You’re not alone! This question is the age-old dilemma, you are in the middle of a kitchen remodel and have to pick the finishing details. So you’re asking the question, ‘What backsplash looks best with white cabinets?’ I’m going to help you re-think this question just a little bit.
Here is the GOOD NEWS, you have so many good options. The other details of the kitchen matter just as much, to pull it all together! I’m sharing with you some SIMPLE SECRETS to take your kitchen from bland to fabulous, right here!
White Cabinets, Gray Counters, Gray Backsplash
Ok, at first thought, basic gray counters and gray backsplash could seem dull and unexciting. Let’s take a more critical look at how this kitchen sings. Millwork design. Notice how the upper cabinets have a subtle trim-layer at the very base of the cabinet. This immediately elevates the kitchen to not look like a “quick build,” but rather something more custom. These details count!
Secondly, instead of trying to force color into the kitchen through irreplaceable details, use accessories to spice it up! A cute fresh plant, in a nice container, adds so much without breaking the bank!
Furthermore, the pink hydrangeas are such a happy addition as well! I tell my clients, if you don’t feel like you will always have fresh flowers around, maybe splurge on some really nice faux florals and know you will enjoy it for years to come. Although you see these florals everyday, guests will most likely assume they’re real, if they are nice enough fakes! And in case you wanna shop a nice fake floral, be prepared for the price tag, but I’ve linked one here! **Read the details of the size, this one is actually kinda large!
White Kitchen Cabinets, White Backsplash, Accent Backsplash Over Stove
Here’s a simple tip: Add your fun accent backsplash just to the space over the stove! This is a common way to not make the whole kitchen too busy, but to make a nice focal point!
Ceramic Pattern Tile Backsplash Does All The Talking
What an all-around fail-proof kitchen design! With white counters and subtle light gray (probably quartz) counters, the backsplash can do all the talking! Do you have a modern farmhouse home? This could be your kitchen game-plan.
Gold hardware is always a welcome addition and then the medium oak wood floors and a few exposed oak-wood shelves bring this across the finish line!
I’ve added a few cool ceramic tile links here: Alameda Tile Blue and Multi-color ceramic field tile.
A restored schoolhouse, turned home! This one is for you, farmhouse-style lovers! Notice how the butcher block counters and the warm wood island bring in so much “color” to this white and black kitchen with white subway backsplash! This is a sure-bet plan if this space speaks to you! Finish it off with a dramatic black sink faucet and dark bronze or black hardware.
Now this white kitchen is almost identical to my moms! For those of you who aren’t afraid of color, I’m all for this! A gorgeous seafoam green backsplash tile is paired with white kitchen cabinets. Finish it off with an adorable magenta accent rug.
What backsplash looks best with white cabinets. Hmmmm does it have to be a backsplash or can it be an entire slab of marble? What’s the budget?! If the sky is the limit, I vote for this!
Then, let’s not forget these insatiable gold details: on the ventahood, in the oversized gold hardware, and on the stove. I think the reason that we so often see gold details in white kitchens is because it adds so much warmth, to keep things from feeling sterile.
Carrera Marble Subway Backsplash For White Cabinets & White Counters
Once again, I think a more leading question is, how did they pull this kitchen together, besides the amazing backsplash. Is this confusing? I hope it’s helpful! A big wonderful splurge and focal point is the amazing pendant lights. The wood details are seen in a strategically placed cutting board as well as the stools.
Then, two areas have fresh green plants with some more flowers read to be put in a vase! Are you catching a trend? The accessories count too!
This all white kitchen probably has no backsplash, it’s a little hard to tell. Instead, the “anchor piece” of this kitchen, in my opinion, is the rare and exotic dark stone floor. I would call this slate, but I’m not 100% sure. It’s definitely not anything generic that you would find right out of Home Depot, this stuff was scavenged for!
Dramatic dark stained wood and steel stools add a cool industrial feel to a sleek, white, modern kitchen. It’s never one thing that makes a kitchen great, it’s a collection of little but important details.
An oversized orchid in the corner fills the space appropriately, and lets not forget the additional fresh greenery on the island!
Ok, it’s not often I bash on a picture, but I’m going to bash on this kitchen example only to make a point. This gray arabesque tile is available at… Home Depot, Lowes, Seconds and Surplus, Wayfaire.. and I can go on. There’s something about it that just doesn’t deliver in a custom manner. Does that make sense?
It feels like the client caved and allowed the builder to just make the decision. And remember, the builder is not the designer! They may speak with authority, but their expertise is building, not designing and “finish-out.”
So, may I politely discourage you from this choice. But, here it is for a visual reference.
Aww sighhh. How phenomenal is this gorgeous pale, frosty blue herringbone backsplash? I’m slightly biased because I have this same backsplash design in my white kitchen. Now, the trick to imitating this look, if you so choose, is to find the right PALE BLUE color. This may end up meaning you have to go a little high-end. Unless something changes, the more generic stores tend to have darker color options.
Black & White Kitchen: Add A Soft Gray Subway Tile Backsplash & Stainless Steel (Exposed) Hood & Fridge
Here is the little secret I am gathering from this exquisite black and white kitchen. One, the interior door and window trim is a bold jet black. Imitate this, if possible! Secondly, the backsplash doesn’t need to be the focal point. Instead, keep it subtle with a soft gray. That also goes with these counters, in this instance. But this design could easily have white quartz counters too.
Given the windows and and door interior trim are black, this allows the kitchen hardware to be a brushed steel (not a black). Notice how all the details talk to each other! If the hardware were black, I think it would be overkill on the eyes.
Of note, the hardwood floors are a very dark stain, which probably helped decide a black and white themed kitchen. What color floors do you have? Sometimes that will play into your kitchen theme.
Lastly, and maybe most importantly, ‘What backsplash looks best with white cabinets?’ I feel that the soft gray subway tile backsplash is a great option when accented with exposed, stainless-steel appliances. The two are somewhat in dialogue together. Just a thought!
Transport this kitchen to my home, stat! This backsplash is either a white subway tile or a very very soft carrerra marble subway. Secondly, the grout is gray. This would not be my first choice. I would have chosen white grout, given the room is pretty traditional and upscale. However, I’m taking in all the ceiling details and I do feel farmhouse too. So it’s all good!
In a bold choice, it looks like the whole island is a medium brown wood. For all you OCD people out here, you most definitely can mix your different color wood stains! (See the floor and the pedestal breakfast table).
And possibly my favorite splurge is this exquisite fabric-shade breakfast light pendant. How do I get one of these? To take it one step further, the lavender stools across the way are in perfect conversation with it! Not sure where to score those? Make your own custom, DIY stools with spray paint!
Penny Tile Backslash For White Kitchen Cabinets
This is cute and charming and sweet in every way. Although I may not have chosen this, there’s such a quaintness about it that reminds me of my mom’s kitchen, I very well could not leave this out!
So here is a visual of penny tile kitchen backsplash so you can see!
Off-White Subway Tile For White Kitchen Cabinets. And A Knockout Hood!
And we continue with this question, ‘What backsplash looks best with white cabinets?’
This kitchen keeps it simple-sally, only because the hood says it all!
But, looking closer, the white subway tiles are laid in the classic brick pattern. In order to mix more earthy tones into the rest of the kitchen, the color subway tile is off-white and creamy, not bright white. (I linked a pretty option for you!) See how these little details are all thought out in unison? No one decision should stand on its own.
This all white kitchen is exquisite. Let’s talk backsplash. If you choose a white subway tile, I love the ones that look organic in shape and somewhat hand made where each one is different and they have a dimpled and shiny glazed finish. Let me emphasize that a matte or satin finish subway tile is NOT what you want for your kitchen. It will read dull and cheap (hate to say it).
Secondly, let’s notice what else makes this kitchen stand out. The wrapped large “leg” on the end of the island is an incredible detail that may be worth emulating. Let’s do something different from those “builder kitchens” that have the slab hanging free from the island!
Thirdly, and I feel most important to this kitchen: The easily changeable pop of color in the gorgeous eggplant purple upholstered kitchen stools! It’s as easy as that. Splurge on a good color for your stools and your all white kitchen will never look bland!
Mix Your Backsplash: Marble Slab and Ship Lap!
Once again, what backsplash looks best with white cabinets? Don’t be fooled, this could easily be saved as the best for last! Here is an awesome backsplash secret: Splurge on a large, marble-slab piece over the stove, and then mix affordable but adorable shiplap in all the other backsplash areas!
Furthermore, two oversized tin colored metal pendants are a cool focal point over the island. The dark stained wood stools “talk” well with the dark island counter.
Lastly, notice how all the cabinetry areas are accented with furniture-like feet in front of the toe-kick. This is the type of detail that separates the ordinary kitchens from the extraordinary ones. And it shouldn’t even be too costly! Do this on your kitchen remodel!
This is the furthest thing from a bland white kitchen! It’s all about inserting the right details.
Well, I hope this deep dive on kitchen backsplashes shed some light on the dilemma! Thanks for stopping by!
