Mirror splash backs in the kitchen?

[cinnabunbun]

Has anyone had these and did they work out well or was it a disaster?

I'm planning a kitchen extension and the sink and cooker are both quite far (5m ish) from any natural light source. I'm hoping it might be a good way to bounce some light into that area as there isn't any possibility for skylights sadly.

Does mirror wear and age badly by the sink or hob? I quite like the look of weathered antique mirrors but they probably don't bounce as much light

Never had them, but can't help thinking you'll be cleaning mirrors even more than tiles.

We live in a hard water area which is a right pain for marks too plus our current job splash back is a total disgrace with oil marks

Maybe antique/aged mirror might hide the marks better?

You'll be making a rod for your own back there.

Any kind of mirror or chrome finish is only good if you live in a soft water area. It would be beautiful, but you'd be cleaning it twice a day. Sod that for a laugh.

I have mirror splash back for my sink. The sink is in a 750 MN curved work top though. So I would do the same with a hob. If you have space, move it forward.

750 mm

I had mirror splahback in my old kitchen and loved it. Don't think I was cleaning it all that much 🤔. Not sure how well it has work as we moved out a year later. Tenants haven't complained so I assume all is ok

I think it's more the idea of the water damaging the mirror at the join with the work surface that I'm worried about. Or the heat from the hob being a problem.

Good to know that yours has worked out @chopc

We've got mirrored plinths in the kitchen and I love them (and so does our baby :) others find them gaudy...) They're made of some stuff that doesn't break. I have seen mirrored splashbacks but they're made out of toughened(?) glass. Sorry, can't quite remember the details. You can't just put any old stuff and the suitable stuff costs thousands if I'm not mistaken. If budget allows, then they could look really nice.
If you're working to a tighter budget, then light, reflective tiles could be a good option.

Nightmare to clean I should think.

I think mirrored splashbacks would need to be pristine to look ok, you'd need glass cleaner and a glass cloth on the go at all times. Antique style mirrors would look worse in my imagined scenario, it'd look like you'd just never done the cleaning and had it a long time.

Could you find money in the budget for a water softener? It's a game changer. We live in a hard water area and the joy of not having encrusted taps and shower screen etc is great.

@friskybivalves I would love love love a water softener but unfortunately spouse has vetoed it

@Morticiaismystyleicon Good tips. I don't think I'm ever going to be someone who cleans and polishes daily. Hmm I hadn't thought people might see the antique look glass as unclean. I quite like the bloom of discolouration you get sometimes on those retro wall mirrors on chains but I guess in a kitchen it might seem more like err dirt or mould. Not so nice!

@JoJoSM2 Mirrored plinths sound unique! I think the gaudy thing depends a lot on context. If it was going into a gloss kitchen with lots of chrome or crystal lights then maybe.

Design wise I'm trying to find a painted finish pale devol style cabinets and a kitchen that doesn't seem too modern and kitcheny if that makes any sense.

Sorry to derail but which softener do you have frisky?! It’s next in my must have list.

It's a Monarch - it's very small. Bread maker size I'd say. Just sits under our stairs in the cupboard and we chuck some salt tablets in every so often. Completely soundless - I thought it might hum or something. I was sceptical but am total convert.

I think that only the bit behind the hob or maybe the sink could get splashed and require frequent cleaning. Otherwise, it's probably not to dissimilar to keeping a wall mirror clean.

And mirrored plinths look cool - they reflect the floor and the cabinets appear to be floating :)

I love the antique/aged look mirrors, I think they are more practical.

If you are tidy they might be good. But any mess will be doubled by the mirror. So personally I'd avoid .

There's a YouTuber called Emily Norris who has a mirrored splash back in her kitchen. It looks really nice . Can't be bothered to post links - google is your friend