24 Small Kitchen Backsplash Tile Ideas for 2025

A backsplash can make a big impact in a small kitchen. Tile protects your walls from messes, showcases your personality and sets the design tone for your space. Keep reading for 24 backsplash ideas for small kitchens that prove even a limited space can contain unlimited possibilities.

1. Change Your Tile’s Direction to Create Distinction

This space, designed by Principle Design & Remodeling, features the Bulevard Snow subway tile installed in a herringbone pattern behind the stove and a brick-lay pattern under the cabinets. Placing the herringbone design in the center creates a sense of movement, and helps provide visual separation between meal prep and cooking, making it feel like you have more room for both. Shop subway tile for a wealth of styles to achieve this design.

2. Infuse Your Space With Bright-Hued Blue

Make your small space stand out with a vibrant color, like the bold blue of the Zellige Azul gloss tile. The rich hue will complement a range of cabinet colors, from white to wood to a buttery yellow. If you love this stunning shade, explore our full collection of blue tile.

3. Design a Serene Nature-Inspired Space

Bring the expansive, mood-boosting feel of the outdoors to your space with nature-inspired colors, shapes and materials. We love how this bright and cheery kitchen pairs the Glass Tea Green tile with a blonde wood range hood for natural appeal. Learn how to create serene spaces in every room of your home with this guide to biophilic design.

4. Create a Marble Focal Point Above Your Stove

A small stove backsplash is the perfect place to invest in a beautiful marble mosaic. This backsplash, designed by C2 Interiors, features the Victoria Grey Lattice tile. The diagonal lines and pointed shapes of the mosaic add a lovely sense of movement, making it pleasing to look at as you tend to your burners.

5. Show Off Your Artistic Side With a Tiled Picture Frame

A tiled picture frame is created by “framing” a patterned or mosaic tile with trim. This technique can be elaborate, with multiple layered trim profiles, or feature a simple single pencil or Somerset trim. Here, the stove backsplash features the floral-patterned Genius tile framed by the Black High Pencil Liner. A single layer of black trim makes this picturesque patterned tile the focal point.

6. Add Texture With 3D Tile

A textured or 3D tile adds a tactile element to walls, giving your small space more dimension. This style is perfect for a sink or stove backsplash, where the exposed space allows light to cast shifting shadows on the raised pattern, creating a dynamic appeal.

7. Dazzle with Jewel Tones

Give your small backsplash the star treatment with a dazzling jeweled tone, like splendid sapphire or rich ruby. This lustrous kitchen features the Costa Emerald Mix mosaic tile. We love how its brilliant green tones pop against the sky-blue cabinets. If you’re envious of this vivid hue, shop our wide assortment of green tile.

8. Keep it Simple–And Chic!–With White Subway Tile

White subway tile is a design staple with a long tradition in kitchens, where it was first adopted by the Victorians as a symbol of cleanliness. Over a century later, this style still feels contemporary thanks to its versatile design. This sleek space, designed by Restor Homes and featuring the Bianco Puro tile in an offset vertical layout, offers a modern take on a classic look. Discover more design possibilities in this guide to subway tile layouts.

9. Achieve a Stylish Slab Look

Love the look of a marble slab backsplash? Achieve a similarly elegant effect with affordable, easy-to-maintain marble-look porcelain or ceramic tile. Available in a range of on-trend styles, the large-format version of these tiles (categorized as any tile with a side longer than 15″ and available in sizes up to 48″ x 48″) requires fewer grout lines, making small spaces feel more expansive and cohesive.

10. Add Charm With English Cottage Patterns

Backsplash designs for small kitchens don’t have to be unassuming. The Laura Ashley Wexbord Fresh Green tile brings the quaint, romantic sensibility of English cottage style to this cozy backsplash. If this whimsical design style is your cup of tea, shop our exclusive Laura Ashley collection.

11. Outline Your Design With Trim

This charming kitchen is proof that tile doesn’t need to extend far to make an impact. By cutting the Annie Selke Artisanal White Lace tile off before it reaches the shelves, Maya Drozdz makes this small space feel less crowded. The design is accentuated with the Black High Pencil Liner, which creates a neat border around the tiled backsplash.

12. Stretch Your Budget: Tile Your Backsplash For Under $200

Even if your budget is as small as your space, you can afford a stylish refresh with our expansive selection of tiles under $7. This backsplash, designed by Timber Trails, features Regent Bianco ceramic subway tile. At just $5.39/sq. ft., you can tile a 20- to 30-sq.-ft. backsplash for under $200.

13. Create a Modern Farmhouse Moment

Modern farmhouse design favors open shelving, which can make your kitchen feel more spacious. This backsplash, designed by I SPY DIY, features the Riad White tile beneath an open wooden shelf. The purposeful variations in color and surface texture in this handmade-look tile add an artisanal touch, complementing the refined rustic decor.

14. Embrace Simplicity with Japandi Style

The exquisite minimalism of Japandi design creates a feeling of intentionality in a small space. In this backsplash, designed by Yellow Brick Home, the long, skinny tiles comprising the Home Kit-Kat Milk mosaic provide a sense of harmonious symmetry. Learn more about this organic and calming design style in our Japandi tile guide.

15. Mix Materials for a Sophisticated Design

Incorporating a variety of materials is a simple yet sophisticated way to add interest to your backsplash, as seen in this contemporary kitchen featuring the Palermo Noir Stone Hex tile. The combination of slate and brass in the hexagon-shaped tile gives the space a dynamic sense of movement and rich visual texture.

16. Make Your Backsplash Feel Boutique With Zellige Tile

The authentic, craftsman appeal of handmade Zellige tile makes any space unique. Available in a variety of shapes, sizes and colors, every piece of this traditional Moroccan tile is crafted using ancient techniques that create natural variations from piece to piece.

17. Evoke a Historical Sensibility with Victorian-inspired Tile

Even if your kitchen doesn’t hail from the last century, you can still embrace your love for antiques with historic-inspired tiles. These ceramic Victoria tiles–available in Blanc (shown) and Gris Fonce, a dark oxide copper shade–feature raised patterns reminiscent of 19th-century-era tin tiles, while the weathered appearance mimics the look of worn paint.

18. Create a Unique Layout

Make your small space a standout with a custom layout. This boho chic kitchen, designed by I SPY DIY, features the Aurea Bronze tile in alternating horizontal and vertical stacks. Though simple, this backsplash commands attention, in part due to the contrasting grout color, which helps highlight the distinct design. Discover more worldly and eclectic tile ideas in our guide to boho chic style.

19. Marvel with a Versatile Basketweave Mosaic

The Sampson Mosaic tile features an elegant, intricate basketweave pattern that suits a variety of styles, from transitional to mid-century modern to modern farmhouse. This marble tile is stunning paired with white cabinets and gold fixtures, but it would look just as intriguing beneath wood cabinetry.

20. Add Beauty With an Ornate Pattern

An ornate patterned tile brings a lot of charm to a small space. This kitchen, designed by Simony Silva, features the elegant Cheverny Blanc tile. We love how the taupe and blue design complements the warm, neutral cabinetry.

21. Make Waves

Because it’s a small space, the backsplash is the perfect place to accentuate your decor with an unexpected design element, like a uniquely shaped tile. In this kitchen, the Wave Blue Reef tile introduces soft, pillowy lines for wave-like movement.

22. Add Drama With a Contrasting Grout

When you don’t have a lot of space to work with, every element becomes especially significant. A dark tile with light grout (or vice versa) highlights the layout and shape of your design. White grout paired with the Noir Honed Amalfi tiles creates a sense of drama in this Timber Trails-designed kitchen.

23. Create a Contemporary Look With Classic Herringbone Tile

A herringbone layout is a classic design that looks at home in contemporary spaces. In this chic kitchen, the Herringbone Gloss White tile complements the geometric patterns on the window covering while maintaining an elegant simplicity. If you love this dynamic design, shop our wide assortment of herringbone tile.

24. Make a Point With Picket Tile

Reminiscent of a classic picket fence, this elongated hexagon-shaped tile is on point! With its mix of straight and diagonal lines, picket tile creates a sense of movement and natural flow in your space. Here, Picket Florencia Super Bianco is installed using white grout for a subtle design, but you could enhance the shapes’ appearance by using contrasting grout.

Updating your space is easier than you think! Shop our wide assortment of kitchen backsplash tiles to find your perfect style, and check out our guide on how to tile your backsplash yourself for DIY inspiration. Need more assistance? Visit your local Tile Shop showroom, where you’ll find the tile, tools and expert advice you need to get started.

Frequently Asked Questions

What size backsplash tile is best for a small kitchen?

Virtually any size tile will work well for a small kitchen backsplash. If you want a cohesive look that makes your space appear more expansive, use a large-format tile, while a small mosaic tile adds movement and interest.

What is the best color backsplash for a timeless kitchen?

A crisp white backsplash will adapt as your style evolves. White subway tile is a classic look that can be easily updated with colored accents or by painting your cabinets and shelves.

Should the backsplash be lighter or darker than the countertop?

Your backsplash color depends on your personal style. If you tend toward the bold, contrasting your tile and cabinet colors adds a sense of drama. A backsplash that picks up some of the tones of your cabinets–-like a gold-flecked backsplash with gold fixtures on your cabinets -–will look cohesive while adding interest. Contrasting trim or grout will add definition to matching backsplash, countertops and cabinets.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Hi! I'm Eimile, Marketing copywriter. What I love about working at The Tile Shop is getting to see all the new design trends. I especially love bright, bold colors and retro designs. When I'm not writing copy, I'm usually reading a novel or taking a walk around my Minneapolis neighborhood.

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