Lovely kitchen and home! Your pictures made me smile; what a bright, rich, warm space you've built. Each shot is a vignette.

I really like the color you have on the walls in the kitchen; suggest you match this with a tile of some sort. Get the tiles, make up a few sample boards with grout, and photograph them in place; I'll be pleased to photoshop them onto your space for you.

I like the kitchen and what you've done, and if it were me, I'd be inclined to be very simple. Beveled subway to match your cabinets. Something that would not take away from the many nice elements in your home. You picked the stove backsplash with the cushioned pattern and competing with that might be tough.

I like the diamond pattern in your stainless bs, and it brought to mind a lovely stone mosaic made of Athens Grey marble (below) that would look beautiful with your counters and cabs. Subway tile mounted in a herringbone pattern would be another lovely option.

Here is a link that might be useful: Marble

I love OB2Bs suggestion, it's a good one. I think you could use a little more visual texture in your kitchen than you have now, and clearly so do you. Your cabinets are white and save for a little veining, your counters are grey. Your walls and floor are the same color. Your island is the opposite of busy. I think you could use a little contrast in your space.

I have noticed that peoples taste in bs materials has a lot to do with their age. Consider the cartoons you watched when you were little. Most GWers grew up with classic Looney Tunes, so a limited color palette and wide open blocks of it (think Road Runner's western vistas). I'm a bit younger than that. My cartoon of choice was Dexter's Laboratory (a Cartoon Network confection) that had a broader color palette and so much more detail drawn on each image. My nephews watch Adventure Time, which hardens back to a simpler aesthetic. We tend to respond to the degree of visual complexity we grew up with.

You have a beautiful kitchen as is. If you would like to finish it, just look for materials that fit your aesthetic. Good luck!

This post was edited by EAM44 on Sat, May 17, 14 at 11:32

Here's an image of the herringbone that would echo your diamond stainless nicely.

And the relative simplicity of Wile E Coyote (a Warner Bros. cartoon)

This post was edited by EAM44 on Sat, May 17, 14 at 11:31

Okay, I've heard EAM mention her theory before to pooh-pooh those "older" posters and their boring taste. She probably won't understand how offensive that can be taken until she herself reaches a certain age. Good taste has no age barriers.

I grew up watching the Flintstones and I like simple and classy, like Wilma with her pearls, though I appreciate lots of other styles. I don't think you need a bs. You're talking about a very small area to tile, mainly around the stove, which is the most likely area to create a conflict with the pillowed diamond stainless. It's a very strong element.

Do you normally keep your counters so empty? I think that's what makes you think you need a bs. I'd put something on the counters near the range to fill the void.

Come to think of it, Wilma probably didn't wear pearls since there was no ocean in Bedrock. So her choker was probably stone or bone. Anyway, she knew how to rock a choker and animal skin dress.

Hmmm. What was the kitchen like, on Lost in Space? I do remember the Brady Bunch one, but couldn't speak to what the backsplash was. Not sure about this theory EAM44, but no offense taken, just always love seeing the tiles you post. The white herringbone is lovely.

BBDF: My DH has consistently said we don't need a backsplash so he will be happy that several of you agree with him. I prefer the counters relatively clean ("empty" to you Mayflower :-) I have tried a few decorative items but nothing seems right. It seems I can get the "big" items in place - cabinets, counters, furniture, floors etc but it's the finishing touches that challenge me the most. The herringbone is lovely but I will look for some decorative items and see how that changes things first. Thank you so much for your compliments also. It is nice to hear that others appreciate my choices.

I don't remember any cooking on Lost in Space. Maybe you mean The Jetsons?

As for the theory, we also grew up with pop art. I loved Peter Max.

This post was edited by may_flowers on Sat, May 17, 14 at 18:50

Oh jeez, people, no offense meant. There's nothing wrong with wanting quiet tile. It doesn't mean you're ancient. My nephews, and perhaps some day my own kids if I am so lucky, will probably prefer quieter visuals than I. There have actually been psychological studies that show the tolerance for visual texture to be generational. And somewhat cyclical. End of story. And there are always exceptions to the rule, by the way.

If you're offended, perhaps you need to figure out why being a product of your generation makes you feel bad. I never said Looney Tunes was ugly, I tried to explain that whether you are aware of it or not, having watched it in your formative years may have affected your aesthetic. As for reaching "a certain age," I hope I get to. My mother didn't.

VW, take your time. It's a lovely kitchen.

EAM44 I love both your suggestions.
My opinion = that kitchen is screaming out for a beautiful and interesting backsplash.

I am not easily offended especially with feedback on my design choices. Here are some comments my friends and family made after our kitchen remodel. Friend - your home is like a bed and breakfast inn! Mom - you try things I would never do. Sister - it looks as if no one lives here (Mayflower I think that is what I get for having empty counters, ha) Closest friend - It's beautiful. So I try to choose things that I love, that satisfy my husband's functional desires and just enjoy them. We all know - you can't please everyone. I can't believe our kitchen has been completed for this many years. Since retiring from a very stressful job I have the time to think more about my surroundings and consider some changes. I thought that our home could use a little refresh. Inside and out! Thank you all for your thoughtful responses. It's wonderful to be able to go online , ask and receive such great help. It's all good!

Your kitchen is charming & I like the quilted pattern. Staying along those lines, what about arabesque? You'd have to remove the quilted stainless panel.

This post was edited by romy718 on Sun, May 18, 14 at 13:22

I adore your kitchen and house. Beautiful!!! One of the prettiest I have seen on the forum. Good luck on your BS.
For some reason I like the whimsy of this backsplash in some form, for your kitchen:

[Traditional Kitchen[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/traditional-kitchen-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_709~s_2107) by Bloomington Interior Designers & Decorators yaminidesigns, llc

Some of the others posted, while beautiful, seem too modern, too Moroccan or too current for your cozy kitchen. I like the touch of black the carefully placed small tiles add and the larger diagonally placed field tile gives it a feeling of timelessness. It would not take away from the elements already in the kitchen and would compliment your total look nicely.

This post was edited by gr8day on Sun, May 18, 14 at 12:58

another pretty one

[Transitional Kitchen[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/transitional-kitchen-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_709~s_2112) by Jamestown Interior Designers & Decorators Taste Design Inc

Gorgeous kitchen!
With your BS behind the cooking area, I would keep it simple. Either subways or squares

I like your wall color as well and you can go on without a BS as well

Thanks OB2B, MareLuce, and vw. I appreciate your kindness.

Romy, The arabesque is to die for... but not sure I want to lose the stainless. It is so easy to clean. But that is something I had not considered. It's worth thinking about if the stainless pattern is limiting my options.
Gr8day, I love both the black and white selections and they may be just the ticket to echo the quilted stainless pattern. If DH is still holding out I may just update some of the decorative elements, curtains, art etc and wait another few years.

Love your kitchen! It's the same color scheme as mine, so that could be why ;). We chose a light tan ceramic backsplash with cream grout. This was our inspiration: https://www.houzz.com/photos/kitchenlab-traditional-kitchen-chicago-phvw-vp~56708-traditional-kitchen-chicago

With the arabesque, change your stainless to plain stainless. Another backsplash that might be pretty in your kitchen is beadboard or shiplap. I'll have to find a pic.

I like your stainless because you don't see it used often. I also like your curtains.

My eyes lit up at romy's suggestion of shiplap, but with the stained cabinets already having a wood panel, it could be too many wood-look wall coverings for the little wall space you have.

After finding a pic of beadboard, I don't think it's the right look for your kitchen. And I agree with May_flowers about the shiplap.

If you think about the diamond square as a tile, you can see that anything in the same size range will compete. I think you can change the scale and go very large and possibly even use a pattern, like oldbat's backsplash, which almost looks like wallpaper. Or you could use a monochromatic mosaic like Ickaisgirl's mural. It's not a mosaic that looks too modern imo.

vwhippie-not to derail your post but where did you get that quilted stainless for behind the range? I think it looks great. I'll leave the suggestions to the creative peeps that are chiming in. I will say though I don't think your kitchen looks like it's 'lacking' or 'nekkid' without one. :)

Autumn I ordered the stainless online. I will search for the site but it's been quite a while go.

Shiplap, hmmm, I will look for some pics of this. I seriously considered bead board at the time of the cabinet install. But wasn't ready to commit.