Linda's Kitchen: The Backsplash

And so, the kitchen makeover is slowly heading towards the final stages. The big work this weekend was to put up the bead board backsplash and on the soffit above the cabinets. The nasty part of the job was that we pulled out the 25 year old exhaust hood over the stove and pulled out the stove so we could clean behind it. Well, it wasn't as bad as I feared, but it wasn't great either. Am hoping to have the new appliances in shortly and so the time had come to face the dust and grime of many years.

After much debate about what to do with the backsplash, I decided to stick with the beadboard motif that I started on the side walls. Ultimately, in a small space, I do believe that the fewer mixed elements the better. Between the black and white checkerboard floors and dark cabinets, it seemed that adding a totally different backsplash wasn't the best choice. Also, in all honesty, this is the least expensive option as well. The existing backsplash is the same off-white formica that covers the counters. Unfortunately, the builders ran the backsplash up under the cabinets, so removing it is well neigh impossible.

As I've written before, I'm using embossed beadboard wallpaper for this job, which did not stick to the formica, so we had to prime with the trusty Zinsser primer. Same with the wood soffit-it required a coat of primer so the paper would stick. So we spent all Sunday priming, measuring the paper and hanging it. And, I love it. One thing I do like is that the the vertical lines makes the under cabinet space-which is only 15"-seem higher.

I'm now in the process of painting the backsplash, soffit and walls. I'm using Benjamin Moore's Cloud White in a semi-gloss. Now, honestly, it's not hugely different from the actual white beadboard, but as you can see in the photo, there is some difference. The backsplash is painted up to about 10" off the back corner (where my short arms can't reach). The reason I selected this color is that it matches the white Formica counter top, which I can't afford to replace at this time. It was important that the walls and backsplash color didn't make the counter top seem dingy by comparison. And, I must say that I really like the light counters with the dark cabinets. The final step will be to apply a polyurethane sealer to protect the backsplash from water and staining.

(before the backsplash was installed)

Here's a little collection of inspiration photos:

Image from Better Homes & Gardens via Nest Egg

via This Old House

via Country Living

via Nantucket Beadboard

via Flickr

via Flickr

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