The Unique Tile That Turns Your Kitchen Backsplash Into A Statement Piece

A kitchen countertop provides a functional surface for chopping, mixing, and blending food and drinks. The backsplash acts as a protective barrier against the mess those activities inevitably create. But a backsplash is more than protection. It's also aesthetic — a kitchen feature that draws the eye. As such, home designers and DIY renovators alike put a lot of effort into finding the perfect finish. Subway tile, the kitchen backsplash material that Joanna Gaines is obsessed with, remains popular, though white subway tiles are widely considered outdated. Get ready to say goodbye to boring tiles. There's a unique kitchen backsplash trend we're loving that's on the rise: the fish-scale tile. The pattern particularly stands out among geometric tiles as the ideal material for making a statement.

Fish-scale tiles — also referred to as scalloped, fan-shaped, mermaid, or Moroccan fish-scale tiles — have a distinctive curve or scallop (as in the seashell) profile. Put multiple tiles together and they form an attractive overlapping pattern. Such a pattern gives a flowing effect that's reminiscent of ocean waves. When used as a backsplash, this tile adds dramatic texture and movement, creating a focal point behind the sink and stove. Regardless of color, fish-scale tiles instantly elevate a kitchen, adding tons of personality. You can get creative with the layout, too. For example, a gradient of bold to neutral hues can transform your backsplash from something functional into a work of art.

Are you looking for ways to incorporate Art Deco art into your home? Fish-scale tile offers you exactly that opportunity. Repeating patterns, like scallops, were everywhere in the Roaring Twenties, a time when design was influenced by nature. Indeed, the fish-scale pattern abounds in nature, too. In today's kitchens, a fish-scale backsplash shies away from the staid straight lines created by traditional rectangular and square tiles. The charm of fish-scale tile is that it adds creativity and warmth to a space, depending on the glaze color and the materials it's paired with.

A backsplash of blush pink fish-scale tile looks gorgeous alongside gray-veined white marble countertops. Or really dig into the coastal aesthetic using large scalloped tiles with ribbing in different shades of blue and aqua. Fish-scale tile is also a game-changer for minimalist and modern home styles, which can become monotonous or dull without an injection of something artistic. For example, monochrome iridescent scalloped tiles add depth to a simple kitchen design, as does applying them only halfway up the wall or arranging them somewhat haphazardly. Lean toward the eccentric or flashy with your interior design? Channel the design of bars and commercial spaces with open kitchens into your own home and cover an entire wall with bright orange and glossy double-ended fish-scale tiles.