Perhaps subway tiles with an accent strip.

Yellow would be nice! http://houzz.com/photos/4682975

BarnandBungalow.com

Tin

I have had a mirror backsplash now for 6 years and I love it. I brings so much light into the room and makes it appear twice the size. It cleans easily with window cleaner and doesn't trap crud like a backsplash with texture or grout. It makes the room sparkle!

Thanks DianeCourbat--very cool! As per the yellow Bernard, I love that picture. But, I don't know how it would look with my creamy yellow cabinets. I think the picture shows more of a white cabinet that give the yellow a nice contrast. Any thoughts? I am open to many different ideas or any links.

Are there any "free" (no cabinetry walls) in this kitchen? What colour are they?
Do you have an accent colour?

There are free walls--this is an L shaped kitchen and hard to photo in it's entirety. They are the wheatstone gray color you see around the backsplash. The walls are limited and they exist primarily in our kitchen nook which has lots of light.

Next to the cabinets, the color doesn't look great. But it actually looks good in the nook and in the entire snapshot of the kitchen. Collectively speaking it works...

No accent color. I would like the backsplash to do the accenting.

Bringing home some samples and trying them is what I would do.

Love your cabinets! We are in the middle of redoing our kitchen and are using a creamy yellow crackled subway tile that we love with two rows of accent tile-our countertops are also brown and I think this might look great. It is made by Renaissance.

We suggest using a subtle pop of color, such as a deep yellow with an interesting pattern, or a rich greenish blue, or a blend of creamy neutrals and a deep green.

I was also going to suggest using mirror tile. Only if it were MY kitchen, I would use a 4x4 tile right above the counter, in a colour you like and then put the mirror on top of that. Also the mirror is a very quick clean up. Just spray with vinegar and ammonia and off you go. A true no big deal answer to your dilemma., It was for me!

Fireclay Tile, I love a rich greenish blue but hadn't thought it was do-ABLe but I can see by blending in another neutral, it ties it together. Also, what's the last blue color/tile you have in the last picture, that' s beautiful as well and would want to find a neutral tile as well to pull in the gray painted walls.

What about something like this : Not sure if it would be too busy in person but it would add a pop and tie all your current colors in at the same time.

http://www.lowes.com/ProductDisplay?partNumber=254489-93840-20-646&langId=-1&storeId=10151&productId=4351897&catalogId=10051&cmRelshp=req&rel=nofollow&cId=PDIO1#BVRRWidgetID

I should mention that I live in the Southwest although unfortunately our house doesn't follow that genre(and clearly neither does our kitchen). My point is that I don't see something super modern working in this kitchen. We live in a very rural setting so country(rustic chic) would work.

Amy, I like this A_LOT! I might get a sample tile. It ties in all my colors and for those looking to give me feedback, I wouldn't mind one outside color.

Thanks Audrey, I am having a hard time visualizing the mirror tile so I will look it up and go from there. I like the idea of the combo color tile with the mirror.

You said you were thinking red, so how about something like this? I think a deeper red might look a little better in your kitchen but I love the square tile.

Traditional Spaces by Holden General Contractors Woodmeister Master Builders

I'm sorry, it didn't copy the picture. Try this link.

Hi Whitney, I don't see a picture or link here could you resend? Thanks for following up on my quest for red.

Whitney, I LOVE IT. It's affirming my desire to have red and keep the rest of the compilation simple.

egrant66, the blue in the last image is our Debris Series in "Caribbean". http://www.fireclaytile.com/recycled-tile/colors/. Here it is shown in a bathroom install with similar cream colors. Our Vitrail series in Turquoise is also another option, it has more of a green tint. http://www.fireclaytile.com/handmade-tile/colors

I like this one too, minus the rectangular range backsplash I like the deeper red to match the neutral tone of the rest of your kitchen. Good luck!

As soon as I looked at your post and pictures I thought travertine tile with copper (or similar) accents. I prefer subway but there are a lot of options. I am going to post a few sample pics I just grabbed quickly from google images so you can see what I am talking about. I like these for you because they are subtle but beautiful, will fit in with southwest/rusty chic, and I think they are perfect for your kitchen. You can always add pops of color (red, brown, etc.) in your kitchen with decor. I wouldn't recommend committing to a colored backsplash, you may tire of it and then it's too difficult to change it. Just a thought :) Beautiful kitchen!

Thanks Sarah. It's true that color can tire and I can always inspire with colors in other forms. So thanks for these links. I think I like the top two.

take your cabinet door and granite sample to a tile store. get some ideas and then narrow down to 2-3 tops. It is not that hard to decide.

You have been given some great advice, good job Houzzers. I say pick a neutral color you like then add some bold colors in a dot form maybe 4", every 12" to 18". Good Luck

How about these? I think it matches your wall color and cabinets and provides that pop of color you're looking for

Awhile back I had asked for some feedback and thought I would show you the finished project(Minus the missing switch plates). It's hard to take a full shot of our kitchen as it's not open but here's the backsplash and we are happy. IT's a bit dark but I looked at so many things that didn't work and I like the look and texture of slate. Thanks for your feedback.

my pictures aren't including the cabinetry in this format.