Whoops! Here's the beveled tile:

I think I prefer the 2nd one, but they both look good. I don't guess that's very helpful, is it?

You can't go wrong either way. I like option 1 best. Love the contrast.

I think they both work very well. Have you looked at pictures on houzz to see if you tend to prefer one combination over the other?

I've seen the beveled tile in person and it looks good. If I remember correctly it's more white in person than it appears here. While the darker is nice it may be too dark with the counters. I'm not sure how the bevel would look after the cuts. Of the two I'd go for the beveled.

I like #1 SOOOO much better than #2. Maybe it's just my taste or lack thereof, lol, but I don't like mixing cream or off white with pure white. But I do love the bevel of #2.

Crl - have I looked at pictures on Houzz??? hahahhhahahah!

Yeah, I think I've obsessed over every little detail on Houzz, on Gardenweb, on google....

I like both options when I see photos of them. One thing I will say is that when I've seen photos of kitchens done with the Allen Roth Pearl, it never seems all that dark to me. I would use a white grout, which tends to help emphasize the translucency of the edges, and also lightens it up a little.

I really like the bevel, and I think it has kind of a fun retro look that goes well with my dishes and decor (we have a MCM Heywood Wakefield dinette set in our breakfast room which is open to the kitchen), but I am really worried about working it around that window. My GC is coming over this morning, so I'll ask if he has any ideas, but I generally don't feel really confident in his design abilities... I think we might be able to cut only the row at the top of the window, which seems not as bad as cutting the bottom row, since it would happen only at the windows.

Also, the color of the bevel is really only very slightly creamier than my cabinets. The photo does look darker than it really is, because the windows are blocked out and the overhead lights are on.

Leaning a little towards the gray, because of the cut tile issue. I do like both, though...

I vote #1. jmo

Think about mood. How do you want your kitchen to feel and how do you want (you and your family) to feel when in it? Those two tiles are completely different in that respect.

Grazia is moderately priced and has the translucent hand applied glazes in a variety of colors, including crackle.

This post was edited by snookums2 on Sat, May 10, 14 at 15:49

I love the gray

Since you like the way both look, I vote the lighter tile. It would allow you to paint walls any color and change the feel of the room more easily with window treatments and other accessories, IMO. But I think both are lovely so you really can't go wrong.

I have the pearl tiles in my kitchen and they look fine (not too dark). My kitchen is also north facing and my cabinets are stained a darker color. I used grout that matched the tiles- oyster grey.

Corgimum, do you have any photos you could post? I'd love to see your backsplash.

I did consider Grazia tile for a while, but never got around to ordering samples. I ordered several other tile samples that were in the either crackle or handmade category and didn't end up liking them in my kitchen. I found that while I loved them in photos, I liked a cleaner, tighter look in my own space. So I sort of stopped searching for that look unless I could find samples to view in my area.

I think the white tiles have sort of a cheerier feel to them, which I think I would prefer, but I don't have a good sense for how much the cut bevels around the window would both me. Little details like that can irk me sometime.

The gray have a soothing effect that I also like.

Truly, I like both of them, but for different reasons...

My voting record on GW isn't great, but.....I vote for the first one, with the oyster gray grout though, not white...

Not brand pushing, but Grazia has hand glazing which gives the irregular pooling effect of color in those translucent glazes, but the tiles are not hand formed. Depending on the color it can be a quite subtle effect, just has more depth.

As for the bevel cut edges, you could ask over on John Bridge tile forum. Someone might have pictures too. Finding a good artisan tile shop, they should be able to help on layout issues and have lots of samples and installations to look at.

P.S. Figure out how you want the edges of those windows handled. Are there bullnose or other pieces available to handle those areas? Be clear with your tileman on those areas ahead of time or you might have an unpleasant surprise with how he chooses to finish the edges and transition those two planes.

This post was edited by snookums2 on Sat, May 10, 14 at 16:13

Julia42- I'm out and about now but if you look on Lowes website at the 4"x12" pearl tile you will see a photo from right after installation and my review. I will try to email some more pics to you on Monday.

I lean toward the second tile only because I don't like the color of the first. On my monitor it doesn't come off as a clean gray. And, a whole backsplash in it?

If you want to go the gray route, maybe a bit lighter.

Which one has a decent selection of trim pieces that might help around the window?

Corgimum, thanks! Actually, it turns out your kitchen was one I had already looked at - I just didn't recognize your name. I noticed a lot of complaints regarding scratches - I haven't seen any in the boxes I've looked at. All the boxes I've seen have paper between each tile - I wonder if they've improved the packaging.

Palimpsest, the bevel has a much better selection of trim pieces. I think I've determined that if I use the bevel, I'm likely to need to have the tiles above the window cut approximately in half. I'm starting to think that might not be so terrible after all, as long as I have a flat bullnose piece for the inside of the window to keep the edge clean.

Snookums, believe you me, I will be discussing how the edge works with my tile man prior to work. Also, probably annoyingly looking in during work.

I like my GC and his men a lot. However, he's a get-it-done kinda guy and has a tendency to barrel ahead without much discussion. At this point in the remodel, I've learned my lesson and am asking a lot of questions ahead of time...

I prefer the 2nd choice - the beveled tile- the first choice seems to have some olive undertones to it -could totally b the pic though :) good luck! We are in the same predicament - deciding on a BS! so indecisive and so many choices!!

The scratches are not at all visible upon installation. When I was laying them out on the dining room table they showed with the light coming in the window. There are no olive tones but they look taupe colored to me (which I prefer) unless my under cabinet lights are on and then they look grayish. There are no bullnose tiles so around your windows may not work well. If you aren't certain, I would keep looking. My cabinets were installed in Nov. 2012 and we put in the backsplash in Oct. 2013.

I like the pearl. I found this picture of it on the Lowe's website grouted with white. I used a gray toned subway tile that sat on my counters for 6 weeks that I thought mught be too dark. Once it was vertical & grouted with antique white, it lightened significantly.
The Lowe's website has bullnose & other tiles made by GBI Tile & Stone that have the same BR tile pic posted. Is it possible these products are the same & you could use these finish pieces?

Just playing around and thought maybe this would give you another way to compare the two. They are both nice, IMO. (no help :)

Deedles, thank you so much! Those photos help tremendously! I think I'll definitely be picking the bevel. This forum is the best!

Romy, that photo is beautiful, and one I hadn't found while searching. Yes, the white grout is what I had been thinking... And, just for anyone's reference who is considering the Allen Roth tiles - yes, the trim pieces listed on the Lowes website as GBI tiles are the Allen Roth tiles. When you order them, they come in Allen Roth boxes - the same as the field tiles. The selection is pretty limited, but I think I could have gotten the windows to work. There is a chair rail piece (you can see it in the photo) and a very thin quarter round. The trim pieces are crazy expensive compared to the field tiles, those - I don't know why. The field tiles are $4 per sf, while the chair rails are $25 for 3 linear feet. And the quarter rounds are $45 for 6 linear feet. Edging around those windows would have doubled my field tile cost. (Still would have been a reasonable backsplash cost, though...)

Going with the bevel, though. Thanks everyone! I'll post photos when it's all done...

FWIW at this point, my vote is for the gray...

I vote for the 1st pic. I think you will have so much more freedom with picking out beautiful accessories to finish off your kitchen. Also, I think it will be easier to find a paint color or wallpaper. Good luck!!

The whiter color on the right.

Michellemarie,

I'm just curious. Dis you mean you think it will be easier to accessorize with the gray? I actually don't feel the gray is difficult, as some people have suggested it might be, but it does seem slightly more limiting than the cream bevel to me...

Still pretty certain I'm going with the cream bevel!

I thought I liked the gray one until the photoshop - then I switched to the lighter one.
Have fun
PS - If you are in Michigan, I have lots of extra sample tiles including the Grazia.

Sorry. No, I mean the creamy white. I don't really like the other color either. My backsplash is all one color which is a creamy white handmade crackle subway tile and I love it today as much as I did the day my husband installed it. I love going to Homegoods, goodwill, and shopping online to pick out cute things and I find I can choose different things because pretty much everything looks good against my backsplash. But choose what you like!! Good Luck and I can't wait to see more pics of your kitchen!

The grey seems much more interesting. more creative.

The cream looks like you tried to match it and missed.

I think the Photoshop doesn't do the grey justice (not criticizing, just an observation.)

I would pick the creamy white tiles. Gray just doesn't do it for me...too cold. I think the beveled look is very pretty, but I might worry about it looking dated in a few years. If this isn't a concern for you then go for it, and it will be gorgeous! Creamy white is so versatile; you can change the whole look of your kitchen with accessories and never have a doubt that your backsplash will work. I have to say, though, that I just had the Allen and Roth tiles installed in the Fawn color, which is a darker cream color. They are beautiful! The color variation in each tile gives them a depth and richness that I appreciate every time I look at them. My "tile guy" said that the quality was very good and they were easy to cut and install. So, I guess you can't lose either way!!

I loved the Allen Roth Fawn. It's too tan for my cabinets, though.

I do agree that the photoshop doesn't do the gray justice. Really, in some ways, the photos in general don't do the gray justice. It's a lovely tile, and every time I see it I still love it. Part of the problem in the photos is that I have fluorescent lights, which aren't so bad in real life, but wreak havoc with photo colors. It really is a perfect gray in real life.

I think what the photoshopped photos confirmed for me was more about what mood I really wanted in my kitchen and what would be most appropriate to my home. Like I keep saying, I really love both options.

I don't worry so much about the bevel being dated...