Chef Yotam Ottolenghi Did It — This Backsplash Mural Trend Is a "Commitment to Joy" In Your Home, Says Interior Designers
The kitchen is the latest place designers are adding murals, personalizing backsplashes to reflect the heart of the home
When superchef Yotam Ottolenghi updated his kitchen recently, not much changed. He asked Roundhouse to keep the layout as it was, with new white cabinet fronts replacing old white cabinet fronts. "The biggest difference was the tiles," he says. These cover the wall above the cooker and behind the shelves and are daubed in a hand-painted mural by artist Cecilie Maurud Barstad of Gilles & Cecilie.
"It makes me so happy," Yotam says. "Cecilie suggested including little illustrations of things that are meaningful to my children. So there's a taco, a Dungeons & Dragons logo because they play so much of it, and a cartoonish portrait they did of their cousin. I'm hoping that when they come home to visit in their 20s, it will feel like a wall of memories."
Yotam's approach of making a kitchen backsplash as decorative as, say, the living room rug or cushions on the bed, is part of a growing trend. More designers are daubing murals across kitchen walls, turning away from the space being one of pure function, and towards something more personal.
Yotam Ottolenghi has a backsplash mural in his new kitchen.
"It's a real wow moment when someone sees this commitment to joy in your space," says muralist Charlotte Fuller, whose work has appeared on backsplashes. "I have a tile mural in my own kitchen to make me feel positive and inspired as I make the first cup of tea of the day. Under the boldness, there's a connection to nature and the abstract, to energize and relax. I like to think of my work as portals for dreaming, providing a moment to pause, find calm, and reflect."
Backsplash murals come in many forms — hand-painted on tiles (Yotam's was done off-site, fired, then affixed to the wall), daubed directly onto walls, or even as stained glass or wallpaper.
For the latter, extra care is advised. "We have protective finishes that can be applied to textile grounds, such as dyed silk or hand-painted fabrics, but these are not heavy-duty and can dull design elements and colors," says Harald Donoghue of luxury wallpaper brand de Gournay. "It's sensible to add a backsplash or protective barrier in glass or Perspex to allow for maximum protection."
If you're considering a decorative backsplash, take a lead from Jules Gallop, founder of JAM Design Works, a design studio that used stained glass for one.
"Start by thinking about the backsplash as part of the overall design, rather than as a decorative addition," she says. "The colors, patterns, and scale need to work with the cabinetry, worktops, and lighting. Accurate templating is essential, particularly around sockets, switches, and cabinetry, and you need to ensure it is specified for an area that will be exposed to heat, water, and cleaning. Samples are invaluable, as colors and textures can look very different alongside the other finishes."
While kitchen backsplash murals don't have to be big, this is not a moment to hold back. "A design this bold needs room to breathe," says Charlotte. "Now is the time to go big and create immersive spaces for expression and dreaming."
1. Meadow Mood
A beautiful meadow-inspired backsplash mural adds whimsy to this kitchen.
Sophie Ashby of Studio Ashby commissioned Anna Glover to create this floral-themed mural in a London kitchen. The tiles are from Balineum, and Sophie wanted to evoke the feel of an English meadow, even in such a functional space as a kitchen.
2. Silver Screen
A floral backsplash mural softens the more industrial finishes in this kitchen.
In a kitchen in Shanghai, de Gournay's hand-painted Uki Hana wallcovering gleams above equally metallic cabinets. It is printed on tarnished silver-gilded paper, and the brand recommends that if you go down this route, you should cover the wallpaper in Perspex to protect it properly from splashes and humidity.
3. Glass Act
There are so many ways to make colored glass feel modern in the home.
This stained-glass splashback was designed and commissioned by JAM Design Works Ltd and produced in collaboration with specialist stained-glass maker Tenby & Penny. JAM created the pattern specifically for the clients, incorporating personal meanings, colors, and references within the design.
"This piece was incredibly heavy, so we had to reinforce the wall behind it and encase it in a way that the LED panels within could be accessed if ever necessary," says studio founder Jules Gallop.
4. Color Therapy
Art in the kitchen is one thing, but making the kitchen art is way better.
Muralist Charlotte Fuller is a big believer in the uplifting power of a backsplash artwork. "To decide what you want, start with how you want to feel in the room, and the wider context: the tones, materials, and light you already have, and where in the space the mural will sit," she says. "Choose colors already in conversation with the room. They might be lightly reflected in your countertop, cabinetry, or even a rug. And think about what sits in front of the wall — a shelf, a tap — so the mural works comfortably with that."
5. Wild Thing
Hand-painted details are a great way to add a sense of story to the home.
Paris-based designer Pierre Yovanovitch commissioned artist Matthieu Cossé to create this mural on the tiles of a celery-green kitchen in an apartment in France. It is intended to evoke the natural skyline, and shows how even an ultra-modern space can be given a hefty slice of whimsy.
Shop the Trend
But the kitchen backsplash isn't the only place tiles are starting to tell stories in the home — hand-drawn bathroom tiles, in a modern Delft style, help make these once purely functional spaces feel hyper-personal.
