Not Subway Tile Or Stone: This Is HGTV Star Leanne Ford's Favorite Backsplash Material

Choosing a kitchen backsplash is one of the most exciting parts of styling your kitchen, because even though it's a small part of the overall design, it can often have a big impact. There is plenty to consider from choosing the right size and shape, finding the best kitchen backsplash colors, and deciding what kind of material you're going to use. Many of us will take inspiration from the pros, exploring tiling techniques from magazine spreads and HGTV star designs, often coming across repetitive styles like white subway tile or sleek marble. However, HGTV's Leanne Ford is one design star that loves to lean into a more unexpected material when crafting a backsplash — vintage tiles.

Ford has an impressive background as an interior designer, including her work on HGTV series like "A Very Brady Renovation" and "Restored by the Fords," and has picked up plenty of stylish insights along the way. But when speaking about her design aesthetic with Native Trail, Ford talked about her love for vintage tile. "You just gotta find it," she said of how she sources it. "I go to salvage yards, and if I see it I get it." 

We're seeing many vintage home design trends that are making huge comebacks, so it might be a good time to take Ford's advice and dig up some antique backsplash tiles for your home. The kitchen is especially an area of focus for these kinds of vintage design choices, considering it's a space many homeowners want to feel warm, welcoming, and even a bit nostalgic.

Subway tile and modern stone backsplashes have been a long-time favorite for their sleek, clean look, but today's homeowners are losing interest in these kinds of interiors. Instead of these minimalist styles, we're seeing looks rise like the cozy kitchen design trend that embraces vintage charm with earthy, aged decor — and Ford seems to be ahead of these trends. Many of the kitchen interiors in Ford's designs not only feel stylish, but comforting and grounded through her use of rustic and aged materials. A vintage tile backsplash is a great way to embrace this kind of cozy character in the kitchen, with materials that have a unique story to their design. When working with antique tiles, you might come across worn edges or hand-finished designs that can welcome a certain sense of depth to the backsplash that feels more impactful than a perfectly produced tile.

While not every kitchen will have a retro aesthetic, vintage tiles are quite adaptable to different styles in the kitchen, considering that backsplashes add a clever accent, but won't take over the full design. When speaking with Homes & Gardens, designer Nina Watson noted, "'It's not just about the tiles you use, but the way you tile with them," also suggesting that studying photos of historic tile layouts can help you plan an authentic vintage look. Buying brand new tiling for your backsplash can be expensive, but you might be able to strike a more worthy style in salvage yards like Ford, or antique resellers.