Upstands with no tiles? Grubby walls?

[Worieddd]

Currently in process of sorting kitchen.
Have picked the Howdens Tewkesbury in Skye which is a lovely sage shaker style and an off white quartz for the worktops for our period house.

I was going to have metro style tiles around the entire border of cabinets/over the cooker. I keep seeing small upstands with nothing around. Does anybody have this? Do your nicely painted walls not get filthy?

Are glass splashbacks a bit naff? To be honest the cost of the kitchen (and utility room) are spiralling our of control but with a family tiling is a must surely?

We have upstands and no tiles with a glass splash back behind the other. It's been fine we did shell out on while clean paint though but haven't had any issues. Our glass splashback is black and matches the surfaces sobot looks fine

I have had a kitchen fitter round this morning. Among the many things we discussed was the walls. I assumed everyone had tiles in posh new kitchens but she immediately pointed out that the tile grouting gets grubby and would annoy me and advised keeping the painted walls with a new upstand, which will be much easier to keep clean.

We have kitchen paint that can be wiped clean like tiles can, I much prefer it to tiles. Your new kitchen sounds lovely by the way!

What's an upstand?

We only had upstands and a cooker splashback. The walls are fine except around the sink and coffee machine... we've moved the coffee machine and got a splashback for the sink (you can avoid this if your sink is under a window). I'd rather this than tiles. I hate tiles.

We have quartz work tops, upstands and splashback for cooker and not one tile

We have 10 cm upstands with a glass panel above the cooker and no tiles. I think it works well. Less fussy than tiles. The walls are painted white so easy to touch up if there are any splashes. Tiles can date and I sabre even with your fitter that the grouting will get grubby.

in the same position so interested. I think upstands look a bit silly, considering tiles and a glass splashback behind the hob. you are all clearly tidier cooks than I am!

We are in the process of having a new kitchen and have chosen an off white marble worktop with a greyish vein and an upstand. No tiles. Just splashback above induction hob. But no wall units either. Going for tough white paint that can be scrubbed if required!

We've had upstands and a splashback for 12 years. 7 years of that the house was rented to students. No grubby walls or problems at all and have only repainted the kitchen once.

We are now replacing the kitchen and doing exactly the same again. So much easier than grout!

I’m renovating my kitchen and have also gone for light quartz worktops and the Tewksbury cabinets!

My hob is on an island, so I don’t have to worry about splash back. I’m planning on an upstand running along the worktop where my sink is. My sink isn’t against a window. It’s a deep Belfast sink. I’m hoping the upstand will be enough and I won’t need a splash back for the sink.

@RNbree can you explain further what you mean about sink under window please?

I had that in a previous home and used a scrubbable Dulux paint. Even when I accidentally splashed tomato sauce on the pale wall it was fine and just wiped off. I hadn't like the idea before I moved in and like you thought it would be a disaster but was pleasantly surprised.

The only thing I didn't like about having just upstands was it meant a stainless steel hob splash back had been put in and that only looked clean immediately after cleaning it.

We have up stands and no tiles or glass splash back. We had intended to have a splash back (have always fitted one in previous kitchens) but for one reason or another it never got ordered. I am a very messy cook, and regularly splash tomato sauce, oil, everything up the walls. The kitchen is painted in F&B Modern Emulsion, and it wipes off perfectly every time. It has been like that for over a year now, and I've decided I'm not going to bother getting the splash back after all.

Very new modern kitchen here, up stands all round , glass splash back behind cooker , no tiles what so ever
Previous kitchen was the same minus splash back as hob was in an island

We've got no tiles and only a tiny upstand.

Paint wipes easily and we just retouch every couple of years.

I hate tiles and hate grout even more.

I think coloured glass splashbacks can look a bit naff (not always) but do look good if they're colour matched to your walls or just clear glass. This is what I'm getting behind my new hob and possibly behind the sink. No tiles or anything elsewhere. I find upstands a bit fussy and old fashioned looking and think they're a bit of a pointless expense.

Thanks for all your replies!

Agree coloured splashbacks look very naff - i was looking at the clear glass ones but they are very ‘shiny’ and I’m after a more matte look.

I’m genuinely surprised at how many of you have no tiles and that you have managed to keep it clean; it will certainly save a fair bit on tiles and a tiler!

I do however like this look from Wren kitchens

I have no tiles either. Just an upstand and it has been fine. I couldn't decide what tiles to choose and then left it so long I didn't bother.

I think just an upstand and paint is fine except behind the hob - there I would put, at the very least, eggshell or acrylic paint so it can be wiped easily.

I just have upstands. If you use satin paint it's fine to clean splashes off. It's matt paint that marks.

I think tiled kitchens looked dated but WTF do I know, IMO shaker kitchen do too

ps I have a glass splashback just on the wall behind the hob.