Beautiful. Love the floor - have no ideas on the backsplash though.

Your kitchen is beautiful. I want your stainless steel chairs.

As lovely as your kitchen is, there is no strong visual color element - like a high-movement granite, or an Aga range. For us, that element was the granite, so we have a fairly muted, mini-subway backsplash that does not compete:

Visually, it would make sense to have your range backsplash be the focal element, as you have that great looking hood and chimney.

The conservative thing to do would be to put in a travertine or stone backsplash to pick up the colors of your floor. If you go this route, I would suggest you have an interesting mosaic backsplash above the range, with a border that strongly defines the range backsplash vs. the wall backsplash.

Here's a pretty standard example (but without the defining border):

For something that would stand out more, but still be within your muted color palette, try something like these:

I really like the second one, as it has strong definition of the "chimney stack" with the smaller tiles, contrasting with the larger tiles elsewhere. On the other hand, I think they could have used some contrasting tiles elsewhere, to match the darker brown tiles in the stove backsplash.

To go off the chain a bit, go with glass and more color:

A good first step is go to google.com, click on "images", and type "stove backsplash" in the search field.

Good luck!

You have metal chairs, and metal color in the leading on your glass windows. So, I think you should add metal accents to carry the material around the room.

You have lots and lots of options today:
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In your case, I am thinking less about a full run of metal tile than simply an accent behind the range:

Oooooo - I really like the large metal tile in that last picture! In fact, that entire backsplash would work well, if you could coordinate the tiles with the color of your floor tiles!

First off-love your kitchen. When I look at your pictures my eyes are immediately drawn to your range/hood area. All the above ideas sound great. What is your countertop? Hard to tell in the pictures. Marcolo had some beautiful pictures-love the last one with the metal accents. I'm a big fan of the fire and ice so like that too. Glass tiles would work or maybe stacked stone-the possibilities are endless with your kitchen. I had busy granite so it took FOREVER to find my backsplash. Good luck and hope it doesn't take you as long as it took me. Keep us posted.

Love your kitchen! I love the classic bones with modern touches. I really like the photos Marcolo put up, especially the one with the stove. Something like that would be amazing in your kitchen!

I think the fire and ice would look perfect in your kitchen! That's the first photo in Marcolo's bunch.

I adore the Fire and Ice but dont' know that it's right for your kitchen. I feel you need something brighter. I like the idea of a ceramic with SS and color accents. I also like the vertical application behind the stove in the 4th pic vate posted. Though the basketweave SS is pretty cool too. Which appeal to you?

Oh, OH! I found Marcolo's first picture online somewhere and LOVE IT!!!!!!!!! Is it actually called "Fire and Ice"? Who makes it? Where do I get it! OH OH!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Jeffrey Court the Pietra Opus line. Link below and yes... it's called Fire and Ice

Here is a link that might be useful: Fire and Ice

This is trite, I know, but your kitchen is so pretty, and with that light counter, all I want to put in it is something shiny and unassuming, like glass subways in a warm white, or a beveled ceramic.

I know. It's been done and done. But I would want the cabinets to be the star.

Does anyone know where you can buy the accent pictures like in marcolo's last pic. Thanks.

Love the first one in marcolo's photos. Has the amber glass I thought would complement your cabs perfectly.

oh, thank you so much! I really value each and every response and opinion!! Those pictures are so helpful too. Please keep them coming. This backsplash territory is so frightening! Thanks for helping me through this.

I love what autumngirl said - classic bones with modern touches. I think that's sort of what I want in the backsplash. We went into this reno with no plan really and just chose things in a rather chaotic way, and I had no clue how it would turn out till I saw it, so that kind of puts a label on it. And it fits in well with our '80s split level.

So, I love the metal ideas, love the mosaic over the range ideas, love the glass. I adore the Fire & Ice, and even went to see it in person and it's gorgeous, but I think too heavy for here.

Here are some tiles I brought home that would work okay colorwise but I'm not sure about stylewise:

the little 1-inch tile in the middle of the square tiles is a sonoma tantrum in Earth color. it also comes in a 2 inch. The mosaics are from oceanside. the countertop is corian Linen. I think any of these combinations would work but may be almost a little too traditional for me, maybe. I don't know.

Also a tile I saw and fell in love with but don't have a pic of is a Jeffrey Court 6 by 6 crackle tile in an off white. That really grabbed me, but I think I want to stay in a 4 by 4. It was also way too pricey. Also, DH doesn't like subway; so that's out. But he's open to glass or metal or the samples in the pic.

And plllog, I also have a vision of shiny and unassuming too, which is sort of keeping me from moving forward with the style of my samples, and had even brought home a sample of a white milk glass tile, which was so gorgeous, but too white. and of course DH didn't like it(how I wish he didn't have an opinion!!)

yikes, how will I ever narrow this down???

I like stainless or fire and ice. Why do you want to stay with 4x4? I think it would look nice, but it's too limiting just to set an arbitrary size choice. Actually, when I saw your kitchen, I guess I spend too much time on GW because fire and ice came immediately to mind. I also have to say I love your chairs. It's too late for me to get them, but I do love them!
Lisa

actually, I don't have to stay with 4's. but my backsplash is 18 inches, and I have 1/4 inch of tile cove, so I wouldn't be able to get three rows of 6's. but you're right, I could do something other than 4's.

any thumbs up or down on my samples?

I personally find the mosaics too earth toned a.k.a. safe choice. If you like the square but dont' want to look too traditional, get a larger field tile. It'll give it a contemporary vibe but with a more traditional medium.

Rixi tile, in the Crema color (cream), is a beautiful crackle glaze in a 5x5 field tile. As long as you avoid the trim pieces, it's not outrageously expensive (maybe $11 sq ft). You could get enough trims to frame out the range backsplash and do the inset on the diagonal. It might be similar to the one you fell in love with at the store.

Most who do the Fire & Ice get the quartz which is lighter. There is also the Fire & Ice in slate which is more colorful/dramatic. If you are leaning toward understated the Grazia rixi is a very pretty tile. Grazia makes other series besides rixi that you might want to check out. I agree with previous poster-not too blown away by your samples but then we are seeing them on our monitors so maybe in real life they look great with your floor, counters, cabinets. I would do one extreme (understated/calm/elegant-maybe marble) or the other (glass, colorful, dramatic but classy at the same time). Your counter is pretty neutral so you have soooo many choices open to you. Another thought-do something like the Fire & Ice behind your stove continuing up to the ceiling and then something understated/calm on the other spaces??? Pick one of the colors in the F & I that matches with one of the colors in your floor and use that in 4 x 4 or 6 x 6 or whatever size you decide for the other areas. Just an idea.

remodelfla - I think you hit the nail on the head...what I want is a more contemporary vibe with a more traditional medium. I'm using that - thanks!

the fire and ice backsplash picture is from a gardenwebber's kitchen - jodi in ca.

I love the tantrum tiles from sonoma for accent - they'd definitely add a contemporary but enduring bling.

JMO, but I don't think your kitchen needs drama, contrast, movement, or other strong visual element via a backsplash. I think your remodeling choices are classy and thus, a simple, elegant backsplash that does NOT scream "look at me" would make an understated, attractive, and timeless choice here.

There are loads of faddish and trendy tile choices available. Personally, I tire of many of them almost immediately. But that's me. And it's your house, not mine. I am sure you'll find something that suits you, so my advice would be to carry on with your approach. Bring home samples until you find the best one for you. No rush.

And one more thing, for tile, I suggest you buy enough pieces of a sample to get a more accurate idea of how it will look when the pattern is repeated all over the wall. You can always return the samples.

oh, I didn't know you could buy and return samples! Do most tile stores do this?

Mine will not. No returns on anything!

No returns from my tile stores also. Sell by the box/carton. Most are special order. They do let you take few samples home and return them within a week.

marcolo - is that yor backsplash with the spices? Its beautiful. What is it called? and where can I find it?

The backsplash with the spices is Jeffrey Courts Fire and Ice. I love it too. That is Jodi in so Cal's kitchen I believe.

Here is a link that might be useful: Fire and Ice