Reinvent Your Kitchen Backsplash On A Budget With This Affordable Material

Remodeling or redesigning your kitchen can be a costly undertaking. Luckily for those trying to penny-pinch, there are some inexpensive design solutions that don't also leave your house looking like an aging movie set. Particularly for your kitchen backsplash, there's a surprisingly affordable option that can give your kitchen a stylish and functional new look without breaking the bank — joint compound. To find out more, Food Republic spoke to Thomas Borcherding, owner and lead designer of Homestar Design Remodel. "Applied in thin layers and then textured with a trowel or sponge, joint compound can mimic the look of plaster or stucco," he explained to us. "For those on tight budgets, this may be a particularly attractive backsplash solution."

So, what exactly is joint compound? Also called drywall mud, it's a paste made mostly from gypsum powder and water that is most often used to fill seams and cracks in walls. Some versions may include ingredients like limestone for durability and different binding agents. It's similar to spackle, but it's better for larger-scale projects as opposed to small fixes.

Joint compound is relatively cheap and available at almost any home goods store. By applying this mixture bit by bit, and with different tools, you can easily manipulate the texture and achieve the look of plaster at a fraction of the cost. It dries quickly and can be sanded down, making it forgiving and ideal for DIY projects.

Before jumping into your kitchen renovation, it's important to understand whether joint compound is, in fact, the right choice for your home. Thomas Borcherding noted that while it can look great, this material is not the most durable. "Joint compound is not waterproof the way that sealed tile backsplashes are." This means it's best suited for homeowners prioritizing style over long-term resilience.

If durability is your top concern, ceramic tiles remain the most popular kitchen backsplash thanks to their easy maintenance and endless customization options. Another option for those who want to make their small kitchen feel larger is following Joanna Gaines' wallpaper hack as your kitchen backsplash. Wallpaper murals can create the illusion of added depth, making a cramped kitchen feel more open and airy. Plus, you can get vinyl wallpaper, which is more durable in wet and heavy-use areas

But no matter what you do, we recommend never installing one of those peel-and-stick backsplashes. While they may look appealing for their low price and easy installation, these shortcuts often peel, bubble, or even damage walls over time.