Here's what the room looks like. We've just finished installing the kitchen in an empty guesthouse and we're trying to get ready to move the newlyweds in.

I am particularly interested in how we can protect the wood counters while we cement and grout the tiles.

Thanks again.

Looks great. One of the cheapest tile around is white subway tile from Lowes or
Home Depot. However, I don't think the brick layout would suit this kitchen. However, if you stacked the tiles in a vertical grid, it could look very modern.

Thanks for the tip but I hate (I mean really HATE) subway tile. Must be remembering them in subways and not being able to see them apart from that context. ;>

I forgot to say I'm not sure what color we'll choose but I don't want more white. There's already a lot in the room with the rafters and shiplap ceiling plus the trim on 2 sets of double doors.

Go look at the wonderful stenciled faux tile backsplash on the modest and quirky thread. It's great and only cost what the paint and the stencil equipment totaled up to.
Choose some wonderful colors to set off that great woodwork and you're set!

Got a link to modest and quirky by chance? I'm searching for it and not coming up with anything that seems to fit the description.

you could do a row or two of colorful square glass tile and paint the rest of the way up the wall.

It is painted but we wanted the wearability and washability of tile where there's going to be water and grease on a regular basis.

I am seriously considering that row or two or three of glass mosaic tile for the color and glitz and to decrease the necessity of cutting larger tiles.

Thanks for that thought.

Look at Hakatai Classic tile. They are very affordable and come in many many colors.

I've recently seen 12x12 sheets of glass mosaic tile at Home Depot that were really cheap. The glass wasn't very thick, but it was really irredescent and modern. Very pretty. The small (I believe they were less than 1"), mesh-mounted tiles would be really easy to install and require very little cutting. Hope that this helps!

Buy some 12x12 sheets of glass tile mosaics (HD, Lowes, ebay, Floor and Decor)... should be around $10 a sq. ft. do a 4" row getting 3 rows out of each sheet. So approx. 36 linear ft. for $10. Should not cost you too much to do the entire kitchen. These less expensive tiles are the thinner ones but if your not doing it as an accent within thicker tiles it won't matter.

If you want to go real inexpensive and easy peasy modern I think target (and others) sell small adhesive taped mirror tiles you could run along the top of backsplash and then use the cheap stainless steel Ikea backsplash just up past the plug sockets and use Ikea stainless trim before adding the line or two of mirror tile. Very little tools involved maybe just a cheap little portable glass & mirror cutter from home depot. The advantage would be that the mirrors would further open the space, the whole thing would look modern and the best part is that it would be easy to change out in the future.

Here is the thread I began earlier this spring...for those of us with manias and/or limited budgets...different drummers of one sort or another....And Uncle Thorvald...

Look for Girlcat's kitchen with the faux tile backsplash. (I guess I made a typo when posting it so search is probably a problem.) It deserves another look by new viewers and I'm glad to see it again myself, I still think it's wonderful.

Here is a link that might be useful: Modest and Quirky thread