How Big Should Your Backsplash Be When Installing Cabinets?

Decide what type of cabinets you want to install in your kitchen or other area. While upper and lower cabinets generally have a space between them, stand-alone cabinets such as those installed in bathrooms only have a small backsplash on top of the cabinet. The average backsplash height in between lower and upper cabinets is 18 inches, while for stand-alone cabinets it is 4 to 6 inches, depending on the material you choose for the backsplash.

Determine what type of material you are going to use for your backsplash. There are multiple types ranging from wood to marble slabs to granite tiles to ceramic tiles to wallpaper and beyond. For stand-alone cabinets it is most common to run a row of 4-inch or 6-inch tiles along the wall atop the countertop, while for regular kitchens the backsplash can be whatever material you want, which means you can adjust the height accordingly, such as for fitting a special slab of granite or marble in place.

Design your pattern in advance. Since you can customize as you see fit, the 18-inch height measurement is a reference point only, and you can adjust as you need based upon the restrictions of your pattern. While it might sound good to have 4-inch tiles set on a diagonal, you can sometimes be left with sliver cuts that look ugly against an 18-inch span, in which case you need to adjust it larger or smaller to accommodate your personal tastes for patterns.

Check the restrictions of your design against the actual installation. For example, while you might want to install drop-down light bars across the bottom edge of your wall cabinets, will they really look good when they take up 3 inches of your backsplash space? Certain design elements can hamper the look and feel of your backsplash and make it feel cramped, so adjust your cabinets around the backsplash if you have custom elements you cannot live without.