The best splashback for a high-end kitchen is the one designed with the benchtop, joinery and lighting, not chosen after them. Natural stone, large-format porcelain and toughened glass are the most common choices in new homes and major renovations because they give a clean surface with few or no joins. Tiles, timber, metal, concrete-look finishes and brick each suit particular styles and come with their own upkeep.
Key points
- Decide the splashback at floor plan stage, alongside windows, power points, the rangehood and the overhead cabinets.
- Stone is now preferred to tiles around the cooktop. A stone upstand or a mid-height stone splashback uses less slab than a full-height one.
- Slab materials (stone, porcelain, glass) give the cleanest look and the easiest cleaning.
- Engineered stone can no longer be installed in Australia, so a stone look now means natural stone, or porcelain and sintered stone without resin.
- Tiles add pattern and texture. Grout colour and layout make the difference.
- Porous materials (natural stone, timber, brick and real concrete) need sealing and more care near the cooktop.
Plan the splashback with the kitchen, not after it
In a new home or major renovation, the splashback is part of the kitchen layout. Deciding it early avoids awkward cuts, power points in the middle of a feature surface and a finish that doesn't line up with the joinery. Settle these at floor plan stage:
- Height: to the underside of the overhead cabinets, up to the rangehood, or full height to the ceiling so there's no paint line.
- Windows: a fixed window in place of the splashback brings daylight and a view to the bench.
- Power points and switches: where they sit, or whether they move into the joinery or under the overheads to keep the splashback clear.
- Rangehood and cooktop: centred on the splashback, especially with a patterned tile or a book-matched slab.
- Lighting: an LED strip under the overhead cabinets shows off texture and veining.
- The butler's pantry: it often takes the hardest-working splashback, so the main kitchen can have the more delicate finish. See our butler's pantry ideas.
Kitchen splashback materials compared
| Material | Look | Joins | Upkeep | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Natural stone | Unique veining, honed or polished | Few, or none with a full slab | Needs sealing; marble can etch with acids | Continuing the benchtop up the wall, or a low upstand |
| Porcelain or sintered stone panel | Stone, concrete or plain finishes | Few with large panels | Low; very low porosity | A clean, low-maintenance kitchen |
| Toughened glass | Glossy, colour-backed, mirrored or printed | None within a panel | Low; shows smudges | Modern kitchens and colour accents |
| Subway and stacked tiles | Classic or handmade look | Many grout lines | Grout needs cleaning; epoxy grout helps | Character, Hamptons and coastal homes |
| Herringbone and patterned tiles | Movement and pattern | Many | As for tiles, with more cutting | A single feature wall |
| Stainless steel | Commercial and reflective | Few | Low; a brushed finish hides marks | Hard-working cooking zones |
| Timber and timber-look | Warm, natural grain | Varies | Real timber needs oiling and care near heat and water | Softening a stone or concrete palette |
| Concrete and concrete-look | Muted, textured grey | Few with panels | Real concrete needs sealing | Contemporary and industrial palettes |
| Brick and brick-look | Rough texture, colour variation | Many mortar joints | Real brick needs sealing | Character and industrial homes |
10 kitchen splashback ideas
1. Stone, from a full slab to an upstand
Stone is now the first choice around the cooktop, as more clients move away from tiles to avoid grout lines in the cooking zone. A full slab running up from the benchtop gives the calmest, most continuous look, and a book-matched slab turns the splashback into the room’s feature, but it can be costly depending on the slab chosen. These options use less slab while adding texture:
- Full stone slab: the benchtop stone runs up the wall to the overhead cabinets or rangehood.
- Stone upstand only: a low stone upstand along the back of the bench, with no tiles.
- Mid-height stone with a shelf: stone part-way up the wall to a shelf, with microcement above.
- Stone upstand and tiles: a stone return of 100 to 300 mm along the bench, with tiles above.
A honed finish hides fingerprints and water marks better than a polished one. Natural stone is heavy, so the wall behind a full slab needs to be designed to carry it, and it needs sealing to resist stains.
A note on engineered stone: since 1 July 2024, engineered stone benchtops, panels and slabs can’t be supplied, processed or installed in Queensland or the rest of Australia. Natural stone, and porcelain and sintered stone products without resin, aren’t affected. WorkSafe Queensland has the details.
2. Large-format porcelain or sintered stone panels
Large panels give a stone, concrete or plain look with very few joins and very little upkeep. They resist heat, stains and scratches, which suits a busy family kitchen. Like a stone slab, they work best when the panel sizes and joins are set out on the drawings, so a join never lands behind the cooktop or through a feature vein.
3. Toughened glass in a colour, mirror or print
A single sheet of glass has no grout at all and is the easiest splashback to wipe down. Colour-backed glass can be matched to the joinery; a bronze or grey mirror adds depth to a smaller kitchen; and digitally printed glass can carry an artwork or pattern. The wall behind clear or light glass needs a smooth, even finish, as any marks will show through. Use toughened glass and confirm the clearance to the cooktop with your cooktop supplier and installer.
4. A window instead of a splashback
Replacing the splashback with a long, fixed window brings daylight onto the bench and a view of the garden while you cook. It's a decision for the floor plan stage, because it sets the window size, the bench height and where the overhead cabinets can go. It works best on a wall that doesn't take the cooktop. For more on bringing light deep into a home, see our guide to clerestory windows.
5. Subway and stacked tiles
Subway tiles suit character homes and Hamptons and coastal interiors, and stacking them vertically or horizontally gives a more contemporary feel. Grout colour changes the look completely: a matching grout reads as one calm surface, while a contrasting grout draws out the pattern. Taking the tiles full height to the ceiling avoids a paint line and makes the room feel taller. Around the cooktop, many clients now prefer stone to avoid grout lines, so tiles above a stone upstand are a good way to get the pattern without tiles at bench level.
6. Herringbone and patterned tiles
Herringbone, chevron and other patterns add movement and work best as the one feature in a kitchen, paired with flat-panel joinery and a plain benchtop. Set the pattern out from the centre of the cooktop or rangehood, so the cuts at each end are even. Marble tiles in a pattern need a penetrating sealer.
7. Stainless steel
Stainless steel brings a professional look and is heat-resistant, non-porous and easy to clean, which suits a serious cook or a butler's pantry. A brushed finish hides fingerprints and small scratches far better than a polished one. Timber joinery or a stone benchtop stops it feeling clinical.
8. Timber and timber-look
Timber warms up a kitchen of stone and hard surfaces and can tie the splashback to timber floors or joinery elsewhere in the home. Real timber needs oiling and care near the cooktop and sink, so timber-look porcelain is the practical choice in those zones. Running boards horizontally draws the eye along the bench.
9. Concrete and concrete-look finishes
Concrete and concrete-look panels, tiles and wall finishes give a muted, textured backdrop for contemporary kitchens and pair well with timber joinery and warm metal tapware. A rendered or microcement finish can run the whole wall with no joins, while porcelain gives the look with almost no upkeep. Real concrete and render finishes need a sealer suited to a kitchen and regular resealing.
10. Brick and brick-look tiles
Exposed or reclaimed brick suits character homes and industrial-style kitchens and can reference the original fabric of an older home. Real brick is porous and heavy, so it needs sealing near the cooktop and sink and a wall designed to carry it. Brick-look porcelain tiles give the texture with far less upkeep.
Frequently asked questions
How high should a kitchen splashback be? There's no single right height. Most run from the benchtop to the underside of the overhead cabinets or the rangehood, and many high-end kitchens take the splashback full height to the ceiling so there's no paint line. The height is best set with the joinery design.
What's the most practical splashback material? For easy cleaning, choose a slab material with few joins: large-format porcelain, toughened glass or stainless steel. Natural stone gives the same unbroken look but needs sealing and gentler cleaning.
Can you still get engineered stone splashbacks in Australia? No. Since 1 July 2024, engineered stone benchtops, panels and slabs can't be supplied, processed or installed in Australia. Natural stone, and porcelain and sintered stone products without resin, aren't affected.
Should the splashback match the benchtop? It doesn't have to. Matching gives a calm, continuous look, while a contrasting splashback becomes the feature. Either way, choose the two together and view samples side by side in your kitchen's natural light.
Which splashback styles are popular right now? There’s been a real shift away from tiles around the cooktop, to avoid grout lines in the cooking zone, with stone preferred instead. Full stone splashbacks are very popular, but they can be costly depending on the slab chosen. A stone upstand, a mid-height stone splashback with a shelf, or a stone upstand with tiles above uses less slab and adds texture to the kitchen.
Planning a kitchen as part of a new home or renovation
At Invilla, the kitchen is designed with the rest of the house, so the splashback, joinery, windows and lighting are resolved together on the drawings. See our custom home design and interior design services, or start with our Quote Estimator for a project estimate.
