The Case for a Stone Splashback

interior designer melbourne

I’m not going to call it a trend because I don’t like trends but more and more I’m noticing kitchen designs using stone as the splashback. A stone counter top is fairly standard in kitchen design, although I do think there is a case for laminate counter tops too, so I wanted to discuss the case for a stone splashback.

Why stone counter tops

Why Stone? Marketing. Well that’s my opinion anyway. Many years ago having a stone counter top was not an option for many people. All you need to do is look back to the 1990s to see that new builds predominantly used laminate as counter tops.

At that time stone or marble counter tops was purely an option for luxury or high end kitchen designers and their clients.

Then along came Ceaserstone. This brand and range of stone used a savvy marketing campaign to popularise the notion of stone counter tops for everyone. Although at that time in the early 2000s Ceasearstone was still expensive, it’s just that more people knew about them.

More Stone Suppliers

The rise in awareness and populairty of stone in Australia, and more competition changed the cost of stone. Stone, especially engineered stone, became more affordable. Although still one of the more expensive aspects of a kitchen renovation or refurbishment.

For clients keen to use stone as their counter top, a good way to manage their budget was to use tile or glass as their splashback finish.

But with more stone suppliers, stone has become a viable option as the splashback finish for some clients.

Stone as Splashback

If your budget can afford to have a stone splashback, this option has many benefits. It’s particularly suitable for Modern, Minimal styles. Due to the natural feature and variations in stone it can be a striking splashback.

The case for a stone splashback also means that you have one less decisions to make in your kitchen specifications. It’s a seamless finish and the consistency can be appealing for the right client in the right home.

I recently specified a stone splashback (cover pic) for a high end kitchen renovation and the result is impressive. I’m really happy with the veining, the joins and the simplicity of this finish. My clients are happy too.

Cost of Stone

Now the stone market has many players such as YDL Stone, Essastone and so on, making the cost of stone more reasonable. However it’s not just the cost of the stone itself, there is the stone masonry, and the installation. Which still means that stone is an expensive option. On average you can expect to pay $4000-$6000 for a slab of stone, so you can expect to double this for a stone splashback.

As mentioned it’s not for everyone, some styles and clients prefer the colour and texture that tiles can offer. Of course tiles can be done simply and minimally or as a strong feature, like these tiles I’ve specified for another kitchen refurbishment project.

Every kitchen design project is different but a stone splashback is an option worth exploring if you love stone.