Kitchen Backsplash Tile - Glass Tile Backsplashes | ArizonaTile.com

A kitchen backsplash is more significant than many homeowners realize. It has several important functions, playing both a practical and attractive feature of the kitchen. For example, a backsplash has to be easy to clean. Its purpose is to protect the walls from messes created at the sink, stove and kitchen countertops .

A backsplash is also the visual glue that ties the larger elements of the room together. It must provide a pleasing transition from countertops to cabinets to appliances. It s your chance to add a splash of color or elegance to a kitchen or even, when designed with a large, stunning medallion or custom tile mural, become the center point of your kitchen.

Keeping the functions of a backsplash in mind, what are the best choices in tile for a kitchen backsplash? It depends on the type of kitchen design you have chosen. Whether your design is traditional, old world, contemporary, modern or transitional will have a lot of bearing on the type of tile you choose for your backsplash. Your choices are limited only by your imagination, however, we have chosen the four most popular and time-tested choices of tile for a kitchen backsplash.

Glass Tile Glass tile is a prominent trend right now, especially when used as a kitchen backsplash. A glass tile backsplash provides unlimited color choices from neutral and subdued, to bright and colorful. Depending on your choice of colors, sizes and layout, it can be playful, classy, or modern, creating sleek, clean lines that work well in a transitional or contemporary kitchen. Additionally, it can be combined with natural stone to provide a blend of both materials.

Marble Tiled or slab marble is an excellent choice for a kitchen backsplash. Easy to clean, it is functional and beautiful, creating an elegant, classic look to any style of kitchen. Marble is available in many colors to complement the other elements in a kitchen like floors, cabinets and workspaces. Because marble is a natural stone, every piece will be unique, allowing you to have a one-of-a-kind kitchen.

Porcelain Tile Porcelain is so versatile, it s an excellent and affordable choice for a backsplash. Available in a variety of colors and textures, Porcelain tile can mimic the qualities of natural stone to provide a warm, old world feel; it can be smooth, shiny and white reminiscent of the New York subway tiles from the early 20th century; it can be brightly colored to accent or contrast the kitchen cabinetry, countertops, and appliances.

Listelles and Medallions Listelles and medallions will enhance the beauty of a kitchen by harmonizing with natural stone or porcelain tile in the surrounding walls. Listelles bring a three dimensional accent to a kitchen backsplash. Medallions are a functional work of art on the wall behind the stove or sink that draw a person s eye to the focal point it creates. These elements are often used in a traditional or old world kitchen.

To narrow down your choices for a kitchen backsplash:

1. Determine your overall kitchen design. Do you prefer a modern, sleek look or does a transitional, traditional, or old world look and feel appeal to your senses?

2. Choose your color scheme using your cabinets, counters or floors as a starting point. Use our backsplash inspiration guide to help narrow down your choices.

3. Calculate your budget some choices are more affordable than others.

4. Use Arizona Tile s Just Imagine design tool to view your choices in your actual kitchen or in our sample kitchen.

5. Visit our showroom to enlist the help of one of our knowledgeable salespeople who can help you choose the perfect surface for a kitchen that s all your own.