You like the look of copper. You saw it in a home magazine or at a friend’s house, and you’ve heard that it’s good for protecting your kitchen walls while cooking. Now you want it as your backsplash, but you’re not sure how to get from “I want” to “I have.” These copper kitchen backsplash ideas will help you create a beautiful and durable copper backsplash that fits with the rest of your kitchen.
1) DIY Copper Sheeting
While your backsplash should have all the most creative ideas you can come up with, you need a place to start from. If you’re not hiring a contractor, copper sheeting is a common material for making your own copper backsplash. Of course, the sheeting doesn’t come precut with instructions, so check out this tutorial to learn how to do it yourself. This is great for a simple backsplash, but you can also add your own designs through techniques mentioned in this article.
2) Tree of Life
You’re probably wondering “What does the tree of life have to do with my kitchen?” The tree of life’s part of many ancient mythologies, but it’s also a popular decorating element in new homes. This tree of life copper panel can be a centerpiece of your copper backsplash and add a natural or mythological touch to your kitchen. It can be used as part of a full copper backsplash, or you can use it to add copper touches to a tile backsplash.
3) DIY Flame Torched
You already know you want copper backsplash. Now you need a way to spruce it up and make it look nice. This video shows you a neat trick to make copper look cool before installing it. You can use a flame torch to make designs, or just to create the torched look for the whole copper panel. The great thing about this do-it-yourself decoration idea is that you get to play with fire in a safe environment. Better yet, when your friends ask how you got that look, you can tell them you set the backsplash on fire.
4) Copper Accents
If you already have a copper backsplash, or you already know what you’re going to use for the backsplash, you’ll need to find a way to make it fit with the rest of the room. One way to do this is to get more copper fittings and add copper accents to the room. Items like this switchplate cover, a copper sink, or copper decorations can tie the room together by connecting them visually to your backsplash. Just make sure the items you use are all the same copper color. Don’t mix oxidized copper with a bright shiny one, for example.
5) Contrast
One of the more difficult things about a copper backsplash is figuring out what colors go with it. If you already have the room painted, and you like the color, great! Most likely, though, you’ll want to paint the kitchen a new color that fits with the backsplash. Contrasting colors work well with a copper backsplash, so try using a dark color like the one in this photo. That’ll make the copper stand out, but always make sure to look at the color next to the copper you’re using before making a purchase.
6) Partial Patina
Not all copper is made the same. Some copper is bright and shiny, while other copper has an aqua patina or a scuffed look. One way to make a unique backsplash is with a partial patina, like the one on this ceiling tile. The tile has an intricate design with shiny copper on the raised parts of the design, but the blue patina in the recessed parts of the design highlights the copper and creates contrast within the design. Even though it’s a ceiling tile, you can use it for a backsplash like you would any other tile.
7) Location
What part of your backsplash are you doing? Is the copper going behind a stove, or behind a sink? This article tells you how you can customize your backsplash to fit the location. The good news is that copper has a high melting point, so it’s great for areas behind a stove. Make sure to use flat and easy to clean copper behind the stove, as well as a taller backsplash. This is less important for the area around your sink, but your backsplash should all be fairly easy to clean.
8) DIY Peel and Stick
Installing copper backsplash may seem like a daunting task if you haven’t worked with copper before. If you want the look of copper without the hassle or expense of hiring a contractor, try this peel and stick copper backsplash material. The mosaic has hints of copper, rather than a full sheet of solid copper. This gives you the copper look without the cost of labor or the difficulty of installing copper sheets. It even comes with an installation guide for beginners.
9) DIY Wainscoting
Your backsplash doesn’t exist in a vacuum. What does that mean? It means that the rest of your kitchen needs to match it. Copper is a versatile decoration. It can be anything from oxidized blue to dull and scuffed to shiny orange. Unfortunately, this makes it hard to match one piece of copper to another. This tutorial shows you how to use copper sheeting for wainscoting. This way, you can use the same sheeting for the wainscoting and backsplash to make sure they match each other.
10) Mosaic
A copper backsplash doesn’t have to be a solid sheet of copper or a series of decorated copper tiles. Sometimes, less is more. Instead of using a large amount of copper, use a tile mosaic like this one. The mosaic is made of smaller pieces of copper-colored glass that gives a subtle copper look. This color is easier to match to the rest of your kitchen since the copper isn’t one solid piece. You can also get mosaics on Amazon with two or more colors mixed with the copper.
11) DIY Penny Backsplash
Pennies! Hundreds of them. This do-it-yourself project may be the cheapest yet, even though it’s made from real money. When you think of copper, one of the first things that often comes up is copper pennies. These instructions will help you make an amazing backsplash out of pennies. It’ll have more variation than most backsplashes since each penny has aged differently. Your guests will have to ask about this unusual backsplash any time they come into your kitchen!
12) Two Layers
There are a few ways to make a more subtle backsplash that still includes that gorgeous copper sheen. One way to have subtle copper highlights is to cover it up with a second layer of material. Pick a tile you like and use these instructions to drill holes in it. Then, place it over the copper to let the copper shine through where you drilled the holes. Since this creates a textured backsplash, you can lay it flat and coat it with epoxy before installing it. This makes a smooth surface that’s easy to clean.
13) Glass
When you talk about a copper backsplash, you may be thinking about the materials, but ultimately you want that bright copper color. While you can make the backsplash from copper, you can also make another material look like copper. This glass backsplash tile looks like it’s made with little copper pieces, but it has a smooth finish of glass. This’ll whisk away moisture behind a sink, and it’s easy to clean. It also doesn’t dull over time like real copper.
14) DIY Patina
Bright and shiny copper is neat for decorations, but it might not be what you’re looking for. If you like the blue-green look copper gets as it oxidizes, you’ll want to age your copper to create a patina. This video shows you how to oxidize copper for a backsplash, so you can get that neat blue-green color. The carpenter in the video also shows you how to custom cut and install the backsplash, so you can follow it from start to finish when you install your own.
15) DIY Etch It
You have a great idea for a copper design. You’ve prowled through Amazon, Home Depot, and every other site you can think of, but you can’t find that exact design. The best solution? Make it yourself. This blogger shows you how to etch copper safely to make any design you want. While she etched a circuit board and some jewelry, you can easily use the same method for copper backsplash. This creates a unique design that none of your guests have seen before, and you can pick something that fits you perfectly.
16) DIY Decorative Panels
If you aren’t comfortable using all the chemicals involved in etching, don’t worry. There are still ways you can make a customized copper backsplash panel at home. With the method in this video, you can take any picture and turn it into a copper relief. You’ll need some luan to mount it on since the panel must be very thin for it to work. Since the design is flattened at the end, you don’t have to worry about losing the textured details when you install it.
17) Geometric Textures
Copper is a decoration on its own, so you don’t need a lot of intricate carving and etching to make it look nice. A lot of your backsplash is probably covered by a coffee maker and a couple big jars of kitchen utensils, so detailed scenes would be wasted in those areas. If you have cluttered counters, try a simple geometric design like this one. This design is made by folding or cutting the metal, but you can buy similar patterns on Amazon, or bend simpler patterns into the copper yourself.
18) Vinyl Panels
If you want a copper look that’s easier to install than real copper, copper-colored vinyl panels might be the solution for you. Unlike copper or plastic panels, you can cut these with scissors. This makes it easy to place them around outlets. If you’re installing the backsplash throughout the kitchen, you’ll find that your counters aren’t quite level. Since this material is easy to cut, you can do complicated cuts, or trim off pieces without hassle.n also add blue felt to a dartboard cabinet so it will match the pool table and create a cohesive theme in that area.
19) DIY Traditional Look
You have a traditional kitchen, with old-fashioned decorations and little rooster decorations everywhere. You don’t want to mess up that look, but…you really want copper for a backsplash. Good news. You can have both. This copper backsplash has a traditional pattern that’s great for an old-fashioned kitchen. You can get it in several copper finishes, such as cracked copper, polished copper, or even argent copper. This way, you can pick exactly how much patina you want; the more patina there is, the more rustic it looks.
20) Antique Look
When copper gets wet and oxidizes, it looks blue-green; however, you’ve seen the way copper pennies age to a dark color. If you want your copper to look antique, either to fit with your kitchen design or just because you like the look, try this copper tile from Amazon. While it’s designed for ceilings, it can be used for the backsplash. The tile has an antique design, with two shades of copper that highlight the design. The brighter copper on the raised parts will shine when lit, while the darker color gives it an aged look.
21) Fiery Look
If your backsplash is behind a stove, what could look better than fire? While there’s no real fire except for what comes from your stove, this copper has the illusion of fire across the backsplash panel. This is done by distressing the copper. The uneven pattern created when the copper is distressed causes the bright parts to look like flame while the dulled areas look like shadows. You can distress copper sheeting yourself, or buy sheeting that’s already distressed.
22) Full Height
Backsplash needs to protect the wall from splashes from the sink or stove. This can be done with a couple of inches of backsplash, but the backsplash is also decorative. If you’re going to the time and expense to get copper backsplash, you want it to look good and be seen. This photo shows a backsplash that extends up from the counter to the ceiling. It even goes behind some shelves that are painted in a dark green that helps bring out the copper’s shine.
23) Ceiling Tiles
It’s no secret that you can use ceiling tiles for your backsplash. They have neat designs, and they can be installed without too much difficulty. One great thing about using ceiling tiles for your backsplash is that you can match the ceiling to the backsplash effortlessly. If you’re renovating the whole kitchen, pick one tile to use for both the ceiling and backsplash. This will tie the two places together visually and create a rich, dramatic effect.
What kind of copper backsplash will you use? Did we miss any ideas? Tell us about your ideas in the comments below!
