Splashbacks have come a long way in recent decades from the humble white or coloured ceramic tile. There are so many options now which bring a new level of style and practicality into the designer kitchen.

By far and away the biggest impact on the world of kitchen splashbacks has been the widespread use of coloured toughened glass. Glass splashbacks bring a new level of style and sophistication to the modern kitchen. Streamlined and elegant, glass splashbacks are one of the most clean lined splashbacks available. Available in a large range of colours, it is very easy to pick a colour to complement or feature in the style of the rest of the kitchen.

Glass is one of the best surfaces for easy cleaning behind sinks and cook tops. Make sure that you use a reputable company to supply and fit the glass. Given that the fit up of the glass is one of the most noticeable details in the finished kitchen, the quality of the installation will be critical. You also want to make sure they are doing all of the right things like using toughened glass behind the cook top as this is a major safety issue. Decoglaze are a very reputable company who produce and install their own entire product and so have control over the whole process.

A special type of mirrored glass can also be used as a splashback. This glass has the reflective coating built inside the glass to enable the glass to be toughened and therefore be suitable in the kitchen environment.

Glass tiles are quite popular as an alternative to large sheets of glass. They can add a different look to the splashback, but you need to be aware that the grout lines can present a cleaning issue.

Caesarstone, Corian and natural stones can be used as splashback material. These materials are often used to tie in the benchtop with the splashback.  If the benchtops are stone, they will need sealing (in the case of marble and granite) then the splashback will also need to be sealed regularly.

Other materials that are used from time to time are stainless steel, and ceramic or porcelain tiles. Stainless is often used in commercial kitchens and is a very good splashback material. It is however difficult to keep looking consistent when cleaning and proprietary cleaners often need to be used.