10 Key Factors to Consider When Choosing a Copper Backsplash

June 25, 2025 IBRAHIM GULSUN

Choosing a copper backsplash is not like choosing tile. The material is alive in a way that ceramic and glass are not — it develops a patina, responds to light, and changes character over years of use. The decision involves more variables than most buyers expect, and getting them right makes the difference between a backsplash that looks good in a photograph and one that looks better every year it’s on the wall.

Here are ten factors worth thinking through carefully before you order.

1. Design

The design you choose will define the visual character of your kitchen more than any other single element. A copper backsplash is not background — it is a focal point. The question is what kind of focal point you want.

Natuross produces panels across a wide range of subjects: botanical designs, animals, trees, landscapes, symbols, and geometric compositions. Some designs are quiet and architectural — a branching tree, a compass rose, a field of wheat. Others are bold and narrative — a rooster, a swordfish, a highland stag. The right choice depends on the kitchen, the homeowner, and what the space is meant to feel like.

If you have a design in mind that isn’t in the existing catalogue, that is not a problem. Every panel can be built around a custom design — send a reference image and a conversation starts from there.

Rooster and Fleur-de-Lis copper backsplash — Natural Copper finish

Browse by subject: Copper Trees, Copper Animals, Copper Flowers, Copper Symbols, Copper Scenes & Landscapes.

2. Size

Every Natuross panel is made to the customer’s exact dimensions. There are no standard sizes and no off-the-shelf inventory. If your stove wall measures 38 by 24 inches, that is what gets made — not the nearest approximation.

For most kitchens, the primary installation is behind the stove. Many customers also add panels above the sink, along a window wall, or across the full backsplash run. If you are planning a multi-surface installation, send photographs of each wall and rough measurements. A coordinated set can be designed so the panels work together without repeating the same design across every surface.

The maximum single-piece size is 77 by 38 inches. Larger installations are assembled from multiple panels with seams placed at natural breaks in the design.

Tree of Life copper backsplash — full wall installation in Black Copper finish

3. Finish

The finish is the most consequential decision in the process. It determines the color, the contrast, the mood, and how the panel reads in different lighting conditions. Natuross offers fifteen real metal finishes — not paint, not coating, not film. Every finish is the result of a chemical or electrochemical process applied to the metal itself.

The fifteen options fall into three material groups:

Copper finishes — Natural Copper, Brown Copper, Green Copper, Blue Copper, Fire Copper, Black Copper, and Copper–Black Details. These are copper panels with full patina applied to the surface. Natural Copper is warm and bright. Black Copper is dark and architectural. Green and Blue Copper read as aged and organic.

Silver finishes — Silver, Silver–Copper Details, Silver–Black Details, and Silver–Gold Details. These are copper or brass panels with a silver-plated background. The raised relief areas are left in the base metal, creating a two-tone effect. Silver–Copper Details is the most popular finish in the range: the silver background reads as cool gray, the copper relief reads as warm gold.

Gold and brass finishes — Gold/Brass, Antique Gold, Gold–Black Details, and Black–Gold Details. These are brass panels. Gold/Brass is bright and warm. Antique Gold is darker and richer. The two-tone options pair the brass with a black treatment on either the background or the relief.

Silver–Copper copper backsplash finish — silver background with copper relief

Browse all finishes: Natural Copper, Black Copper, Silver–Copper, Gold, Antique Gold — or see all fifteen on the Finishes page.

4. Installation Method

Copper panels can be installed in three ways, and the right choice depends on the wall surface, the permanence required, and whether the installation needs to be reversible.

Adhesive mount — The panel is bonded directly to the wall using construction adhesive or heavy-duty mounting tape. This is the most common method and works on tile, drywall, plywood, and most smooth surfaces. It is permanent.

Screw mount — Pre-drilled holes allow the panel to be fastened with screws. This is the most secure option for heavy panels or installations in high-traffic areas. The screw heads can be covered with matching copper-colored caps.

Floating mount — The panel is mounted on standoffs, holding it slightly away from the wall. This creates a shadow gap around the perimeter and gives the panel a three-dimensional, gallery-like presence. It is the most visually striking installation method.

Full installation instructions are available on the Installation Guide page.

5. Durability

Copper is one of the most durable materials available for a kitchen surface. It is naturally antimicrobial — bacteria do not survive on copper the way they do on tile grout or stainless steel. It is heat-resistant and will not warp, crack, or delaminate behind a stove. It is moisture-resistant and suitable for wet areas including behind sinks and in outdoor kitchens.

The patina that develops over time is not deterioration — it is the material doing what it is supposed to do. A copper panel that has been on a kitchen wall for ten years looks more interesting than it did when it was installed, not less.

Deer and mountain copper backsplash installed in a real kitchen — Natural Copper finish

6. Personalization

Every panel Natuross produces is already custom in the sense that it is made to your dimensions and your chosen finish. Beyond that, the design itself can be personalized in any direction.

Text can be incorporated into any design — a family name, a date, a line of verse, a business name. A completely original design can be built from a photograph, a sketch, or a description. Logos, crests, and heraldic devices translate well into copper relief. If you can describe it or show a reference, it can be made.

Custom personalized copper backsplash with text and name

Browse Copper Signs & Plaques for examples of text-based and personalized designs, or order a fully custom design.

7. Pricing

Natuross pricing is based on size only. Custom dimensions, personalized text, and design modifications do not add to the cost. A panel measuring 24 by 36 inches costs the same whether it carries a standard catalogue design or a fully custom composition built around your specific request.

All prices are all-inclusive. There are no separate charges for design work, digital mockups, or photography before shipping.

8. The Order Process

The process is designed to eliminate uncertainty at every stage. Nothing goes into production until the customer has seen and approved exactly what will be made.

After an order is placed, a digital mockup is prepared showing the design at the correct dimensions in the chosen finish, placed into a photograph of the actual kitchen where possible. Once the mockup is approved, production begins. When the panel is finished, high-resolution photographs are taken in the workshop and sent for a final review before the piece is packed and shipped.

Production takes approximately two weeks. Shipping takes approximately one week. The panel arrives at your door in about three weeks from the date of order confirmation.

Copper backsplash panel ready for shipping — Natuross workshop

9. Coordinating a Full Kitchen Project

A single backsplash panel behind the stove is the most common starting point, but many customers go further. A full kitchen project might include the stove wall, the sink wall, the window wall, cabinet door inserts, a kitchen island panel, and a family name sign above the doorway — all in the same finish, with designs that complement each other without repeating.

To start a full project, send straight-on photographs of each wall you want to cover, with rough measurements if you have them. Ibrahim will design a coordinated set, place each panel into your kitchen photographs, and send a mockup with a quote. No commitment is required to see the proposal.

Copper full wall kitchen backsplash — tree branches design, complete installation

Browse the Copper Full Wall Kitchen Backsplash collection for examples of complete installations.

10. Choosing the Right Starting Point

The easiest way to begin is to identify one wall and one design that feels right, then build from there. The Copper Backsplash & Wall Art collection covers the full range. The New Designs collection shows the most recent additions to the catalogue.

If nothing in the existing catalogue is quite right, reach out directly. Describe the kitchen, the style, and what you have in mind. A custom design proposal costs nothing and takes a few days to prepare.