5 Best Backsplash Ideas Of 2025, From Kitchens To Bathrooms, Ranked

As we close out 2025 and move into a brand new year, it's fun to look back and celebrate the gorgeous design ideas that came from the past 12 months. From color trends to innovative design statements, the creativity and willingness to push the envelope further each year is inspiring. It is by recognizing and appreciating the imagination of the designs from the previous year that we're able to build and grow in our creation of interiors in the year ahead.

One of the most impactful ways to add personality to a kitchen, bathroom, laundry space, mudroom, and more is showcasing a fantastic backsplash, whether it be tile, wood paneling, stone, or another fabulous material. Often adding color, texture, visual interest, and a layer of depth to a room, a backsplash is a perfect smaller-scale opportunity to take some creative license with a design that feels fresh and exciting. So if you have a renovation on the docket for 2026, let's have a little fun and take a look at five of the best-of-the-best backsplash concepts from 2025 worth taking inspiration from for future projects.

We've all seen the classic subway tile backsplash layouts thousands of times each: brick set, horizontal straight stack, vertical stack, and herringbone. But 2025 brought some creative, outside-the-box thinkers that weren't afraid to turn things upside down (or at least sideways!). Instead of relying on a consistent tile installation for the ever-popular rectangular subway tile shape, designs coming out of the past year incorporated a tasteful mix of tile orientations to create visual interest and highlight a home's architecture.

The key to pulling this look off is to keep the tile material the same, introducing variation only in the tile direction to add visual interest and detail to the design. For example, a basketweave pattern, where you alternate horizontal and vertical squares of tile rows, is a gorgeous way to incorporate texture and movement while keeping it uniform. You can also create a textural, monochromatic striped effect by running one or several rows of vertical tile separated by a single row of horizontal tile (or vice versa).

Rather than an overall repeating pattern, you can also use a change in tile orientation as a decorative accent or termination point. You could install a vertical row of tile just above the bathroom sink before running the rest of the wall horizontally. Or, use a single row running the opposite direction as the tile below to cap the top of your backsplash at half-height. In a kitchen, try running the tile one direction up to the bottom of an open shelf and then flip it the other direction, or change shapes all together (like a matching square) above. Using a consistent backsplash material but in an unexpected, one-of-a-kind way is sure to make an impression.

Perhaps it's because brown tones are enjoying their glorious day in the sun after a long hiatus, or perhaps it's because people in 2025 were gravitating toward materials with more warmth, depth, and history than before, but the past year brought with it a total terracotta takeover. This material has made the jump from traditional flooring material to other applications, such as backsplashes, on a widespread scale. Whether it calls to mind an amazing Spanish mission or a coastal Mediterranean villa, terracotta is iconic for being an old-world material that carries with it a layered story and rich history that makes it feel like so much more than just something you picked out at a tile showroom. But despite its ancient roots, terracotta has the unique ability to bridge traditional and modern aesthetics with ease like very few other materials can.

Lean into the traditional aspect and showcase it on your kitchen or bath backsplash in an equally classic shape and pattern, like the star and cross (as seen by @helloceramique on Instagram), for a room that feels grounded, sophisticated, and full of depth, even if room's aesthetic generally leans more modern than old-school. Or, tiptoe that line beautifully between contemporary and historical by choosing a more modern tile shape for your old-world material, such as hexagon, picket, vertical linear, or mermaid scale/scalloped. Create a moody space by blending its natural rust-colored shade with other deep, warm earth tones, or add some welcome contrast by pairing it with light neutrals (even in the tile backsplash itself with a complementary off-white ceramic tile for a two-tone effect), black, or colorful hues. No matter how you choose to showcase it, terracotta's long presence in the design world solidifies its place as a timeless material worth making the star of your backsplash.

Color drenching has been all the rage in recent years. And while many have embraced painting the walls, trim, and ceiling in one enveloping hue, 2025 saw the beauty of color matching a kitchen or bathroom backsplash with the surrounding cabinets for a truly luxe look.

When it comes to materials, there are several ways we've seen 2025 tackle the color drench effect that incorporates the backsplash. A beadboard or wood-paneled backsplash painted to match the cabinetry is an easy way to create a streamlined, elegant color wash with a vintage or cottage flair. Alternatively, choosing a cabinet paint color to blend seamlessly with a stunning tile backsplash is a more modern statement that has a seriously eye-catching wow factor. 

If you want to really go bold and make a statement, pair a colored natural stone slab backsplash, like green marble or pink onyx, with a matching paint color to create a color wash to top them all — you could also opt to match all cabinets for an overall color drench like a gorgeous cocoon. Not ready for a full color drench moment? Consider creating a color block effect by pairing contrasting lower cabinets, such as natural wood, with matching backsplash and upper cabinets. Rather than relying on high-contrast backsplashes or muted neutrals, 2025 designs leaned into immersive, sophisticated color-drenched spaces that let standout backsplash materials shine.

Move over, subway tile — 2025 was the time for the ubiquitous rectangle to make room to share the spotlight with an endlessly classic shape: the square. Once very popular throughout much of the 1900s, you can see square tiles have graced interiors for over a century. However, the subway tile experienced a modern resurgence in recent decades that pushed square tile into the background.

But squares are back in a big way, reintroduced as a chic, hip shape with the rise of handmade statement-making zellige tiles over the last few years. The combination of the textural and tonal imperfection of the handcrafted tile, mixed with the visual symmetry of the square shape, has a mesmerizing effect on a backsplash, whether it be in a kitchen, bathroom, or laundry room. Especially with a glossy finish, handmade tiles seem to almost shimmer when their wavy surface catches the light. Wrangle some of this magical chaos into a nice, neat shape to create a gorgeous juxtaposition of freeform vibes and order.

2025 also saw plenty of interiors playing with checkerboard square handmade tiles, alternating classic black and white, as well as other unique color combinations, for a dramatic design statement. By keeping the shape uniform and simple, designs can be more playful with creating contrast and visually exciting color blends.

Taking the top spot for 2025's best backsplash ideas is the adaptable, high-end concept of carrying the countertop material up onto the wall to create a slab backsplash. Whether made of marble, quartz, porcelain, or other stone slabs, these seamless beauties scream sophisticated luxury, especially when a veining pattern bends from counter to wall without interruption. While the concept seems simple enough in theory and isn't necessarily new, the reason it not only made but placed first on our list is because 2025 showcased some of the most creative design details to bring this versatile backsplash application to new heights.

Counter-to-ceiling stone splashes are dramatic and impactful, not to mention nearly or completely seamless for an easy-to-clean surface on your entire wall. They raise the eye up and become the room's elegant focal point, especially when made of a one-of-a-kind natural stone slab — nature's artwork. And while there's beauty in simplicity, designers are also finding creative ways to add dimension using the same material. 

Some opt for an opulent decorative curved backsplash on the stove wall or behind a sink to elevate an ordinary space into something downright regal. Others choose a half-height slab topped with complementary tile, as seen by @mindylavenhome on Instagram. while some showcase sloping or scalloped side splashes, to wrap the space in upscale details that feel well-thought-out and intentional. Many have featured a matching stone slab ledge running horizontally across a range or sink, creating a perfect place to display decor or store essentials, like @theflowerbroad on Instagram. And others still took it to another level by blending these ideas together to create completely custom-looking kitchens and bathrooms.