Kitchen Splashback Ideas: 11 Tile Looks With Prices
The short answer
What are the best kitchen splashback ideas?
The five strongest kitchen splashback looks right now are handmade-look white subway tiles, slim tiles stacked upright, herringbone, sage green and large terrazzo look tiles. Hybrid Floors Australia sells kitchen splashback tiles for all five from $38 per m². Tiles for a 3 m long, 600 mm high splashback start at $76.
Each idea below names the tile, its price and the kitchen it suits. Try any of them on your own wall in the visualiser under the table.
| Idea | Tile, size and finish | Price per m² | Suits |
|---|---|---|---|
| White subway | Chroma Pearl, 52 x 160 mm, gloss | $38 | Any white kitchen |
| Square zellige look | Chroma Dune, 100 x 100 mm, matt | $38 | Timber and brass |
| Vertical sage green | Chroma Celadon, 52 x 160 mm, gloss | $38 | Modern kitchens |
| Herringbone | Chroma Rosso, 52 x 160 mm, gloss | $38 | One bold wall |
| Black | Chroma Black, 52 x 160 mm, gloss | $38 | Bright white kitchens |
| Grey | Chroma Gris, 52 x 160 mm, gloss | $38 | White benchtops |
| Caramel | Chroma Caramel, 52 x 160 mm, gloss | $38 | Timber cabinets |
| Full height | Chroma Rosso, 100 x 100 mm, gloss | $38 | Open shelves |
| Large format terrazzo | Brescia Iconic, 600 x 1200 mm, honed | $53.08 | Few grout lines |
| Butler's pantry | Chroma Caramel, 100 x 100 mm, gloss | $38 | Small walls |
| Laundry | Chroma Gris, 100 x 100 mm, gloss | $38 | Laundry tubs |
Splashback tile visualiser
Pick one of the colours from the Chroma range, and size and finish, then a layout and a grout colour. Type your wall's size to see the tiles drawn to scale, with the boxes and cost at today's price.
In a kitchen: Chroma Pearl gloss 52 x 160 mm, brick bond, light grey groutYour splashback
$76
2 boxes of Chroma Pearl 52 x 160 mm gloss for 1.8 m² of wall, in brick bond.
- Wall
- 1.8 m²
- 3 m long × 600 mm high.
- With 10% extra for cuts
- 1.98 m²
- Brick bond and stacked layouts need 10%.
- Boxes
- 2
- A box covers 1 m², about 120 tiles. 1.98 ÷ 1, rounded up.
- Tiles cost
- $76
- 2 boxes at $38. In stock. Delivery is extra.
Soft outline. A quiet grid: the brick pattern shows up close, and the wall still reads white from across the room.
Keeping it clean: Light grime shows less than on white, though it still darkens a little behind a cooktop.
A drawing to help you choose. Handmade-look tiles vary from tile to tile, so order a sample from the tile's page and see it in your own light.
1. White subway tile splashback
White is a safe and modern look, it's the splashback that never dates. Use Chroma Pearl, a soft white subway tile, 52 x 160 mm, in gloss, at $38 per m². Each tile has a wavy, handmade face, so a plain white wall still catches the light beautifully. Lay it in brick bond with light grey grout. Pick it if you might sell in the next few years or if renting the property out.
2. Square tile splashback with a zellige look
Small squares with a wavy face give you the look of handmade Moroccan zellige. Chroma Dune is a warm off-white, like sand, in 100 x 100 mm matt at $38 per m². Handmade zellige costs about $170 to $350 per m² at Australian tile shops. Dune suits warm kitchens with timber or brass. Compare every colour on our zellige look tiles and 100x100 tiles pages.
3. Vertical subway tile splashback in sage green
You can stand the tiles up in straight columns for a modern take on the subway look. Upright lines pull the eye up, so a kitchen with low cupboards feels taller and your space feels bigger. Chroma Celadon is a pale sage green and a beautiful option, 52 x 160 mm, in gloss at $38 per m². See both greens on our green tiles page.
4. Herringbone splashback
Herringbone lays the tiles in a zigzag and makes the splashback the feature. Chroma Rosso is a deep red, 52 x 160 mm, in gloss at $38 per m². Put herringbone where the eye lands first, behind the cooktop or the sink. Every row is cut at both ends, so order 20% extra, not 10%. Keep the cabinets plain so the wall can lead.
5. Black splashback
A black splashback makes a white kitchen look sharp and finished. Chroma Black is a deep, rich black, 52 x 160 mm, in gloss at $38 per m². Pair it with white or timber cabinets and brass tapware. Pick it for a bright kitchen with good daylight.
6. Grey splashback
Pick soft grey if white feels too stark. Chroma Gris is a soft, light grey, 52 x 160 mm, in gloss at $38 per m². With mid grey grout, the joints draw a soft outline and hide cooking marks better than white grout. It suits a white kitchen with a white or grey benchtop.
7. Caramel splashback for timber cabinets
Warm tan tiles bring out the colour in timber. Chroma Caramel is a warm tan, 52 x 160 mm, in gloss at $38 per m². Grout it in beige so the joints fade. It suits timber or cream cabinets with brass tapware.
8. Full height splashback
No overhead cupboards? Tile from the benchtop to the ceiling. Under a 2.4 m ceiling that is about 1.5 m of tiles, so a 2.4 m long wall takes 3.6 m², not 1.44 m². In Chroma Rosso, a deep red 100 x 100 mm gloss square, that is 4 boxes for $152. Full height suits open shelves, and it makes a strong colour look planned.
9. Large format terrazzo splashback
Want the stone slab look with almost no grout? Use Brescia Iconic, a 600 x 1200 mm porcelain tile with a terrazzo look: chips of stone in a smooth, honed face. It costs $53.08 per m² in Ivory, Beige, Grigio or Grafite. Laid long ways, one row covers a 600 mm high splashback. That leaves about 2.5 m of grout line in each m², against about 25 m for small subway tiles.
Engineered stone slabs have been banned in Australia since 1 July 2024 (Safe Work Australia). Porcelain tiles are not covered by the ban. Each tile weighs about 17 kg, so take any old tiles off first and leave the job to a tiler.
10. Butler's pantry splashback
Keep the main kitchen calm and put the colour in the butler's pantry. The wall is small and out of sight, so a bold tile costs little. A 2 m pantry bench with a 600 mm splashback is 1.2 m². That takes 2 boxes of Chroma Caramel, 100 x 100 mm, gloss: $76. A 1.2 m coffee nook takes one box: $38.
11. Laundry splashback
Add the laundry to the same order so it ships together. A 1.8 m tub wall at 600 mm high is 1.08 m², so 2 boxes of Chroma Gris, 100 x 100 mm, gloss: $76. Laundries are wet areas under the building code, so your tiler prepares the wall behind the tub before the tiles go on.
Matt or gloss splashback tiles?
Choose gloss behind the cooktop and the sink. It wipes clean the easiest and bounces light around the kitchen. Matt hides water marks and fingerprints better, so save it for walls that rarely get splashed, like a coffee nook or a feature wall. Every Chroma colour comes in both finishes at the same $38 per m².
What colour grout for a kitchen splashback?
Never use white grout behind a cooktop. It shows cooking splashes first, and mid grey and beige hide the most. Our picks: light grey with Pearl, beige with Dune and Caramel, and mid grey with Gris, Celadon, Rosso and Black. See every tile in five grouts on our grout colour chart.
Behind the cooktop, ask your tiler about epoxy grout. Epoxy grout such as ARDEX EG 15 is rated to resist wine, fruit juice, olive oil and milk once cured.
Which layout for a subway tile splashback?
The layout changes the look and how many tiles you buy.
- Brick bond: each row moves along half a tile, the classic subway look. Order 10% extra for cuts.
- Stacked: tiles sit in straight lines, flat or upright, for a cleaner, modern wall. Order 10% extra.
- Herringbone: tiles meet in a zigzag, so the wall reads as a feature. Order 20% extra, because every row is cut at both ends.
Our pick: brick bond for a classic kitchen, stacked upright for a modern one, and herringbone only behind the cooktop or sink. Try all three on your own wall in the visualiser, or see them laid out on our subway tiles page.
How much does a tiled kitchen splashback cost?
Tiles for a 3 m kitchen splashback cost $76 at our $38 per m². Here is the sum for a 600 mm high splashback on a 3 m bench.
- Area: 3 m x 0.6 m = 1.8 m².
- Add 10% for cuts: 1.98 m².
- Boxes: Chroma comes in 1 m² boxes, so round up to 2 boxes.
- Tiles: 2 x $38 = $76.
In herringbone, add 20%: 2.16 m², so 3 boxes for $114. In Brescia Iconic, a box covers 1.44 m², so 2 boxes for $152.88. A tiler usually charges $300 to $650 for a splashback, with a median of $485. That puts tiles and labour at $561, before adhesive, grout and delivery.
Type your own wall into the visualiser to price it in any colour and layout. Got a window or an L-shaped bench? Our tile calculator adds up several walls and works out the grout and adhesive too.
Kitchen splashback ideas: common questions
What is the best splashback for a kitchen?
A glazed wall tile is the best all-round kitchen splashback. It doesn't burn, so it suits the wall behind a cooktop, and a gloss glaze wipes clean. Ours start at $38 per m².
What is the latest trend for splashbacks?
Handmade-look zellige tiles are the biggest splashback trend in 2026. Australians searched Google for zellige tiles about 2,800 times a month in 2026, more than eight times the 2019 level. Searches for sage green tiles are up more than tenfold over the same years.
What splashback will never go out of style?
A white subway tile in brick bond is the closest thing to a splashback that never dates. White subway tiles have lined walls since New York's first subway stations opened in 1904. Chroma Pearl, at $38 per m², gives the look a soft, handmade face.
Should a splashback be lighter or darker than the benchtop?
Go lighter than a dark or busy benchtop, and darker or bolder than a plain white one. Let one surface lead and keep the other quiet.
What is the cheapest way to do a splashback?
Tiling it yourself is the cheapest splashback that lasts. Tiles for a 3 m splashback cost $76 at $38 per m². A tiler adds $300 to $650, so labour is most of the bill.
What is the rule of thumb for a splashback?
Run it from the benchtop to the underside of the overhead cupboards, about 600 mm in most kitchens. Cupboards usually sit about 600 mm above a 900 mm benchtop. Behind the cooktop, carry the tiles up to the rangehood. With open shelves, tile to the ceiling.
Down to two or three colours? Order a $7 full-size sample of each and hold them against your benchtop in daylight and at night. Sample shipping is $9.95 flat, however many you order. Hybrid Floors Australia. Hybridfloors.com.au
