Pairing The Right Backsplash With Erin Napier's Favorite Kitchen Cabinet Styles

On HGTV's "Home Town," Erin Napier proves time and time again that kitchen remodeling transforms homes. The husband-wife duo has celebrity status in the renovation world, and boy, does she know a thing or two about backsplashes. Erin's design philosophy is simple: Pick perfect cabinets, and create unique backsplashes to match. 

In terms of cabinetry, the ultimate style is dictated by the homeowner's tastes. Still, Erin definitely has a rotation of tried-and-tested favorites. She routinely incorporates crown molding — decorative trim that attaches cabinets to ceilings — and leans on paints for transformations. "What a difference a fresh coat of @ValsparPaint in Shell White makes for this kitchen," she captioned an Instagram post of a light-neutral kitchen. She doesn't veer away from bolder hues, either; "I was second-guessing constantly, but I think she liked it all!" She celebrated under an Instagram post of blue-painted cabinets with cherry-patterned backsplash tiles.

Uniqueness takes many forms. Whether it's nodding to a homeowner's nationality or incorporating their favorite colors, Erin attempts to tell stories through backsplashes and cabinet colors. In fact, she emphasizes that following trends or catering to future owners is the most common kitchen color mistake during renos. Instead, homeowners should design their spaces the way they want. They're the ones living there, after all. "She's crazy about blues and greens and teals," Erin explains in an episode, while designing a Spanish-inspired teal backsplash for dark cabinets. While in another episode, she tells a homeowner, "Because of your Italian roots, I would love to lean into natural wood tones," later revealing a white kitchen accented with a brown-glazed backsplash featuring hand-painted floral designs.

It's not merely a question of matching backsplash and cabinet colors. Erin understands the importance of material, textures, budget, and creativity — it all comes into play. When finding the "right" backsplash, broaden your mind: The perfect material isn't always neatly-grouted tiles from the hardware store. 

It's worth researching all the different kitchen backsplash materials. Glass, brick, mirrors, wood; you name it. For budget-conscious renovators, one of Erin's bold kitchen backsplash alternatives sparked debate among fans. Instead of adding tiles, she frequently champions wallpaper. "A backsplash can be a wallpaper," Erin explains in one episode, "As long as it's applied really well, and done correctly, and it's a wallpaper that's scrubbable." She really pushes the boat out with material choices, including a white-painted wooden paneling design — under which, one user commented, "I love the backsplash. Wood is in!" 

Aesthetics is everything. White wooden paneling adds an airiness to the kitchen, ideal for a summery Florida home. In contrast, in a modern kitchen with taupe cabinets, white tiles with white grout add a crisper effect. Erin understands that personality comes from more than color alone — it's shaped by materials, and then embellished with fixtures, window treatments, and even appliances.