Help me solve this kitchen splash back dilemma before I lose the will to live (or the will to finish the refurb anyway!)

[Wiifitmama]

We are mid massive refurb and extension which includes moving the kitchen so having a complete new one. The new kitchen is in what was the lounge so has a chimney breast. This is being partly cut out and the hob is sitting within the cut out. Something like this The kitchen cabinets will be white high gloss. The work top is black granite. The chimney breast is being painted a "feature" colour - in other words a darker colour than other walls.

So, the problem is that we have no idea what to do about the splash backs. We had picked some nice tiles - specifically large ones as we wanted as few grout lines as possible. And I had envisaged they would continue around into the chimney breast and fill the inside too. However, every picture i see on google does not have the tiles continuing around the side parts of the chimney breast, only inside. But the idea of painted wall right next to my hob seems crazy. I cook loads (and splash loads!).

We have also considered glass splash backs. More expensive I think but we are willing to have a quote. However, again, they seem to go along the back walls and into the chimney breast but not on those down parts.

We are really struggling to know what to do. Any ideas, tips or suggestions welcome!

Tbh I have a stainless steel splash back very similar to your picture.

I'd had tiles previously and found the grout was a pain to keep clean.

I'd go for steel or glass.

But what do you do about the parts of the chimney breast that comes down? Is the stainless steel just inside?

In my previous house the oven was housed in the chimney breast as you describe.

There, I had steel on the 3 sides on the "inside"
of the recess iyswm.

The outer facing of the chimney breast I had rendered (it was brick) and painted to match the walls - but I could have done it a different colour.

I didn't like the brick and like you thought it would be a pain to clean - equally it looked a bit country kitchen (which is fine if that's what you like) when what I was going for was a much more modern clean look.

Does the remaining chimney breast need support? Just a thought if you have cut a structural element away.

If it is similar to the picture I can't see what is wrong with the sides left painted and a splash back at the back. If the hob is tight against the sides of the chimney it would look a bit odd in my view. What extraction are you fitting? I like plenty of workspace around a hob and this idea looks cramped.