Move over boring backsplashes, it’s time to up the style quotient and impress your personality on your kitchen with a jaw droppingly awesome tile backsplash. I personally love a statement making tile – you can keep all the other elements in your kitchen conservative, or cost effective even, and then add an amazing tile to your kitchen to elevate it to something truly special.

Tile magically blends three characteristics – colour, shape and pattern. I’m sharing some of my favourite ideas to demonstrate what’s possible:

1. ONE COLOUR + SHAPE

Amazingly simple, but impactful.

These two examples show the difference between using a bold colour and a more subdued colour in a similarly proportioned tile. Both backsplashes are laid in grid or stack pattern, but one is vertical and the other horizontal.

Either way, it’s a modern and fresh look that is simple to replicate.

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2. SAME SHAPE, VARIED COLOUR

A number of tile manufacturers are creating tiles that come in a variation of tones within the same colour.

The varying shades of green tiles in the first kitchen have a soft effect, whereas the wide variation shown in the blue tiles of the second kitchen are a lot bolder and more dramatic. The random placement of the tiles creates a hand crafted and more organic feel to the kitchen backsplash.

I personally adore this look.

3. GEOMETRIC PATTERNED TILES

Neutral lovers, there is still opportunity to make your own statement – case in point, this stunning beige and white toned backsplash that quietly makes its’ point.

Gorgeous, right?

And then on the opposite end of the spectrum is this high contrast geometric patterned tile that demands you pay attention to it. No coffee required with this pattern to wake you up!

4. ONE PATTERN, ROTATED

This unique kitchen backsplash is created using one style of tile – I know, it looks more complex than that. The tiles have been rotated to make the custom pattern – pretty clever eh?

5. TWO COLOUR MIXED PATTERN

These next two examples require complete adoration and commitment – either you will love or hate this type of backsplash. Both use two colours only, but the mix of pattern on the tile is what makes each of these applications unique. No two installations would be the same – the pattern options are infinite. Regardless of the colour, these are both bold, statement making choices.

6. SAME SHAPE, MULTIPLE COLOURS CREATES NEW PATTERNS

This first backsplash has been on my ‘love it’ list for several years now – using 6 colours a stripe effect has been achieved in this gorgeous mid-century kitchen. By contrast the second example takes a quieter approach – it’s still made up of mini-diamonds but with a less colour and a random approach to colour placement. The same style tile looks entirely different.

Keeping with the hexagon idea, this backsplash uses the same shape tile with the same pattern on the tile, but by using multiple colours and rotating the tiles randomly  a unique, visually interesting pattern is created.

7. DIMENSIONAL TILE

Dimensional tile has to be one of my favourites. I love how the light catches the texture in the tile surface.

In a kitchen you want to be careful how much dimension a tile has as no-one wants to spend more time cleaning than is necessary!

With all these examples, the tile backsplash is allowed to be the ‘star of the show’ – counters and cabinetry play a supporting role with simple, clean lines that allow the beauty of the tile to shine through.

I don’t know about you, but I’d be happy with any one of these backsplashes in my home. Are you ready to embrace these personality filled tiles in your kitchen?

For more inspiration, head to my Pinterest tile board.