Splashback inspiration

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

Choosing a cabinet door finish

 

When choosing a cabinet door colour, the first thing that will pop into your mind is; will it match my benchtop? Well, that is if you’ve already selected one. This along with the type of finish that is best suited to you and your budget, are the most important deciding factors.

International Kitchen Warehouse offer a wide range of different types of panel finishes.

The Essence kitchen range is the least expensive in our selection. These come in colour Crystal Matt White and are a melamine finish. If you are looking to keep the budget down for your project, these doors would be ideal for you. They have a minimalistic, modern and clean finish, are easy to clean, as well as hard wearing. Not only this, but being a matt white, they go with just about any benchtop colour available.

 

Our Orleans Oak wood look range are again one of our most cost effective ranges, and are also a melamine finish. This finish can work really well in a two tone kitchen, for example as overhead cupboards only, in contrast with another colour to the bottom cabinets, or as a section only ie. pantry and breakfast bar back panel. These are popular trends at the moment. It is also important to be mindful of your flooring when choosing a cabinet colour, as you don’t want it to clash. For example using a wood look base cabinet colour with a timber floor will most likely not work.

Colour range available:

 

Our Shaker style cupboards were inspired from the 18^th century Americas shaker community. The 22mm thick by 90mm wide wrapped door from Italy has a tight radius edge combined with a shaker frame, and the velvet matt finish creates a beautiful looking door that will match up with almost any benchtop colour available. This style is a popular look in a more traditional style house, but can also suit a contemporary house as well.

 

Next in our range is the Innolac UV painted door, available in White Gloss, Light Grey Gloss, or Super Matt White. The painted surface is very hard and durable due to the UV treatment, paired with high impact edging, making this door very practical in a high usage area as well as simple and stylish. The white gloss in this range is a slightly off-white compared to our other white gloss ranges, so not only does it go with just about any benchtop colour, it particularly suits benchtop colours with warmth to them as well. On the other hand, the light grey gloss and super matt white are very cold colours and therefore would only suit a benchtop in the cold-coloured spectrum, ie. Greys and white-grey tones.

 

We have also just introduced a brand new Innolac Deluxe range, featuring on trend Matt Black, Matt Anthracite, and Matt Taupe colours. These work really well with the use of a fairly plain benchtop as well as floor colour, making them the feature piece in your space. You can also use these colours in a two tone kitchen as pictured below:

Matt Black, Matt Anthracite, & Matt Taupe:

 

Our Classic White Gloss is a high quality 2 pac polyester painted finish, a popular technique of panel finishing that has been around for a long time and was adopted by kitchen cabinet makers wanting a gleaming finish just like you find on a freshly polished car. It is basically a paint mixture solution incorporating paint as well as a hardener to form a two-part solution. Our Classic White 18mm thick door has a 3mm pencil round edge and a high gloss painted finish for strength, elasticity and durability. Being a very crisp white colour, this sleek finish will suit a classic or a modern style house, and just about any benchtop colour.

 

Our Linea cabinet door range has the same finish as the Classic White but with a completely handless pull configuration. It can look very modern and clean, especially when used in a galley kitchen with sleek straight lines. It is available in White Gloss as well as in the UV painted finish Super Matt White.

 

Once you have selected the perfect cabinet door finish for you, it is important to bring a sample home to see what it will look like in the natural and artificial lighting of your home, alongside a sample of the benchtop as well. This will really give you a feel for what your new kitchen will look like.

 

Some images courtesy of Pinterest.

Written by Cara Filipsons – Interior Designer at International Kitchen Warehouse

choosing a benchtop

There are a number of factors to consider when selecting a benchtop. The main questions that you need to start asking yourself are; what is the main purpose of your benchtop? Does it need to be hard wearing or will it be minimally used? What colours and patterns did you have in mind? What is your budget? All of these things are going to play a big role in your decision, and ultimately you will need to decide which is most important.

International Kitchen Warehouse offer 2 different types of Benchtops, and deciding which one will depend on all of the factors mentioned above.

Laminate is one of the most cost effective decorative surfaces for kitchen Benchtops, and if installed correctly, maintained and looked after, it will last for many decades. If you do have a lower budget to stick to when renovating your kitchen, then this benchtop will probably be the best choice for you as it is the most cost effective. This doesn’t by all means mean that the quality is compromised though, and quite often some people cannot tell the difference between laminate and natural stone at first glance! For example, the following picture is our Carrara Marble Laminate benchtop that is installed in our showroom:

If well maintained, laminate can be very durable. If you follow the care instructions such as not cutting or chopping directly on the surface, not placing hot pans, ovenware and irons with intense heat directly on the surface, not using abrasive, corrosive or aggressive cleaning agents, etc, then you should be able to get a long life out of your laminate benchtop. If you are wanting something that you’d like to last the lifetime of the house because it can be repaired over time, and that you do feel will be more difficult to follow the above care instructions with, then perhaps laminate isn’t the choice for you. The following colours are the available choices that International Kitchen Warehouse offer:

 

If you are after a benchtop that has that natural stone look, then our Mirostone would be suited to your kitchen.

Mirostone is a durable 20mm thick solid surface Benchtop that has all the beauty and feel of natural stone, but also with exceptional practicality. Because it is in fact a modified acrylic, it is renewable and repairable. Meaning unlike stone composites and other surfaces on the market, it can be repaired and renewed with ease. It can be used in the kitchen, bathroom, as well as laundry, as it is a solid surface with no chipboard core. It is completely waterproof and hygienic, being easy to clean, meaning that harmful germs are prevented from being harboured on the surface. In terms of budget, this benchtop is a little more pricey than laminate, so would be suited to you if your budget allows you to splash out just that little bit more.

Below are the colours available in our Mirostone range:

 

Written by Cara Filipsons – Interior Designer at International Kitchen Warehouse

choosing a kitchen colour scheme

For any design project, it is vital to decide on a colour scheme before proceeding to pick all of your finishes. Unless of course you have found an amazing feature piece that you have your heart set on, then you can use that to set the theme for your space.

As an example, your home might be full of warm, earthy tones such as browns, beiges, yellows, oranges, reds, and warm timbers. If this is the case, then choosing a benchtop and cupboard colour that contains more warm tones rather than cool tones, is important. A grey benchtop or cabinetry door might not work in your space in this instance. But if your home is filled with colours that are more so on the cooler spectrum such as greys and blues, then picking a grey scheme will work much better for you. In saying this though, complimentary colours can work really well together such as using a soft beige timber as a feature in a cool grey space, as pictured here:

The colour of your flooring will also impact greatly on what you choose for your cupboards & benchtops. If you have a dark timber floor for example, picking a timber look cupboard will most likely clash. Break it up with white cupboards, and you still may be able to use a dark benchtop or splashback if you aren’t wanting to go all white. If you have a white tiled floor, this makes it much easier to pick pretty much any colours that you’d like. Just keep in mind that if you choose white cupboards and a white benchtop, the space may end up feeling quite sterile if you don’t break it up with a contrasting splashback, fixtures, fittings, and accessories.

It’s also very important to try to get your hands on some samples that you can bring back into your space to see what they will look like under your homes natural and artificial light. Colours may appear different to what they look like in a well lit up and bright showroom, compared to what they look like in your home.

Also consider whether you are willing to change your surrounding colour scheme, if you have your heart set on a certain benchtop or cupboard that may not go with your current scheme. Simple changes such as re-painting, and changing over decorative items, can give your home that un-complicated face-lift that will bring it to life with your chosen kitchen colours.

If you are undecided as to what type of colour scheme you want or that you may have later on down the track, then picking something very neutral will work for you. You can’t go wrong with white cupboards and a white/off white benchtop that perhaps has a pattern in it to break it up a bit so that your space doesn’t feel too sterile. Picking a white on white kitchen is timeless and leaves your options open to change up your accessories should you become tired of the space over time. For example, you can simply, and a lot of the time cheaply, change over things such as the splashback, handles, and decorative items like storage containers, kettles and toasters, clocks, and vases.

Below are some examples of some popular colour schemes that are on trend right now:

White cupboards & white benchtops broken up with grey splashback & accessories, & splashes of timber.

White cupboards & a combination of white benchtops with a grey island bench. Mirrored splashback and complimentary copper fittings with timber bar stools to add warmth.

White cupboards and white benchtop, broken up with warm tones such as timber, gold light fittings, and tan leather bar stools. Complimentary colour blue has been used as a feature in the tiles to the bar back panel.

White cupboards and white benchtop, broken up with a striking black and white feature tile for the splashback, as well as black fittings and decorative items.

 

White cupboards and light grey benchtops, broken up using chevron pattered subway tiles, timber shelving, and touches of copper.

White shaker cupboards and white benchtops, broken up with marble splashback, touches of timber, greenery & black fittings.

All images courtesy of Pinterest.

Written by Cara Filipsons – Interior Designer at International Kitchen Warehouse