I think you have forgotten who the star is, and he is not the granite!

that is true and he will never let me forget it!!!

I think the blend is beautiful and not busy; just mottled. Is it a "traditional white kitchen" look? Not quite... do I think that's a bad thing? NO... I do not. What I'm not sure of is in some shots your stone look way more white while in others; gloriously creamy like caramel swirls. Which is more accurate?

thanks all for the speedy replies to my call for help!

the marble is a warm marble with caramel swirls (calacatta cremo delicato). the lighting is hard to capture, here is another photo a bit farther back and also a pic of the slab itself. i think part of my problem is i made a mistake with cabinet color - think it should have been a warmer white. a white tile that looks good with cabs looks too white against marble. you can kind of see this in the photo with the tiles, the white on the left side.

here you can see how warm it is compared to the grey marble slab behind it

and a bonus pic of my "helper"!

I think the twine color tile makes your gorgeous marble even more beautiful! It also provides a soft contrast to the cabinets. If it was my kitchen, I would prefer not to have my cabinets and backsplash blend together as much as they would with the lighter tiles.

Babushka, I have fallen in love with your cat.
Love your marble too but your cat is such a cutie.
~boxer

Oh jeez, could your cat be any more adorable?!!!

I have Cloud White cabs and Smoky Ash Caesarstone (dark gray) counters. I wanted neutral and that's what I got, but I'm craving more warmth. Fortunately, I have red oak floors, but I'm not gonna stop there. After looking at off-white and cream subways, I'm leaning towards Sonoma Tile toast, a crackle that is more gold than yellow. This color coordinates more with the floor rather than picking up some bit from the counter. The cabs seem to like it.

One night I poured myself a shot of whiskey and the golden liquor in the glass looked great sitting on the counter. Bushmills is my inspiration.

Babuska, the same thing happened to me. My Dove White cabinets looked stark white in my kitchen which has lots of natural light. Not so in pictures or in the showroom. I made the same mistake as you in choosing a dark brown toned Giallo granite which really did not go with the white . When it came time for the backsplash, nothing worked. After going around in circles, I finally chose Grazia Rixi crema. The tile rep explained that it would be a good transition between the white cabinet and the browns in the counter. It was! I now even sometimes see other kitchns here with this same effect.
I like the twine too. Your next step should be to do what you did with the white tiles, but instead make up a sample board. post it on here as you live with it as you have been doing with the tiles you have up now.
I also had to change my vision a bit. As another sales rep said, "At some point you have to make peace with this." So true.

I like the twine too. Mock up some tile boards as Ellendi
suggests, and live with them in your space.

I chose my backsplash tile based on if I smiled or not
when I walked by...worked for me:)

Ha Ha! Remodelfla's tile looks likke a match for Mr. Babushka! Lovely though. Mabe try some samples of that tile.

here is one of my favorite inspiration pics. hoping i can still have the same overall feel in terms of natural tones even if the backsplash is twine? would need to change wall color to a pale color... i lost my way somewhere on wall color... my kitchen is not this grand, it is a simple little kitchen, i just like the feeling of this kitchen....

thinking it would feel more like this if i do not change paint color? of course this has soapstone so not good comparison...

and another bonus pic!

and one more... i wouldn't want his sister to feel left out...

Maybe

I like the tiles that pick up more of the caramel colors. I think that by trying to really match the counter & paint lighter colors you will drive yourself bonkers.

I think the caramel (twine?) would really be gorgeous. Have you ever seen the Mandala Tile, Sinu Collection? If you can find it, it's worth checking out. I'm not sure which of these colors would be my suggestion since I am not seeing your counter, cabinet or the tile in real life. But take a look. I suggested the "stingray" color to srg215 for her BA counters and they are gorgeous. There is something about the way they have a slight variation in colors..

Vanilla

Honey

I think twine looks the best with Babushka, so that pretty much settles it .

enduring, I love your backsplash. And I think your advice is spot on. Smiling is a very good indicator.

I'm hopeless at this kind of thing, but I am in love with Babushka and his sister!

I love the twine tile with your counters and kitty!

Paint is definitely the easier thing to change if you feel one element doesn't work.

Good luck!

thanks all for the suggestions. i ordered 2 SF of twine to do a sample board, comes in 5 days. think i will also check out the grazia blend option as well. will keep you posted.

babushka

Love your kitties--too cute! I too vote for Twine, although the Mandala Honey looks like it's worth investigating. Gorgeous marble and cabs!

Oh my goodness, I'm not even a "cat person", yet I'm in love with your furbabies! Your granite is gorgeous, too!

I KNOW I posted this last night......would you mind telling me what breed Babushka and his sister are? They are wonderful, and I think any backsplash that doesn't clash with them is good! The marble is gorgeous!!

Thanks, Nancy

I see no mistakes anywhere - because your kitchen is Bee-uu-ti-ful!! I love your inspiration photos. What are the backsplashes in these two (especially the one with soapstone)? I love to see pics of your kitchen!

I would stick with your original white subway tile and use a warm undercabinet light to create a nice differential in color tone.

Otherwise, go for a glass tile, hard to go wrong. Here's what I used in my Kitchen: Mirage GL-82 glacier series

In real life its has a very subtle blue hue, mostly because of my gray grout. That could be avoided if the back is painted white. Its a beautiful classy tile.

Then again, my taste is a bit different than most GW'ers here. I hate ceramic tile backsplashes, not a fan of the rustic tuscan look, and prefer contemporary sleek products like quartz.

Update: very discouraged today. Got the twine samples and they do not look good. Too pink flesh tone like and not enough texture. Honestly I just want to cry! I want to finish this kitchen and am stuck on the backsplash. Guess I just need to take a break (again) and maybe in a day or two it won't feel so insurmountable and I can pick it up again. I know these are problems of abundance - I am lucky to be able to do this project, just tired out.....

Thanks for the sweet comments about my dear kitty cats. They are domestic medium haired cats from the Sonoma County Animal Shelter. The vet thinks they have some Maine Coon in them but who knows. They were found at 5 days and bottle fed by a foster and I adopted them at 8 weeks old. Here is a close up of Miss Jasmine...

I'm sorry you're having a hard time with the tile color.

Have you tried Fireclay Tile? They have several types of tile and just about every size you could want. They have tons of colors to choose from. And, for a small upcharge, they will completely customize your color if what they stock doesn't work for you.

I promise, I don't sell it - I just found it for our kitchen and have been nothing but impressed with the company. Something to think about anyhow...

I am sorry the new sample is not IT!! It is so frustrating to know IT is out there, but you can't find it!!

I tought sure you were going to send me to some cat breeder ! I guess that I hoped that, anyway!! I have only recently converted DH into a cat liker, and now in the evening they both sit in HIS lap...I have been lowered to slave status, only to getbattention at feeding time.

Good luck on the search!

Nancy

Oh my goodness, I am having a cute attack! I am in LOVE with your kitties. I have to type and post quickly, in case my "girls" see what I am typing! EEK! ;)

BTW, your marble is beautiful, too. I think if you look for tile that has warmer tones--with a soft caramel or butterscotch-like hue that complements the marble, but doesn't fight the white of your cabinets, you may find something that sings to you.

Now some more pictures of those kittehs! Bring on the kittehs!

I'm having the same problem. I'm sitting here with tile samples in front of me and decided to go to GW and see what others have said about Grazia tile-Rixi Crema in particular. I also have two Sonoma Tile brochures on my desk and can't decide if I like their Star crackled subway tiles more than Grazias. My counters are soapstone with green veining so I'm torn between the cream and green colors. The remainder of our kitchen remodel is on hold while we try and choose the backsplash that will tie everything together. Any opinions on these two?

BTW, your kitties look very much like the Maine Coon cat's that my sister and cousin own. I think I'll stop by the Sonoma County Animal Shelter and see if they have any others. They're gorgeous!

Babushka, have you seen the beautiful 3x6 beveled and honed marble subway tiles from Jeffrey Court? Just ordered some for part of our fireplace project - gorgeous! You're in the Sonoma area, right? We ordered from Western Tile in Dublin (there's one in Concord, too) - take a look online, but maybe your local tile place carries it. Look for the Chapter 18 series; Mozart's Mosaics...it comes in 4 colors. Try this link...

Good luck!

Here is a link that might be useful: Jeffrey Court Chapter 18

I'm sorry about your tile disappointment. Between you and Linelle this week, I'm now feeling extreme anxiety about chosing my tile.

I know Mr. Kitty gets so much attention for his chameleon-like marble matching skillz, but I'm always struck by Jasmine's long whiskers and how her eyebrow hairs arch so elegantly.

Take heart that your furry friends love you tile or no.

Thanks Breezy. I am sure I will get this figured out, and you will to! It has taken much longer than anticipated so would start getting samples now if you have not alreadyY. As suggested on GW, I am glad I waited to purchase tile until cabs and counters were installed as I would have had wasted money on whatever I purchased. I have been spending a small fortune on sample tiles however, in 2 or 3 SF to test!

Hey SiMBa37, I just bought this Mirage GL-82 glacier series tile. I can't decide to go with grey or white grout. How did you decide?

Wonder if babushka cat ever got a backsplash??

I am leaning to the lighter tiles. I think too much contrast would really stand out in a negative way. You kitchen is so elegant I think I would stay with the lighter and whiter tiles. I am not an expert on BS tiles so take that with a grain of salt. OT here but... do love your cats. Our Ralphie, a long haired orange tabby like yours had to have his tail amputated. He got out day before SS Sandy and was attacked by a fisher cat. He doesn't even realize it is gone and he wags his "stump" all day long. I actually have the pic of your baby laying on the marble saved in my favorites to remind me of what Ralphie looked when he still had his tail!!! Small world. So sorry, but you know how cat lovers can be.

I think you're right on with that twine color. I love it. It is still very neutral. While lovely in it's own right, It will not be a show stealer but will only help play to the beautiful colors in your marble (which is to die for BTW).