Have you seen the tiles at www.artontiles.com? Select "index" and you will see their French tiles, about $15 ea.

How about using standard 4 1/4" wall tiles that go for about 1.75 a foot, and using them in design? The tile in the following picture is standard Daltile 101 white 4 1/4" with denim 4 1/4" tiles cut up to make smaller accents:

You could even add more to it, if you like, using something like Daltile's rope trim in Denim, or adding more accents. The point is there's nothing that says you need to give up your first born in order to have a nice, and even impressive, backsplash.

When I read your post I thought of light blue marble.
Below is a link to a thread that shows a pic of Blue Celeste marble posted by bluekitchen.

Here is a link that might be useful: light blue marble

Thank you, guys, for the recommendations! Much appreciated! I'll keep on looking and like the idea of starting with the basics and then see why it won't work : )

Tanya

No shopping recommendations, unfortunately, but I think the tile would look lovely. It would read as cream from farther away, pulling everything together, but just get more interesting and charming on approach. And it would be happily out of what's been the ordinary for the past 20 years or so now yet still classic.

The tiles here are usually less expensive than Country Floors, Ann Sacks, et al.

Here is a link that might be useful: Lots of options here

That's some awesome tile, but BOY what a pain that'd be to grout!!!!!

kitchendetective... great find! That would look beautiful in a kitchen like the OP's. It would be surprising and different too. I could see matching it with a field tile and doing that as a focal point behind a stove. Then mix in the textured ones among the field tile elsewhere.

Someone here pointed me to Overstock for some interesting tiles.