Kitchen Wall Tiles

The wall behind a hob and along a run of worktop takes more punishment than most surfaces in a home, heat, steam, splashes of oil and a constant wipe-down, while sitting right at the height most looked at in the whole kitchen, between the base units and the wall cupboards.

Glazed brick remains the classic answer here and is still hard to beat: set in a half bond it feels calm and orderly, stacked it looks sharper and more current, and turned into a herringbone it becomes a feature of its own. Handmade tiles and Zellige-style glazes bring a textured surface and a gentle variation in tone that suits a country-leaning kitchen especially well, while marble and limestone splashbacks sit beautifully alongside timber or painted cabinetry.

A taller panel run up behind a range, continuing on to the extractor or ceiling, gives a kitchen a natural focal point without every wall needing to be tiled, and a grout chosen close to the tile colour, in a narrow joint, keeps that focal point looking sharp for years to come.