand out in this room.
It's the same sort of questionwe get for fireplace surrounds,
or remember that shower floorsepisode.
Sometimes safety is the star,sometimes it's the style.
Just depends on what you valuemost.
All right, since we're on thesubject of making things pop or
blend, let's talk productchoices.
I swear the number of optionsnow is staggering Glass, stone,

(03:30):
metal, porcelain.
Abby, do you have a favorite,or is it all about the space?

Abby (03:34):
You know me, I'm always mixing it up, sometimes
literally Size matters too.
Traditional kitchens, I tend tolean towards a 4x4.
Or for some texture, a nicemosaic, I tend to lean towards a
4x4 or for some texture, a nicemosaic.
More modern.
Sometimes we go big, thoselarge format subway tiles or
even something linear like 2x12s.
But I love using glass or metalas accents if the client's up

(03:59):
for it and can we finally bustthe myth that glass tile is
going out of style?
If it fits the home's vibe, itworks.
Classic glass still feels fresh, especially if you play with
shape or color.

MIke (04:08):
I get asked that by every third customer.
Is glass just a fad?
But look, technology's takenoff.
Glass these days comes in everytexture frosted, clear, colored
, you name it.
It's not going anywhere, I willsay, if your tile doesn't have
a bullnose finish, that's wherepeople get tripped up.
Some tiles, especially naturalstone, just don't come with trim
.
So you've got to get creative.

(04:29):
Maybe a pencil molding or asleek metal edge.
A lot of choices there too, soit still looks finished.

Abby (04:34):
And can I just point out, you do not need the backsplash
to match the floors to make itwork.
But true story, I had this oneclient dead set on using the
exact same porcelain tile fromtheir floor for their backsplash
.
I was skeptical at first, mikenot gonna lie.
But with a metallic liner addedfor contrast, it all came
together.
The effect was super cohesivebut not boring.

(04:55):
Sometimes repeating a materialadds that custom designer touch.
But you gotta tweak it a little, add an accent so it doesn't
get too matchy-matchy.

MIke (05:05):
Yeah, I had a guy a while back who did the same.
At first I thought, uh-oh, thismight be a bit much, but it
turned out great, especiallyafter we threw in a band of
glass.
It just proves there's no oneright answer With tile.
Experimenting's half the fun,and always, always, get samples
and see them in the actual lightof your kitchen before you go
all in.

Abby (05:23):
Let's get a little practical for a second.
You want a beautiful backsplash, but you also want one that's
not a royal pain to clean ormaintain.
So what should people look forif easy care is a priority?

MIke (05:39):
Oh, easy.
Glazed porcelain or ceramic isyour best pal here.
Super smooth, doesn't needsealing.
If you do like natural stone,travertine, marble, whatever
just know, you'll need to sealit every now and then, but
honestly, not that big of a dealif you're on top of it.
Glass easiest cleanup ever Alittle spray and a wipe and
you're done.
But here's what I always pushNewer grouts like urethane or
epoxy total game changer.
They don't need sealing,they're pretty much maintenance

(06:00):
free and they resist mold andstains like crazy.

Abby (06:03):
That newer grouts thing it's a revelation, not gonna lie
Makes life so much easier,especially in a kitchen with
spaghetti sauce flying aroundand when it comes to install,
big debate, mike.

MIke (06:19):
Grout or caulk at the counter and cabinet edge.
Use caulk always.
Grout will crack and fall outover time.
Where the tile meets a movingsurface like the countertop or
cabinets, most grouts have amatching caulk so you still get
a seamless look and you knowtransitions are important.
Don't forget your finishingpieces bullnose or metal edges,
otherwise the whole thing justlooks unfinished.

Abby (06:33):
And just to toss in some real numbers.
The range on a backsplashinstall is wild.
A straightforward ceramic 4x4job.
You might be out just a fewhundred bucks, but last month I
did a custom glass and metalmosaic for a client Little under
cabinet lighting and let's justsay that one got closer to a
few thousand.
It's all about the materials,how complicated you want to go,

(06:56):
and I mean even a simple jobdeserves some finishing flair If
you budget for one wow moment,even a small kitchen gets
special.

MIke (07:03):
Since you brought up that, under cabinet lighting, let's
get into lighting.
You can have the prettiestbacksplash in the world, but if
it's living in the shadows,what's the point?
Proper lighting makes everycolor and detail pop, especially
glass or metallic finishes.

Abby (07:15):
Oh, absolutely, and you want to think about more than
just.
Can I see my coffee pot?
Try under cabinet strips orpuck lights to avoid that ugly
shadow line across the tile.
If you've got a feature wall ora super textured surface, it's
like what we said a coupleepisodes ago with black tile
Lighting brings out every bit ofdepth and texture.
Just a bit of warm white LEDthink 2700K to 3000K and you're

(07:39):
gold Too cool and things getharsh and starry.

MIke (07:42):
Right.
Watch out for glare on glossytile too.
Sometimes matte finishes oreven just diffused lighting
solves that.
But placement is huge.
I always nudge people to gettheir lighting installed before
they lock in a grout color ortile finish, just so you can
actually see the real-lifeeffect.
And hey, integrate the fixturessmartly, hide those wires and
pick a fixture style that fitsin, not one that looks like an

(08:04):
afterthought bolted on top.

Abby (08:06):
The seamless look is everything lately, especially
with open layouts.
Sometimes a little planning isall it takes Tuck the wires,
match your switch plates, planthose lighting runs before the
tile goes up.
When it all comes together,that's when kitchens start to
feel high-end even on a tightbudget, and that's what we want
for everyone tuning in.

MIke (08:25):
Couldn't have said it better, Abby.
Well, that about wraps uptoday's Backsplash Deep Dive.
If you picked up somethinghelpful or have more questions,
there's always future episodes.
Thanks, Abby.
Always a pleasure chatting tilewith you.

Abby (08:35):
Thank you, mike, and thanks to everyone listening.
Go try some samples.
Play with lighting and we'llcatch you next episode on Belk
Tile Talk.
Take care.

MIke (08:43):
See you soon, Abby, Take care everyone.

BELKY (08:46):
You've been listening to the Belk Tile Podcast.
When it comes to creating abeautiful home using tile, this
is the podcast for products,design ideas and tips.
We hope you got some usefulpractical information from this
show and we'll be back soon, butin the meantime, reach out.
The website is wwwbelktilecom.

(09:08):
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