Is the accent tile color used anywhere else throughout the backsplash?

Imagine standing at your stove cooking. Is the accent piece one you want to be looking at everyday? I would go with your gut. Is the color used elsewhere in your kitchen?

If you don't like it, get rid of it!

Maybe adding more decorative tile and framing it might look nice. I used poster board and cut out tile sizes to do a mock up. I think picking out tile for the kitchen is the hardest part.

I'd rather have you happy at the stove than sad. It's tough enough whipping up the great food without being bummed out. :=) Tell hubby you won't waste the materials and maybe he will understand your predicament. No need to pout. Just tell him how important it is for you. If you are not the chef, leave it alone. Speaking from someone who loves to cook, bake etc. :=/ stick to your guns woman. If you still have time before tile guy show up, put your stuff on the area to see how your tools look with it in place. Maybe it will be alright when you "own" your new spot visually. If it is still bugging you, better deal with deleting.

No---remove it---if the range was on a bigger wall then an accent tile would be a nice way to bring emphasis to it. However, such is not the case so do away with it. PLEASE---match your grout to your cabinet color or a cream/mocha/smoke hue anything but white. Good Luck!

Some adjustment would be a benefit to the overall look. Either replace the 4 accent tiles with prettier ones (it appears to be a flat black)...copper or bronze colored or metal tiles, warm medium brown, or black with a sheen. For safety in your choice of tile and grout (not white or black), pick a color from your counter top or another accent color from your room...and replace a few of the single tan ones with whatever you choose for the new center accent. I am thinking three on each side of the center larger accent and, say, two on the right facing side. Alternately, make one four-tile-accent on each side of the original one with your new tile choice, maybe one tile lower. If using travertine tile, be sure to seal to simplify cleaning up splatters on the tile. Love your granite choice! Complements the cabinetry very well. Totally different, there are tile "jewelry"...say, 1"x1" on a "spike" that would simply be "nailed" into random intersections of current tile...no removal! Good luck.

I'm not liking it at all. What does the rest of the room look like?

If you don't like it, I would remove it. Your tile installer could easily swap out the metal accents for your field tiles since they appear to be the same size. For grout, choose a color as close to your field tile as possible. You want your grout to blend in--NOT be a focal point. If you find yourself wanting some sort of accent or focal point above the stove later, you could always put a picture, decorative sign, or utensil rack there.

Well now is certainly the time to address this. It's a small enough area I think you could get away with nothing, but as is, it needs a little more. I agree some button type tiles like in pmmacon's photo would be perfect sprinkled in and possibly make the feature larger by adding 5 tiles to make it a larger square.

Less is more! The wood the countertop the backsplash all are textured. Plain is not plain, it's enough.