What are the negative aspects of foregoing a kitchen backsplash? 9

Backsplashes = solution! We purchased a house built in 1993 that has FORMICA backsplashes thru all the workspace in the kitchen…and it’s marvelous. Have encountered many different attempts at backsplashes in 10 homes over 50 years..and pretty much disliked them all..until this application. The walls are smooth with no pattern to try to work around when decorating, clean up so very easily and the room is painted the exact soft blue as the laminate, so it looks like the walls are just paint. I don’t know why designers haven’t used this technique more aggressively in the past. Certainly makes for a clean, streamlined look without the horror of having to scrub/repaint drywall that’s exposed to the slings and arrows of an active cook’s kitchen!

I agree almost 100% with everything being said... except for the kitchen backsplash thing. I have had painted wall (no special paint nor sealer, just regular washable wall paint) for 20 years. I've painted it over once and for the stylistic reasons. Quick wipe is just what you need for the maintenance with occasional water and sponge. Same things you'd use for tiles or whatever other materials. The paint doesn't absorb grease or stain. And should it do so, it's easy to paint it over. Should you decide to change the color scheme, it's way easier with paint - tiles and other sort of backsplashes need extensive, not to mention expensive replacement work.

Our home is 17 years old and never had a backsplash. I've been torn about this since we bought it ten years ago. I don't want it to look too busy. I'll have to get going on that project. Thank you, love the show.

THANK YOU for this. I like reading Renovation shows. For those of us who cook all the time, Backslash saves a lot of extra work. Also oil and dust will always settle on open shelves and anything on them.

When we moved into our home, the first thing we did was install tile backsplash around the range and sink. Not mentioned here was the 'open shelving' concept. They look 'groovy', but are nothing but grease and dust catchers.
Except for reading lights, we converted all fixtures to indirect, with dimmers. Personally, I think chandeliers in a bathroom are ridiculous, as are bathtubs in the bedroom. I mean, why!? Another horror: we stayed a hotel that had a sliding 'barn door' for the bathroom, which gave us no privacy at all.

The first thing I would ask any kitchen designer: "Do you cook?" and for the 'salle de bain': "Do you actually clean your bathroom?" If "No", they don't get hired. As a general rule, 'trendy' design dates almost immediately.

My builder left me without kitchen backsplashes because he said the house has to settle for a year! Anyway I placed a variety of Wooden boards (I love light coloured woods with different grain patterns) leaning against the walls all around the Stove- Air Fryer - coffee machine - anywhere splashes stain the unscrubbable flat paint finish (another ridiculous thing builder insisted on - I wanted Latex Eggshell paint). I am 100% for Function over Form! You have to be able to scrub any surface clean! I also regret the very expensive (to me) Granite counters which I have a fear of cracking with too hot pots or too cold frozen items out of the freezer! I have put literally dozens of bright green or black silicone mats everywhere to use as trivets and now, being elderly and ill, I cannot stand up long enough to do all the daily wiping down these counters require. So, I just cover it all with layers of paper towel which I replace when required. Looks like h*ll but who cares! Paper towel is required, also, because of the stone’s pattern, my elderly husband could not see where he was spilling mustard etc on the counters and leaving spills to harden and possibly stain deep into the porous stone. The installer put only one sealant coat on granite and since I have asthma which is very reactive to solvents & sealants, I cannot tolerate the smell of stone sealant when it is curing - I would have to move out - so I cannot do additional layers of sealant myself. I wish I had got laminate like we had in our old house!

Huge THANK YOU for this. Impractical design is the opposite to design.

We have ancient laminate countertops but the backsplash rolls seamlessly up to the wall cabinets (countertop and backsplash are all once piece). 100% recommend. No crevices to trap gunk. I don't care that it's dated and not fashionable.