Joanna Gaines' Choice For Kitchen Backsplash Is Way More Luxe Than Tile

Interior designer and TV star Joanna Gaines is an undeniable guru of style, and she's not afraid to think outside the norm when tackling a home reno. When it comes to kitchen styling, Gaines often opts for bold design choices that go way beyond the cookie-cutter. One example is her usage of luxe backsplash materials like Macaubas quartzite rather than ordinary tile.

Macaubas quartzite is a metamorphic natural stone known for its durability and versatility (not to be confused with quartz countertop material, which is an engineered product manufactured to merely look like natural stone). Quartzite's robust resistance to damage from scratches, chemicals, heat, and more makes it ideal for various applications, from countertops and flooring to high-moisture areas like bathroom showers and vanities. In episode five of the fifth season of "Fixer Upper," a television show in which Gaines co-stars with her husband, the duo applied the high-end stone to a kitchen wall, extending it behind the stove and below cupboards and shelving, creating a striking focal point where a more typical tiled backsplash would normally appear.

In this particular project, a polished white Macaubas quartzite slab with horizontal veining was used. The continuity of its horizontal patterning, extending across the entirety of the kitchen wall, made a particularly stunning contrast to the clean vertical lines appearing elsewhere in the design. It's an effect not achievable with a tiled product that's comprised of smaller segments and broken up visually. On the other hand, a stone slab product like quartzite is quarried in one large piece for exquisitely continuous patterning across a surface. Quartzite, in general, is a material often used by the Gaineses, and they're credited with increasing its popularity in home design.

Macaubas quartzite isn't a low-budget design option by any means. The material is predominantly quarried in and imported from Brazil and derives its name from the Brazilian city of Macaubas. It can retail at anywhere from $110 per square foot on up. A full slab costs thousands of dollars. In contrast, a ceramic tile or other more typical type of backsplash material is a significantly cheaper option, retailing for as little as a few dollars per tile. Even a finer tile, like marble or limestone, can be purchased for between $5 and $20 per square foot.

It could be said that the white Macaubas quartzite used by the Gaineses in their design fits more with the millennial trend of all-white kitchens, which is losing ground as a popular choice. But that gorgeous dark marbling, quintessential of white Macaubas quartzite, is the differentiating factor, giving visual interest that sterile white kitchens often lack.

The longevity and refinement of quartzite make it a timeless option. Other colors of Macaubas quartzite are also highly sought after, like azul Macaubas quartzite, which delivers rare blue coloring. The varying hues naturally occurring in the stone, and its resemblance to that ultimate luxury product, marble (which many are rethinking as an option for their kitchens), have made it an increasingly popular addition to homes. Quartzite is rapidly surpassing granite, which has lost ground as a formerly leading design choice.