I'd do it on the island, not the backsplash for the reasons stated here. Be sure to make sure it is at least a semigloss on the island and go at it to clean all the kid footprints off every week.

We have lots of bead board in our house, including the kitchen (a 1930's coastal cottage). I love the look; however, we have a tile backsplash in the kitchen around the stove and sink. I agree with others that the grooves in bead board are a bear to clean. If you don't really cook a lot, it could be ok, but if you're a heavy user of your kitchen, I'd go for the beadboard on the non-countertop walls and some type of simple tile around the heavily-used areas.

As far as the actual headboard, there are different types. There are thin sheets of paneling that you can get at Home Depot that will give you the look for a reasonable price. You just nail it up on top of dry wall. If you want actual bead board, you can get it from a lumber company or a specialty woodworking shop. It is separate boards that are milled with the grooves. They're installed one at a time, and the whole process is labor intensive and expensive, but looks great. The grooves in real bead board are much deeper than in the paneling. Whether it's worthwhile depends on the application. We have the paneling in one bathroom that was remodeled and already had dry wall, but we used the real thing in a family room that has bead board ceiling and walls around built-in cabinets, and it's used in place of drywall. It looks beautiful and, in this application, the thin paneling wouldn't have the same effect.

We inherited this in the house we bought and we hate it. Cannot wait to redo it. It’s exactly as you describe- the backsplash around the the whole kitchen counter and stove, and then on the back side of our island (where the stools are). All the grease, grime and splashes from cooking collect in the little crevices and it looks gross and is hard to clean. Because it’s wood, it absorbs all the stains that come its way and looks dingy. All of this times 100 on the island where my kids often eat and where their feet are always touching the base of the island. It’s the thing I hate most about our kitchen. I would highly recommend you rethink this. Bead board looks nice in bathrooms or laundry rooms, but does not make a good kitchen backsplash.

Are you talking about stove backsplash?

Generally you want something fire retardant and/or easy to clean. Unless it is metal with bead board look.

I actually have vinyl beadboard in my half-bath. The contractor recommended it over wood for areas which could get dirty and/or wet. It might be something you look into. It’s fairly cheap and readily available in strips at Home Depot.

We have beadboard half walls (actually 3/4) in a couple of our bathrooms in our beach house, as well as backing in a hutch in the kitchen and in some other areas. The contractor got it - I assume at the building supply store? It's ubiquitous at the beach so is widely available, even at our local building supply store. Where have you called so far?

There is a waterproof version of beadboard which might be better for a kitchen backsplash - you might want to look into that.

I am also looking for suggestions on where to buy beadboard for a backsplash - has anyone done this?

I'm wondering if anyone has a bead board backsplash in their kitchen, and if so, where you bought the bead board? I'd like to do a backsplash above my counter lip and also put the same bead board on the outward facing back of the peninsula. I'm looking for the narrow, vertical striped kind.

Thanks!