Wallpaper the backsplash? Deb wants our help with her Retro Design Dilemma
Kate - Updated: September 20, 2020
Retro Renovation stopped publishing in 2021; these stories remain for historical information, as potential continued resources, and for archival purposes.
Reader Deb and her husband are in the final stages of their DIY vintage style kitchen remodel. It’s coming together just beautifully — but now, they are stuck on a final design decision: Shoudld they add adorable 1940s style Bradbury & Bradbury wallpaper to the backsplash? Or will it be too much? They want to hear from the ever-helpful tribe of Retro Renovation readers. To wallpaper or not to wallpaper, that is the question. Read on to hear Deb’s story and to weigh in. Pam and I will hold back and post our photoshopped ideas at noon.
Deb writes:
Hi Pam,
We’re in the final stages of our kitchen redo (having done all the work ourselves except for the sheetrocking) and we can’t agree on whether to use this wallpaper from Bradburyas our backsplash or not.
“Apple Betty” by Bradbury & Bradbury
I love it but my husband thinks it is too busy and takes away from the nickel outlet covers (which he has some strange attachment to lol). Behind the stove will be new/old fan with a sunburst stainless steel panel. Is this all too much? The wallpaper would be vinyl coated for protection and used only under the cabinets.
Also, I want to let you know that your explanation and pics of doing the metal edging on your counter tops helped immensely when it came time to do ours.
Kitchen before with original Youngstown “Diana” sink unit.
The original kitchen had the washer and dryer under the counter and a “Diana” Youngstown sink unit. It was too far gone to save but I did manage to pry off the the Diana emblem and will be putting it on my new sink cabinet. I know I said that we did it all by ourselves but that isn’t entirely true. We had the floor installed and we bought the RTA cabinetsfrom Barker Cabinets in Oregon. Barker also has slab front cabinets and they are a joy to do business with. Shipping took seven days from Oregon to upstate New York.
The walls are a very light blue. We have a Big Chill fridge in Buttercup yellow (ebay) that hasn’t been put in yet. The woman I bought it from in New Jersey, had won it in a raffle and could not fit it in her kitchen.
If anyone wants to know the particulars of putting in linoleum counter tops and stainless steel edging, my husband is willing to share what he did. It’s taken 1 year and 3 months of no vacations, working every single weekend and a lot of evenings to get to this point. And best of all my DH and I are still talking to each other.
So readers — now we need your thoughtful opinions — what should Deb do with her kitchen back splash?
Through the magic of Photoshop, Kate made some mock-ups of Deb’s kitchen to help her visualize how it would look with the three variations wallpaper and the sunburst stainless steel backsplash:
1. Sunny Day Combo:
For the first mock-up, we put the stainless steel sunburst backsplash over the stove and Bradbury & Bradbury Apple Betty wallpaper between the cabinets and counter top. This looks pretty nice… but we feel like the drama of the stainless steel backsplash might be overwhelming the rest of the kitchen design, which is so lovely. Hmmmm….
2. All wallpaper:
For the second mock-up, we extended the wallpaper all the way behind the stove and up to the ceiling. Deb wasn’t planning on having the wallpaper extend this far up, but if the stainless steel backsplash is not used, it would be a more finished look to have the wallpaper extend all the way to the ceiling, instead of being cut off at under cabinet height. We’re kind of digging the vintage charm starting to come together once this wallpaper is added…
3. Add a shelf to the combo:
Deb could also add a shelf for knick knacks — made using the same red linoleum and metal edging from the countertops — an idea that is similar to the shelf in Pam’s kitchen:
Note the shelf in Pam’s kitchen, above the stove. It is about 6″ deep, edged with stainless steel like the countertops (but a different size of SS.) I never did anything but paint my backsplash. Some day soon I think I will tile it; I have been mulling the issue… for years. As you can see, I adore wallpaper in a vintage style kitchen. ADORE. – Pam
4. Shelf plus stainless steel backsplash
If Deb’s husband still isn’t sold on the wallpaper, this option is for him. Combining the sunburst stainless steel backsplash with the shelf provides a more toned down look, while still allowing space for Deb to display vintage knick-knacks. Maybe paint the backsplash the same yellow as the refrigerator coming in… or tone the yellow paint down a bit… or, a shade similar to that of the floor might work, too.
Pam and I both agree on this one — the Bradbury & Bradbury wallpaper that Deb chose is just perfect for the space. The pattern picks up the red from the counter tops, the blue from the floor and the buttery yellow from her Big Chill refrigerator. The space above the stove and fan is just calling out for a shelf to fill it — one that Deb could use to display some cute vintage knick-knacks. If it were our kitchen, Kate and I both are loving mood board number three.
Also love Pam’s alt wallpapers, in a comment above. Any of those patterns would be Charm City.
Others have said it’s not so tough to keep a wallpaper splash clean … just keep splattery stuff on the front burners. If you’re really cooking up a storm, have a metal or plastic tray or panel to temporarily lean against the wall above the range.
pam kuebersays
Deb, here is another thought: Once you get the yellow fridge in…. and if you’re still liking the idea of wallpaper, there are two other designs in the same Bradbury line that also include the color yellow. These might also work beautifully to incorporate all THREE of your key colors. Link: http://bradbury.com/postwar.html
Mary Elizabethsays
Pam, I was thinking the exact same thing. Love the one with the yellow teapots.
Deb Cerronesays
Pam, I have and love all those wallpapers (Bradbury sends them as a group for samples). I discussed all the suggestions with DH and he’s now agreeable to putting tile behind the stove rather than the SS panel.So we’re now looking for a creamy butter tile. We’ll revisit the wallpaper idea later I think. (that means when I can wear him down lol) Thank you for all your help.
Lauriesays
I checked your Forbo link because I admired the richness of those countertops; is that Forbo flooring? In squares? I had never heard of using it on countertops, if that’s what it is. And your opinion on the RTA cabinet assembly process? always nervous about such projects. Love the vibe of that kitchen!
pam kuebersays
Laurie, we have had numerous readers who have used Forbo on counter tops. Note, though, I don’t think it’s actually specified for this use — check the manufacturer’s information.
Deb Cerronesays
Thank you for the compliment . The counter is Forbo sheet lino glued onto a 1.5″ substrate. I was hesitant to use lino as a counter but after doing a bunch of stain tests I decided to go for it. I keep knives and anything hot away from them and wipe up spills as soon as I see them. What makes it easier for me is that my kids are out of the house for the most part.
My husband says that one should have some minor woodworking/assembly skills to put the RTA cabinets together (I agree) .Barker Cabinets are of very good quality and very responsive to any questions/concerns.(They even answer emails on a Sunday!) and they have video tutorials on assembly which were very helpful.
If you’ve got the cajones for it, make a real statement and just go all paper! I think it would look amazing! Busy? Yes. But UH-MAY-ZING! Do it!
Nancy ECsays
Forgot to mention earlier that stainless can be tough to clean. Depending on the residue, it can stain. In my experience, it needs constant upkeep.
Allensays
I honestly don’t think we can judge the sunburst panel for over stove fairly with the photographs that were provided. I think in real time its probably not as shiny and overbearing as the photographs suggest.
Hmmm, now that I see all the mood boards I am liking #3 as well. I think the metal panel is very strong. Maybe too strong.The cream/white contrast isn’t as bad as I imagined. But, I have an idea. It appears that the wall slopes up to the ceiling (or maybe that is the ceiling) behind the stove. What about painting that sloped part yellow to bring in the fridge color and help frame the wallpaper in. It could be painted blue, too, but it seems as though there is a concern about making the yellow fridge work in the space.
Maribethsays
Very well done! I’m sure you are happy you’ve come so far, but ready for completion. I like the idea of using the sunburst stainless steel along with a shelf above the stove and maybe putting the wallpaper above the shelf. I also fear that the paper will not pick up the buttercup yellow fridge.
On a side note, I love the Tappan stove! I actually currently have that exact one for sale that I purchased from the original owner and had completely reconditioned. It’s a beast!
Good luck and I can’t wait to see the final decisions!
lisasays
I love the sunburst steel behind the stove with the wallpaper on the backsplash. Would not do the knicknack shelf with this option because it takes away from the beautiful starburst and stove combo. This option also shows off the outlet covers nicely 🙂
With this I suggest creamy white curtains with just a bit of yellow trim to tie in the fridge. The whole kitchen looks just lovely, and really any of the choices would probably turn out fine — but with no vent hood over the stove I’d want something easier to clean than wallpaper. Behind the stove is the only place in my kitchen that really gets dirty enough to worry about, and I am kind of a slob, so I think you are safe will wallpaper on all the non-stove backsplash area.
If anyone wants to know the particulars of putting in linoleum counter tops and stainless steel edging, my husband is willing to share what he did. It’s taken 1 year and 3 months of no vacations, working every single weekend and a lot of evenings to get to this point. And best of all my DH and I are still talking to each other.
For the second mock-up, we extended the wallpaper all the way behind the stove and up to the ceiling. Deb wasn’t planning on having the wallpaper extend this far up, but if the stainless steel backsplash is not used, it would be a more finished look to have the wallpaper extend all the way to the ceiling, instead of being cut off at under cabinet height. We’re kind of digging the vintage charm starting to come together once this wallpaper is added…
Deb could also add a shelf for knick knacks — made using the same red linoleum and metal edging from the countertops — an idea that is similar to the shelf in Pam’s kitchen:
If Deb’s husband still isn’t sold on the wallpaper, this option is for him. Combining the sunburst stainless steel backsplash with the shelf provides a more toned down look, while still allowing space for Deb to display vintage knick-knacks. Maybe paint the backsplash the same yellow as the refrigerator coming in… or tone the yellow paint down a bit… or, a shade similar to that of the floor might work, too.
oh Holland says
Also love Pam’s alt wallpapers, in a comment above. Any of those patterns would be Charm City.
Others have said it’s not so tough to keep a wallpaper splash clean … just keep splattery stuff on the front burners. If you’re really cooking up a storm, have a metal or plastic tray or panel to temporarily lean against the wall above the range.
pam kueber says
Deb, here is another thought: Once you get the yellow fridge in…. and if you’re still liking the idea of wallpaper, there are two other designs in the same Bradbury line that also include the color yellow. These might also work beautifully to incorporate all THREE of your key colors. Link: http://bradbury.com/postwar.html
Mary Elizabeth says
Pam, I was thinking the exact same thing. Love the one with the yellow teapots.
Deb Cerrone says
Pam, I have and love all those wallpapers (Bradbury sends them as a group for samples). I discussed all the suggestions with DH and he’s now agreeable to putting tile behind the stove rather than the SS panel.So we’re now looking for a creamy butter tile. We’ll revisit the wallpaper idea later I think. (that means when I can wear him down lol) Thank you for all your help.
Laurie says
I checked your Forbo link because I admired the richness of those countertops; is that Forbo flooring? In squares? I had never heard of using it on countertops, if that’s what it is. And your opinion on the RTA cabinet assembly process? always nervous about such projects. Love the vibe of that kitchen!
pam kueber says
Laurie, we have had numerous readers who have used Forbo on counter tops. Note, though, I don’t think it’s actually specified for this use — check the manufacturer’s information.
Deb Cerrone says
Thank you for the compliment . The counter is Forbo sheet lino glued onto a 1.5″ substrate. I was hesitant to use lino as a counter but after doing a bunch of stain tests I decided to go for it. I keep knives and anything hot away from them and wipe up spills as soon as I see them. What makes it easier for me is that my kids are out of the house for the most part.
My husband says that one should have some minor woodworking/assembly skills to put the RTA cabinets together (I agree) .Barker Cabinets are of very good quality and very responsive to any questions/concerns.(They even answer emails on a Sunday!) and they have video tutorials on assembly which were very helpful.
Erin says
Loving the wallpaper! Sweet!
Ada says
If you’ve got the cajones for it, make a real statement and just go all paper! I think it would look amazing! Busy? Yes. But UH-MAY-ZING! Do it!
Nancy EC says
Forgot to mention earlier that stainless can be tough to clean. Depending on the residue, it can stain. In my experience, it needs constant upkeep.
Allen says
I honestly don’t think we can judge the sunburst panel for over stove fairly with the photographs that were provided. I think in real time its probably not as shiny and overbearing as the photographs suggest.
pam kueber says
you may well be correct
Lori D. says
Hmmm, now that I see all the mood boards I am liking #3 as well. I think the metal panel is very strong. Maybe too strong.The cream/white contrast isn’t as bad as I imagined. But, I have an idea. It appears that the wall slopes up to the ceiling (or maybe that is the ceiling) behind the stove. What about painting that sloped part yellow to bring in the fridge color and help frame the wallpaper in. It could be painted blue, too, but it seems as though there is a concern about making the yellow fridge work in the space.
Maribeth says
Very well done! I’m sure you are happy you’ve come so far, but ready for completion. I like the idea of using the sunburst stainless steel along with a shelf above the stove and maybe putting the wallpaper above the shelf. I also fear that the paper will not pick up the buttercup yellow fridge.
On a side note, I love the Tappan stove! I actually currently have that exact one for sale that I purchased from the original owner and had completely reconditioned. It’s a beast!
Good luck and I can’t wait to see the final decisions!
lisa says
I love the sunburst steel behind the stove with the wallpaper on the backsplash. Would not do the knicknack shelf with this option because it takes away from the beautiful starburst and stove combo. This option also shows off the outlet covers nicely 🙂
With this I suggest creamy white curtains with just a bit of yellow trim to tie in the fridge. The whole kitchen looks just lovely, and really any of the choices would probably turn out fine — but with no vent hood over the stove I’d want something easier to clean than wallpaper. Behind the stove is the only place in my kitchen that really gets dirty enough to worry about, and I am kind of a slob, so I think you are safe will wallpaper on all the non-stove backsplash area.