10 Backsplash Upgrades That Made the Kitchen the Best Part of the House

Nobody plans a home renovation around a backsplash. They plan it around countertops, kitchen cabinets, a kitchen island in the right place. But these 10 homeowners found that the backsplash was the thing that pulled the whole interior design together — and turned their kitchen into the room nobody wanted to leave. Sometimes the smallest upgrade changes everything.

• We used a popular brand of peel and stick tiles. It cost about $400 CAD to do, and took probably 5 hours total. Nothing in our kitchen is level, so it was really tough, and we were really picky about getting as close to perfect as possible. It also didn’t help that the tiles would rip up the paint immediately, so there was no repositioning a tile once it was down (unlike how it was advertised). Likely due to poor painting of the kitchen I think. We will see in a few years how “rental friendly” these tiles actually are when it’s time to pull them off. I have my doubts. But such a great glow up in the mean time. © shockwavelol / Reddit
• GORGEOUS. If they still look great on move out, you might want to ask the landlord if they even want you to remove them at all. We made a few “modifications” to our last rental our landlord was more than happy for us to not reverse. © tourmalineforest / Reddit

Tips & tricks: Applying peel-and-stick tile straight onto poorly painted walls is why tiles rip up the paint when repositioning — as this renovation found out firsthand. Priming and painting the wall properly first (or applying the tiles over a smooth, cured painted surface) gives the adhesive a clean bond and makes repositioning actually possible.

Tips & tricks: Applying peel-and-stick tile straight onto poorly painted walls is why tiles rip up the paint when repositioning — as this renovation found out firsthand. Priming and painting the wall properly first (or applying the tiles over a smooth, cured painted surface) gives the adhesive a clean bond and makes repositioning actually possible.

Tips & tricks: Tiling directly over old, uneven drywall without checking for flatness first is how bumps and shadows show up under new tile later. A quick check with a level across the wall before tiling — and skim-coating any dips — keeps the finished surface looking flush.

Tips & tricks: Choosing grout color without testing it against the actual tile first is an easy way to end up with a look that clashes once it’s cured — grout dries lighter than it looks wet. Testing a small grout sample against a spare tile and letting it fully dry is worth doing before grouting the whole wall.

• Please make sure you never tell any family or friends you did this DIY. You will forever be asked to help them do theirs. © Lyleadams / Reddit

Tips & tricks: Starting a herringbone pattern from a corner instead of the center of a focal point (like the window here) is what causes misalignment by the time the pattern reaches the edges. Working outward from the center of the most visible area first keeps the pattern symmetrical, even around obstacles like a window.

• Very striking! It’s so unusual. I l love it! © Famous-Carpenter-275 / Reddit

Tips & tricks: Picking a bold, unusual tile pattern without checking how it reads against existing cabinet and counter colors is an easy way to end up with a clash rather than a complement. Holding a physical tile sample up against the actual counters and cabinets before ordering avoids that mismatch.

• I think it’s beautiful—great taste, great execution. If this isn’t perfect, you’re invited to do something imperfect at my house anytime. © Acrobatic_Horror5816 / Reddit

Tips & tricks: Choosing a tile that requires heavy cutting for an oddly shaped wall — like around outlets, windows, or corners — is what drives installation costs up fast, as this $15k project shows. Picking a tile size or pattern that naturally works with the wall’s existing dimensions cuts down on cutting and labor cost significantly.

Tips & tricks: Replacing a backsplash without also confirming the new hardware and fixtures share a consistent finish (brass, nickel, black) is a common way to end up with a kitchen that feels disjointed even after a full refresh. Choosing one metal finish across hardware, faucet, and light fixtures first ties everything together before the backsplash goes in.

• Oh my goodness. This is an amazing before and after! I never would have guessed this was the same tile painted. It looks amazing and completely changed the entire feel of the space. © Forgotmyusername8910 / Reddit

Tips & tricks: Assuming old tile has to be torn out to update its look overlooks a much cheaper option — tile-specific bonding primer and paint, like used here, can transform dated tile as a temporary fix while saving for a full replacement. Skipping the bonding primer step is the main reason painted tile projects fail early; it’s what keeps the paint from chipping off with normal kitchen use.

• This is a huge dream of mine! Your tiles came out absolutely beautiful. The color is stunning and every tile looks perfect. © pigeontheoneandonly / Reddit

Tips & tricks: Making hundreds of handmade tiles without testing a few in the kiln first for size and glaze consistency is a costly mistake to discover after firing an entire batch — clay shrinks unevenly depending on thickness and glaze. Firing a small test batch of 5-10 tiles first catches sizing and color issues before committing the effort to 400 of them.

New countertops get the credit. Cabinet painting gets noticed. The kitchen island gets used. But these 10 homeowners know which decision actually pulled their kitchen design together — the backsplash nobody thought was the most important choice. One upgrade, the right wall, and suddenly the whole home renovation made sense. The kitchen became the best part of the house. It started with the backsplash.

Read next: 12 Handmade Pieces That Prove Crafting Heals Better Than Words