Ceramic tile offers an infinite variety of design choices, fits with pretty much any style or decor, it is very practical, easy to clean, etc., and can be relatively inexpensive. If it doesn't float your boat, though, I'm sure you can find some interesting alternative.

I think with beautiful handmade tile, even the simplest tile is like a little work of art.

It's so PURDY!!

Haha...Bill can you elaborate? Or at least define "purdy".

Ummmm.... the opposite of ugly?? :-)

Seriously-- this is about as subjective as it gets. SOme like the look of ceramic as well as the practicality of it, being so easy to clean. Even that's getting to the point of going by the boards, though, with backsplashes made of stainless steel, slab stone (no grout lines) or solid surface, things like that. So when it all comes down to it, it depends on your own taste. But unless you just don't like the idea of ceramic tile on your backsplash, there's such a diversity of colors, sizes, textures, etc., that it's tough to believe that there's nothing that ANYONE wouldn't like. But like they say, never say never! :-)

Point well taken. =) I guess there are pros and cons to everything, and asking people what they like specifically about ceramic isn't going to make my life easier.

Well, I'm going out to explore out in the great big world of ceramic tile. Thanks!

Let us know what you find!

Will do Bill!

"Hi - My name is Sweeby and I'm a tile addict."

Well, more accurately, I'm a ceramic tile addict. Stones tiles can be lovely - glass too. But it's ceramics I dream about at night. (Yes - Really)

The color intensity of a ceramic glaze -- the depth of color -- the range of colors available. The subtlety and the boldness! Crackles, shiney, mattes. Absolute flats with rectified edges. Handmade with irregular surfaces and color variations. Earthy tiles. Out of this world space-age tiles. Vintage tiles. Futuristic tiles. Spanish Villas, Japanese Tea Rooms, Sweedish firesides, French Bakeries, English greenhouses...

How do I love tiles?
Let me count the ways...

But it's ceramics I dream about at night. (Yes - Really)

Welcome to my world!! :-)

Oh my, Sweeby. I'm SO excited after reading your post!!

It comes in sunshine yellow. Also clusters of oak leaves with birds peeking out.

Because it looks like this with my granite:
{{gwi:1437848}}

And there was no granite that worked as well as a crackle tile hand made to match :) It's hard to get god to whip up a few sq ft of complimentary granite at the last second...

and because I wanted a shower wall that looked like leather:
{{gwi:1418874}}

Versatility...I get it. My goodness you have gorgeous tile, igloo.