Should say I've been coveting that stone for a while.

My plan is to extend it the full height behind the Cook top. And just have about a 4inch/10cm strip along the rest of the bench.

In your style kitchen you could also have pressed tin painted the same as the cupboards.

Very kind of you to show me these. thank you. i was looking at stoneimpressions.com but i don't think they have a stone that would work with the caesarstone. i love their products so much that i've imported a backsplash from their san diego warehouse (7 yrs ago) and had it mailed to me in brisbane (land of oz).

rosebayrenovation -- it sounds like you know exactly what you like and what you're doing. A quick look at stoneimpressions.com and I have to agree, they have gorgeous product. I was immediately drawn to The Nicolo Lilac patterned tile and think it would be a beautiful match with the caesarstone. If it were mixed in with plain white tile and used as accents, it would be stunning.

Christi, on behalf of Thos. Baker

that's really lovely. so soft and subtle. my dilemma is that i've tried to hold onto "the dream" of using the drapes that were there. long story short, our house was not lived in for a number of years. read water damage. i have picked apart all 16 panels and the roman shade. cleaned all. but some water stains remain in each and every single panel.

i'll show you photos of fabric. and of kitchen. Gaston y Daniela, hand blocked, named Linneo 92, after Carl Linnaeus, the 18th century Swedish botanist. very botanical drawings. for some reason i'm very attached to these. but no lilac in them. perhaps i'm going to have to give them up.

Kitchen & fabric - sorry if there are duplicates - i'm a menace! not very good with manipulating photo files.

tiles to go up to range hood and i think along that wall to just under window sill under main window

Fabric

Linneo 92

The whiter Caesarstone is beautiful with the cabinet colors. I would leave it as countertop and add a beautiful glass tile backsplash. There are beautiful options available. Sometimes a small amount of something special, with great accents, stands out more than adding too much of it.

Here are some ideas. Hope it helps to inspire you..

I agree with the last comment from Thos. Baker. There are so many wonderful backsplash materials. It looks like your color scheme is heading in a subtle, sophisticated direction. So any tone of white, gray and ivory would probably look wonderful. However, I have a client with similar countertop color and cabinet color who recently chose a handmade tile from Fireclay Tile in CA, in a color called sky blue. We are using the 2x8, which is an awesome size and the color is nothing less than BRILLIANT. don't be afraid to do something that shows your personality! It's only a small area and if you get sick of it in 5 years, it's a small expense to re-do! (In the whole scheme of things) Check out Fireclay: http://www.fireclaytile.com

I would continue the stone. Subway tile is very busy and you may tire of it.

thank you. my personality really fits with the Stoneimpressions.com tile Christi of Thos. Baker selected. I find that to be so very soothing. BUT, if i was going to keep the drapes, i'm thinking i would stay white for the cupboards and the brilliant teal green in the grasshopper's wings, which would be Fireclay's "Emerald" tile. Thank you for the pointer. Fireclay has stunning colors.

I agree with the others about doing tile. I will just add that before you seriously consider using the counter up the wall you try to see it on a large scale. Sometimes the marble look quartz looks different on a large scale than it does in the sample. I cancelled an order after I saw an entire counter. (A different one than yours).

i believe you. it makes me a bit uneasy.

Hi---lovely kitchen. I think you could do just about anything in this space. I suggest just keeping it neutral, but it should be interesting. Here are some examples. Good Luck!
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Hi rosebayrenovation, your kitchen is lovely -- even unfinished! I can truly understand your appreciation for the artistry and history of the curtains and the dilemma you're having. It sounds like you're trying to choose between your personality, which desires soft and soothing colors, and your respect for the curtains, which, due to the colors, will create a more lively and vibrant atmosphere. I would weigh this carefully, as it seems you have great sensitivity to design and beauty.

Since the curtains have stains from water damage that you haven't been able to remove, is it possible that you may tire of looking at the stains after awhile? Is there another way to honor the curtains? Another room in your home, such as a sun room or small office? Could you take one of the panels that has the least amount of stain and perhaps, have it professionally framed and create an interesting piece of art to display somewhere? These are just ideas, which is what we do here! My intuition tells me that in the long run, your kitchen would be more pleasant and rewarding for you if it were done in the soothing colors that reflect your personality. I hope this helps!

Christi, on behalf of Thos. Baker

Christi, you don't know me, but you really do know me! My daughter and I having been thinking of going the Etsy route, making pillows from the undamaged fabric and selling most of them. The cost of renovating is astronomical here in Australia. The entire house had to be gutted because of mold. I could write a book about everything that's happened! And I can't justify replacing the fabric. It costs $265.00/metre here and I need 55 metres. It's a big psychological hurdle, letting the fabric go. Because of how much I love it (even went and visited Linnaeus' home in Uppsala, Sweden) and the fact it's hand blocked. I've looked and there's no other botanical print like it.

To give you an idea of the work and effort that's gone into this project, I'm on my 4th container of building materials being shipped here from our freight forwarder in Los Angeles. Last were two 40' ones because they were filled one tile deep (stacked on end like marble) with Peacock Pavers hand-made outdoor pavers. They could only be stacked one tile deep because the containers couldn't take more weight! They've just recently arrived all the way from Alabama. I'm getting that old look in the tile that I could never have hoped to find here in Oz. I'm Peacock's first customer outside North America. And even with the expense of shipping and duty and taxes, believe it or not, I'm still slightly ahead. Choosing a lesser tile here would have cost me about the same. And I could never have this look.

rosebay, it's as I suspected! You will go to great lengths to create beauty! Obviously, you have embraced a huge undertaking by restoring a home that was full of mold. Perhaps you should write a book to help pay for this monumental project!

So, are you telling me that even the most simple fabric is that expensive in Brisbane? If so, my chin is now resting in my lap! It's quite possible that you could make good money from using the fabric for pillows. You could always keep a few for yourself and put the money you earn towards purchasing new window treatments. But, I can see how letting go of the fabric is a very difficult decision. Unfortunately, no one can help you make this decision, but we can certainly sympathize with your situation.

Perhaps you should finish out your kitchen, but don't do the back splash right away. Leave the walls bare while you debate the best course of action to take regarding the curtains. The beauty of back splash is that it can always be done later.

If you do decide to keep the curtains, here's an idea for a back splash design that could work with your counters and cabinets without overwhelming them...and with your curtains. Using simple white tiles with a few glass accents sprinkled in to complement the curtains.

Christi, on behalf of Thos. Baker

Here's another sample of a light green/gray glass accent that would be lovely with your cabinets, counter and curtains.....

Christi, on behalf of Thos. Baker

Here's samples of a design concept. The first one is a little too "busy" and the second one is very simple, but they give you visuals to work with and hopefully, will help you find an answer to your very big dilemma!

Christi, on behalf of Thos. Baker

A white metallic Glass would be beautiful , or a stainless steel platinum weave would be nice..

We're living in Sydney now but the prices are just as high. A good tradesman makes $500/day and I'm being charged more than that/man day for an excellent group of guys. The Aussie $ is worth 90 cents US. So you get the picture..

As to materials and decorating, we used to live in Southern California so I know what things really cost. That's how I know it's cheaper to import from overseas, and use your own freight forwarder, than buy here. The Aussies have no qualms about ripping off their fellow citizens!

For new furniture, we go to High Point. Par example, I was quoted AUD$20,000 for an Oscar de la Renta sofa by Century Furniture (in Brisbane - 9 years ago). I got it in High Point, and had 100's of fabrics to choose from, for US$1,600, about 1/12th of the cost. And it's not the shipping that jacks up the price. It's profit margin greed. Then, a 20' container cost $4,000 to get from LAX to eastern Australia. It's not much different right now. My formula for cost here is anywhere from 3 to 7 times what you'd pay in the US. So, you HAVE to import.

Regarding the suggestions for glass, I'm just not feeling it, only because it's a very period house and I'm trying to stay as authentic as possible. Do you all feel glass is quite modern a texture?

I'm so drawn to the Stone Impressions tiles. I'm hoping they can help me with a layout. Thank you, Christi, for showing me that tile.

And I think you're right, I have to look at different fabrics now. Off to look at the tonicliving.com site. Not to be a whiner, but drapes fabricated by them, all the way away in Ontario, will save me a lot of $$$. Then it's on to the paristexashardware.com site. I tell you, my husband hasn't seen me for 6 months what with all the research I've been doing for this house. I can't get it wrong because returning items is trickier than getting them to this continent in the first place. And choosing most items just from photos on my laptop (apart from the 4 scouting-out trips we've made to the US in the past year), well, sometimes it's a bit of a stab in the dark as to what things really look like when you open up the package!

Thank you everybody for your suggestions. It was very kind of you all to help with this.

Rosebay - while I certainly understand other folks comments, you seem to be very design educated and have lovely taste. I agree with you on the glass tile front. I think that glass is not the right choice in its entirety or in accents. It is either too retro or too modern. As for fabric, look at this Schumacher, it's not as special as your current fabric but it's very cool and drapes very well! http://www.fschumacher.com/search/ProductDetail.aspx?sku=174760

I just read the rest of your post! Geez, I had no idea things were that expensive in AU. I would be more than happy to sell you any fabric you find and to help you make custom drapery. Email me with any questions at catherine@bespokefineinteriors.com

Yes, it's a shocker alright, the prices.
Pretty fabric, and thank you for the offer. Can you tell why I love the Gaston y Daniela? It's as if the drawings have come from a botanist's sketch book from 200 years ago. Makes my heart sing!

rosebayrenovation -- the reason I suggested glass was a way of capturing one or two of the "bright" colors of the grasshopper's wings that you mentioned you are drawn to above -- should you decide to keep the curtains. Also, to help manage costs. But, it sounds like you've got your comparative shipping costs down pat and it's more affordable to ship than shop in the Land of Oz!

I too, live on an island (not as large as Australia) and understand the increase in expense, need to ship and lack of local resources. My time here is nearly over, so will be heading back home soon.

As beautiful as the fabric is, my thoughts are to go with the stoneimpressions Nicolo Lilac tile for one reason and one reason only: it complements the caesarstone and the cabinets more than the curtains do.

You face some difficult decisions, but I'm confident it will all turn out fabulous!

Christi, on behalf of Thos. Baker

I used a cement tile with antique pewter fleur di lis accents with great results- antigue pewter or nickle hardware on cabinets -it really was gorgeous-years later my client confided in me that she would not sell her house because she could not leave her kitchen!)

that sounds beautiful. did you coat the cement tile with something? so it's not so porous to oil/cooking debris? i'm messy.

and just yesterday, i did decide on pewter for the cabinet hardware. looks good with the taupe and matches all the french pewter door handles in the house.

thank you for this.

Im happy to help. I used the cement tiles in combination with a complimentary hand glazed subway ceramic tile behind the range -so no need to coat the cement tiles -also the glazed tiles gave it a color lift and a contrast in finish. Ying yang -creates excitment. I will get the style # thinking it was from the Sonoma tile line.

Please update with pics!!!

ahaha! still waiting.....nothing much has changed. painters arrive in about 5 hours from now though.
i promise to update when progress occurs.

Can you please tell me the paint color you are using? We have just decided on the calacatta nuvo and we want to do a neutral/gray cabinet. The one you're using looks perfect!

I believe art should be separate from decorating-art that speaks to you will always find a space in your home and your soul that sings. However, if you are more comfortable with your prints having a color connection ,consider these options:

1. IF- they are not original signed prints-and just copies- you can add the missing color yourself-very judiciously-if you have an eye for proportion and design.-OR...

2. Find a corner that supports the lilac and the main color of the art - either 2 upholstered chairs or even one -add an accent- like a pillow to pick up the lilac that"s missing and hang them above the chair or chairs.

3. Frame them in such a way that will add the missing color-maybe the inside narrow part of a double mat- or a wood frame that has lilac undertones and the main color of the prints.

As an artist- I value my art more as an intrinsic element rather than a decorative one and am unwilling to sacrifice the pleasure they provide for what may be a temporary color scheme.

Just a thought...

So okay, it's now over a year since I first posted. Note the absence of backsplash. I have found a tile series that I can only find in the UK and they will not send to me. Even if I arrange all the shipping. I showed them photos of the 350 m2 of outdoor pavers I have outside here which were hand made in a small town in Alabama and shipped all the way here. The world is a small place. Nope, they will not sell to anyone overseas. I will go over and purchase in person, I just haven't had time to make the 24 hours by plane trek to them.

Beautiful! What paint color did you end up using?

And caitlan1978, sorry I just noticed your comment for the first time. This has not photographed the way it looks in real life. I'm sorry. And even in real life, the color changes depending on the weather. This newest photo was taken on a gloomy day and the cupboards turn almost an olivey green. I'm not happy when that happens! Whereas on a sunny day, I DO get the taupe I wanted. Color is from the Dulux Australia range, Cashmere. But, it's been adjusted. I stood over the huge white plastic bucket of paint he had, and we kept adding white until it was light enough for me and the painter took it from there. Matched subsequent batches to that initial adjustment.

Hi! rosebayrenovation

We appreciate you considering our products for your renovations,

if you need some more details about anything you may find it in our website:

http://www.caesarstone.ca/en/Pages/default.aspx

It includes Gallery, Collections, design ideas & articles (under "spotlight" section) and a list of distributors (under "View & Buy").

We hope it helps.

Good Luck!

Original poster, curious how you are liking your Quartz countertops? I was looking into the same ones but read some scary stuff about staining and scratching. But no reviews on this exact color. Thank you!

+1 to mbarson -- I am considering the calacutta nuovo from ceaserstone as well. What has your experience been?

Plainwhite or gray penny tile would be beautiful and classic! I love honey comb marble another wonderful look!

I'm looking for a backsplash as well to match a similar faux calacatta quartz from Polarstone. My cabinets are a very light repose gray from SW. I don't want the backsplash to be too busy with the veining movement of the quartz. I was considering a handmade ceramic subway tile in matte satin that is white, but with creamier undertones to better match the calacatta and not be a stark white, but not crazy about doing subway tile! I found this porcelain tile that I thought might be nice to tie in the gray cabinet and quart. It's reasonably priced at $20 sq foot at home depot (special order). I've been to every tile place and laugh that it's come down to one at home depot! Here it is. Merola Tile Rustica in Glacier. It has whites, grays, creams and tans. They recommend and used Alabaster grout here which makes it more beige looking. I would probably do snow white or a lighter grout to go with the whites in the tile, rather than the creams. Below is also the white tile I am considering. Thoughts?

Wow, that last one with rustic subway and light gray grout with Polarstone is PRIMO... I'm stealing that look.

That glacier is gorgeous!!!