A backsplash can make or break your kitchen’s design. It serves both practical and decorative purposes, protecting your walls from splashes and spills while also adding visual flair. If you’re looking to reinvigorate your kitchen with a stylish, eye-catching backsplash, consider a colorful herringbone design. Herringbone backsplashes are on-trend right now for their vibrancy, texture, and movement. When done in a rainbow of hues, they really make a statement.
Why Choose a Herringbone Backsplash?
Herringbone refers to the zigzag pattern formed by rectangular tiles or planks when they are installed in an alternating orientation, resembling the bones of a fish. This timeless geometric layout has graced many floors and walls for centuries. As a backsplash, it offers several advantages:
- Visual Interest: The jagged arrangement catches and holds your gaze, creating captivating visual drama even with simple color tiles.
- Dimensionality: Light bounces off the varied angles, lending a textured look with more depth than a basic grid layout.
- Versatility: From farmhouses to penthouses, herringbone suits any style. Its angled pattern also makes a small kitchen appear larger.
- Timeless Appeal: Crisp and clean yet full of character, herringbone has reigning popularity across eras. A herringbone backsplash won’t appear dated any time soon.
Beyond the striking pattern itself, choosing vibrant colored tiles in a rainbow of hues takes the herringbone to extraordinary new heights.
Vibrant Color Options for Maximum Impact
While classic white herringbone backsplashes maintain widespread popularity, bold colorful iterations create even more visual drama and life. The array of eye-catching hues now available for backsplash tiles empowers you to integrate ravishing rainbow palettes. Consider some of these color combinations:
Primary Color Herringbone
Sticking to the three primary colors of red, yellow, and blue lends a playful, retro vibe. Try alternating rows of azure, crimson, and sunflower tiles or mingling all three colors randomly yet strategically. This bright primary scheme provides a cheerful backdrop.
Rainbow Rows
Why choose one color when you can have them all? Create stripes or rows in the colors of the rainbow – red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet. This fun option celebrates the full color spectrum in a bold dazzling statement.
Contrasting Brights
Pair bold contrasting hues like fuchsia and turquoise or golden yellow and emerald green. This creates exciting visual tension while allowing each shade to stand out fully.
Monochromatic Magic
Select a single vibrant hue like ruby red or cobalt blue and use tiles in a range of shades and tones. This provides a powerful punch of your chosen color.
Neutral Backdrop with Pops of Color
On a white, beige, gray, or black herringbone backdrop, intersperse tiles in various bright colors. The neutral foundation allows the bold tiles to capture attention.
Midcentury Multicolor
Combine retro pastel hues like mint, peach, and lilac for a playful midcentury vibe. Keep the palette cohesive with shared undertones.
The options are endless! The important thing when selecting your tile colors is to pick shades you genuinely love and that complement your overall kitchen design.
Ideal Tile Materials for Vibrant Herringbone
Herringbone backsplashes make the biggest visual impact when executed with glossy tile materials. The sheen reflects light, intensifying the colors for maximum dazzle. Consider these ideal tile types:
Glass Tiles
Glass backsplash tiles come in every color imaginable, with a sleek surface sheen that allows hues to pop. Glass is also naturally water-resistant. Just be aware that it can chip if struck.
Glazed Ceramic or Porcelain
Glazed ceramic and porcelain tiles have a super shiny finish in an array of potential colors. Their durability and scratch-resistance also makes them great choices. Unglazed tiles are too matte to showcase vibrant colors optimally.
Polished Stone
Marble, onyx, granite and other natural stones can be cut and polished into herringbone tiles. However, stones are pricey and require extra sealing.
Mirror Tiles
For the ultimatereflective shine, mirrored backsplash tiles catch and amplify all the light. Combined with colorful grout, they create a disco ball effect. However, they show smudges easily.
Metal Tiles
Metal backsplashes like copper, stainless steel, and zinc come in many sheens from matte to high-gloss. Metals handsomely pick up and reflect hues. But they can dent and require cleaning vigilance.
Creative Design Ideas and Tips
When planning your lively multi-colored herringbone backsplash, keep these design tips in mind:
- Mix up the tile sizes and orientations for added interest. Combine standard rectangular shapes with longer planks or mosaic pieces.
- If using more than one color, aim for a 60/40 distribution for contrast without overwhelming.
- Group colorful tiles in triangular configurations to create a modern geometric theme.
- Add decorative inlays at intervals for extra whimsy, like floral ceramic medallions or sea glass shards.
- Pair the backsplash with cabinetry and countertops in complementary neutral tones to prevent clashing.
- Consider painting or staining any nearby walls a shade echoed in the tiles, for a pulled-together look.
- Include a boldly bordered niche or shelving area to break up the zigzags.
- Illuminate with pendant or sconce lights to dramatize the colors and sheen.
- View the tiles at varied times of day to see how light interacts with the hues.
- Scope out the offerings of multiple tile companies, from big box stores to custom mosaic makers.
With proper planning and creative vision, your kitchen can become a true work of art with a vivid herringbone backsplash!
Installation Tips for DIY Herringbone Backsplashes
While professional installation guarantees a perfect end result, a herringbone backsplash is DIY-friendly if you feel up to the challenge. Here are some top tips:
- Use a laser level to mark completely straight horizontal and vertical guide lines on the wall.
- Plan the tile layout on paper first to figure out the optimal starting points.
- Dry lay the tiles on the floor before installing to ensure perfect color blending.
- Mix tiles from multiple boxes when installing to minimize shade variations.
- Apply thinset adhesive evenly across small sections of the wall at a time.
- Use plastic spacers for consistent grout lines and irreversible adhesive tiles.
- Clean any smudges immediately with a damp rag before mortar dries.
- Let the thinset cure fully (24-48 hours) before applying grout between tiles.
- Seal grout once dried for easiest maintenance.
Patience and care will pay off with a stunning professional-looking rainbow herringbone you can admire daily!
Maintaining the Vibrancy of Colorful Herringbone Backsplashes
To keep your herringbone tiles looking freshly installed for years to come:
- Use gentle cleaners without abrasives or harsh chemicals that could stain or etch.
- Avoid spraying cleaners directly onto the tiles to prevent buildup in grout.
- Rinse thoroughly after cleaning and dry with a soft cloth to prevent water spots.
- Re-seal grout every 1-2 years as needed based on usage and traffic.
- Immediately clean any oil splatters which can penetrate and discolor grout.
- Ensure hanging pots and pans don’t bump tiles, causing chips.
- Wipe up spills promptly before they can leave stains.
- Check for cracks or missing grout annually and repair as needed.
- Consider re-polishing natural stone tiles periodically to restore sheen.
With routine care, your colorful herringbone backsplash can provide a vibrant focal point far into the future!
FAQs About Vibrant Herringbone Backsplashes
What color grout should I choose for a colorful herringbone backsplash?
Lighter grout colors like white, light gray, or beige enhance the tile hues, while darker grout makes them pop. Matching the grout to one of the tile colors is also an option.
How difficult is it to install a herringbone backsplash?
It requires more tile cutting and careful alignment than a straight grid layout. Previous tiling experience is a plus. Many pros recommend hiring installation help to ensure proper precision.
Will herringbone tiles work with my kitchen style?
With endless color and pattern options, herringbone can suit any kitchen aesthetic from modern to cottage. Avoid an overly busy pattern if your space is small.
How do I choose the right tiles for my backsplash?
Consider durability, texture, dimensions, finish, and versatility when selecting materials. Hold samples right in your kitchen to preview colors.
Should I protect my herringbone backsplash behind the stove?
Yes, installing a sheet of stainless steel or acrylic behind the range protects tiles from grease splatter and heat damage in that high impact area.
Celebrate with Color: Vibrant Herringbone Backsplash Inspiration
With endless options for eye-catching hues and configs, herringbone backsplashes are the perfect chance to embrace striking color in your cooking space. Take inspiration from these vivid real-world kitchens:
[Insert photo grid or carousel of colorful herringbone backsplash examples]
The right vibrant backsplash can infuse your culinary space with energy, dazzle, and joy. With so many tile shapes, sheens, and shades to explore, a world of possibility awaits your inner HGTV design diva. So be bold, dream big in color, and create a one-of-a-kind rainbow herringbone focal point!