Installing a new kitchen backsplash can change the entire look of your kitchen...and, indeed, your home. Here, then, is our list of tips and tricks to get the backsplash of your dreams!
- Understand that backsplashes have unlimited possibilities -- you're not limited when it comes to your choice of materials! If you want to make your backsplash in soapstone, seashells, or even a combination of both...nothing is stopping you except your own imagination!
- If you choose to stick with traditional materials, such as tile, consider incorporating some not-so-traditional elements, such as a patina of copper.
- If budget is a concern for you, you don't need to spend a lot of money on your backsplash. A simple ceramic tile -- sometimes for as little as $1 a square foot -- will be more than sufficient to create the backsplash of your dreams.
- If you have a little bit more money to spend, but still want to keep the traditional slant, don't hesitate to mix-and-match materials. Combine ceramic with glass tile, for instance -- and sometimes, you can get "closeout" specials on tiles to make the "mix and match" that much easier!
- Want an unusual idea for your backsplash? Consider chalkboard paint! (Don't put it over your stove, however, lest the chalk dust get caught in the food you're trying to cook!)
- You don't have to add a backsplash to the entire kitchen -- if you're really short on a budget (or space), consider just adding a backsplash to the stove area (which is usually less than 100 square feet).
- If you choose to use natural stone as a backsplash, you definitely need to mix your mediums...water can damage travertine and other natural stone over a period of time, so putting natural stone over a sink or stove is not a good idea (especially if the stone isn't properly sealed or treated).
