20 Creative Kitchen Backsplash Ideas to Pair with White Cabinets

You can’t get more classic and classy than white kitchen cabinets, and when it comes to pairing them with a backsplash, the possibilities are virtually endless. From intricate marble mosaics to dramatic black stone to traditional white subway, the right backsplash will showcase your style and elevate your kitchen design. Whether tackling a remodel or looking for backsplash ideas for your existing white cabinets, these tiles will enhance your kitchen with color, shape and style.

Cool-Blue Backsplash

Blue is a charming and versatile hue that pairs well with white. The uneven surface texture and color variations in the Marrakesh Blue tile complement the white cabinets and window frame in this kitchen with beautiful texture and movement. If you like this color pairing, explore more of our blue tile assortment.

White Subway

White subway tile is a classic and timeless choice. If you’re worried white on white will make your kitchen feel like the middle of a snowstorm, try pairing it with colorful accessories. We love how At Home with Ashley uses color in this charming kitchen, but even small accessories like a red bowl or green tea kettle will pop against white subway tile, and can easily be switched out to fit the seasons or your mood.

Make Waves

Curved lines bring a softness and an elegant sense of movement to this kitchen. The Wave Old Cream tile features a warm sand-colored neutral for a contemporary look that pairs well with the handleless white cabinetry. If you like this flowing design, shop the Wave tile in all four colorways: Blue Reef, Grey Owl, White and Old Cream.

Geometric Black & White Pattern

Want a modern backsplash for your white cabinets? A geometric black and white patterned tile is a great way to add interest without overwhelming with color. This graphic diamond-patterned tile is a bold statement and will look stunning with bright-colored accessories.

Mirrored Tile

The Patina Siren Mirror tile brings brightness and depth to this elegant contemporary backsplash, designed by Kelli Fontana Vogelgesang. We love how the tile helps to highlight the dinner and serving ware behind the open shelving, but this tile would also look great as a stove backsplash. Shop our exclusive Kelli Fontana collection for more classic, bold and whimsical tile ideas.

Bold Pattern

The simplicity of white cabinets allows for a pronounced approach to your tile, if that’s your style. A striking, graphic pattern like the Nara Arabesque shown here, will showcase your fun and bold aesthetic.

Nature-Inspired Beauty

Colors found in nature–think warm neutrals, vibrant greens and cool blues–are the hallmark of one of our favorite style trends: biophilic design. The Zellige Dirty Blue tile features undulating blue and green tones for a unique and expressive look that pairs well with the more muted white cabinets. For more ideas that will infuse your space with serotonin-inducing vibes, check out our guide to biophilic design.

Charming Handmade-Look Tile

Perfectly imperfect handmade-look tile will add charm and character to your kitchen. The variations in color and surface texture in the Marrakesh Off-White tile shown here create beautiful movement that gives this backsplash a customized, designed appearance.

Chic Chevron

Create gorgeous movement with a neat, geometric chevron tile. These elongated V-shaped tiles naturally move the eye through the room. We love how the grey veining on this marble tile adds visual texture, but a solid color chevron will create an interesting graphic element–for an even more dramatic effect, try pairing it with a contrasting grout.

White Picket Tile

Subway tile with a twist, picket tile is a new design trend that is here to stay. The elongated hexagon shape creates unique visual interest while providing the orderliness of stacked subway tile. If you’re loving this trend as much as we are, take a look at our full assortment of picket tile.

Add a Tile “Picture Frame”

Created by “framing” a patterned or mosaic tile with trim pieces, a picture frame is an excellent way to display a favorite tile, while maintaining a more neutral overall theme. Here, the Siberian Pearl Somerset and Stainless Steel Metal Somerset tiles are layered around the edge of the Cybele Grey patterned tile.

Stand Out with 3-D Tile

3-D tile juts out of the wall creating natural shadows and a wonderful sense of dimension. You can use color, but if you decide to keep your kitchen monochromatic, like the one shown here using the Tangram Asas Bronco 3-D tile, the multi-dimensional shapes will make your backsplash really pop.

White Marble Subway

Subway is popular for its versatility–it comes in a wide variety of sizes, colors and materials. White subway tile is one of our most popular tile styles, but if your style is elevated traditional, marble subway tile like the Firenze Calacatta Honed Amalfi shown here is at once luxurious, elegant and timeless. The dark veining creates an especially striking backsplash for black granite countertops and white cabinets.

Marvelous Mosaics

Mosaic tile combines shapes, colors and sometimes even materials to create a beautiful tableau that will make your kitchen a masterpiece. The Sampson Mosaic tile with its basketweave pattern gives this backsplash an elevated traditional look that’s at once intricate and simple.

Gorgeous Grey

Grey and white are a naturally elegant combination. We love how the Retro Perla tile creates a soft, understated moment in this kitchen designed by Timber Trails. If you love how this grey backsplash looks with white cabinets, explore our full assortment of grey tiles, to achieve this beautiful aesthetic.

Glossy Pastel Hues

White pairs well with virtually any color, but something about the way the Glass Sky Blue reflects the light, creating a soft glow in this kitchen is especially captivating. If you want to incorporate color into your kitchen but still maintain a calming color palette, a glossy pastel tile is the way to go.

Classic & Chic Hexagons

Hexagons are a classic shape that’s very much on trend. The Royal White Hex tile shown here is both stylish and playful with the grey and sable brown veining that creates a wonderful sense of movement.

Captivating Shapes

Unique shapes are a fun way to add a little personality to your kitchen backsplash. From scalloped fan shapes to cross and star shapes to elegant leaf shapes, like the Laura Ashley Leaf Dove Grey shown here, an unexpected tile will add character and charm to your kitchen backsplash.

Stone Slab

Create a slab look with a large-format stone or stone-look tile like this gorgeous 12″ x 24″ Calacata Evora honed marble tile. Large-format tiles require fewer grout lines so you can achieve the popular slab look–the effect of a single piece of stone like marble or granite–at a fraction of the cost. Large-format marble tiles will infuse your backsplash with a look of luxury, but for an affordable option that’s also durable and easy to maintain, try a porcelain or ceramic marble-look tile.

Dramatic Contrast

Create a definite mood in your kitchen by installing a black backsplash with your white cabinets. The Noir honed limestone amalfi tile used in this kitchen designed by Timber Trails is as refined as it is striking. This tile has the ability to make the room appear too dark but the white cabinets make this space feel light and airy just as the dark tile creates the illusion of extra depth.

We hope we gave you some ideas for pairing tile with your white kitchen cabinets. For even more inpso, check out these 13 Beautiful Kitchen Backsplash Ideas.

Ready to install or renovate your kitchen backsplash? It’s easier than ever to make your design dreams a reality with our free design services. Or, explore even more whimsical patterns in real spaces on our Customer Room Gallery and Instagram!

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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