Your backsplash should be the jewelry of your home. Do a color/design you love.

Be careful not to bring something in too busy or trendy! Back splash is to be the jewelry but more times than not Less is more!

Evie, if you want a rustic look, and can afford it, tiling all the way to the ceiling would look sooooo cool you'd spend the day looking at how great it looked. It is a problem though as we found out when we tiled around our window to the ceiling as we have cabinets on either side so the tile stops, and the paint shows. We're hoping to put some old funky wood panels from some old closet doors up on top of the cabinets next to the tile so it has that old rustic look to it.

I hope you'll post pictures of your kitchen when you get it all done. It should be gorgeous whatever you choose.

Thanks so much guys youre all so helpful! this is exactly what i need just some other poeples opions and persepctive to get me back on track... wow - love the cherry blossom tiles bonton tile!! Yes i agree interior affairs, less is certainly more in some cases.

Ok so ive fallen in love with the idea of having the tin tiles in the kitchen! it will work so well with my pendant lights and the stainless shelving i think? also i needed some inspo for the cupboards underneath my sink (as we need to make 2 customs ones as the cabinet didnt come with doors - so ill be able to use the tin tiles as a centre piece on those also!

So - I still want peoples opinion, see below pics and tell me if you think that having the tin tiles (up to just above where ive stopped painting)?? my other half is worried its going to look too 'old' and 'dated' but i think if we (somehow) do it right it will look amazing?!? tell me what you think. Thanks!

ok, im no designer, and you obvie have better taste than me! BUT putting a back splash on that wall at the height your thinking about just looks "off" to me. like it should be kept under the window or all the way to the top, so it doesnt look choppy? does that make sense? would you consider a couple of simple open shelves to give you a definitive "stopping point" for the back splash?

and i LOVE the idea of tin tile :)

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yes yes for sure, i do know what you mean toatsmcgoats... i was actually wondering about that... i think the tin all the way to the top would be too over bearing?? and under the window is just too small, like i dont even think id fit one tile under there haha. awwww who would have thought the finishing touches would have been the hardest?? i did have my doubts but then found on houzz that other people had done it, see pics, what you think?? ?

heres one with tin? do you still think its too choppy? ? (by the way, this one does look even choppier than normal as its either side of a stove and 2 windows etc, just wanted to show the right height - eg 3 tiles

I see now. Looks fab! But I like the two white tiles cause it blends with the wall while still providing "jewelry". Love the 1st pic with the backsplash under the hood that is straight across and doesn't extend up to the hood. A tin wall could be overpowering for sure but it could be beautifully dramatic too I think. Hope someone with some photoshop skills jumps on your thread so we could see how it would look.

honestly, yes, i think it looks choppy, but only due to the stark contrast i think. but its all subjective, if you love it then go for it!

oops, i see now that the tile does go all the way to the bottom of hood. but its subtle!

yeah that one is very choppy now i look at it haha - maybe not a good pic to try and reflect on lol. yeah i liked the two with white tiles the best too, the others were just the right height so we could see. PLEEAASEEE photoshop geniuses come at me! haha

upon reflection i think less will look better, what do you think about it being maybe 2 squares high?

depends on how big the squares are lol.

you just gotta get some samples and see how it will look i think.

haha true. im hoping/imagining them to be about 150mm each tile so would be about a ruler length heigh in total?

well, you've done an amazing job thus far, so i'm sure whatev you decide to do will look great! looking forward to seeing the results :)

thanks toatsmcgoats - love your name by the way hahah

I've generally preferred "quieter" backsplashes in open floor plan spaces, as there already seems to be so much going on in most kitchens. For that reasons, I think I would prefer the mother of pearl or other light-catching tiles, and look for more "glitter" or "movement" than color. That may not be your sense at all- but thought I'd chime in as I'm awake :)

yep i know what you mean raleighlaura, i ADORE mother of pear... the only thing i thought was maybe it didnt contrast enough - as most of the kitchen i light tones and shade i needed something to really 'grab' you instead of being wishy washy? or am i just over thinking it haha

Aqua is my all time fav. Try giving it a thought-mosaic in aqua blue. Instant upliftment.what say?

i love aqua blue myself but not sure if it would work in my kitchen - im trying to keep my pallete very rustic and natural - i know aqua blue is, but not as flexible when it comes time to accessories etc

Love the kitchen remodel so far. I would tile only behind the stove wall and line it up with the stove hood. Then on the right wall of the sink hang 1 free floating rough hewn finish wood shelf above the counter.

Hey keepsake design! Thanks for your feed back, so just to clarify... You would tile just the section behind the stove, then do two heigh either side of that (only on that wall) or tile the whole wall? And do you have any piks of what u mean by the shelving ? Thanks :)

I would just tile the stove area and not the entire wall. You could run 3x6 subway tile installed vertically instead of horizontal and in a straight line not in a brick pattern. What about a green or gray glass subway.

When we did our kitchen remodel, I did everything else- floor, cabinets, appliances, lighting, and then looked at the backspash. Once everything else was in place, it was much easier to narrow down what I really liked vs what I thought would look good (if that makes any sense!). I guess I'm saying that you could wait till you get there and then look with your heart, not your head. It's been 7 years, and we still love our kitchen, so that approach worked for me :)

so not even do a border splashback at all?? for example, underneath the window and the whole way around...? only tile behind the stove and thats it? is that what you mean keepsake?

yeah raleighlaura i think that is what may end up hapenning as this is proving to be quite difficult and stressful :( lol

what do you think about the tin tile idea keepsake?

Plain white subway tiles will work with this, and tie in to your modern/rustic look. Plus the overly fancy backsplashes are beginning to look dated and overdone, in my mind. My backsplash is hardly visible behind appliances and utensil pots. You can add color with changeable items, like bowls, curtains, towels, etc.

i am not for the tin - i do however love subway, and how about a light gray subway tile
with white grout??? There are cool pictures of the gray subway tiles all over houzz -- check it out!

Re: old fashioned pressed tin looking tiles, NO. Your room is clean and modern. Don't do a fussy backsplash. If you love those tiles, make a trivet with them. But they will, I fear, look out-of-place.

thanks guys for your opinions, i can definatly see where your coming from... so with the subway tiles, would I do all the way around (under the window height) then continue with the tiles up the back of the stove to the range hood? whats peoples opinions on that? or should i commit and do the whole wall on both sideS?

Hello again... I'm not in favor of the tin backsplash-not for your space. I stand behind the pearl or iridescent tiles---I think they would be ideal to pull the cabinet and wall color together. Here's another for you---more color...
Looking forward to seeing the room finished Evie. Good Luck!
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Hi, re: tile placement for subway style tiles. Less is fine. Do the wall from stove to hood, and you might even take a two-tile width around and down the side of the stove if you don't plan more counters or cupboards there. I'd run the tiles even with the bottom of your window, but no higher. That looks like it will be even with the height of your bar/breakfast counter, so the line will run nicely across the width of your kitchen.

I'd only go higher with the tiles if you are putting in cupboards above the counters, on one or both sides of the window. If you are putting those in, then tiles right up to the cupboards looks clean, and is easy to maintain.

Thanks for your suggestion natalie, but i think it may be a tad to 'luxe' for the general feel of my place :) i LOVE the idea though.

Gastb, thankyou for your feedback, i actually think i am leaning more towards the subway tiles now. yeah i am putting a cupboard an the left hand side of the stove but love the idea. so just behind the stove (only the width of the stove, up to the hood)... then tiles at the height of the window for the rest (maybe 2 high). i can actually visualise it now.

what do you think about white tiles with dark grout v.s. grey/green tiles with light grout? i feel like i like the white and hubby likes the grey haha

I like the bottom right corner...very pretty

you dont think it will clash with my wall colour?

Hi Evie---did you decide on a backsplash yet? Keep us posted... :)

hi natalie! im leaning more towards the white on white at the moment but im the type of houzzer to change my mind at the very last minute so ill let you guys know once the tiles are on the wall, ill post some pics. :)

Like your countertops. I think you must go for onyx tile backsplash. It will look amazing.

See it used in 'additional' nice with white
http://www.lowes.com/pd_466696-93840-20-659_0__?productId=4582370&Ntt=backsplash+tile&pl=1¤tURL=%3FNtt%3Dbacksplash%2Btile%26page%3D2&facetInfo=

http://www.lowes.com/pd_526252-87523-CHIGLABPVE524_0__?productId=50122065&Ntt=backsplash+tile&pl=1¤tURL=%3FNtt%3Dbacksplash%2Btile&facetInfo=

http://www.lowes.com/pd_556039-87523-CHIGLABPSM2014_0__?productId=50139292&Ntt=backsplash+tile&pl=1¤tURL=%3FNtt%3Dbacksplash%2Btile&facetInfo=

http://www.lowes.com/ProductDisplay?partNumber=291236-93840-20-596&langId=-1&storeId=10151&productId=3378636&catalogId=10051&cmRelshp=req&rel=nofollow&cId=PDIO1

http://www.lowes.com/pd_54637-87523-CHIGLAAR3013_0__?productId=3878787&Ntt=backsplash+tile&pl=1¤tURL=%3FNtt%3Dbacksplash%2Btile&facetInfo=

We used this in small area and it's nice, mix of natural tones
http://www.lowes.com/pd_486889-47603-PORF2X4MOS_0__?productId=50016118&Ntt=backsplash+tile&pl=1¤tURL=%3FNtt%3Dbacksplash%2Btile%26page%3D2&facetInfo=

a few rows were used as accent:
http://www.lowes.com/pd_399395-47603-PORFMOS16_0__?productId=3772849&Ntt=floriana+heather&pl=1¤tURL=%3FNtt%3Dfloriana%2Bheather&facetInfo=

Have you considered just plain thin metal sheet ?
Not shiny but maybe zinc or brushed steel ?
Faster to cut and lay and too.
As you already have metal on your island + those two flabby overhead lights, the overall would have a slight industrial touch without being overboard.
Would tie in nicely with the rough woofs floor too.

Hahaha typonese.
Keep any rough woofs out of your lovely kitchen of course.
Also your overhead lights are anything BUT flabby lol

thanks guys they are great suggestions! everdebz i love the travertine look subway tiles and the metal and earthy toned mosaic! defiantly an option! Magada, that post was hilarious... i was giggling as i was reading knowing you were talking typonese hahaha... rough woofs and flabby lights all the way haha. i think a stianless sheet would be quite nice! i am worried it would be a bit of trouble to keep looking nice and clean though??

Lol Evie, and gosh no prob to keep clean either, just a wipe over like any tile surface, these days they're specially treated with polyurethane i believe.
This example is galvanized steel from the plumbing department at Home Depot :

Sorry @Dytecture, i've only just seen that you made the same suggestion.
(great minds think alike :D)

I'm not that keen on subway myself but this one could also look pretty neat i think :

Keep it clean and choose a subway tub in two or three neutral colors.

Thanks all... I just thought if ask for everyone's opinion on this photo. I found it the other day and basically has almost ALL the elements that I'm in visioning/already have, in my kitchen... From exact flooring, to cupboards, to similar wall color stainless accents... Also how I imagine the white subways to be... What's everyone's thoughts on this??