Help! Do We Need a Backsplash?

Our stovetop is like those in many apartments, with a flimsy microwave vent above it and a plain white wall behind. There's no beautifully tiled backsplash, not even a stainless steel one or a piece of glass. So far, so good—we haven't had any major splatters...

Almost everything that might splash or spurt out of the pan sits on one of the front burners. The stuff closest to the wall, if anything, is a slow simmering pot or boiling water.

Then again, we've only been in this apartment for six months. Over time, we're sure the white wall will get discolored or dirty. We'll probably wait until that point to do something, as redecorating isn't in the budget right now. But it got us thinking: Does everyone have a backsplash but us? Do you? Or is our plain, painted white wall pretty standard?

Maxwell and Sara Kate made their own glass backsplash when they re-did their kitchen. Go take a look.

Do you have any tips for keeping the wall behind your oven clean?

Related: Look! Wallpaper in the Kitchen

(Image: Elizabeth Passarella)

Comments (16)

I hear it's good Feng Shui to have a mirror behind the stove...
from about.com "It is very important for the cook to be in a “commanding position" when at the stove. The cook should be able to clearly see the doorway without turning away from the stove. Renovating a kitchen so this is achieved can be particularly challenging. Many modern kitchens have the range facing the wall. Some Feng Shui consultants recommend an easy solution: hang something reflective, such as a mirror or a shiny sheet of decorative aluminum, over the stove. The reflective surface can be any size, but the bigger it is, the more powerful the correction will be."

Over the years I've been coming to the belief that a ktichen is primarily "workspace". With workspace most of the time, form should follow function. If you don't need it, or don't miss it, then why spend money on it.

To that I'll add that if in 6 months you haven't had any major mishaps, then as long as you have a scrubbable paint back there you should be fine.

If not, consider plexiglass. I did it once as a backsplash an it was fantastic. If you paint one side (in the wall color or an accent color) and the glue that side to the wall you have a very inexpensive solution that at first glance looks like glass tile.

G&D, I'm with you. Also, I don't have a backsplash in my apartment, but the controls for the oven are back there. I don't miss it, especially since the walls are painted a glossy white, which is easy to wipe spills and ick from.

My tip for keeping it clean - Mr. Clean Magic Eraser.

As for your apartment wall, I suggest making something that you can hang and take with you when you leave. I would suggest getting a thin piece of plywood and having it cut slightly smaller than the space between the stove and the hood, then putting decorative tiles on it. (The kind you buy at home depot. No need to use the mastic to attach them, just some sort of heavy duty adhesive that comes in the caulk tubes.) And putting an edge around the whole thing, so that you don't see the plywood.

If you're not that into DIY, just try hanging some ceramic trivets.

We don't have a backsplash but the control panel for the oven goes up the back and covers quite a bit of the wall. There ends up just being a couple inches underneath the micro of open wall space.

I wouldn’t worry about it; you seem to have a consistent granite backsplash running along your entire back wall matching your counter. Placing a backsplash of a different material is just going to attract attention to the “problem” (as mentioned before paint these days are very resilient).
I wouldn’t even place additional granite (when you have the budget), it seems to be very dark, and under microwave vents are notorious for having pour lighting.

Have you considered the stick-on tile option? Great for renters, like myself. http://www.thesmarttiles.com/

You could also take some fabric and wrap it in a sheet of vinyl for a more lightweight and removable "backsplash."

I think a chalkboard backsplash would be bitchin! Either just paint it on or by a little board.

I actually have wallpaper behind the stove in my apartment but I haven't had any problems in the seven years I've lived here. Like some other posters, though, the stove/oven dials cover up quite a bit of wall space, which helps.

That's either a slide in or drop in range, as opposed to a freestanding range, which is why there's no control panel going up the wall.

I also like the mirror tile idea. They sell them at IKEA. Put them across the backsplash area of your entire countertop, and it should brighten things up. Kind of looks like stainless steel, but easier to clean.

It's an apartment. If the wall gets some grease on it, just scrub it off. Every apartment I've ever lived in had scrubbable paint in the kitchen.

My husband and I are currently renovating our kitchen and I have been doing a lot of thinking about our back splash as well. Eventually I would like to install some tile, but it's not something in the near future so instead, I am hanging a large picture frame behind the stove. It's art, it's easy to clean because it's glass and it's fun! I'm using a photo of us in lobster bibs from dinner in San Francisco once.

Ikea has a stainless steel panel called "Imperitive". It is available in 3 sizes; 30"x30", 30"x18" and another I do not remember. They are about $20.00 each, lightweight and snap into an optional channel mounted to the wall (I just used dbl stick tape). Mine has been up for 3 years.

I do not have a back splash behind my stove, but I wanted something there that added a decorative touch to the room. I had purchased a beautiful cutting board that was probably not really glass but when I cut something on it, it sounded like glass and I never used it.

So, I set it on top of the back of the stove. It looks nice, is always very easy to clean, and works well for an apartment.