This Renter Gave Her White Kitchen a Warm, Custom Look With a Removable DIY Backsplash

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If Amna Mesic’s Hamburg apartment isn’t already on your mood board, it should be. The architect’s interiors are sure to leave a lasting impression given her rental’s cozy vibe—think ecru walls, pops of rosy pink, and warm wood finishes. In fact, that’s why she recently decided that her kitchen’s stark white tile backsplash had to go. With permanent changes fully out of the question, Mesic had to get creative. “That’s when the idea came to me for a clean, flat overlay,” she explains.

A few measurements and add-to-cart moments later, Mesic had a sleek new—and fully removable—aluminum backsplash in place. While you might be wondering how aluminum—a metallic finish often associated with industrial kitchens—could possibly offer the same warmth as the rest of the apartment, the mirrored surface actually amplifies its surroundings. “I wanted a homogeneous surface that also provided a good material contrast to the wood,” Mesic adds, citing her love of stainless steel professional-grade kitchens.

Here’s where Mesic’s architecture chops paid off: by ordering aluminum panels cut to fit her backsplash’s precise dimensions and affixing them with builder-grade double-sided tape, she achieved a custom look that’s also landlord-approved. “The adhesive should be heat-resistant and moisture-resistant,” she advises. “It’s also important not to leave any air pockets, so the adhesive must be applied evenly around the edges and across the entire surface. The backsplash should lie flat and firmly against the wall without any gaps.”

And because her backsplash borders the sink, Mesic finished the lower edge with silicone caulk strips. Having lived with the update since November, she’s not only still happy with the project, but she also says it’s her favorite DIY so far: “It was so easy to do but made such a huge difference.” It’s one small swap for this kitchen, and one giant leap for renters everywhere.