My first reaction is that they are too dark. You will be putting them between a very dark counter and medium dark cabinets.

That's a lot of dark color there.

I agree with lazygardens. Way too dark.

I am sorry to say that for me, it's very close to the cabinet color, but stronger, so I'm not sure of this choice. However, it is a rustic, almost brick type of look, which I often like. If you're going for that, I like the dark ones mixed in for some contrast and a more rustic feel. I feel like the lighter ones need something calmer to break it up, as the pattern/colors in them seems busier.

I have another kitchen in mind that's like yours in color, and I'm going to contact the GW member to see if she has finished pics, because everything I find is sans backsplash.

I'd go for the one color, CJ. Either way, the work area of the kitchen will lose that lighter feel that's been in style for such a long time now that it's seen...everywhere, regardless of climate or culture...in literally millions of the homes that have sprung up in the past quarter century on various continents. It will become relatively darker and cozier, more "earthy" instead. Also definitely more in keeping with the Craftsman era.

To further the Craftsman look, since Craftsman was all about showing off the structure, you could investigate the possibility of further defining areas (preferably structural, but...) with wood trim--i.e., more of what's there, then filling in with tile, rather than having dark-tiled areas just stopping without definition. One good thing about this is that it opens up the possibilities of where to end the tile, not just where bottoms of window and cabinets happen to suggest.

I agree with the first couple of postings. IMO both choices will really darken the overall kitchen even with the nice size window. That being said, if you do have your mind set on this background color, I would choose the mixture.

Rosie, do you happen to have a picture of what you have in mind? I'm trying to imagine it and coming up short.

I really like the tile, but it's important to me to have an overall look that is "good"--IE not a "what was she thinking?!". I know that this is my weak area, and I'm trying to keep an open mind about what might look good here, but I need some direction and I know it. I like a warm, comfortable space. I tend to be very utilitarian and simple--sometimes, way too simple and the last thing I want to do is be 'blah', or worse, ordinary, y'know? :-)

I'm open to, and appreciative of, suggestions at this point. Maybe one of 'em will leap out at me and say "this is IT!", or provide a jumping off place to an idea that does. :-) It just seems unfinished, and I want to be sure that the backsplash ties it all together and keeps that warm Craftsman feeling that I'm trying to stay with. I know it's not a 'period kitchen', but I want that vibe, if that makes sense.

Thanks much to all for your patience and suggestions.

Cj

I agree with the majority. I understand where you are trying to go with this but I too fear it will become cave like.
Also, in thinking ahead to installation, looking at your wall with the beautiful traingular window, how do you plan to place the tile?
I almost feel that you can get away without a backsplash. I love the green color of your paint and I wonder if when you tile the window side will look awkward.

I agree - too dark but it is pretty :-(

I did some digging. Jodi in so cal has it in her kitchen. The tiles are from Jeffrey Court.

cj, I wanted to like your tile, but I just don't see it in your kitchen. Too dark and close to cab color. Are you absolutely set on a red? I found some moss green tiles that I think would compliment your call color, cabs, and counters without making the space too dark. The only thing is I don't know if it comes in 4 x 4, but it gives you an idea for a different color direction while maintaining the craftsman vibe.

Here is a link that might be useful: Pasadena Craftsman Tile

What about using the tiles only behind the cooktop? I do like the tiles, but was also wondering how you would configure/transition them on the window wall? On my monitor, the darker tiles look way too dark and not very attractive.

"the work area of the kitchen will lose that lighter feel that's been in style for such a long time now .... It will become relatively darker and cozier, more "earthy" instead. Also definitely more in keeping with the Craftsman era."

OK, this is where I get stuck, Rosie, because "warm", "cozy" and "earthy" are all major buzzwords for me. I really am wondering about the comments about adding structure, though--a picture approximating the kind of thing you're talking about would be much appreciated, if possible. If by "more of the same" you mean more wood like the trim, this could be arranged. I stained all of the trim myself, and have loads left over. Does anyone else see it this way?

It looks like the nearly unanimous opinion here seems to be that these tiles are too dark and are too much like the cabinets. I don't want warm, cozy and earthy to end up to be 'cavelike'. That would be horrible. And there's the question of what to do under the windows. My thought had been to run the tile up to the cabs on the cooktop wall, then drop it to under-window level on the window wall. I don't want to break up that wall by bringing the tile up past the windowsills there. There will be a place where the tile runs up against the green paint (Sherwin Williams Ruskin Room Green), so while green is one of my favorite colors, I'm a little worried about trying to make two greens go together. I'm not tied to red, but I do like color--I just went reddish because it seemed to look nice with the Roycroft Adobe in the next room.

Hm...no backsplash at all, just paint. I've actually considered doing that, but was afraid that it would look "unfinished". What do you guys think about that?

Ellendi, these tiles are from Pratt and Larson.

I kind of do like the idea of putting tile only behind the cooktop, but don't want it to look like a patch of dark in the lighter colored wall. The paint on that wall currently is Sherwin Williams Hubbard Squash. The red paint in the adjoining room is SW Roycroft Adobe.

I don't want to fall into the "It'll be fine" trap. (Thank you, Live Wire Oak, for coining my new catchphrase!) I can look for other tiles, but I'm just sort of at a loss as to direction--I've been looking for a long time, and most of the time nothing hits me as a possibility. I have seen some slate that I like, but the floor has a slate look--is it OK for the backsplash to mimic the floor? I was thinking that the two should complement each other.

I know that to those of you that have a talent for decorating, I must sound just hopeless. I am going to chime in over on Live Wire Oak's thread about this, but I've been thinking that this is how people who don't know how to cook feel. That's an area that I have a gift in, for putting together flavors and textures and taking recipes and tweaking them this way or that way to make them special or different. It's foreign to me that others can't do this intuitively the way I do, but that's the way I am with decorating.

Thanks for your help and your patience.

Cj

Looking at your kitchen again, it is just gorgeous the way it is. IMHO your window wall will look awkward with tiles and it will distract from the WOW factor of the window.
That said, although I am a fan of the "no window treatment look" maybe a window treatment at least in the lower window will maake the kitchen feel more finished to you.

I am not a fan of the four inch backsplash. However while I was going through my own horror of looking for a backsplash, there is a GW kitchen that had a short backsplash but it was decorative, not the usual four inch run of granite. Her kitchen was white and possibly perriwinkle. I loved the way this looked. If anyone recognizes it, please let us know. I am going to keep looking to see if I can find it so you can get another idea of a possibility.

Ellendi, thank you for your input. I'm not such a fan of the 4 inch backsplash either--but maybe a small decorative backsplash of something complementary would be just the ticket. I'll look around and see if I can find the kitchen you're talking about. I'm getting to the window treatments. I almost dread it, because it means a whole 'nuther round of decisions that have to be made. LOL! But you are right, perhaps that's the finishing touch that it really needs.

Thanks.
Cj

Those Pasadena Craftsman tiles would look awesome behind the cooktop.

I get the idea behind the framing and think it can work in a craftsman kitchen generally. Here, though, I don't see where it would help. The only place to put it where it would integrate, rather than break up, is as a plain substitute for a crown molding all the way around the room, extending the sill of the triangular window. But that does nothing to help with the tile issue at all. And I don't think it's necessary.

Thank you, Marcolo. Would you suggest just using the subway tile behind the cooktop, and leaving the rest of the walls painted? Or do you mean just doing the cooktop wall? I did see one backsplash on the Pasadena Craftsman site that had tiles that made up a tree. I'd love something like that with the subways. Do you think that something like that might work, or is that too much?

Cj

CJ, to try to help the conversation, here are some samples I pulled from your photos and the internet, to better show the colors involved. (I'm not sure I have the color of your Pratt and Larson tiles quite right, I couldn't find them on the web to verify the color.)

On my monitor, it looks to me like the green moss Pasadena Craftsman tiles might work well with the green paint color, and also with your flooring. If you think that color might work, I guess the question remains, how much of the wall to tile...only the part behind your cooktop, or a greater area?

I found your kitchen reveal thread back in February. I can't believe what you have accomplished! It's an amazing transformation. Here's the link, for others:
Cherry Craftsman-esque Kitchen

Mudhouse, thank you for your kind comments, and oh WOW....THANK YOU for putting that picture board together! It really makes it easier to see how everything works together. I'll see if I can get some samples of that tile sent, and I'm going to revisit one specific store in the city that had nicer tile on display, perhaps they can get it, or maybe they even have something similar that I can consider. (Don't worry, I won't get a case of "it'll be fine").

Thanks everyone, I really appreciate it.
Cj

You're very welcome Cj. In the other thread, you mentioned getting advice from the tile store that didn't mesh with much of the advice here. I don't blame you for being frustrated.

Not quite the same thing, but I can relate because I've almost given up on asking family and friends for advice on my own house struggles. Example, regarding a low ceiling problem:
Friend: "Aw, just paint it a cool color. It'll be great!"
Family member 1: "I hate it too, but it's of the period, so it's understandable."
Family member 2: "It's easy. Don't look up."
Family member 3: "I just wish your father was here, because he'd tell you there's not a thing wrong with that ceiling!"

It's enough to drive a person to drink.

Sometimes I think GW members provide more even-handed advice (after you sort through varying opinions) because they worry less about saying what we want to hear, and they have no real motivation to sway them (like, making a sale, or saving money.)

I hope you'll post back with how it goes.

I don't mind the darkness at all. Under cabinet lighting can fix that. It's the colors that aren't working. It's too matchy matchy with the cabinets and counters. Something in a William Morris green would work better for me. Or a mustardy yellow. Or even a calm blue gray. Not shouty, but quietly colorful in a natural way.

LOL, Mudhouse--you are SO right about the comments from other people. I have had this tile sitting on my counter for weeks, and not one person I've asked (and everyone gets queried) has said, "You know, it really doesn't work". I think it's a different mindset than we have here. No one else that I know cares as much about the kitchen, as a room, as much as I do--but everyone here does, and they also understand why.

Live_wire_oak, thanks for your comment. Quietly colorful in a natural way--that sounds just right--I wish it were easier to find a tile that fit that description. :-)

Off I go to the tile store...again...

Cj

Here are a few ideas...

Maybe you could have a mix to pull in the colors of
your counter but keep is on the lighter side

Here is a link that might be useful: looking for Authentic craftsman style tile for backsplash

In looking at your photos, are you thinking about just tiling the wall with the stove and maybe having the other wall with the sink stay just painted?
If you were to to a border tile, like the last photo that Boxer posted, the border could stand alone on the sink wall, then wrap around and continue along the stove wall. On the stove wall above this decoartive border you can put tiles and maybe even create a focal point behind the stove. Just thinking out loud.....:)