Do you know what the name of your granite is? It's kind of hard to see with the dark room.

I think this beveled subway tile (without stripe) would look gorgeous in there. I don't know if it is limestone or marble, but it has a little bit of variegation. I like the texture, and it won't compete with your granite.
http://media.photobucket.com/image/subway%20tile%20beveled/gueuzeman/June1109015.jpg

Not sure on name, but attached is a closer look. Thanks for the help!

With your counters coming up the wall a bit, I would try to pick a color that co-ordinates with the wall color. Above your cupboard it looks like a light green. How about a lime green color for your tile? Do you like bold colors?

More reserved style. The kitchen opens to the living room. Hopefully the picture helps with style. The island separates the kitchen and living area. Island is black.

Since your kitchen is adjacent to your family room, use mirror as your back splash. Take the opportunity to first change your outlets to under-counter outlets as in this Houzz example http://www.houzz.com/photos/kitchen/under-cabinet (photo #3). The relatively small surface area between your counter tops and upper cabinets will come alive and open up your space even further.

I used a bronzed mirror as my back plash since my cabinets have a reddish mahogany tone. The difference this made is stunning. The good news is that mirror is relatively inexpensive. After installation, treat the mirror with Rain-E, found in auto parts and hardware stores. You'll never worry about splashes or water marks.

I agree with cookincakes that it appears that you have a Santa Cecilia granite top and that a light possibly, tumbled marble or subway tile, backsplash would look nice. Cookinincookakes picture looks like a miniature tumbled marble subway tile mosaic which would be beautiful but a little expensive. A less expensive alternative would be full size 3" x 6" tumbled marble or travertine subway tile. It's sold at any tile store or in home centers.

The most important thing if you are tiling the backsplash is to remove the present granite backsplash and throw it away. A tiled backsplash should never have a granite backsplash too. It will look much more built in this way. If you look at well designed kitchen pictures you won't even be able to find a picture of it done with tile on top of a granite backsplash.

Also if you are using 3" x 6" tiles stagger the joints like bricks. "Subway" tiles are meant to be installed in this pattern, and your kitchen is too traditional to deviate from the pattern.

I agree with Main Line Kitchen. Remove the granite backsplash and add a simple subway tile backsplash. It is timeless, elegant and will not take away from the beautiful counter tops. Some of the glass tile and mirrored backsplashes (while beautiful) will become the avocado refrigerator in years to come.

I think this all depends on your style and if you want to update your look, the mirrror is a good way to go but it is really about your taste, I am doing a very big remodeling proyect and been looking for all the possible options, I choose the rectangular mosaics with glass, my choice was white marble and clear white powder glass, it look very modern and yet contemporary, you might need to remove the back splash that you already have because it will look awkward (In any option that you choose).
You can find this in many tile and marble shops, even in home depot and they will bring out the colors of your actual counter top while giving it a much more cleaner look.
GOOD LUCK AND HOPE THIS HELPS>

Never use a mirror as a kitchen back splash, unless you enjoy looking at a reflection of your tummy, hips, thighs and bum the entire time you're working in the kitchen! Stack dirty dishes on the counter? You'll see double the mess.

The best is Stainless Steel Clading or Tiling. Low Maintenance and wonderful look.

Instead of putting Tile behind consider painting, try two shades darker for more pizzazz. I would spend my money on crown mold for a more finished look. What you are truly lacking is some color bring two or three items the same rich colors as the chairs in the family room, and it will pull it all together. Good luck!

I would go with a traverine random strip marble. There are different beige shades to choose from depending on the shade in your countertop. The marble won't date as quickly as glass tile and there is already a lot going on in your countertop. The radom strip pattern will keep it current. I used Navona travertine.

Thank you for all the input. Love some of the ideas and will start looking at samples of what was suggested. Gillery, we are putting in crown molding in two weeks, couldn't agree more about it helping the finish of the area.

I agree with the suggestion of taking off the granite back-splash, that look is outdated. I used a filled and honed Travertine tile and it turned out great. Your style is actually very similar to mine. I agree that you could use splashes of color but that can be introduced with accessories and plants.

@kraftinox - i had stainless steel tiled back splash - alternating the grain on the tiles. It looked fabulous but there was a lot of work to keep it clean.

I would use a light shade of the granite to brighten up. Looks like it might be a taupe, so creamy tile with gray tint might be nice. Then, maybe use the dark at random every few feet to add pizazz (mosaic inset) to bring it together.

Subway tile would look nice and seems like it never goes out of style. We used one from Florida tile in our kitchen remodel last year that had irregular shading and edges giving it more of an appearance of handmade tile. I think it works in our old MN farmhouse, but would work in any style. Florida tile had a lot of color choices on this tile too...there was a greenish beige one that might pull in your paint color.

How do you take off the granite back splash? I also have a granite back splash and would like tile instead.

First, why would you like to change the back splash? I assume you can take it off and that your counter top isn't a modular? Having two different treatments though would be very busy. Perhaps you might consider an embossed metallic tile bull nose trim the same color in the granite just for an decorative touch- dont think that would take away from your granite so much. Good luck!

Looks like you have a 4" backsplash in the granite, if so, adding another backsplash, or removing the
4" backsplash will do nothing for your kitchen design. I feel if you paint the wall under the cabinets in
a rich darker color of the living room walls, the cabinets will pop and you will love the feeling. If not,
no hugh cost involved.

I agree to take off the granite back splash. IMHO it looks slightly outdated and definitely unfinished. You do have a beautiful kitchen and wouldn't have to do much to make it look like a featured kitchen on this site. You could do a mix of the subway and the tumbled marble/stone. They have subway tile now that looks almost like it's tumbled or even just a matte finish instead of the gloss. You could try a light gray subway tile to tie in with your granite.

I also would like to know how the low granite backsplash gets removed without damaging the granite counters. Also, what if there were gaps there and that was the reason for the granite going part way up? I have the same thing in my kitchen and don't like it...but not sure I want to invest in its removal. Need more info. Thanks....

I just bid a project removing the tumbled stone backsplash to add new granite countertops. Kitchens
are very busy so why add to more busy with different stones. I have added matching granite cut in
2x3 from matching granite tiles, mixed in 2x3 tumbled stone and it will marriage to the granite tops.
Good luck

Here are a few other ideas.

To answer the questions about how to remove a 4" granite backsplash. The backsplash is simply silicone caulked in place. Take a utility knife and cut the seal between the top and the backsplash and the backsplash and the wall and pull the backsplash off. You may need to touch up paint around the removed pieces, spackle a few holes and using a razor blade paint scraper remove left over caulk from the top. All quite easy, and far easier, then the tile work that you will be doing. For directions tiling a backsplash, watch an online episode of This Old House or Hometime. Stay away from HGTV advice, it is less professional. If a professional is doing the tile work let him or her remove the backsplash as well. If they unfamiliar as to how, you would be hiring the wrong tile person.

Below are some ideas that might work. They have a lot more options under glass and stainless steel mosaics.
http://tiledaily.com/2012/09/04/random-brick-series-marble-and-glass-mosaic/
http://tiledaily.com/2011/10/17/glass-and-stone-mosaic/
http://tiledaily.com/2011/11/19/small-brick-iridescent-glass-mosaic-grey/ - a favorite

There are many "ifs" to removing the 4" granite backsplash. If a professional removes the granite it may be as easy as the littlemissk state. If you have to replace the sheet rock because of the damage you will find a tile setter may charge more then you are willing to pay to replace and install the new
backsplash. I see all the appliances are black, why is stainless mosaic being considered. Are you
getting new appliances?

Idea, add a black glass 2" liner at the top of the existing granite backsplash. Remove the wood trim
under the granite window sill to continue the liner

Sorry nancy34 that wasn't me who talked about removing the granite backsplash. I think it was Main Line Kitchen Design.

A professional will remove the granite backsplash for free -it is truly simple and will take minutes. If you are tiling yourself then that's the hard part, and removing the backsplash will be easy in comparison. Trust me I have been at this more years than I care to mention.

I just had a client and someone remove the backsplash, no one can know what adhesive was used
when the backsplash was installed, in my case, the wallboard was tore up so bad, pieces broken out,
there was no choice but to replace the wallboard and since the wallbaord is in back of the granite slab,
it become a job only for a professional, so in general terms, easy said, maybe NOT easy DONE!!!

nancy34, do you have a picture of the back splash where you added matching granite cut in
2x3 from matching granite tiles and mixed in 2x3 tumbled stone?

choose the same color as your counter Top has
http://www.orvi.co.uk/cat-latitudes/rustic.html

The Granite is a quality material and quite dominant. You already have a granite upstand to the bench. I suppose this is not enough protection for your wall. I suggest something simple and uncluttered that doesn't compete with the granite, but instead complements it. A colour backed glass matching your wall (perfectly) might do the trick. I wouldn't try and match it in with the granite as I think the granite upstand to the bench is quite an impact feature. Only problem with glass is maintenance. Keep it buffed and polished and it will blend in with your granite benchtop.

I have a quartzite counter top with dark brown cabinets. I had just had my back splash completed. We wanted the counter top be the focal point as it had beautiful grain and some movements to it. We found our tiles at Walker Zanger after months of shopping around. I have finally found what I wanted. We got the Vibe Series ceramic tile in Suede Ashbury Mesh Mounted field - this was installed by the cooktop and the sink back splash we got the Field 3⅛ x 4⅛. After both was installed, I would have been very happy with only the Ashbury mesh mounted field tiles.


https://www.houzz.com/discussions/who-makes-the-tile-used-in-the-backsplas-dsvw-vd~92734 - a Houzz idea on these tile

Yikes! The range in the bottom picture is going to ruin the finish on the face of the two side wall cabinets, if not set them on fire.

Definitely white subway tile. Anything else will be too busy with the granite. Also, subway is the most classic and won't go out of style.

I would remove the granite that you have going up the walls and stay simple. You don't want too much going on as the granite itself has a lot of movement. Subway is almost always safe, but it definately has a country look. Or you could do a neutral tumbled marble.

Kathy636, I did 3 new kitchen displays in a kitchen cabinet business. My tile setter cut the 12x12 granite tiles to the 2x3 size, then mixed tumbled stone tile 2x3 and at the range I did a simple
graphic square pattern to size. A classic style that will be easy to live with for years.

Main Line Kitchen Design, this is not my kitchen, and I noted now the photos are up with the "new"
stainless gas range and you are correct, bad, bad design for the cabinets to sit on the counter top,
just safety says NO!!!

Go on line to Ann Sacks.com - great purveyor of anything TILE. They have a design center in most architectural marts. Look at what they have to offer - am thinking you just need something to run along the top of your back-splash already there - UNLESS you want to take it off and do something totally different. I am huge fan of the metalic looking tiles, copper, bronze, matt finished? Since you have shown us your more conservative approach - I am thinking you could find something at Ann Sacks. Let us know.

nancy34. Thanks, I like your idea and think it would work for me plus not having to remove the current 4" back splash makes it even better!

I just put in a new counter top and am thinking about using a tin backsplash. My top has black,white,brown and copper in it and I am thinking about a press tin in a copper color. Any suggestions???

Younce, they have accent tiles in copper if you check out Emers Tile on line. You can use for a
design pattern. The press tin I assume you are thinking of the entire l8-20 inches backsplash. This will
be more day to day maintenance and I am alway looking for less work. Good Luck

We are remodeling our kitchen and for our back splash we are using bead board. It gives the kitchen a very comfortable and homey feel, which will also go well with your living room. It can be painted any color, or glazed. It's greatest feature is that the look is timeless and goes so well with anything. I noticed too that your living room has white bookcases you could put bead board on the back of the book cases also, to bring the two rooms together. I really love the look of bead board it is easy to install and can be trimmed in beautiful molding. Best of wishes.

Shirley2 - I was just going to suggest bead board! Given the cabinets around the fireplace and the decor, I think a bead board would compliment the space nicely. However, I would suggest removing the 3" granite currently there. If not the bead board, then a simple sub-way tile. Good luck!

Call Granite Transformations for your backsplash-they have great glass tile for your backsplash and can install it.