What is the best grout for a kitchen splashback?

A polymer-modified cement grout in a narrow joint (1.5 to 2mm), in a colour either tone-matched to the tile or deliberately contrasted. Avoid mid-grey defaults that read as neither choice.

Should a splashback match the floor or benchtop?

Most kitchens are designed with the splashback responding to the benchtop rather than the floor. A marble-look benchtop pairs with a matte tile splashback; a plain stone benchtop can carry a more decorative splashback tile.

Glass vs tile splashback, which is better?

Glass produces a single seamless surface and a high-shine finish. Tile offers texture, variation and the option of handmade character, increasingly the preferred choice in contemporary Australian kitchens.

How high should a splashback run?

600mm bench-to-underside is the standard. Bench-to-rangehood adds presence behind the cooktop. Bench-to-ceiling treats the wall as a feature and is most effective with handmade or natural-stone tiles.

Contemporary kitchen with zellige tile splashback and stone benchtop

Zellige · Subway · Marble-look · Mosaic · Large-format slab

Splashback tiles.

Q: Do splashback tiles need to be heat resistant?

All porcelain and ceramic tiles handle residential cooktop heat without issue. The grout matters more, specify a polymer-modified grout to resist oil, steam and thermal cycling behind the cooking zone.

The kitchen's eye-level focal point, sitting between bench and rangehood. From the handmade character of zellige to the seamlessness of large-format slab, every splashback style in one place.

4566 splashback tiles in stockFrom $25/m² inc. GSTSamples from $15

Zellige specialists

The largest curated zellige range available in Australia, sage, forest, navy and beyond.

Heat & oil resistant

Porcelain and ceramic finishes engineered for the cooktop zone, NCC compliant near gas.

Sample in kitchen light

Kitchens have unusual light, artificial and variable. Sample on the wall before ordering.

AU-wide delivery

To every metro and regional address, sample-friendly freight rates.

Shop by style

Zellige22 Marble-look161 Mosaic397 Large-format slab140

Browse & filter

Filter all 4,566 splashback tiles

Sort

Refine

Showing 24 of 4,566 · priced per m² inc. GST

In a room

Emperador Provence

600 × 600 × 10mm · matte

$89.95/m² inc. GST

In a room

Emperador Tirreno

600 × 1200 × 10mm · honed

$94.95/m² inc. GST

In a room

Travertino Onda

600 × 600 × 10mm · honed

$54.95/m² inc. GST

In a room

Emperador Perla

600 × 600 × 10mm · matte

$150.00/m² inc. GST

In a room

Paonazzo Perla

600 × 600 × 9mm · matte

$25.95/m² inc. GST

In a room

Emperador Ravenna

600 × 600 × 10mm · honed

$52.95/m² inc. GST

In a room

Emperador Taffeta

600 × 600 × 10mm · matte

$115.00/m² inc. GST

In a room

Emperador Sovrano

600 × 600 × 10mm · polished

$52.95/m² inc. GST

Made to order

In a room

Emperador Ponente

600 × 600 × 10mm · matte

$52.95/m² inc. GST

Made to order

In a room

Travertino Reale

600 × 600 × 9mm · textured

$84.95/m² inc. GST

In a room

Marquina Tirreno

600 × 600 × 9mm · matte

$69.95/m² inc. GST

In a room

Paonazzo Cristallo

600 × 1200 × 9.5mm · matte

$38.00/m² inc. GST

In a room

Emperador Sorrento

600 × 1200 × 10mm · honed

$52.95/m² inc. GST

In a room

Emperador Lucca

600 × 600 × 10mm · honed

$79.88/m² inc. GST

In a room

Emperador Maggiore

600 × 600 × 10mm · matte

$54.95/m² inc. GST

In a room

Piombo Carrara

600 × 600 × 9mm · matte

$54.95/m² inc. GST

In a room

Emperador Cortina

600 × 600 × 10mm · matte

$54.95/m² inc. GST

In a room

Emperador Eleganza

600 × 1200 × 10mm · matte

$150.00/m² inc. GST

In a room

Emperador Diamante

600 × 600 × 10mm · matte

$64.88/m² inc. GST

In a room

Portoro Carrara

600 × 600 × 9mm · matte

$48.00/m² inc. GST

In a room

Emperador Puro

600 × 1200 × 10mm · matte

$60.00/m² inc. GST

Made to order

In a room

Marquina Stella

600 × 600 × 10mm · matte

$49.95/m² inc. GST

In a room

Emperador Lucente

600 × 600 × 10mm · matte

$89.95/m² inc. GST

In a room

Travertino Vento

600 × 600 × 9mm · textured

$120.00/m² inc. GST

Zellige splashback

22 colourways

Handmade Moroccan tiles with the variation that defines a character kitchen.

All zellige →

In a room

Zellige Positano

300 × 300mm sheet · honed

$297.00/m² inc. GST

In a room

Zellige Imperiale

450 × 520 sheet · satin

$255.75/m² inc. GSTSale

In a room

Zellige Notturno

60 × 170 sheet · matte

$247.50/m² inc. GSTSale

In a room

Zellige Cristallo

38 × 38mm sheet · matte

$195.52/m² inc. GST

In a room

Zellige Lago

300 × 300mm sheet · textured

$194.70/m² inc. GST

In a room

Zellige Grazia

296 × 396 sheet · matte

$164.92/m² inc. GSTSale

Zellige Diamante

302 × 302 sheet · satin

$154.99/m² inc. GSTSale

In a room

Zellige Bologna

1024 × 1022mm sheet · textured

$148.50/m² inc. GST

Zellige Amalfi

200 × 200 sheet · polished

$95.62/m² inc. GSTSale

In a room

Zellige Castello

300 × 300mm sheet · matte

$94.05/m² inc. GST

Zellige Parma

470 × 470 sheet · polished

$72.52/m² inc. GSTSale

In a room

Zellige Verona

200 × 200 sheet · satin

$69.22/m² inc. GSTSale

See all 22 zellige →

Marble-look

161 styles

Carrara, Calacatta and Statuario veining behind the cooktop, in low-maintenance porcelain.

All marble look →

In a room

Sahara Carrara

1620 × 3240 × 12mm · polished

$2,189.00/slab inc. GST

In a room

Scoglio Marmo

1620 × 3240 × 12mm · satin

$2,035.00/slab inc. GST

Statuario Cachemire

272 × 272 · polished

$305.25/m² inc. GSTSale

In a room

Statuario Naturale

200 × 200 × 9mm · matte

$251.08/m² inc. GST

In a room

Statuario Maggiore

200 × 200 × 9mm · matte

$251.08/m² inc. GST

In a room

Carrara Splendore

200 × 200 × 9mm · matte

$251.08/m² inc. GST

In a room

Carrara Toscano

200 × 200 × 9mm · matte

$251.08/m² inc. GST

In a room

Statuario Provence

200 × 200 × 9mm · matte

$251.08/m² inc. GST

In a room

Carrara Quintessenza

200 × 200 × 9mm · matte

$251.08/m² inc. GST

In a room

Carrara Brezza

200 × 200 × 9mm · matte

$251.08/m² inc. GST

In a room

Carrara Puro

200 × 200 × 9mm · matte

$251.08/m² inc. GST

In a room

Carrara Aria

200 × 200 × 9mm · matte

$251.08/m² inc. GST

Mosaic

397 styles

Penny round, fish scale, hexagon and herringbone for a textural splashback statement.

All mosaics →

In a room

Sahara Quintessenza

238 × 248 × 8mm sheet · matte

$879.00/m² inc. GSTSale

In a room

Tessera Costa

306 × 292mm sheet · honed

$462.00/m² inc. GST

In a room

Vetro Venezia

68 × 148mm sheet · honed

$412.50/m² inc. GST

In a room

Tessera Broccato

300 × 300mm sheet · honed

$412.50/m² inc. GST

In a room

Oro Provence

230 × 230 sheet · honed

$404.25/m² inc. GSTSale

In a room

Tessera Australe

50 × 150mm sheet · honed

$396.00/m² inc. GST

In a room

Murano Grazia

68 × 148mm sheet · honed

$379.50/m² inc. GST

In a room

Penta Bauhaus

300 × 300mm sheet · matte

$370.00/m² inc. GST

Large-format slab

140 styles

1200×2700 porcelain slabs for a single-piece, near-jointless splashback.

All slabs →

In a room

Scoglio Saviano

1630 × 2340 × 12mm · satin

$2,189.00/slab inc. GST

Made to order

In a room

Coriandolo Zenith

1420 × 2530 × 20mm · honed

$2,000.00/slab inc. GST

In a room

Palladio Taffeta

1250 × 3050 × 20mm · honed

$2,000.00/slab inc. GST

Made to order

In a room

Veneziano Capri

1250 × 3050 × 20mm · honed

$2,000.00/slab inc. GST

Made to order

In a room

Seminato Parma

1250 × 3050 × 20mm · honed

$2,000.00/slab inc. GST

Made to order

In a room

Palladio Imperiale

1250 × 3050 × 20mm · honed

$2,000.00/slab inc. GST

In a room

Veneziano Ravenna

1420 × 2530 × 20mm · honed

$1,700.00/slab inc. GST

In a room

Coriandolo Modena

1420 × 2530 × 20mm · honed

$1,700.00/slab inc. GST

Choosing splashback tiles

More than protection. A splashback is the one tiled surface in the home that sits at standing eye level. It sets the design tone of the entire kitchen. Treat it as a feature, not a utility, it is what guests notice first.

Height changes everything. A standard 600mm splashback reads conventional. Bench-to-rangehood adds presence. Bench-to-ceiling reads as a designed wall and works particularly well with handmade tiles and natural stone slabs. Decide the height before you choose the tile.

Matching style to kitchen. Zellige suits character homes and any space that wants warmth and handmade variation. Subway is the safe timeless default. Marble-look reads luxe and considered. Large-format porcelain slab reads minimalist and contemporary, with the thinnest possible grout joint.

Practical considerations

Heat and oil. No genuine porcelain or ceramic tile has a heat issue behind a residential cooktop. Grout is the weaker link, specify a polymer-modified grout in a narrow joint behind the cooktop and oil and steam will not stain or weaken it.

The 150mm rule. The National Construction Code requires non-combustible lining within 150mm of any gas burner. Porcelain, ceramic and stone tiles all satisfy this requirement comfortably. Confirm with your tiler if using any non-standard material.

Grout colour, pick a side. Tone-matched grout is the professional standard and produces a calm surface. Contrast grout on subway reads graphic and intentional. The wrong choice is a colour that is neither matched nor deliberately contrasted. Ask us →

Splashback tile questions

Do splashback tiles need to be heat resistant?

All porcelain and ceramic handles residential cooktop heat fine. Grout is the weak link, use polymer-modified grout behind the cooking zone.

Best grout for a kitchen splashback?

Polymer-modified, narrow joint (1.5 to 2mm), tone-matched or deliberately contrasted. Avoid mid-grey that reads as neither.

Match the floor or benchtop?

The splashback responds to the benchtop. Marble-look benchtop → matte tile. Plain stone → more decorative tile.

Glass vs tile?

Glass is seamless and shiny. Tile offers texture, variation and handmade character, increasingly preferred in Australian kitchens.

How high should it run?

600mm is standard. Bench-to-rangehood adds presence. Bench-to-ceiling treats it as a feature wall.