Why Our Clients Started To Ask Vertical Tile Backsplash?
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Let’s be completely real for a second: even I’m recommending the classic white subway tile designs on Reddit or Medium. Because you know, it’s safe. But recently, our clients just changed my mind! Homeowners and interior designers are asking repeatedly for a specific design (of course, we’re familiar with it, but it has never been that popular before). The hottest Pinterest kitchen trend they are all obsessing over? The vertical tile backsplash.
Having worked with kitchen backsplash tiles for decades, we can confidently tell you this isn’t just a fleeting social media trend. It’s an architectural magic trick, and the best part: it really works! Let’s sit down and talk about why flipping your tile upright is the absolute best thing you can do for a modern kitchen interior design.
We Know Why Vertical Tile Backsplash Became The New Pinterest Trend!
The most frequent feedback we hear from clients during consultations is, “My kitchen feels so small, and the ceilings are too low.” They think they need to knock down walls to fix it.
I’ll let you in on a designer secret: you just need to change the visual direction of the room. A vertical tile backsplash draws your eye straight up to the ceiling. It is literally an optical illusion, a harmless one, even a really good one without being extra. By maximizing the backsplash height between your counters and upper cabinets, a modern vertical kitchen backsplash makes the entire room feel larger than it actually is.
Type A or Type B in the Context of Design? Stacked vs. Offset Layouts
If you want a modern, Type A kind of look (clean girl but as an interior design), perfectly crisp look, you want a vertical stacked subway tile backsplash (where every tile lines up in a perfect grid).
But if you want something a bit softer, maybe with a cozy cafe energy, we suggest a vertical offset backsplash. This staggers the tiles like a brick wall turned on its side. It breaks up the rigid lines while still giving you all the height benefits of a vertical subway tile backsplash.
10 Vertical Tile Backsplashes We Are Actually Installing Right Now
1) If You Need More Light in Your Dark Kitchen
If your kitchen is dark and doesn’t get enough daylight, you need materials that bounce light. In our hands on trials with small kitchens, glass backsplash tiles are the cure for you. While a black glass tile gives the gloss and Dark Academia vibes you need, a brown matte glass tile backsplash feels incredibly chic and breezy.
Craving warmth instead? I’d go for a caramel look design that I am completely obsessed with! Need a lighter and more modern option among the others? A light gray ceramic backsplash is the perfect kitchen tile option you’ll get.
2) The "I Have To Touch It" Textures
Some kitchens just need a soul and a little bit of texture. A zellige look tile in a darker blue shade absolutely nails the handmade look tiles trend; it has rippled, imperfect edges that catch the under cabinet lighting beautifully. (I literally catch myself running my hands over our showroom displays of this one).
If you want an earthy, European vibe, I know what you should get IMMEDIATELY! A stone look porcelain backsplash tile. If you’re in love with the look of natural stone tiles but are not sure about getting one for your backsplash, then you can choose an option that is easier to clean and maintain.
3) Feels Like Moonlight Sonata: Moody Backsplashes
For my clients who aren’t afraid of the dark: I see you. Dark sides are real and we don’t deny them! We recently installed the black zellige look tile in a modern loft, and the result was jaw dropping, at least mine was dropped. Stacking a black kitchen backsplash tile vertically behind a stove creates a moody, deeply emotional focal point that will live in your head rent free.
4) Little Black Dresses (Except They’re White!)
You can’t talk about kitchens without talking about white tiles and marble tiles. But how do we make it go beyond the extra classic and average designs? The Blanco Real Glossy Eren is my favorite white ceramic accent wall tile right now because of its pattern. It’s not a classic white subway tile backsplash; it’s more, and you’ll see it when you order one. And if you really want to flex, take a classic Calacatta Gold marble subway tile and install it upright.
Want To Get A Quick Pro Tip on Vertical Tile Backpslash?
Here is a common designer secret for achieving this look: it’s all about balance! If you are putting strong, commanding lines on your walls with a vertical tile backsplash, you need to let your kitchen floor tiles be the quiet supporting actor. Keep your floors large, seamless, and neutral to ground the space safely. As an example, give black kitchen floors a chance and watch how your kitchen goes out of its league.
Order A Sample & See Which is the True One For Vertical Layout
Designing a kitchen should be exciting, not exhausting. If you are tired of the same old horizontal brick lay, it is time to flip the script. A vertical tile backsplash gives your space the height, energy, and personality it desperately needs. Explore Stone Tile Depot’s clearance tile collections , order a few samples, and let’s finally build a kitchen you actually obsess over every time you walk into it.