The Wow-Factor: Bold Backsplashes

At MKBD we love a good kitchen backsplash. It may be a cliche, but a good backsplash can really "tie a room together." In our kitchen remodeling projects, we install each backsplash to complement or contrast--depending on the client's preference--the kitchen's theme. In either case, a backsplash adds a stylish appeal that never fails to inspire a favorable comment.

Wow--check out that backsplash!

Of course, the backsplash is not merely a stylish element. As the name suggests, a "backsplash" serves as a guard against splashes: all those tomato, oil, and wine splatters that can easily damage the kitchen wall.

A backsplash can be made in a variety of materials, such as natural stone or ceramic tiles, granite, limestone, soapstone, plate or mosaic glass, even beaded board, stainless steel, and more. Whatever the material, the backsplash is meant to be more durable and easier to clean than your ordinary run-of-the-mill kitchen wall. Most backsplashes require a mere wipe..and voila, no more wine stain!

Are you thinking about a backsplash for your kitchen? To facilitate your research, MKBD posts occasional "Kitchen Lookbooks" with details from our prior projects. Today, with a nod to the inimitable backsplash, we're talking WOW factor--those kitchen backsplashes that turn heads, that inspire a genuine, "Wow!"

Another view of the same backsplash above: mosaic glass

Subtle or Bold

In the backsplash above, the homeowner chose a distinctive mosaic glass to contrast the granite countertops and chocolate maple cabinets. However, to simplify the matter many homeowners simply use the same material for the countertops and backsplash.

AT MKBD, we source a variety of materials from trusted vendors who offer the best prices. Often, we can find a distinctive backsplash material that costs the same as the countertop materials. In this case, our clients almost always prefer contrast, both subtle and bold.

In this Center City project, we installed a simple palette with subtle backsplash contrast

A contemporary  kitchen in Richboro, PA offers another example of a subtle backsplash contrast--the elegant grey backsplash blends well with the black quartz countertops

Subtly is the name of the game for simple, clean palettes, like the projects above. If you're looking for a bold approach, however, you can certainly go for more vibrant or richer color combinations.

This tile mosaic backsplash is a bold yet complementary contrast to the cherrywood cabinets and lime green wall paint.

In this MKBD project, the decorative backsplash is a fusion of glass, stone, and porcelain crafted into a harlequin mosaic tile. Some homeowners prefer a bold contrast in small doses.

With a seemingly endless variety of patterns and colors, and a variety of finishes, you're sure to find a backsplash that matches your vision.


Why MKBD? 

We hope our website can provide you with all the information you might need about our company. If you're thinking about remodeling your kitchen or bathroom, please do not hesitate to call us: 215-355-4747.

Some homeowners choose to call a remodeling company only after they have spent countless hours researching their project. We're all for research, but including a home remodeling company at the very beginning of the exploration process can increase your chances of success. A remodeling company can guide you in your exploration, saving you time. A home remodeling company can also help you set reasonable parameters for your project.

How long might the project take to complete?

What are the best materials for your lifestyle?

And how about the cost?

Remember: Take advantage of our FREE In-Home Remodeling Estimate

And if you have any questions about your next kitchen remodeling project, please feel free to call MKBD for an individualized consultation.

Call now! 215-355-4747. Better yet, check out our Free In-Home Remodeling Estimate on this very blog!

The Kitchen Backsplash: Attractive Colors & Interesting Textures

It struck as recently while dressing for a friend's wedding that a colorful tie or pocket square serves much the same function as a kitchen backsplash. In the booming world of men's style, for example, a central look is the classic, well-tailored outfit accented with a statement accessory--like that tie or pocket square. The key to this look is maintaining the classicism of, say, a wool navy suit, while showing a flash of inventiveness.

A textured houndstooth tie and a colorful pocket square colorfully complement a navy suit without overwhelming the look. [Picture Source]

At MKBD, we follow a similar outline with our kitchen remodeling projects: a classical, well-designed space accented with an inventive element. And more often than not, that inventive element is the kitchen backsplash. As our projects below prove, the backsplash offers more than mere protection against cooking spills and stains. A backsplash can enliven a kitchen with a pop of color or an interesting textural contrast.

If you're seeking backsplash ideas, look no further! Check out our projects below for inspiration and some helpful tips.

A truly spectacular backsplash will provide both color and textural variation.

Kitchen Backsplash Materials

Tile is the most popular backsplash material, yet your choices are only really limited by your contractor's skills. A talented contractor can easily install a backsplash made of any number of materials, including a multitude of tiles, from ceramic to glass, to stainless steel, soapstone, plate glass, limestone, granite, brick, tumbled stone--well, you get the point!

In this MKBD project, the decorative backsplash element is a fusion of glass, stone, and porcelain crafted into a harlequin mosaic tile.

This tile mosaic backsplash (also shown above) provides a striking yet companionable contrast to the cherrywood cabinets and lime green wall paint. 

Texture and Color

Since your choice of materials is seemingly endless, you might want to first consider how the backsplash will complement your kitchen design. Most backsplash designs are meant to provide a subtle (or sometimes striking: see above) contrast to the kitchen cabinets and wall paint. When thinking about this contrast, consider both the material's texture and color.

This porcelain tile backsplash maintains the warm color palette of the cabinets and countertop, yet provides an intriguing textural contrast to the wood and granite.  

The houndstooth tie in the picture above illustrates how texture adds visual distinction to an otherwise simple, yet refined look. Like a houndstooth tie, the kitchen backsplash offers the same opportunity to experiment with unique, textured materials.

This tumbled Travertine tile backsplash provides a a wonderfully gritty texture to contrast a kitchen otherwise populated with smooth surfaces and clean lines.

Beyond the unique texture, the Travertine tiles above reveal how a backsplash can also influence the kitchen's palette. In this project, the grey tiles help to soften the distinction between the orange walls and dark granite countertops.

Backsplashes can also provide an intriguing color contrast. In the MKBD project below, the stark two-toned palette is relieved by the warm color notes of the backsplash.

Click here for more pictures of this kitchen backsplash.

Kitchen Backsplash Installation

A kitchen backsplash is relatively easy to install. No wonder many homeowners choose to make the backsplash a DIY project. If you're the DIY-type, check out this handy guide from This Old House.

For ease and synergy of elements, however, MKBD suggests installing a new backsplash as part of a larger kitchen renovation or kitchen remodeling project. And remember, if you are performing a larger remodeling project, you can save cash by using the same materials for your counters and backsplash--or your floors and backsplash.

In this MKBD project (also shown above), the same porcelain tiles used for the backsplash line the floor.  

Remember, however, if you prefer subtle (or striking) contrast, you can customize your backsplash with a myriad of materials, textures, and colors.


FREE In-Home Remodeling Estimate

If you have any questions about your next remodeling project, please feel free to call MKBD for an individualized consultation. Let's talk the kitchen backsplash and more! Call now! 215-355-4747. Better yet, check out our Free In-Home Remodeling Estimate on this very blog!

The Kitchen Backsplash: Style & Utility

At Master Kitchen & Bath Design, we love new kitchen cabinets, gleaming floors, and sturdy contertops, but the unsung hero of the kitchen remodeling world might just be the kitchen backsplash.

"But why?" you ask.

Well, with minimal labor, a kitchen backsplash can add an exquisitely stylish touch to your kitchen. But the backsplash is not all about style. As the name implies, a "backsplash" can serve as a protective shield against, well, all the splashes that might otherwise damage the kitchen wall.

Have you ever opened a bottle of wine with a little too much vigor? Have you ever splattered pasta sauce all over your kitchen wall? How about oil stains? If you've ever suffered the ignominy of scrubbing your kitchen wall in the middle of a dinner party, you'll appreciate the utility of a kitchen backsplash. 

Best yet? A kitchen backsplash just might be the most inexpensive kitchen upgrade. We recommend a backsplash for most full-scale kitchen remodeling projects, but it's also perfect candidate for a DIY project.

If you're tired of the look of your old kitchen, you might slap a new coat of paint on the kitchen walls, but one afternoon of work can also yield a beautiful backsplash that can transform the look and feel of your space.

Have we got you thinking backsplash? Great! Check out our handy primer below to learn more about this simple, yet effective kitchen upgrade.

A natural stone backsplash adds a stylish panache to this Center City MKBD project.

The Backsplash:  A History of Utility & Style

On her blog, The Kitchen Designer, Susan Serra offers an anecdotal history of the kitchen backsplash:

"Everywhere I look, I see small rectangular tile used on backsplashes and upper walls in the kitchen. It's getting a little bit worrisome to me. It's worrisome because, having been a kitchen designer since the very late 80s, I have perspective. Perspective helps my clients, and I hope it helps you too.

"It started (my professional association with tile) with 4x4 ceramic glazed tiles and pretty fruit and vegetable or flower designs, often seen with corner motifs, sort of that Country Floors look. Definitely gorgeous. Funny, I'm seeing it more and more frequently again and it's still every bit as beautiful. Like Terracotta flooring, it was very popular, then went away. Now it is returning, at least on the periphery, to fashion again."

Serra's history is valuable for her perspective on backsplash trends since the early eighties--and up to the two thousands, but you might be surprised to hear that the word backsplash has been around since at least 1947, according to the Merriam Webster.

Here's how the august dictionary defines the word: "a vertical surface (as of tiles) designed to protect the wall behind a stove or countertop."

So, as a mid- twentieth century invention, the backsplash was originally intended to provide the necessary utility of protection, but by the 80s, the "pretty fruit and vegetable or flower designs" that inspired Susan Serra's early association with tile signaled a more whimsical purpose: style. 

For this contemporary kitchen remodeling project in Hatboro, PA, MKBD installed a variety of backsplashes, including marble and a metal mosaic mix.

Kitchen Backsplash Materials

As the two pictures above illustrate, the backsplash can be made in a variety of materials, not just natural stone or ceramic tiles, but granite, limestone, soapstone, plate or mosaic glass, beaded board, stainless steel, and more.

Your choice of material will ultimately depend upon personal preference, and each material will offer its own unique benefits, but most homeowners choose a backsplash material that easily integrates with the cabinets, kitchen walls, and countertops.

The easiest and most cost effective solution is to simply use the same material for your countertops and backsplash. However, some homeowners use the backsplash to provide a subtle contrast to the countertops.  With a seemingly endless variety of patterns and colors, and a variety of finishes, you're sure to find a backsplash that matches your vision. 

For more backsplash material ideas, check out HGTV's "30 Trendiest Kitchen Backsplashes."  

In this MKBD project, the homeowners opted for a contrast between the beautiful Decora cherry cabinets and the countertop and backsplash.

Hire a Pro? Or DIY?

As we noted above, a kitchen backsplash is a perfect addition to a full-scale kitchen remodeling project. That said, a backsplash can be installed quite easily as a simple kitchen upgrade by a professional remodeling company or by you--if you're the DIY type.

Prepare your walls by cleaning with soapy water. You might find that you have to sand the walls, too, before applying a layer of mastic and laying your tiles. Once your work is dry, seal the tiles with grout. To finish, clean your tiles again with soapy water. And, of course, make sure you choose only the best materials.

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Got a kitchen backsplash question? Please feel free to call MKBD for an individualized consultation. MKBD is currently offering a FREE Kitchen remodeling estimate, FREE design, and FREE custom layout to all new customers.

Let's talk backsplash and more!

Call now! 215-355-4747 or visit us online at www.masterkitchendesign.com.