If it's true that the way to a man's heart is through his stomach, then it should come as no surprise that women want a beautiful yet practical kitchen with all the comforts and amenities the queen of the castle deserves. Let's face it, trendy, healthy meals take time and space, and part of creating beautiful meals means creating a beautiful environment to prepare them in. Here are just a few suggestions for spicing up your backsplash.



1. Start by evaluating your personality and the look of your home, especially your kitchen and work within the theme or one you'd like to accomplish.

2. Set a realistic budget and stay within your means, even if it means getting ingenious and creative about accomplishing your look.

3. Use a variety o material(s) to define specific work areas, such as stainless steel behind the sinks and cook-top and tile in surrounding areas.

4. The latest trend calls for using counter top material and following the "theme" all the way up the wall as a backsplash. According to experts, this helps assure continuity of design and helps keep the number of material choices to a minimum.

5. Make the backsplash (often forgotten) a renovating and redesign essential. Remember, it's at eye level and WILL be noticed.

6. If you have budget restrictions think about generating a focal point by using more expensive material over the cooking are or sink and using a paint technique, such as Venetia Plaster for surrounding areas.

7. Give yourself plenty of pleasing options before making a decision. Look at everything including laminates, glass, ceramics, metal, and solid surfaces, and weigh out the pros and cons of each.

8. While neutral is most "appealing" you may want to consider a hint of color here and there.