The Modern Backsplash in This Kitchen Makeover Gives Me Major Heart Eyes
Kitchen makeovers are chock-full of DIY inspiration, from cabinet upgrades to peel-and-stick options to shelf organization inspiration and more. In her kitchen makeover, previously published on Apartment Therapy, DIYer Mary Cullinane (@marycul22) utilized several DIY upgrades, including stick-on floor tiles, cabinet paint, and a countertop epoxy kit, but the one I was particularly smitten with was the pole wrap backsplash.
She used a go-to DIY material, pole wrap column cover (hers is from The Home Depot), trimmed it to size, and applied it with tile adhesive. She wasn’t necessarily worried about applying a heavy-duty adhesive, as she owns the place, but she didn’t want to have to cut any tile with a wet saw.
Why Pole Wrap Makes an Easy Backsplash
“I did a lot of research on figuring out a realistic way of redoing the backsplash,” Mary said in the Before & After post. “Given this is a New York City apartment with not a lot of tools and space, the thought of doing the tiling myself was a bit too much.”
Pole wrap “was a game changer,” she adds, and it’s a lot more up-to-date than the floral motif that her backsplash boasted before. Plus, “using the adhesive and the pole wrap saved me hundreds of dollars,” Mary says. The material comes pre-fluted, and you can pick between stained pole wrap or a more raw oak look.
Mary picked a light oak tone, which adds a sort of Scandinavian look to her space, but it works well in any organic modern space that incorporates other woven materials, natural woods, and neutral tones, like Jennifer Maxcy’s kitchen in Los Angeles (shown below), which also employs pole wrap as a backsplash.
Ideas for Putting a 2025 Spin on Pole Wrap
These kitchen makeovers are from 2023 and 2022, respectively, but even three years later, the DIY material proves to be a solid shortcut for those wanting to add a fluted look to a wall or a piece of furniture. I could see someone in 2025 staining every other flute for a two-toned striped wood look, or coloring it or staggering it for an almost Kit-Kat tile effect — especially because luxe, textured tiles might become more expensive pretty soon.
What are some modern ways you might give this trendy DIY material a new lease on life?