Best Tiles for a Kitchen Splashback: How to Choose by Material, Finish and Colour
01 October 2026 · Tile Touch
A splashback sits right in your eyeline and takes a lot of grease, water and heat. So the best tile is one that wipes clean easily, suits the look of your kitchen, and comes in a format you can actually lay behind a benchtop. Below is a quick answer, then the detail on material, finish and colour.
The short answer
For most Australian kitchens, a glazed ceramic or porcelain tile in a gloss or lightly textured finish is the easiest to live with. Gloss wipes clean fastest and bounces light around; matte hides fingerprints and water spots. Subway shapes and small mosaics are the two safest formats. Natural stone looks lovely but needs sealing and a bit more care.
Choosing by material
Ceramic
Ceramic is the classic splashback material. It is glazed, so the surface is non-porous and wipes down with a cloth. It suits the wall well because a splashback is not walked on, so you do not need a hard-wearing floor tile here.
Good ceramic options include the Cedar Grey Glazed Ceramic Italian Subway Tile 100 x 200mm, the Kiko Subway Soft Pink Gloss Ceramic Tile 76x302mm, and the Joliet Subway Textured Tile 74x297mm-Ivory if you want a bit of surface movement rather than a flat gloss.
Porcelain
Porcelain is denser than ceramic and very low maintenance. On a splashback that means an easy wipe and good resistance to staining. The Lunar Green Matt Mosaic 100x100mm is a porcelain mosaic in a soft matt green, and the Odilia Plain Porcelain Italian Tiles 100x100mm-Terracotta give you a warm terracotta colour in a small square format.
Natural stone
Stone brings texture and a natural colour range no glaze can copy. The trade-off is that stone is porous and needs sealing, then resealing over time, to cope with oil and food splashes. If you love the look, the Natural Stone Subway Viola Tumbled 200x65mm has a soft tumbled edge, and the Magnus Cobblestone Mosaic -Summit Split Face gives a rugged, three-dimensional surface for a feature run. Keep heavily textured stone away from the immediate cooktop zone where it is hardest to clean.
Choosing by finish
Gloss
Gloss is the workhorse splashback finish. It reflects light, makes small kitchens feel more open, and grease slides off it. The Collie Artisanal Grey Gloss Zellige Look Spanish Subway Tile (65x200) and the Belmore Taupe Crackle Gloss Mosaic 47x147mm both use gloss, with a little handmade variation in the surface so the wall does not look flat.
Matte
Matte hides water marks and fingerprints, which is handy near a tap. It reads more relaxed and modern. The Doha Leaf (200x200mm porcelain, matte) and the Lunar Green Matt Mosaic are matte options. Give matte surfaces a proper wipe after cooking, as oil can sit on a flat finish rather than beading off.
Textured and split face
Textured tiles like the Joliet Subway Textured Tile add shadow and depth. Heavier textures such as the Magnus Cobblestone Mosaic -Summit Split Face look great as a feature but need more effort to clean, so think about where the splashes actually land before you commit to them behind the stove.
Choosing by colour
Colour is where a splashback earns its keep. A few simple ways to decide:
- Keep it neutral to let the benchtop and cabinetry lead. Whites, greys and taupes work here, like the Cedar Grey subway, the Joliet Ivory or the Belmore Taupe Crackle.
- Add warmth with terracotta tones such as the Keoni Penny Rounds Mosaic 23mm-Terracotta or the Odilia Plain Porcelain Terracotta squares. These pair well with timber and cream cabinets.
- Add a soft colour hit with something like the Kiko Subway Soft Pink Gloss or the Lunar Green Matt Mosaic, which give personality without overwhelming the room.
As a rule, lighter colours make a small kitchen feel bigger, and a gloss glaze amplifies that. If you have plenty of natural light, a deeper or warmer colour can add a lot of character.
Format and layout
Subway tiles are the most forgiving splashback shape. Lay them in a running bond (brick) pattern, a stack, or a herringbone for something different. Sizes like the Cedar Grey (100x200), Kiko (76x302) and Collie (65x200) all suit that classic look.
Mosaics come on sheets, which makes them easier to fit around power points and under cabinets. Penny rounds like the Keoni, small squares like the Lunar Green and the Belmore crackle mosaic are all sheet-mounted formats. More grout lines mean a busier look and a little more grout to wipe, so choose a grout colour you are happy to see.
A note on grout and sealing
Grout colour changes the whole feel of a splashback. Match it to the tile for a soft, blended wall, or contrast it to make each tile stand out. On stone tiles like the Viola Tumbled subway or the Magnus split face, seal the tile and the grout so oil and water do not soak in.
Ordering samples
Colour and finish can look different under kitchen lighting than on a screen. Tile Touch offers samples and has a Sydney showroom in Waterloo, with shipping Australia-wide, so you can hold a tile against your benchtop and cabinets before you decide.
Frequently asked questions
What is the easiest splashback tile to clean?
A glazed ceramic or porcelain tile in a gloss finish is the easiest to keep clean, because the surface is non-porous and grease wipes straight off. Larger tiles or subways also mean fewer grout lines than a small mosaic, so there is less to scrub.
Can I use floor tiles on a splashback?
Yes. Wall-rated tiles are fine behind a bench, and many porcelain tiles suit both. A splashback is not walked on, so you do not need a high slip rating here; choose by look, finish and how easy it is to clean instead.
Are natural stone tiles suitable for a kitchen splashback?
They can be, and options like the Natural Stone Subway Viola Tumbled look beautiful. Stone is porous, though, so it must be sealed and resealed over time to resist oil and food splashes, and heavily textured stone is harder to wipe near the cooktop.
Gloss or matte for a kitchen splashback?
Gloss reflects light and sheds grease quickly, which helps in smaller or darker kitchens. Matte hides fingerprints and water spots and looks more relaxed, but benefits from a wipe after cooking so oil does not sit on the surface.
How do I choose a splashback colour?
Start with your benchtop and cabinets. Pick a neutral to keep things calm, a terracotta tone to add warmth, or a soft colour like pink or green for personality. Order a sample and view it in your own kitchen light before committing.