The splashback sits behind your cooktop and sink — the two highest-use areas of the kitchen. It needs to be water and heat resistant, easy to clean, and visually consistent with the rest of the kitchen. With those requirements in mind, the choice comes down to aesthetics, budget, and how much maintenance you're willing to accept.
Ceramic and porcelain tiles
The most versatile splashback option. Tile material ranges from $30/m² for basic ceramic to $250+/m² for handmade or designer tiles. Installation cost ($100–$180/m²) is fairly consistent regardless of tile type. Subway tile (75×150mm or 100×200mm in a brick pattern) remains the most popular choice in Australian kitchens — it reads clean, suits multiple cabinet styles, and is reliably available. Large-format tiles (600×600mm or larger) have minimal grout lines and clean easily.
Grout near a gas cooktop will discolour over time regardless of how carefully you clean it. Mid-grey or charcoal grout shows staining far less than white or cream. Choose based on how the kitchen will actually be used, not how it looks in a showroom.
Glass splashbacks
Toughened back-painted glass provides a seamless, grout-free surface in any colour. It installs as a single panel (or two for wider spaces) and wipes clean instantly. The glass is templated after cabinets are installed, manufactured, and fitted in one piece. Cost: $250–$450/m² installed. The main limitation is confirming colour consistency under different light conditions — always review a large sample in your actual kitchen before ordering.
Stone slab splashbacks
Continuing the benchtop material up the wall is the most premium and visually cohesive choice. The same stone used for the benchtop — engineered stone or a natural slab — is templated and fitted as the splashback. This eliminates grout lines entirely. Cost: add $1,200–$3,500 to the benchtop cost. Works best in kitchens where the stone is the visual anchor.
Large-format porcelain tiles
1,200×600mm or 1,200×1,200mm porcelain tiles in stone-look finishes have become a premium alternative to glass and stone slab. With only 1–2 grout lines across a standard splashback area, they read as near-seamless. Cost: $180–$350/m² for material plus installation.
Painted plasterboard
Moisture-resistant plasterboard with a quality paint finish is the budget option. Not recommended directly behind a gas cooktop, but serviceable for a low-intensity kitchen. Cost: $400–$900 for a standard splashback area. Easily repainted if the colour needs updating.
Frequently asked questions
Glass panels are the easiest — single continuous surface, no grout, instant wipe-clean. Large-format porcelain tiles with minimal grout are second. Subway tile with white grout near a gas cooktop is the most difficult to maintain long-term.
Yes, and it creates the most visually cohesive result. The stone is templated and fabricated as a continuous surface from benchtop up the wall. Requires careful coordination of the rangehood cutout and power outlets in the splashback zone.
600mm from the benchtop surface is the building code minimum behind a cooktop. Most splashbacks run to the underside of upper cabinets — typically 550–700mm. Full-height to ceiling is a design choice.
White or off-white for a clean, consistent look. Soft grey for depth without contrast. A feature colour (sage, navy, terracotta) as a deliberate accent if the rest of the kitchen is simple. Black subway tile for a bold contemporary contrast.