Splashback tiles.

More than protection. A splashback is the one tiled surface in the home that sits at standing eye level. It sets the design tone of the entire kitchen. Treat it as a feature, not a utility — it is what guests notice first.

Height changes everything. A standard 600mm splashback reads conventional. Bench-to-rangehood adds presence. Bench-to-ceiling reads as a designed wall and works particularly well with handmade tiles and natural stone slabs. Decide the height before you choose the tile.

Matching style to kitchen. Zellige suits character homes and any space that wants warmth and handmade variation. Subway is the safe timeless default. Marble-look reads luxe and considered. Large-format porcelain slab reads minimalist and contemporary, with the thinnest possible grout joint.

Heat and oil. No genuine porcelain or ceramic tile has a heat issue behind a residential cooktop. Grout is the weaker link — specify a polymer-modified grout in a narrow joint behind the cooktop and oil and steam will not stain or weaken it.

The 150mm rule. The National Construction Code requires non-combustible lining within 150mm of any gas burner. Porcelain, ceramic and stone tiles all satisfy this requirement comfortably. Confirm with your tiler if using any non-standard material.

Grout colour — pick a side. Tone-matched grout is the professional standard and produces a calm surface. Contrast grout on subway reads graphic and intentional. The wrong choice is a colour that is neither matched nor deliberately contrasted. Ask us →