White Kitchen Backsplash Ideas: The Only 7 Types You (Actually) Need!

Looking for THE ultimate list of white kitchen backsplash ideas? I’m a professional designer who’s taken the 100,000s of ideas the internet throws at you and simplified them into The Only 7 Categories You Need! (Simplify your life! 😎 )

Clients constantly come to me almost crying because of backsplashes.

Let me rephrase: they’re nearly in tears because of their attempts to choose a kitchen backsplash from alllllll the ideas and products out there!

I don’t blame them (or you)! The world has given us far too many options, and our brains aren’t just spinning…they’re literally getting overloaded!

Kitchen with a timeless stone slab backsplash, wood cabinets and plaster range hood.

This is what I do: help simplify your life AND this process!

I’m about to take the overload of 100,000s of kitchen backsplash ideas and products out there and help you narrow it down to just 1 or 2 that actually work for you!

White kitchen with stone backsplash, hardwood floors and off-white countertops.

I’ll also answer popular questions such as

“What backsplash to avoid?”
“Is a white backsplash a good idea?”
“What is the best type of backsplash for a kitchen?”
“What backsplash does not go out of style?”
“What backsplash goes well with a white kitchen?”
“Should backsplash be lighter or darker than countertop?”
“What is the most popular backsplash right now?”
“What is the most timeless kitchen backsplash?”

PS: I’ll also show you what I did personally in my own home, as well as some client homes, so you can see real-life examples.

¡Vamos! Let’s go!💃😄

WHITE KITCHEN BACKSPLASH

My #1 Advice: We Start By Listening to Your Gut!

Before I tell you the ONLY 7 options you actually need to know (because those blog posts showing you 101 options are just gonna make your head spin!)…

…let’s look at 7 real-life designs we’ve done for clients so you get a first “gut instinct” feeling about the overall look you really want!

White Cabinet Kitchen backsplash ideas

White kitchen with no backsplash, large white windows, white countertops and hardwood floors — **A Breath of Fresh Air: Why We Designed Our Kitchen Island WITHOUT Pendant Lighting!**

I’ll share below about kitchens that don’t “appear” to have a backsplash at first glance…

…at least, not a traditional backsplash! 😉

Modern white kitchen backsplash

If you haven’t made up your mind on whether to go with white cabinets and drawers with your white kitchen backsplash, wood is a lovely way to balance it with some extra warmth!

A kitchen with wood cabinets, white stone countertops with matching stone blacksplash and wood shelves — **Hold Onto Your Shorts: How To Save Big On Quartz!**

European Style kitchen backsplash shelves

Keep in mind that going with a “pure white” kitchen backsplash is near-impossible.

Much smarter to–especially when you have a simple kitchen like we did above–pick a slightly busier marble pattern with some blacks and golds in it.

I did this to help balance the “earthiness” of the rough plaster walls with a more upscale feel from this particular pattern in the marble.

PS: Marble patterns is a subject I’d love to do a whoooooooole big post about!😅 There are thousands of variations!

white kitchen backsplash ideas

Some of the most unique kitchens we’ve designed have used time-honored materials and blended them together to not be too matchy-matchy…

…as well as a good balance of modern and timeless!

My favorite thing is to help people design their

FOREVER KITCHEN

that will never need to be remodeled again!😎

(I’ve talked about how we remodeled our kitchen over a decade ago but when we recently sold our home, people thought it had just been remodeled. THAT, my friend, is when you know you’ve created a truly timeless kitchen!)

Farmhouse kitchen backsplash with white cabinets

A white farmhouse kitchen with white subway tile, butcherblock countertops, hardwood floors and white shelves — **Modern Farmhouse Ideas: 12 Fresh Designs You’ve Never Considered!**

I’ll show you more examples of simple white tile backsplashes and pattern options further below.

Black and white kitchen backsplash

A kitchen with black cabinets, white countertops with matching backsplash — **25 Pros & Cons of Dark vs Light Hardwood Floors: The Ultimate List!**

Grey grout white subway tile backsplash kitchen

A kitchen with white cabinets, wood island, marble countertops and grey grout white subway tile backsplash

White tile backsplash kitchen

Simplify Your Life: My List of the 7 White Backsplash Types to Consider!

This will help your brain!

I’m going to simplify the millions of tile and backsplash options into the only 7 categories you (truly!) need to pay attention to!👇

White Kitchen backsplash with white cabinets

Option #7: Small Tile Patterns!

This could be anything from a small round penny tile to a long rectangular herringbone pattern!

Below are several of the best tiled backsplash examples, from traditional to non-traditional!

a) Chevron pattern

chevron marble

White kitchen backsplash in a chevron pattern with white cabinets and white quartz countertops — *This is an example of a “cool” grey chevron pattern…I’ll show you a warmer option below!*

I like a good chevron pattern when you need movement (depends on your cabinets, windows and more), but…

An off-white kitchen with a chevron tile backsplash behind the stove and white quartz countertops — *This chevron pattern we did with **off white kitchen cabinets** was one of my favorites because it kept the subtlety and warmth!*

…it’s not always my #1 choice. (That’s further below!)

b) Subway style pattern

First, this one’s a subtly-veined marble subway tile against wood cabinets. (Note that the tile is not as glossy as some of the others I’ll show you, which works well with the wood and gives a more handmade-organic feel…)

A timeless kitchen idea with wood cabinets, white quartz countertops, and white subway tile

By contrast, here’s a thin white subway tile against a simple modern white cabinet…

Kitchen backsplash with white cabinets, black hardware and wood floating shelf

A kitchen with a plaster range hood, white subway tile backsplash, white countertops, and wood cabinets

c) Penny Tile

Small white kitchen backsplash idea with penny tile, white cabinets, black hardware, and white quartz countertop — *source*

Sure, you can automatically do penny tile in the standard “penny’ size…but you can also go for something a bit larger (which is just such a fresh look compared to all the standard size millions of other people have!).

Penny tile backsplash with white kitchen cabinets, white stove top and white countertops

d) Textured backsplash tiles

A wood cabinet kitchen with white quartz countertops, a textured white backsplash, and wood floating shelves

I’ve had international clients who LOVE textured tiles like this much more than Americans do, so don’t forget this is also an option! 😉

Modern white kitchen backsplash with texture, wood cabinets, and white countertops

e) Rectangular Modern

Don’t forget that you can run your white tile backsplash BEHIND your shelves and on the interior of your kitchen appliance cabinets (if you want to hide them)!

A farmhouse style kitchen with white perimeter kitchen cabinets, a wood island, marble countertops and a white subway tile backsplash — Grab our useful **Kitchen Organization & Design Guides**

Small White kitchen backsplash

#6: Porcelain Backsplash

If you’re new here, you may not know how much we recommend avoiding grout!

We’ve done porcelain tiles not only in our giant shower remodel (looks like marble! behaves even better!)…

…but for kitchen backsplashes too!

A modern white kitchen with large format porcelain tile backsplash and a large porcelain island — *Minimizing your **grout lines** in your backsplash is a genius move!*

White tile backsplash peel and stick

#5: Peel and Stick Backsplashes (Sometimes 😉 )!

This is not my top recommendation unless you’re a renter, or doing a “testing phase” for an in-between time in your life…

A person installs white subway tile peel and stick backsplash — *source*

…but it IS a valid option I have to mention!

Kitchen backsplash with white cabinets

#4: Glass Backsplashes!

Lest you think all backsplashes need to be made of a tile or stone, let me stop you right there with this pic:

A white kitchen with large glass windows utilized as a no backsplash kitchen idea — See more in my post on **Solid Backsplashes!**

…I don’t want you to forget about using actual glass!

Kitchen with white cabinets, large black grid windows utilized as backsplash and hardwood floors — **No Hardware: 10 Genius Pros + Cons of Kitchen Cabinets Without Handles!**

(Yes, this is a strategic “kitchen backsplash” decision…one of my favorites, actually!) I rarely feel I can get TOO many windows into someone’s kitchen! 😉

Kitchen backsplash ideas with white cabinets

#3: Stone or Brick Backsplashes!

Stacked stone kitchen backsplash idea with white kitchen cabinets, plaster range hood and white quartz countertops

A European style backsplash idea with over grouted stacked stone backsplash, off-white kitchen cabinets and hardwood floors

This could be 100% real thick stone or brick…

White kitchen cabinets with taupe stacked stone backsplash, white quartz countertops and black hardware

…or (which I recommend for many reasons!) a stone-style veneer! You could paint it (like we painted both our stone fireplace and our brick one to get a brighter, more cohesive look), schmear it (if that’s your vibe), or leave as-is!

Over grouted stone backsplash, white perimeter kitchen cabinets, black island, marble countertops and brass hardware — *source: Pure Salt Interiors*

A stone range hood and backsplash idea with white kitchen cabinets, black hardware, hardwood floors, quartz countertops and woven stools

Backsplash for white kitchen

#2: Wood Backsplashes!

Wood is an oft-forgotten option when it comes to backsplashes!

Why?

Most often, people feel afraid of getting it wet in a kitchen, forgetting that it isn’t often your backsplash will get wet! This is ONLY a concern if you truly have your sink in front of a wall (as opposed to in front of a window or in an island as most American homes do)…and still, it’s amazing what paint + wiping off any water you (somehow?) manage to spray over your backsplash immediately will do. 🙂

We even had a painted white wood backsplash in this kitchen of ours, and it worked beautifully!

A timeless white kitchen with white quartz countertops, dark hardwood floors and quartz backsplash — **See our kitchen remodel before & afters!**

You can also do a wood paneling or planking for your backsplash, both behind your standard countertops OR behind your shelves and cabinets! (Looks especially beautiful when they’re exposed or you have open shelving!)

A small butlers pantry with white kitchen cabinets, white quartz countertops, vertical shiplap backsplash, white upper shelving and a wood ladder — See the **21 Kitchen Hacks and Ideas We Did In Our Own Kitchen!**

White backsplash kitchen

#1: Solid Surface Backsplash!

This is my #1 favorite look for a white kitchen backsplash…

…but it still gives you a WORLD of choice!

How?

Well, you can either go with a solid-surface backsplash with a matte or gloss stone like marble:

A timeless backsplash idea with white marble countertop and matching white marble backsplash, brass hardware and light hardwood floors — **Solid Backsplash Behind Stove: The Genius Hack That Saves You Scrubbing!**

…or you can even go with a smooth finish plaster backsplash…

A kitchen with solid surface backsplash, white kitchen cabinets, large windows and a plaster range hood

…and anything in-between!

I won’t get into black backsplashes too much, since you’re here for white ideas, but just in case you forgot how good a black kitchen backsplash can look against white cabinets…

A modern kitchen with a black solid surface backsplash and a black solid surface island with white kitchen cabinets

…there’s your small reminder before we get back to it. 😉

No Backsplash in Kitchen

“What About a Kitchen With No Backsplash?”

Absolutely! You can go “no backsplash” or even low-backsplash in your kitchen, which you’ll see in some photo examples below.

A kitchen with off-white kitchen cabinets, long wood floating shelves, white quartz countertops with a low quartz backsplash — **7 Smart Strategies for Choosing Interior Colors!**

Grey kitchen cabinets, brass hardware, marble countertops with low marble backsplash that matches the countertops

Backsplash ideas for white kitchen

“What backsplash to avoid?”

A kitchen with light blue cabinets, white backsplash, brass hardware, hardwood floors, and white quartz countertops — **5 Storage Mistakes Everyone Makes With Shelves & Cabinets!**

Personally, I recommend avoiding tile backsplashes with a lot of grout.

Why?

It’s a pain to clean! I talk about this in more detail in our solid backsplash article (as well as how we did a massive marble-style, grout-free shower)!

White Backsplash for kitchen

“Is a white backsplash a good idea?”

Off-white kitchen cabinets, timeless solid surface backsplash with matching countertops, large white windows and brass hardware

I love white backsplashes and think they’re a great idea, especially if you have white or off-white kitchen cabinets!

Even with black, wood, or colored cabinets, white is the #1 choice. Why? It’s such a clean look and you hopefully will never have to replace it because you chose something trendy instead of timeless! 😊

PS: If you’re looking for good kitchen cabinet storage ideas, we’ve got that HERE!

Modern kitchen appliance garage with quartz countertop and no backsplash — **The 3 Bonus Cabinet Storage Ideas Every Kitchen Needs!**

Backsplash ideas for kitchen

“What is the best type of backsplash for a kitchen?”

This is a complicated question to answer because it depends on things like

The size of your kitchen
How much natural vs artificial light your kitchen has
The type of cooking you do
What color your cabinets are
The level of cleaning you’re comfortable with…

…and so forth and so on!

I share how I minimize my cleaning time and hide things while still having a beautiful home!🤙

Modern kitchen with wood cabinets, white quartz backsplash and matching quartz countertops. — While we intentionally designed much of this kitchen to look simple on the surface (**wall color** and **no hardware**), we balanced it by introducing pattern in the **solid backsplashes** as well as the herringbone pattern **wood floors!**

Kitchen backsplash ideas

“What backsplash does not go out of style?”

If I can only pick one backsplash that would never go out of style, it would be a solid marble slab.

Kitchen with an all marble island and matching solid surface backsplash with white kitchen cabinets — We guide you how to design your home perfectly (and beautifully) for yourself **HERE!**

Next would be a white or off white wood backsplash, whether solid or paneled (as discussed above with photos)!

If you’re genuinely wanting to create a timeless kitchen (including your backsplash), check out my guide on How to Design a Timeless Kitchen! There I don’t just limit you to backsplashes but ALL materials, how to mix metals, and a long list of the choices you’ll need to take into account to make sure your kitchen NEVER goes out of style!

White kitchen backsplash ideas

“What backsplash goes well with a white kitchen?”

Truly, this depends on which color white you choose…

Farmhouse kitchen backsplash with white cabinets, butcher block countertops, arched window, white farmhouse sink and wood floating shelves

For example, the kitchen above has a unique floor (as does yours), a unique amount of light reflection from that floor, a unique window placement (as does yours, or no window at all!), a unique time of day the sun comes through said window…

…this is why I created a separate post all about how to choose interior color!

light vs dark backsplash

“Should backsplash be lighter or darker than countertop?”

If you do NOT want to wrap your countertop material up the wall as the backsplash as well, you’ll be asking this question about your tile.

Your backsplash tile should compliment your countertop, so it doesn’t necessarily matter whether it’s “lighter or darker”…

…what matters is that it flows with not only your countertop but whatever else is around it, such as your wall color, cabinet color, hardware color, what’s out your windows or in the rooms next to it, etc.

Grey kitchen cabinets with black hardware, solid quartzite backsplash and matching countertop — This client requested a sophisticated kitchen with clean lines, modern-yet-timeless in its subtlety. See why we recommend a **Solid Backsplash Behind Your Stove!**

A kitchen with a brass range hood as the focal point, dark perimeter kitchen cabinets, solid surface white quartz countertops and matching backsplash with a wood island — *Here’s a fun client project we did using a LOT of brass and warm tones to balance out the cool factors happening with the wall covered in stone and the cabinet color.*

White kitchen backsplash ideas 2024

“What is the most popular backsplash right now?”

Unfortunately I think people still feel like they need to choose a small tiled backsplash. Especially if they’re DIYing, tile is a super-easy way to refresh your kitchen backsplash yourself! (Doing solid slabs generally needs a countertop expert to come in and handle for you!)

A kitchen with a solid surface European style kitchen backsplash shelves and wood kitchen cabinets

The thing is, if you’re smart about your outlet placements and can measure well, your large pieces can be cut to fit and you can install yourself or with the help of some DIY-lovin’-friends. 🙂

Please try NOT to go with what’s popular.

Instead, choose a timeless style for your backsplash, and you’ll NEVER go out of style!

Timeless backsplash

“What is the most timeless kitchen backsplash?”

Again, this depends on the things I’ve mentioned above, and the other materials you choose to get a timeless kitchen!

Kitchen with heavy veined marble backsplash, white kitchen shelf above the backsplash and white kitchen cabinets

I’d also recommend tying in your backsplash with the overall color that works best in your kitchen, and I discuss that in my post about my 7 Smart Strategies for Choosing Interior Colors!

Next…

See why you should do drawers instead of cabinets…

…or uplevel your game and grab our Kitchen Organization & Design Bundle today!

You also might also enjoy:

Make Life Easier: 21 Clever Kitchen Organization & Hidden Storage Ideas!
Should you Extend Your Kitchen Cabinets to Ceiling?
Solid Backsplash Behind Stove: The Genius Hack that Saves You!
My 7 Strategies for Choosing Interior Colors!
Or you can peruse our Complete Kitchen Ideas List!

PS: Our complete list of every single home project is viewable HERE!