In most kitchens the splashback is a wall of tile or glass behind the cooktop. In our latest Noosa build we did something different. We ran a long, low window the full length of the back bench, so instead of looking at tiles while you cook, you look straight out into the palms.
A window splashback is a horizontal window set just above the benchtop, where a tiled splashback would normally go. It does the same job of protecting the wall behind the bench, but it also brings daylight and a view into the busiest room in the house.
Window splashbacks need more planning than tiles. Because the glass sits right behind the cooktop and sink, it has to be toughened safety glass, which is what we used here. The window has to line up exactly with the benchtop and the overhead cabinets, so the joinery, the window order and the benchtop template all need to be coordinated early. In this kitchen the charcoal overhead cabinets and open shelving stop just above the window line, and an LED strip under the shelves lights the bench at night when the window goes dark.
Privacy matters too. This works best where the window looks onto your own garden, not straight into a neighbour's kitchen.
The window is paired with a waterfall stone island, handleless charcoal drawers, an integrated oven and polished concrete floors. The island gives a big, uninterrupted prep and serving space facing the living areas, so whoever is cooking is never cut off from everyone else.
It's one of those features that's easy to include at design stage and very hard to add later. If you're planning a new home or a knockdown rebuild on the Sunshine Coast, talk to us about how to make your kitchen work with your block. You can see more of this Noosa home in our portfolio.