Hey Monica-- It sounds like it starts out too low, but wiht what you've proposed, the final height is about 39 1/2", so I'd say you should be fine, with respect to the height in the room. The bottom of the glass should be at about 33" though, and I believe most vanity heights are about 35- 36", so if you want the bottom of the glass to be the beginning of your backsplash, you need to check your vanity height and countertop thickness, as well as your underlayment and floor tile thickness (unless you're going to tile UP to it), and adjust accordingly.

Dunno much about tile, but purely from a design perspective, I think this much density of detail down low will have to be balanced by higher elements, or it will tend to pull the eye downwards.

Thanks for replying Bill. Our current bathroom counters are 32.5" high. I don't recall ever seeing a vanity 35 to 36". That wouldn't work for my short self (5' 3/4"). I can't measure the new master vanity because it's at the painter's "clean room" being stained. But, I'm sure it's the same as what was in there. Yes, the final height is 39 1/2". Should the pencil rail run under the glass tile at the backsplash or just sit right on the granite? I'm thinking sit on the granite.

oruboris, On the opposite wall from the bathroom door, is the vanity (67" long). It will hbe framed by an arch (the width of the vanity), lighting above that. A mini chandelier over the tub (to the left), a wall sconce light on the right wall, white crown moulding and a pale muted aqua colored ceiling. Wall color is BM Lenox Tan. Will that be enough to bring the eye up? I admit, I'm a little concerned about all this starting at 26" from the floor but the alternative is to have a partial wall tile.
Monica

Should the pencil rail run under the glass tile at the backsplash or just sit right on the granite? I'm thinking sit on the granite.

What about BETWEEN the two courses of glass? I have a feeling that sitting on top of the diagonal course, it might kinda get "lost in the sauce", so to speak- like maybe it was put there as a spacer? I know it was, but you don't want it to LOOK like it.

Bill, sitting on top of the diagonal is a pencil rail. There will be no diagonal tile at the backsplash. Just the two rows of glass tile with a chair rail topper. I'm going with the the tile sitting on top of the granite counter (sans the pencil rail). David said he will work off the vanity with the glass tile and everything else will fall into place. I think he'll be cutting off an inch of the bottom wall tile to compensate for no pencil at the vanity. As for the rest of the wall, I don't think it's going to look as "odd" as I first thought (starting at 26" from the ground). I think the eye will "see" what's in between the chair rail and pencil rail. The 6" diagonal travertine will blend with the porcelain tile.
Monica