Frankly I like the painted walls. Easy to change when you get tired of the color. For a 4" backsplash use the same material as the counter with a bullnose top AND bling it every 8" with vertical glass or stainless tiles, but they need to be as thick as the granite, or bring out the gray or burgundy with a tiled (gray,burgundy,taupe sort of 4" tiling). The busy tiles that people are using today for a backspash is crazy busy in my opinion. Nice window above the sink, bring out the liter colors in the granite and do a simple valance. For the glass door cupboards, again, use the colors in the granite to place some pottery.

I am not sure what type of look you are going for modern, traditional etc., but I love our backsplash. It is a tumbled marble with varying tones in a subway style. I think it especially looks great if you go to the ceiling behind your hood. Here are a few examples, the first is my backsplash. The second gives you an idea what it would look like behind the hood. I am not a designer, but subway tile seem to be popular.

thanks for the pics.. looks nice

I like a neutral tumbled marble so it doesn't compete with the granite pattern. Something light , maybe 12" layer on a diagonal with a small 4" architectural tile insert at the corners. Everything is a bit dark, so I would lighten up the backsplash color to give your eye some relief.

You can't go wrong with a subway tile. I would use a glazed ceramic tile in a neutral color. There are some beautiful glazes available. You could use the traditional 3x6 or use a newer size with a longer, leaner proportion like a 2x12.
Stone options are stunning too.

http://www.sonomatilemakers.com/PhotoGallery.aspx?prod-line-id=18&IsPhotoGallery=True

http://www.sonomatilemakers.com/PhotoGallery.aspx?prod-line-id=4&IsPhotoGallery=True

http://www.crossvilleinc.com/literature_library/LIT-SAV-08.pdf

I love your counters. Add some color to your back splash with either glass tiles or stick with a solid subway tile with a border that has some color. You don't want to overwhelm your space of have it compete with your counters but I think a bit of color would give the area a spark. I love this border look, it keeps things neutral enough but adds just a pop of color.



http://www.tileamerica.com/uploads/images/Product%20Images/Natural%20Stone/Mystic%20Green/daphne%20mystic%20green%20and%20almond%20beige%20153389.jpg

Off white seamless glass splash back would be my choice. Sick to death of subway tiles I'm afraid, and the bench tops are quite busy so keep it simple.

I think the glass would look great and not fight with your bench tops but I would prefer a clear glass as you have a lot of different heights between the bench top and cupboards. Also love the wall colour and it would allow that to show through.

Im not a fan of tile in the kitchen, especially behind the stove. I chose to have 5" of the same granite as the counters with a large piece behind the stove. The rest is painted. Result is easy to clean, low maintenance.

Glass tile---two examples for you:

http://www.callaghancontracting.net/articles/images/mosaic_glass_tile_backsplash.jpg

Great posts! I'd love to see what you end up doing! Please post pics!

I have the same countertop; I did beadboard on the backsplash and painted it off-white to match my cabinets. It was inexpensive, andwe love it so much!

I love a back splash. We used handmade tiles with a crackle glaze. The cost was a shock, but that's the part of our remodel that we love the most. It's jewelry for the kitchen.

i don't see any backsplash with St Cecilia counters and brown counters... my counters look very similar to Venetian Gold

I think the tumbled marble backsplash would look very nice and add to your granite tops. I aslso like the "skinny" horizontal glass tile. Gives it some sparkle.

Hi George,

St Cecila is one of our more popular colors. We sell quite a bit of it but the color variations even within that name can range from a golden to grey undertones.

I would suggest that you first determine if the undertone of your granite is warm or cool. From there you could either chose a tile in the same tone or a contrasting one.

One post-er above did mention going with a neutral tile is a good suggestion. If you do want to draw in some color from the countertop, look to see if your granite has flecks of, say, cranberry or dark brown and introduce an accent strip or area (i.e. above your range) that contains a little of that color.

Here are a couple of photos and, although the cabinet colors are not the exact match to yours, it may give you some ideas. You will see the use of neutrals in two and the third feature a glass/stone linear mosaic. Cost-wise, porcelain and ceramic will be less expensive, but for a small space glass and natural stone can really make a 'wow' statement and be worth the extra cost.

Above all, be sure to use a good mortar and grout - we suggest Laticrete brand. Lastly, if you visit www.americanolean.com, there is a "tile visualizer" tool that you can use to 'test out' different tile looks in different areas. You can even upload a picture of your kitchen.

Good luck!

Cindy
Attleboro Kitchen and Bath
Attleboro, MA
www.attleborokitchenandbath.com
508-226-2284

Hi,
We just redid our backsplash/granite. Will find pictures and post. Meantime, I used this site to gather ideas:
http://www.calfinder.com/ideas/kitchen/kitchen-backsplash

I think something like this would be nice!

You can never go wrong with something neutral in a white tone, I think in this picture the back splash is more muted and elegant. You can add color with accessories.

We used a 12X18 inch tile cut to 4X8 random subway, it is less busy and less grout. I had small 2x2 tiles and cleaning was a nightmare. We also used a 3X3 random accent tile with a glass crackle finish for some bling. The tile we picked out is an industrial tile. Saved money, it looks beautiful, elegant, and contemporary, but not the ubiquitous "subway look".

We just finished our kitchen, did most of the work on our own (except for cabinet install) Went with a stacked marble, and we love it! (we did seal the grout and tile to keep it clean and stain free)

I like this one, but any of the metals will be an easy install that will not require elec box extentions

http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=image+contemmory+rug&qpvt=image+contemmory+rug&FORM=IGRE

You might like one of the others so look around. I've use them for counters with a 1/4" glass drop in as well as back splashes.

Several great comments. 3x6 tumbled travertine may look good or you could even do a smooth travertine with a beveled edge.