Last Updated on December 2, 2021 by Kimberly Crawford
When it comes to remodeling or overhauling details for the kitchen, everything should be well coordinated for it to have a real revamped look. From countertops, flooring, walls, and cabinetry, all must be on point.
A kitchen backsplash is also a gorgeous addition especially in sprucing up white kitchen cabinets.
If you are looking for some kitchen backsplash ideas for white cabinets, here are some looks that you can consider. Sift through this list and find one that would match your kitchen’s white cabinets.
40+ Best Kitchen Backsplash Ideas and Designs For White Cabinets
From classics, statement kitchen backsplash ideas, to cozy and out of the box backsplash, here are some of the most notable and stylish kitchen backsplash ideas for white cabinets.
Tile backsplash ideas
Tile is considered a classic and for many good reasons. Aside from being more practical than other materials, they are also easy to install and maintain. Here are some tile backsplash ideas for a kitchen with white cabinets.
Subway tiles
Versatile, classy, and very accessible, white subway tiles for a white cabinet backsplash are the perfect choice for traditional, farmhouse, modern, and industrial style kitchens. Neutral grouting adds a chic plus to this look.
The muted tones of a mint backsplash using these colored subway tiles are also a classy and spruced up touch to this white cabinetry with some brass accents. Laidback and warm, this is a gorgeous revamp for an old kitchen.
Deco tiles
If you want a rustic, homey, and a well-accented kitchen with white cabinets, going for a decorative tile ranging from the stenciled ones, to the Moroccan and oriental style deco tiles are always a good idea if you want to have a standout backsplash kitchen look.
This one here gives this traditional kitchen a more playful and balanced look.
Glass tiles
If you want an eco-friendlier take on tile backsplash, using reclaimed glass tile offers a lot of edgy looks to a kitchen.
Non-absorbent, low maintenance, and reflective, they are very workable for any room including the kitchen with white cabinets. This idea proves how glass tiles are made for elevating kitchen feels.
Mosaic tiles
With the range of colors among mosaic tiles, laying down one for a kitchen backsplash is the perfect two-tone, gradient, or solid accenting for backsplash walls including a kitchen with white cabinets.
Keeping it clean and very fresh and invigorating, this apple green and white mosaic tile here emphasizes the elegant tones of an off-white cabinetry.
Geometric tiles
Adding drama and boldness to a white, shaker cabinetry would be this charcoal black, diamond tiles offer the classic black and white contrast to a kitchen.
It is also a fine choice for small kitchens because the balance gives it a taller, more spacious look.
For a more nautical and luxurious vibe, this is another geometric, backsplash tile accenting bright white, minimal cabinetry and stainless-steel details.
The complementing, blue and white valance and brass faucet are all so on point.
Related: 23 Different Types Of Ovens and Brands (Buying Guide)
Hexagonal tiles
The uniform look of white hexagonal tiles with white grouting along with white cabinetry could give you a very cohesive looking kitchen.
The row of white hexagons at the backsplash in this idea give this kitchen a lot of modern, chic, and Scandinavian vibe, making it a timeless view.
And if an all-white kitchen looks very bare and muted for you in spite of the uniform look, give it a bit of an upgrade by using gold grout instead of the traditional colors used for it. The metallic flair of this look gives it a low-key, yet opulent look.
Grey, boho tiles
We are so used to colorful, bohemian tiles but this patterned, gray and speckled white boho tiles are something to root for to give a dramatic charm to your kitchen backsplash especially that it neutrally contrasts with white cabinets and this complementing grey boho kitchen runner rug. The grounded look of this kitchen is unmatched.
Black brick backsplash
An all-white kitchen can be numbing and bare so to keep an emboldened look to a white kitchen with white cabinetry, a black brick backsplash could give you an accented space that would give you a lot of minimalist and contemporary style.
This one is a real tonal work that you should totally consider.
Blue chevron glass tiles
If you are going for a coastal, even a tropical look if you may, this different take on the farmhouse chevron pattern might be the solid color pop for the kitchen backsplash that you need to spruce up the rows of white cabinets.
Energizing and calming at the same time, this look is a kitchen oasis.
Speaking of a blue chevron tile, this powder blue look with white grouting easily gives you a modern, rustic feel in the kitchen. We love how it sets a bolder color flush for these traditional white cabinets.
Marble backsplash
Light and very airy, this marble work for the backsplash gives this modern farmhouse a very sophisticated look.
Speaking of a uniform and very luxurious look, the marble detailing here gives this kitchen a very clean visual focus with lots of crisp colored details and it works beautifully.
Stacked stone backsplash
If you have a lot of preference for natural colors and organic tones, the traditional stacked stone backsplash for the kitchen, accompanied by white cabinetry is the perfect kitchen symmetry that you are looking for.
Featuring conventional shaker cabinets, the beige and brown combo of the stacked stone backsplash is a perfect choice.
Related: Everything You Need To Know About Shaker Kitchen
Iridescent tiles
The kitchen and the bare, white cabinets could use a lot of natural glow. If you are not down for glass tiles, the glistening effect of iridescent tiles just makes an all-white kitchen character and uniqueness.
Positioning the details in the right places could also affect the glow of iridescent tiles.
Interlocking, brown glass tiles
If you are not an avid fan of grey and black stacks, the warmth of brown glass tiles, contrasted on brown marble countertops and rich wood flooring are all the neutral feels that you need to accentuate the white cabinets of a rustic kitchen.
Clean, polished, and cozy, everything just feels and looks very seamless.
Mid-century modern kitchen backsplash
Modernity and function, geometric, panel tiles are something that could give you a leveled look for a minimalist kitchen with white cabinets.
The well-curated choice of designs, patterns, and grains, for the backsplash, flooring, and countertop all give this a very modern, revamped look.
Penny tiles
Penny tiles with a matte finish have always been incorporated in modern, farmhouse styles and rustic kitchens and they never disappoint to that end.
The wood details, brick walls, stainless steel accents in the appliances, and the semi-distressed look of the cabinets might be conventional but the balance here is so hard to miss.
Unorthodox marble tile cuts
The irregular grains of marble along with its polished surface are well cut-out for kitchen wall backsplashes.
Cut with the shape of leaves and grouted with bright white, this is a fine choice to incorporate unorthodox beauty to a kitchen with white cabinets.
The same grained marble slab countertop is used so you still get a uniform look for this one.
Faux brick kitchen backsplash
If you want to have more texture, and dynamic angles in your kitchen with white cabinets, this faux brick kitchen backsplash idea is a beautiful look to take inspiration from.
Stacked for most of the surface, the minimal addition of this chevron pattern by the gas range gives this a real revamped, soothing space.
Sea glass mosaic tiles
The coastal vibe in the kitchen is just a cheery look especially if you begin to incorporate multi-colored kitchen backsplashes.
For this one, a sea glass replica featuring turquoise, seafoam green and blue colors are very energizing.
Segmented marble panels and shiplap
This eclectic, white kitchen features a speckled grey and white marble backsplash with a shiplap top half and complementing countertop are all you need to offer a patterned and multi-angled look to a white kitchen.
Everything looks so ergonomic and laidback and this kitchen look here speaks volumes.
Brushed metal
Veering away from the conventionality of tiles, natural stones, and matte finish slabs, using brushed metal offer a lot of modern minimalism, and an era-relevant look for a kitchen backsplash and white cabinets.
This especially works for stainless-steel, wood, and stone details in the kitchen design.
Painted glass backsplash
Of course, the subway tile backsplash is classy and ethereal, but the beauty of painted glass offers a lot of colored sophistication which literally and figuratively make your kitchen shine.
Using this in a white cabinet gives it an ultra-urban vibe and standout cosmopolitanism.
Retro look backsplash
If you want to have a traditional, vintage looking kitchen, a backsplash of black and white square tiles can give you such a graphic look fitting for a retro kitchen.
The indented shelf by the gas range sporting the same retro tile gives it a lot of cohesiveness.
Fish scale tiles
The run for cheerful backsplash tiles never really ends and this customized fish scale kitchen backsplash here really levels up the white cabinets of this supposedly traditional style kitchen.
Speckled with powder blue, mint, seafoam green, and white the fish scale tiles plus the brass hardware of the white cabinets give it a very playful vibe.
Two-toned kitchen backsplash
Classic subway tiles can stand out on their own but incorporating a black and white deco tile over the gas range backsplash are all it takes to create a standout kitchen look and this idea here gives this kitchen a highly decorative look.
The overall sleekness of this kitchen is beautiful beyond measure.
Spanish tiles
We are so used to the very colorful tones of Spanish tiles but the muted ensemble of this one still gives the white cabinets an elevated look.
The lines of crisp, white cabinets and bright white, marble countertop as well as the stainless-steel details of this kitchen arrangement give you an intersection of a Mediterranean old town and modern whites.
Solid monochromes
Remodeling a tiny kitchen can be more challenging than spacious ones. One of the best solutions to this would be going for moody, solid monochromes like this one here.
The zinging splash of this bright orange kitchen backsplash and the hidden lights are just what it took to spruce this compact kitchen up.
Pegboard backsplash
The color of this deep red backsplash is one thing but using a pegboard where you could hang kitchen utensils provides a lot of minimalist yet streamlined effect to a cook station like this one here.
The stainless-steel finishing of the countertop, the island, faucet, and floating shelves, are so modern and sleek.
Wood laminate backsplash
The usefulness and warm, earthy beauty shall never disappoint and using a lightweight, matte finished wood laminate backsplash for the kitchen with white cabinets is one thing to consider like this one here.
You can choose from various wood grains, and stains and they are fairly easy to install. Sometimes, it is the only color contrast you need to keep this all-white kitchen very balanced.
Mural backsplash
Stained glass as a kitchen backsplash is another material that gives any kitchen a lot of luxurious look. While it is already stand out on its own, a customized, mural backsplash using stained glass give a kitchen a lot of personal touches.
From photographs to scenic views, you can have a lot of murals to choose from. This one is a simple mural backsplash but it sure does wonder to this kitchen.
White granite with ceramic vining
If you want to go more elegant and give your kitchen a minimal dash of opulence, this white granite backsplash sporting ornate vine strands made of ceramic tiles make a very stunning kitchen accent especially around white cabinetry.
You do not even need grouting here plus the natural shine of the vine strands make up for an iridescent glow.
Herringbone peel and stick backsplash kitchen wall
We owe the light and airy look of this all-white kitchen to this white herringbone peel and stick backsplash. Cost-efficient and easy to install, the herringbone pattern offers a clean and sophisticated look for this compact kitchen.
Carrara marble backsplash
There is just something very luxe about the grey grains and polished slab of Carrara marble as a kitchen backsplash for white cabinets. With those accents of gold fixtures, handles, and personalized vent, you get this white-on-white opulence like no other.
Elongated glass tiles
The vintage look and worn-out vibe of this kitchen with white cabinets are all thanks to this backsplash of elongated, hexagonal glass tiles.
The old world feel of this kitchen is also commendable with the dark contrast of the tile and the color splashes from the stylish furnishings of the adjacent dining area.
Related: 36 Different Types of Dining Room Chairs (Materials, Designs, Styles)
Countertop to ceiling backsplash wall
The angled details of this kitchen with white cabinets offer a lot of modern, chic look and a grand, cohesive design, overall.
The countertop to ceiling idea for the kitchen backsplash is a recent remodeling take on conventional kitchens and by the looks of this one here, it sure is outstanding.
Graphic wallpaper backsplash
A more customizable and practical choice for kitchen backsplashes with white cabinets would be using graphic wallpapers.
For one, this bright and sunny all-white kitchen here made the vibe more cheerful and inviting with those minimal yellow trims and the optical illusion from the graphic wallpaper backsplash.
Travertine stone backsplash
Infusing old European towns and a lot of Mediterranean flair to your kitchen, opting for the old-world charm of travertine stone framing the cabinets and the countertop complement not only these conventional, white shaker cabinets but also wood hood range up there.
Travertine is unusual as a backsplash wall but this idea here proves that it works.
FAQs
What backsplash goes best with white cabinets?
Given the range of materials and colors that are made for a wall backsplash, choosing the right one might be more challenging than how it looks. According to a 2020 kitchen interior designing, the following are the perfect backsplash that would go well with white cabinets:
- Wood
- Brick and natural stones
- Solid paint
- Window
- Deco tiles
- Peel and stick
- Colored grouting
- Patterned and mosaic tiles
What is the best backsplash for small kitchens?
Small kitchens could benefit a lot from backsplashes that could give them an illusion of space. As such, here are some of the best backsplashes for compact kitchens:
- Stained glass
- Iridescent tiles
- Slim-cut tiles
- Natural colored tiles
- Mosaic tiles
- Decorative tiles
What is the most popular kitchen backsplash?
Of all the materials used in kitchen backsplashes, tile remains to be the most popular. Given the range of colors, styles, and textures of tiles, you can have different looks for the kitchen depending on what you choose.
Subway tiles are the most popular backsplash tile but porcelain, ceramic, mosaic, deco, stone, and glass tiles also would not disappoint.
What is the easiest kitchen backsplash to DIY?
DIY-ing your kitchen backsplash is not just cost-efficient but also fun to do and gives it a lot of customized appeal.
The easiest one to install DIY would be peel and stick wall backsplash. For a more sustainable, long-term, and low maintenance choice, DIY tiling is also very workable.
What are the alternatives to tile backsplashes?
While popular, there is more to kitchen backsplashes than just the use of tile. If you want to go more upscale or out of the box, here are eight alternatives to tile backsplashes that you must consider:
- Reclaimed wood
- Vinyl wallpaper
- Venetian plasters
- Glass
- Stone slabs and panels
- Chalkboard paint
- Metal, brass, copper, stainless steel
- Thermoplastic backsplash
Should backsplash be lighter or darker than cabinets?
As per standard, if the cabinets are lighter colored, darker toned backsplash give it more depth and texture. Conversely, if the cabinets and countertops are darker colored, lighter toned backsplash is recommended in giving it a softer balance.
Should the countertop match the kitchen backsplash?
Not necessarily but of course, the countertop should match the kitchen backsplash. For this, you have to make a calculated choice like stone on stone, marble on marble, subway tiles and solid colors, neutrals, color balances, and textured tones, etc.
Which granite looks best with white cabinets?
According to Arch City, the following are considered as the best granite choices when it comes to backsplashes for white cabinets:
- White granite
- Black pearl granite
- Black marinace granite
- Blue pearl granite
- Calacatta quartzite
- Colonial white granite
- Giallo ornamental granite
- Silver waves granite
- Volga blue granite
- Steel grey granite
Are white cabinets out of style?
No. White cabinets are timeless, especially for country chic, modern minimalist and contemporary design kitchens. The other colors that have been making waves for stylish cabinet colors would be cooler tones of green, blue, grey, and two-toned kitchen cabinets.
Are short backsplashes out of style?
Yes, sort of. Modern updates on kitchen backsplashes now streamlines backsplashes that extend from the countertop to the cabinets instead of just putting an accented backsplash over the gas range or stove.
Why do you need a backsplash behind the gas range or stove?
This might not be known to everyone but backsplashes behind the stove or gas range are beneficial in protecting the appliances from oil splatters and grease.
By choosing a backsplash that could easily be wiped out or cleaned, not prone to discoloration, durable and non-absorbent, you can get more function than just aesthetics.
Conclusion
The best thing about white kitchen cabinets or white kitchens in general is that they are very accommodating, color and design wise.
When it comes to kitchen backsplash for white cabinets, the choice is unlimited: from stones, wallpapers, tiles, and more, you can easily incorporate one material that best suits your taste.
The real trick here is to master the art of color and material layering or build on your pre-chosen ideas and give it a personal tweak.
With all that we have covered here, there should be enough ideas for you to rummage if you feel like remodeling your kitchen with a backsplash kick.