Picking out a splashback for your kitchen is generally the last thing on the list when it comes to your kitchen project. This is because it is generally the last thing that is installed in your kitchen at the end of the renovation, once all of the cabinets, benchtops and electrical fittings have been installed. The kitchen can also be used without a splashback if need be, making it even more practical that it is the last part of the renovation.
International Kitchen Warehouse offer the complete kitchen renovation, but the only thing that we don’t supply directly, is the splashback. We can recommend fantastic tile and splashback companies though, and can even organise the tiler for you, but you will just need to source the splashback yourself. This can be an exciting project – you have endless opportunities for creativity and choice, having to take on this important task. The splashback, after all, will finish the space off and bring the entire design together.
Once you’ve picked out your benchtop and cabinet colours, you can then think about how your splashback is going to tie in. Although sometimes, you might have an idea of what colours you’d like to use in your splashback first to make it a feature and will then work your kitchen colours around that, and that is also completely fine.
The first, most obvious choice of splashback finishes on the market, are tiles. These are also the least expensive option, so if your kitchen renovation budget is on the lower side, then this would be the ideal choice for you. There are some amazing tiling ideas that might help to inspire you when selecting your splashback:
Glass splashback is also quite a popular trend for the kitchen, but is a little bit more costly compared to tiles, so something to consider when working out your kitchen renovation budget. The following are beautiful examples of glass splashback:
If you are considering another type of surface or even a DIY surface, then you just need to be mindful of the cooktop and the distance around it to any other surface. According to Australian Standards, your cooktop needs to be at least 200mm from a vertical surface, and if not, then the surface needs to be protected with a fire resistant material, and also needs to be at least 150mm high from the cooker. Because our standard cooktop benchtop is only 600mm deep, the cooktop installed will not be 200mm from the splashback, so it will always need to be at least 150mm high and of a fire resistant material. You will also need to consider the thickness of your splashback, because if it is too thick, you will not be able to fit the cooktop on the 600mm deep benchtop. For example, if you wanted to install a stone surface as the splashback, you will need to increase the depth of your benchtop. There is still an abundance of great ideas out there that you can work with and around these requirements:
All images courtesy of Pinterest.
Written by Cara Filipsons – Interior Designer at International Kitchen Warehouse
International Kitchen Warehouse Design Blog 