Chickens on blue and white earthenware, lemons among green leaves, azulejos like the ones in a Portuguese hallway. Antique tile motifs give a kitchen a story that smooth tiles simply do not have. And you do not need real antique tiles to get it.
An antique tile backsplash is one continuous panel carrying the motif, made to measure for your wall. No grout lines that discolour, no fragile little tiles, no tiler tramping across your floor. Below are the motifs people choose most often, where they come from, and how to combine them with a modern kitchen without it becoming busy.
Where the motifs come from
Most antique tile designs go back to two traditions. The Portuguese azulejo is almost always blue on white, with ships, saints and trailing foliage. Italian majolica is the colourful one: lemon yellow, olive green and terracotta, with fruit, birds and chickens. There is more on that background in Portuguese tiles in interior design.
The most popular antique tile motifs for your kitchen
When you are choosing an antique tile kitchen design, you are spoilt for choice. Every motif tells its own story and largely sets the mood of your kitchen. These are the most popular categories.
Chickens and roosters
The chicken motif is an absolute classic of the antique tile. In both the Portuguese and the Italian tradition the rooster stands for luck, vigilance and hospitality. On a kitchen wall a chicken design brings a warm, rural friendliness that feels welcoming straight away. Whether you go for a fine repeating pattern of small roosters or a larger scene with chickens in a landscape, this motif makes your kitchen personal.
Lemons and fruit
Nothing evokes an Italian holiday quite like lemons. The yellow fruit on green branches, often with small blossoms alongside, is a nod to the citrus groves of the Amalfi coast. It does not have to stop at lemons, though. Pomegranates, figs, grapes and olives are just as popular as tile motifs. Fruit designs give your kitchen a sunny, Mediterranean character that works all year round.
Flowers and botanical patterns
Floral designs are arguably the most versatile of all antique tile motifs. From delicate forget-me-nots in Delft blue to exuberant sunflowers in Tuscan colours, the possibilities are endless. Botanical tile motifs suit a romantic country kitchen and a sleek city kitchen equally well. The secret is in the choice of colour and the scale of the pattern.
Geometric and ornamental patterns
Not every antique tile design is figurative. The Moorish influence on both Portuguese and Spanish tilework produced a treasury of geometric patterns. Star shapes, interwoven lines, rosettes and arabesques form a kaleidoscopic whole that is calming and intriguing at the same time. These patterns are ideal if you want a tile look kitchen backsplash that makes an impression without dominating.
Delft blue motifs
We should not forget our own Dutch tilework. Delft blue, inspired by Chinese porcelain and developed further during the Golden Age, is an antique tile motif that always feels at home in a Dutch kitchen. Windmills, little ships, flower vases and landscapes in those characteristic shades of blue on a white ground. It is nostalgic, it is instantly recognisable, and it works surprisingly well in contemporary kitchens.
Antique tile designs in a modern kitchen: how to combine them
A doubt we hear often: do antique tile motifs really suit a modern kitchen? The answer is a convincing yes. In fact, the contrast between a sleek kitchen design and an antique tile pattern is exactly what makes the result special. Here are the main guidelines.
Combining with your kitchen
A handleless kitchen in matt white or anthracite is the calmest canvas for an outspoken tile motif: the plain cabinets let the pattern speak. It works the other way round too, as a geometric design gives a rustic wooden kitchen a modern twist. In both cases, choose a design that shares one or two colours with what is already there. A wooden worktop with brass taps calls for warm Italian tones, yellow and olive green; a kitchen in cool grey or black and white comes into its own with blue and white azulejos.
How much: full wall or accent
You do not have to cover your whole kitchen in antique motifs. Sometimes a well placed accent is the more effective choice. A few options:
- Full backsplash – From worktop to wall units, with the tile design as the focal point of the kitchen.
- Behind the hob – Only the section behind the hob as a statement piece, combined with a plain wall next to it.
- Kitchen island – The side of an island clad in a tile motif as an unexpected detail.
- Niche or open shelving – A small area of tile motif as a backdrop to open shelves, which creates depth.
Have a look at our full backsplash collection for everything that is possible in terms of size and placement.
Mix and match: combining several designs
A trend that keeps gaining ground is combining several antique tile motifs on a single wall. Think of a patchwork effect where different designs together form something new. This works best when the patterns share a colour palette but differ in motif. Flowers, fruit and geometric patterns together, for example, all in blue and white. The result is a lively, one off wall that looks like a collection of antique finds.
This is exactly the kind of bespoke work a made to measure backsplash allows. Where real tiles limit you to what you can find and afford, the combinations on a panel are all but unlimited. Do you already have something in mind? Request a free simulation and see how your combination looks on the wall.
Why a backsplash instead of real antique tiles?
The charm of genuine antique tiles is undeniable. But there are compelling reasons why more and more people choose a backsplash with a tile look instead of actual tiles. Let us set out the main advantages.
No grout, no trouble
This is by far the biggest advantage. A backsplash is a seamless panel with no grout at all. That means no discolouration, no mould, no regrouting after a few years. You wipe the wall clean with a damp cloth and that is that. Behind a hob, where grease spatter and cooking vapours are unavoidable, that is an enormous practical difference.
Unlimited design freedom
With real antique tiles you depend on what happens to be available. Rare patterns are expensive, finding the right quantity is difficult, and you are tied to the size of the tile. With a tile look backsplash those limits disappear. Any design can be printed at any size, and you can combine motifs in ways that would be impossible or unaffordable with real tiles.
Straightforward installation
Laying a tiled wall is a trade in itself. You need an experienced tiler, the substrate has to be perfectly prepared, and the work easily takes a couple of days. A backsplash goes up in far less time, and often you can do it yourself. Read our guide to the retro tile look for more practical information on installation and style choices.
Durable and maintenance free
Our backsplashs are made from high quality materials that are UV resistant, heat resistant and moisture resistant. The print does not fade, the material does not warp, and there is no annual maintenance. Hang it once, enjoy it for years.
From design to order: how it works
Found your favourite antique tile design? Then the route to your new kitchen backsplash is a short one. This is how the process works at Designerwand.
- Choose your design – Browse our collection of antique tile backsplashs and pick the motif that suits your kitchen.
- Order a sample – Would you like to see the material and the print in real life first? Order a sample from the product page. That way you can judge the quality, the colours and the detail in the light of your own kitchen.
- Request a free simulation – Send us a photo of your kitchen and we will place the chosen design on your wall digitally. You see exactly what the result will look like before you order anything. This is a free service.
- Configure to size – Enter your exact dimensions in the online calculator. You see the price straight away and can add cut outs for sockets or tap holes if you need them.
- Receive and install – Your backsplash is produced to size and delivered to your door. Installation is simple and in most cases something you can do yourself.
Frequently asked questions about antique tile designs
Can I combine different antique tile designs on one backsplash?
Yes, absolutely. You can put together a mix and match design in which several tile motifs are combined on a single panel. Think of a band of chicken motifs next to a band of lemons or flowers. Request a free simulation to see how the combination looks in your kitchen.
Are antique tile designs only suitable for a country kitchen?
Not at all. Antique tile motifs work surprisingly well in modern kitchens. A sleek handleless kitchen in white or anthracite gains character precisely because of a backsplash with a classic tile motif. The contrast between modern and antique is what makes the whole thing exciting and personal.
How do I order a sample of an antique tile design?
You can order a sample straight from the product page of any antique tile design. You receive a small piece of the actual material with the print on it, so you can judge at home how it looks and feels. On top of that we offer a free simulation service in which we place the design in your kitchen digitally.
Is a backsplash with an antique tile look heat resistant behind the hob?
Yes. Our backsplashs are heat resistant and can be fitted behind a gas hob, an induction hob or any other cooking appliance without a problem. The material does not warp in the heat and the print does not fade. On top of that there is no grout that can discolour from cooking vapours.
See how it looks in your kitchen
Antique tile designs work in almost any kitchen, as long as you let one or two colours come back and choose between a full wall and an accent. Torn between two designs? Request a free simulation: you send a photo of your kitchen and see the design on your own wall before you order anything. All the motifs are together in the antique tile collection.
