The Future of Backplashes

Ask a kitchen designer about the future of backsplashes, and the response will be “seamless.”

Seamless materials, that is. High-maintenance surfaces are on their way out, being replaced by continuous, easy-to-clean finishes without joints, grout lines or any other places where grease and grime can collect. And the benefits aren’t just janitorial. When paired with hidden outlets, these new uninterrupted surfaces offer a wealth of design possibilities.

When it comes to kitchens, Robert Berkovich’s clients are saying “ABG” — anything but granite.

Once considered the height of chic, granite has become so common during the past couple of decades that homeowners are eager for something new, reports Berkovich, the Palo Alto, California–based owner of European Cabinets & Design Studios. For his clients that usually takes the form of a quartz composite like Caesarstone, which he uses on the counters, then continues up the wall, for a look that’s modern, seamless and virtually maintenance free.

Calacatta marble counters have become very popular in recent years too but can be difficult to maintain, as the surface is prone to staining and etching. By running the material up the wall, you get the look without the labor.

It’s a more modern way of using stone, observes Mariette Barsoum of Divine Kitchens in Wellesley, Massachusetts. With stone tiles, you have veining that goes in all different directions, she says. When you use a single slab, you have more control over the overall effect. Depending how you orient it, she says, “you can create completely different looks.”

In this kitchen the Carrara slab backsplash works with the space’s more traditional feel. “Carrara can go both ways,” Barsoum observes. The designer says this look is not as successful with a “busy” stone, such as granite, where the amount of veining can prove distracting.

See more of The Future of Backplashes

The Future of Backplashes