What do you think of something like this? I still get my fix of the slate but in a smoother, more consistent tile with the added bonus of the earth toned glass tiles.

[Contemporary Tile[(https://www.houzz.com/products/contemporary-tile-prbr1-br~t_1053~s_2103) by Brooklyn Tile, Stone & Countertops Glass Tile Store

How about fireclay brick tile? They will send you five free samples.

Here is a link that might be useful: Fireclay brick colors

I like the Witch Hazel, so I would not want to diminish the subtle colors in it by using a strong colored or patterned backsplash. I would pull colors from the swirls in the Witch Hazel but not go any darker. I think that was one of the negatives with your original choice: it was too much for the countertop.

what do u want your focal point to be??
if u choose that BS, it will be "it", since its very busy...
if u want the counters to shine than go with a neutral tile.for the BS..
U do have your SS BS behind stove , which IMHO, is a focal point...
a busy BS next to a SS BS, is a bit much IMO....

my two cents, go with a matte neutral BS since the SS will give you your shine....
pull out one of the colors in the counter and use that as your BS...u can choose a different patterned layout instead of standard subway pattern to give it some pizzazz - herringbone, harliquin, etc., use different sizes in the same tile etc..lots of possibilities...

Dadgum...I am really bad at this!!! So glad I have a group of experts to steer me!!

I agree with ineffable and sprtphntc. Keep it simple. Your counters are lovely and deserve something more calm and serene. I think the s/s behind the stove is an excellent idea and will be a feature unto itself. Satisfy your craving for slate somewhere else, another room perhaps.

I agree with the other posters suggesting to keep it simple. You mentioned "organic" and "rustic." I think that is the feel that you are creating with the entire design: natural cherry, green walls, warm swirls in the countertop. So you don't need the bs to create and carry the feeling alone. It's just one piece of the cohesive design that you have created so far.

What other "feel" do you want from the kitchen has a whole? Is there something specific from the bs that's important to you? Form? Function?

Fireclay can feel more organic and rustic than a standard "subway" tile, IMHO. They offer different shapes and a host of subtle colors that would likely work well with and harmonize with your other elements, particularly the countertop. I loved their tile but actually said "too rustic feeling" to DH for our application. Keep in mind that many field tile will have natural variation within just one color. You may get that same subtle variation that you seem to want from just one "color" tile. Does that make sense?

Good luck and keep us posted.

I want my kitchen to feel warm and cozy and homey. It's not a huge kitchen (11x15) so I don't want the backsplash to overwhelm but I also was thinking of it as sort of the bling of the kitchen. I cook ALOT and mostly cook from scratch...pretty much every day so yes, I want it to be pretty but function comes first. Seeing all the beautiful kitchens on GW reassures me that it can absolutely be both.

I am not a big fan of subway tiles and DH says they remind him of a bathroom so subways are a no go.

crl_ and jennifer132...the fireclay brick tiles didn't strike my fancy much but some of the matte glass tiles they make, OMG...stunning. I especially like the green shades

Serrano Matte

Mint Frost Matte

and Juniper Matte

Maybe using one of their different shapes would add enough bling.

So do ya'll think this is a better direction?

Yup, I hear you: small space, wanting "warm, cozy, and homey" and "cook ALOT and mostly cook from scratch...pretty much every day so yes, I want it to be pretty but function comes first." I could have written that myself. Wait, I think I probably did! Lol. You are definitely off to a great start with what you have in place. And it's amazing that you are so open to suggestions.

Go through GW kitchens. Search gardenweb kitchen "reveal" and "finished" etc to unearth older posts. Skim through houzz and any clippings you have. to get inspiration. What colors are you always drawn too? (Ahem, green?) what shapes? Textures? Look at Anne sacks, fireclay, Heath, and Sonoma etc. Just get ideas and impressions of what you like. The forum can help you execute and find options in budget.

Also, think about what other items will you have on your countertop and in your kitchen that need to work with the backsplash?

Subway tile = the subway to me. And I love taking the train w my kids;) 4" Sqr tile = bathroom! But then again I've liked 4x4 offset tile in some kitchens if it works in that kitchen.....

I know you aren't a fan of subway, but what about a travertine in a different shape. This is a backsplash I did in one of my old houses in a polished and I had cream colored counters.

Warm, cozy, rustic.... sounds to me like a handmade ceramic tile, but then you fall in love with matte glass.

Looking at tile, is like looking for shoes. You will fall in love a lot. But you have to remember to match the shoe to the purpose or you will end up feeling like you are hiking the grand canyon in 3 inch glossy red strappy sandals- it will not fit.

Another analogy- think of composing a salad- sure my divine leftover roasted butternut squash is awesome in a salad with greens, nuts, and cranberries, but would I add it to the salad with arugula, mint watermelon and feta- heck no!

So learn to say, "I love this tile, but it is not right for my kitchen." You can add on, "I will use it my next bathroom" :)
After saying all that, I like the matte glass and I think it works, but it is not going to give you anything rustic, maybe "contemporary organic".

OK I need more details too please. What is the flooring? And, you have never posted anything, to my knowledge, about your lighting choices. I think we need to know them and their style too.

The lighting is all recessed lighting...we only have 8ft ceilings and with it not being such a big space anyway we chose to not clutter up the open space with any kind of pendants or ceiling mounted fixtures. After everything is done I may elect to put a pendant over the sink but that's a big maybe.

The floor is high quality sheet vinyl that mimics slate (there's that slate again). It is shades of grey, tan, dark maroon/rust. This pic shows some of the floor:

This is our first major kitchen remodel and will be my first tile backsplash EVER. Wherever we have lived previously and this house before the reno have always been laminate countertops with 4" backsplash and painted drywall above.

Our home was built in 1947. It's a Cape Cod that had a completely closed off kitchen. The living room and dining room were one big open space running from the front of the house to the back of the house but not particulary wide. We tore down the walls between the kitchen and the lr/dr and rebuilt part of those walls into a breakfast bar on one side. This pic shows the opening now between the 3 rooms.

To the right of the pic are french doors off the dining room leading to an enclosed sun room (which is our next big DIY project) and beyond the fireplace the living room has a big bay window at the end and then another big window just beyond where the fridge it sitting...you can see light flooding in. The lr/dr will be repainted Behr Sandstone Cliff...

I know ya'll will understand the cabinets staged on the fireplace hearth before install, the fridge in the living room and the general construction chaos!! Just to the right of this pic is the front door.

The fireplace that you see part of in the above pic is faced with sandstone and it is also used on the front facade of the outside of the house. I love the cottage-y feel the stone brings to the home.

I will try to get some better pics of the whole space in general to post later but with that additional info about our space...any thoughts about a color palette or material for my first ever backsplash?

Dc -- what hardware do you plan on using? That might help too.

I think people might be thinking a creamy tile because the photo you show of Witch Hazel makes it looks like a white quartzite. I've looked at your posts numerous times and thought that if you chose a multi-colored bs, there needs to be some cream in it. But after googling Witch Hazel, I see it's warmer than I imagined. Is it really as warm-toned as shown in this photo? I hope so, because a cool white counter would be fighting against the warm tones in the floor. So I think it will look more cohesive if you stay with warm tones for the bs, though you don't want to go as warm as the slate and the diamonds you've posted. The cherry will also redden as it darkens.

I would also use a softer paint as that one seems too green for the floor, and it will be the same intensity as the cherry once they darken. I'd give the cherry time to darken before painting.

This post was edited by may_flowers on Thu, May 22, 14 at 12:54

I have no idea what Witch Hazel looks like IRL, but have you looked at the Fireclay ceramic colors, rather than the glass?

may flowers...Witch Hazel definitely reads warm toned IRL. It is sort of an off-white base with swirls of tan and grey and brown. The photo does look whiter than it does in my space. This is a pic of the 10x10 sample I have from directly above it...cell phone pic so as usual not the best quality but:

There is so little paintable wall space in the room that I thought it could handle a darker color. I am definitely open to repainting later on though, if it seems overwhelming after everything is done and the cabinets have time to darken.

jennifer132...we haven't chosen hardware yet. That's a bridge we'll cross another day!!!

I agree about taking another look at fireclay tile. Many of their ceramic tiles have a clay body, not a white body. So it is a look that would be cohesive with your design. The "subway" shape is just one shape of ceramic tile. They have other great shape options and lots of subtle colors. Many have natural variation in the color you choose....

Something simple that will not compete with your countertop and your floors. I love the color on the walls. My kitchen is Avocado Valspar, so it's very similar. I would go with something that will give you texture, but not compete with your other elements.

Ann sacks terra cotta idris

http://www.annsacks.com/onlinecatalog/program.jsp?cat=268004&coll=268704&prg=3161604

It's probably spendy. But thought you might like the look?

jennifer...bet you'll never guess which one I liked...the celadon of course!

Edited to put the pic in instead of the link.

This post was edited by dcward89 on Fri, May 23, 14 at 7:49

Yup, had a feeling.

BS options: tile-- ceramic, terra cotta, etc; wallpaper; shiplap; bead board; stainless steel sheet; fabric or pattern behind plexi glass; paint, alone or with patterns; vinyl sheets or tiles....

After the countertop is in, get samples to play with. Lots of places will send free samples of stuff. I got bead board samples and tile samples, lots of tiles. And post pictures and get feedback.

Good luck.