Tiled Splashbacks For Modern And Traditional Kitchens

Ceramic and porcelain tiles make excellent splashbacks. They are incredibly versatile and can be styled to complement both modern and traditional kitchens. You just need to choose the right customisation options along the way.

Customising Tiles For A Modern Kitchen

To produce a streamlined modern look for your splashback, you are better-off choosing rectified tiles. These are ceramic or porcelain tiles that have been precisely machine-cut so that each one is an exact size. The edging of each becomes flat and sharp. This trimming process takes place after the tiles are taken out of the kiln. 

Other customisation options for the tiled splashback are about grout thickness and colour. Choosing extremely skinny grout lines rather than thicker ones will create the smoothest effect. Also, matching the grouting and tile colour will disguise the joins even more. You will need to choose the tile size as well. Rectified tiles are often installed in large-format sizes to produce a continuous, unified look. Glancing across a surface of sharp-edged tiles, you will notice that it is very flat and smooth. Overall, all these customisation choices combined will produce a minimalist splashback that evokes a modern feel. 

Choosing Tiles For A Traditional Kitchen

Ceramic or porcelain tiles, though, are also perfectly at home in a traditional kitchen. You just need to make different customisation choices. You could start by choosing traditional rather than rectified tiles. After exiting the kiln, tile-edges naturally curve inwards. This softer effect will complement a traditional kitchen better than sharp-edged rectified tiles. Then, because you're using traditional tiles, some other decisions naturally follow. Thicker grout lines will be necessary. This is because each tile-size naturally varies after baking ever so slightly. The thicker grout lines help to disguise these little discrepancies and to even up the tiling. If fine grout lines were used, the tiles might not precisely line up, and their different sizes would become more apparent. 

Your options are open, however, when choosing the grout colour. You might match the tile shade or else use a contrasting grout colour that draws attention to each tile shape. Another possibility is to choose a neutral grey. If you scan across the surface of traditional tiling, you will notice that it is not entirely flat. Along the grout lines, the tiling gently curves inwards, forming subtle valleys. This movement combined with the apparent grout lines creates a more organic, warm appearance, creating a splashback that blends flawlessly with traditional kitchens.

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