Not Tile, Not Marble: Joanna Gaines' Elegant Backsplash Material Is Durable And Worth The Price

The backsplash is focal point in any kitchen. Depending on the homeowners' choice of material, a backsplash can serve as a supporting character, fading into a subdued background, or star in a more visually dominant role. Joanna Gaines' polished white Macaubas quartzite backsplash takes the latter. In a deep-dive article on the Magnolia website, Gaines discusses her decision to use polished white Macaubas quartzite for a kitchen in season five, episode five of her hit HGTV show "Fixer Upper." 

This natural white stone is rippled with dark charcoal veins – elegant, refined, and flowing. The horizontal veining creates a sense of aesthetic movement and the impression of inherent luxury. Polished Macaubas quartzite blends seamlessly with a wide range of interior design styles. In the kitchen from the "Fixer Upper" episode, for instance, Gaines creates visual balance with white shaker-style upper cabinets and wood-stained lower cupboards, with the standout polished white Macaubas quartzite backsplash running between them. 

"This stone offsets the rustic feel of the wooden features in the room and brings in a modern look to the kitchen," writes Gaines. "I love that it adds texture without competing with the rest of the design details in the space." Indeed, polished white macaubas quartzite can suit sleek contemporary kitchens and traditional farmhouse-style spaces alike. As a wallet-friendly plus, the material can complement whatever existing cabinets are already in your kitchen, pairing best with white, navy, grey, and natural wood finishes.

The chief drawback of Macaubas quartzite is its price tag. At the time of writing, an 110" long x 26" wide x ¾" thick slab of the product currently costs $996 via Granite Factory Direct. While this durable darling is costly up front, it is a worthwhile investment. It's more resistant to scratches and burns than marble, making it a solid fit for high-traffic households and daily kitchen wear and tear. Thanks to this superior hardness, Macaubas quartzite can enhance not only backsplashes but also kitchen countertops (and there's a difference between quartz and quartzite countertops, for the record). With proper maintenance, quartzite countertops can last for 30 to 50 years. Marble countertops, by comparison, last an average of 20 to 50 years.

Remodeling your kitchen on a budget? There is also a more cost-effective backsplash material that boasts Gaines' seal of approval: Subway tiles. These popular tiles are Joanna Gaines' go-to for a brilliantly simple backsplash that gives any kitchen big personality. Subway tiles deliver a similar polished white look while capturing the dimensionality of Macaubas quartzite through the flow of individual tiles. To emulate the charcoal veins rippling through that quartzite, juxtapose white subway tiles with a dark charcoal grout. At Lowe's, each 4" x 12" subway tile from the Satori brand currently costs around $0.69.