It took us several years to pick a back splash in our old house. I leaned tiles on the counter against the wall, and had no problems at all (aside from the look.) Do paint the walls at least, and be careful of spills that may run that way.

A short back splash made of the same material as the counter top used to be really common, although I never saw it as short as that. they are usually 4" tall. However....you most certainly do not need any soapstone on the wall at all if you don't want it. Most folks are doing some sort of tile back splash now and running it all the way down to the counter tops. If you want to take your time deciding, just paint the wall with a good latex paint and caulk the edge between the wall and the counter really well. Wipe up spills as they happen. I really don't think you will have any trouble at all. Don't let your KD make you do something you don't want to do....just tell him no.

If you're planning a tile or other type BS later, I would not do it. We didn't do it since we need to save $$ for it...so far no damage to wall boards after a year. We just painted it w/a good scrubbable paint..that's all you need to do. Oh, and be sure your granite installer puts silicone b/w the soapstone & the wall to fill any gaps so water doesn't run down the back of your cabinets...but I think that's SOP so I don't think you have to worry about it (but check it). I would also tell the fabricator at template time that you will not have a BS, tiled or otherwise...I think sometimes they're more careful about minimizing gaps if they know there won't be tile or something else to cover the gaps.

Besides, I don't think a 4" BS keeps you from damaging wall board... I think it keeps you from getting water b/w the wall & the back of the cabinets....water does not run up the wall. (But maybe I'm wrong...)

A full height BS (to bottom of upper cabinets) does protect against grease, etc. around the cooktop/range, but that's where the "scrubbable" feature of the paint comes in!

BTW...many others have done the same either b/c of $$$ or not knowing what they want & I've never "heard" of anyone whose wall was damaged b/c of no 4" BS.

I agree - I wouldn't go to the expense of putting in a 2" soapstone backsplash just to rip it out. I also never heard of a 2" backsplash. I put in my soapstone about 3 months ago and still haven't decided on a backsplash. I'm just very careful around the sink area and the rest isn't really a problem. Sometimes if my grandson is having his bath in the sink I just roll up a towel behind the faucet for extra protection. Another idea is something like this - which I really like... just put a soapstone backsplash behind the sink. I guess that would depend on what you end up doing with the rest of it.

I have had a bathroom sink against drywall with no backsplash. Yes, you can get a little water there and it does show some wear if it doesn't get dried quickly. The wear is so minor and would be covered eventually by tile or other backsplash material I wouldn't worry about it. A two inch backsplash limiting your future options is a more significant issue than a few water spots.

Prill, are those under cabinet lights installed in wood or how?
Also, would it be possible to have a slide out under your sink for a waste basket? I presume the plumbing is mostly on one side or could be mostly on one side. I was going to try it when I do my remodel. According to my tape measure it could be done. Tapes sometimes lie.

Dont waste the money on the 2" backsplash. Just caulk the edge and then tile the backsplash when you are ready.

pinch_me - sorry, that's not my kitchen.. Just one I kept because I like the way the BS behind the sink looks and the beadboard BS.