Traditionally, kitchen backsplashes were made of tile and covered the part of the kitchen walls between the countertops and upper cabinets. However, kitchen backsplash and tile designs have also changed as kitchen design and cabinet preferences evolved to include open shelves or no top storage space. Today, many designers, including Waterworks co-founder and author Barbara Sallick, prefer “tile tops” where the backsplash tile covers the entire wall surface. Designers also prefer larger or finer scale riffs and classic designs like subway tiles in tinted glass or different surfaces like reflective mirrors.