Your bathroom backsplash is primarily functional. It stops gray water and bathroom products from seeping into the wall. Accumulated splashes and overflows may end up causing water damage and eventually stain your surface, crumble your plaster, and ruin the bathroom.
It can even mess with the structural pillars of your house. Backsplashes from a protective waterproof barrier. But they can be decorative too. They’re a low-stakes way to pick colors and accents from the rest of the room. So let’s review a few top bathroom backsplash ideas.
1. Fire and Marble
If you happen to be a fan of the avatar, you’ll know exactly what I mean. This bathroom gives off distinct fire nation vibes. But even those uninitiated to ATLA and ALOK can appreciate this flaming backsplash. It runs to the ceiling and the backlit mirror and can lights are key.
They catch the golden striation on that black marble creating a molten lava effect. The veining resembles dying embers or hot ashes in the sunset. The round mirror is a nice touch too. It’s hung with a cord rather than being mounted on the wall, and it’s a beautiful aesthetic touch.
2. Tempted to Touch
Here’s another backsplash that stretches to the ceiling. But this one has a tactile appearance. The veining on marble creates an illusion of depth. This backsplash is even more arresting. The tile is dark and flat, but the grooves printed into the surface draw both your eyes and your fingers. You could opt for real texture, but that creates crevices where dirty mold can build up.
3. Shades of Gray
Gray-scale seems boring. It sounds like it would make your bathroom drab. But this bathroom is pretty vibrant. The glossy metallic elements add light and life to the room. The backsplash picks on those numerous shades of gray. It forms a mosaic of oblong tiles in whites and grays. The speckles add texture and the backsplash creates a border between paint and tile.
4. Brick and Backsplash
Bricks are evocative. They call a million nostalgic memories to mind in mere minutes. But they’re also very dated. So if you want the visual pleasure of well-laid bricks … without the retro baggage … try these brick-pattern backsplash tiles. They’re a glossy gray shade with white grouting for effect. They brighten up the counter area too, by catching glints of light.
5. A Bit of Beige
If you’re committed to gray, you can still make it seem colorful. Use smaller tiles and include every shade of gray you can find. This backsplash has some browns as well. From sandy cream tones to darker mahogany and ebony. These dark tones take their color cues from the vase, the vanity cabinets, and the mirror frames. Some of the lighter grays are almost silver.
6. Sinking Sealing
Using a backsplash as an accent is an affordable way to spice up your bathroom. But be careful what you’re drawing attention to. You just might exaggerate a flaw. In this bathroom, the wall is tiled with large tiles in light gray. The backsplash uses smaller glass tiles on darker shades. The wall tiles provide sufficient waterproofing so the backsplash is largely decorative.
7. Puzzling Perspective
Bold design is inspiring. But it can also be jarring. So if you opt for something this daring, consider using it for an en-suite rather than a guest bathroom. Still, if you have the stomach for it, it’s a breathtaking concept. This backsplash uses diagonal lines and patterns to create the illusion of an accordioning wall. The slimmer stripes match the pattern on the countertop.
8. Foils and Coils
For the bold in spirit … but with a softer side … the pointed arches and foils on this tile may be a better fit. The backsplash runs behind the sink and mirror. It starts on the floor and rises to the ceiling. The tiles are decorated with loud florals and multifoil shapes. These shapes have blue and gold line art. The backlit pendant mirror helps bring out some of the subtler shades.
9. White and Light
White bathrooms are popular. They seem pristine. (And you have to work constantly to keep that way!) Plus, they make the room bigger. But it doesn’t have to be all white. In this bathroom, the walls and the vanity are painted mint. The white staggered backsplash brightens the bathroom and unifies it, picking the same glossy white of the toilet and tub.
10. Lean and Green
Minimalist design doesn’t have to be white or metallic. This bathroom achieves it beautifully with a simple two-toned design. The floating shelf is stark concrete topped with twin vessel sinks and two round mirrors. The backsplash – just like the lower half of the wall and the shower curtain – is painted jungle green. Opt for silky paint – it’s easier to wipe splashes off.
11. Rainbows of Brown
How many shades of brown can you name without Googling? Sienna? Beige? Sandy? Khaki? Chocolate? Taupe? Chestnut? They’re probably all in here. The floor is sandy striated tile. The countertop is speckled beige and the cabinets are mahogany. The curtains are rich reddish-brown with embroidered gold florals. The backsplash is a mosaic of all those browns.
12. Modern Rustique
Backlights are shorthand for contemporary couture. Slip a few bulbs behind the mirror and your space is instantly modernized. But if you like that old-school touch, you can mix and match to enhance your style. In this bathroom, the round mirror and floating concrete vanity are ultra-neo décor. But the backsplash is a textured orange wall full of retro charm.
13. Same Style Different Shade
We’ve seen this bathroom in white and green. But by simply changing the tint, you can see how much of a difference it makes. In this version, the colors are inverted so the grayish-white is at the bottom and the matte black is at the top. This can be helpful because it’s easier to spot the splashes and quickly clean them. The curtain, floor, and floating shelf are slate gray.
14. Contrast is King
Using excessively ornate décor can come off as tacky. But over-simplifying everything is boring. So you want to complicate some sections of yo0ur bathroom and ‘dumb down’ others to achieve the perfect balance. Here, a mirror has an intricately carved frame and backlights. It’s mounted over a plain gray backsplash of concrete or tile. It comes together quite nicely.
15. Elliptical Grids
Texture plays a big role in this bathroom. The countertop trinkets are meshed mason jars. And the lattice is simulated by the bulbous embossed cubes on the rectangular vase. To introduce variety, the backsplash uses gray and white mosaic tiles with white grout. Each tile is shaped like a cut-off oval, flattened on its shorter sides. The cylindrical lights add a few more curves.
16. Versailles Façade
We assume pastels will brighten and soften a room. But as you can see here, unless your pair your paint choices with suitable lighting, your bathroom may still look dim. Still, our current focus is on the backsplash so let’s talk about that. It uses Versailles-patterned tiles – a mix of squares and rectangular tiles. All the bathroom colors are included – mint, brown, and gray.
17. Unfinished Sheik
This bathroom isn’t done yet, but you can already see where it’s headed. The backsplash and vanity cabinets use similar shades of gray. But the backsplash is faux wood-patterned tile. The tiles have horizontal stripes that give them a continuous appearance. It pulls your eyes and guides your visual pathway, making the bathroom seem bigger. It’s a nice trick with twin sinks.
18. Above and Below
Home décor is unpredictable but exciting. You have so many options to achieve the same result. And what we’re going for here is unifying color and bring them bathroom together. When you want the same shade of gray above and below the mirror, why not use the same tile? This gray backsplash is broken up by a wall-to-wall mirror before continuing above the glass.
19. Plain and Perfect
Backsplashes stand out. But if you’d prefer something simple and low-fuss, start with a plain white wall. Install a floating shelf and top it with vessel sinks and frameless mirrors. The ‘backsplash’ is just an exposed part of the wall, achieving flawless minimalism. But it’ll be tough to keep it clean. Matte white paint is much tougher to maintain than glossy white tiles.
20. Down the Middle
The spot directly behind the sink is the most sensitive. That’s where most of the splashes and stains end up. So … since glass is easier to clean than tile, this bathroom backsplash idea puts tile on the sides and a massive window in the middle. This sink is rather large for a bathroom, but it’s useful for hand-washing (or baby-washing) so the light levels help a lot.
21. Check the Other Side
The countertop backsplash in this bathroom is pretty simple. It’s a mosaic of gray and white tiles that are vertically staggered. The bathtub backsplash is more interesting. The same brick-patterned white tiles are used on the bathtub coping and its matching backsplash. Dark grouting gives your tiles better definition. The mirror mimics the window in width and scale.
22. Flip and Reverse
Instead of centering the backsplash, this bathroom uses its vessel sinks as a focal point. They have gorgeous cup-like curves. To avoid drawing attention away from their stylish aesthetic, the floating countertop is a muted gray while the backsplash (and wall) are subtle concrete.
23. A Twist in the Shade
The same idea is repeated here – just in a different color. And you can see the difference it makes, both in aesthetics and ambiance. The orange hue could be from painted concrete or red cob soil (a type of mud used to build indigenous huts and off-grid homes).
24. Distinct and Daring
If subtly isn’t your thing, you opt for these kinds of bathroom backsplash ideas. Walking into this bathroom, the backsplash is the first thing you’ll spot. It’s a mosaic of dark tiles that resemble translucent gemstones. And since there’s no mirror above them, they get full focus.
25. Stretch that Countertop
This is the simplest, quickest, and most affordable solution to your backsplash problems. Just use the same material that’s on the countertop and extend it past the corner. This gives your bathroom a unified look and you can save by buying these sandy speckled tiles in bulk. The ones used here have a raw unpolished finish. So if your tile isn’t glossy, seal it before laying.
26. Hints and Panels
This bathroom has a lot of rectangles. They’re cleverly spread out to keep the bathroom cohesive. The door panels are vertical, but the backsplash has oblong tile designs that echo the shape and layout of the mirror. The tiles a white, with a decorated rectangle in the middle that simulates embroidered tapestry. The ‘curb’ is carved to simulate braided rope. So pretty!
27. Grids and Lattices
Bathroom doors are often solid. For privacy. This bathroom has a trellis door that casts lattice shadows all over the bathroom. So while you may want to maintain the basket-weave theme, you don’t want to overdo it. The bathroom backsplash has patterned tile that reverses the lattice with bold blue stars. The white sections mimic the ‘netting’ effect on the door and floor.
28. Sweet and Scalloped
A simple shape can go a long way. This bathroom has a green and gold color scheme with various shades of both. But it’s the white part that draws your eyeballs. The backsplash – and the lower half of the walls – are covered with white scalloped tile. A row of painted ‘fish scales’ forms a boundary between the painted walls and the tiled areas. The top half is painted mint.
29. The Magic of Shiplap
Shiplap (outdoor wood paneling) is generally used to build sheds and clad houses. By using it as a backsplash, you give your bathroom a masculine, industrial feel. In this bathroom, the shiplap covers the entire accent wall. Its gray tone pleasantly contrasts the white sink, brown vanity, and grey floor. The other bathroom walls are painted to match the color on the floor.
30. Linear Levels
Everybody knows vertical lines are slimming while horizontal ones can widen your waistline. But even in a bathroom full of horizontal lines, you can play with texture and color. In this bathroom, everything pulls your eyes laterally. From the wood grain in the mirror frames (and vanity and sidewalls) to the glossy mint tiles stacked horizontally in the backsplash.
31. Marble Marvels
The last of our bathroom backsplash ideas is an expensive one. The countertop and backsplash are made of the same kind of marble. It’s off-white with gray veins. And it’s a continuous slab so it’ll be pricy. More of the same marble lines the shower walls behind the glass door. This makes the backsplash (and countertop) a kind of accent effect that matches the shower.
What type of backsplash are you using in your bathroom? Show us photos in the comments!
