What about a very pale yellow for the walls? Like buttery, not sunny.

Not sure about the tile.

Is it absolutely necessary to have a backsplash now? I'm asking because you might think about waiting until you can get something that really speaks to you. This is my opinion which may not account for much but I think your kitchen came out very nice...so nice that you shouldn't just get a backsplash for the sake of it. To me the one you have chosen looks a bit dated. Could you maybe get by with painting the area a nice color and picking out a really nice roman shade for the window with a bit of the wall color you choose in it? Or, making look at a few more tile picks?

It does coordinate well, but I share your concern about it looking dated. You have a lot of beautiful, warm brown tones in the kitchen right now. What about a cooler backsplash - something like a brushed stainless tile to match the stainless steel appliances?

Or, looking at the pictures again, I really like the off white you have painted there now. It brightens up the space. Tough call on what TO do, but trust your gut on what you don't like or don't feel certain about.

I agree that you have created a wonderful, warm and inviting kitchen. I also agree that you might wait on the backsplash because you might decide that you are happy with the painted walls. We did that initially as a cost (and work) savings, and ended up liking the choice.

To provide a finished look, we bought some 1 x 4 maple (our cabinets were -- and are -- natural maple), routed an edge we liked and used them as our "backsplash." It's a nice clean look. You could probably do the same, using, of course, wood to match your cabinets. You can see the strip of wood to the left and right of the sink -- and behind the wine bottles on the right. (Wine: the drink of choice of kitchen remodelers everywhere!)

Since your stove already has a raised area in the back, you might not need anything else. If you do, you could install a piece of glass or stainless steel, as in these pictures from Houzz.

[Living Room design[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/living-room-ideas-phbr0-bp~t_718) by Bedding And Bath Tricia Rose

[Traditional Kitchen design[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/traditional-kitchen-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_709~s_2107) by London Photographer Chris Snook

Thank you! We've lived with it for a while without anything, and it just doesn't feel finished. I hadn't considered stainless - off to the tile store to check some out! I also like the idea of cream/light yellow for walls.

I just found out the original tile I had posted is no longer available, so that decision was just made for me. I find I'm happy about that, so it definitely wasn't the right choice.

Would you tile the area just to the right & left of the stove, or would you include the wall to the left of the sink? Again, the husband and I disagree....

I'm not in love with that mosaic at all for your space. beautiful mosaic, but just not for there. I really like the openness that the plain wall has, so I'd probably just go with a plain tile and some decorative accents-maybe cut the mosaic into 4 tiles and use those along with square tiles.
I actually think your space would look really nice with a tile placing I haven't seen before yesterday--shut! I cannot find the photo! I'll keep looking, but it is like the squares are on a slant with small squares interspersed but they are NOT laid in a diamond pattern(Though I think for your space, a travertine or other light stone in squares in diamond pattern would be LOVELY) I'll keep looking for the picture.

Thank you! The more I think of it the more I think plain is what I want, maybe 2x4 subway.

I'd love to see that photo if you find it!

I really like the mosaic with your counter, but not only the mosaic...that would be too busy. I would go with a beige porcelain background tile that matches the beige glass, then cut the glass tile into rows of maybe 3 thick and use it as a border or cut it into 3x3 squares and add those dots for accent against the field tile.

Here's GFs kitchen as an idea of how to use solid and accent tiles:

Thank you Annie, I wouldn't have thought of that! I'm still stewing.

The tile was good in color, but too much of the dark for my taste. Same idea in a lighter mix would work better with your counter and overall look for me.

Budget is easiest to do with creative use of materials (inexpensive stainless sheeting or tiles, reclaimed materials, etc.) or classic field tiles. Classic field tiles often need some personality added, and a liner works well with them. You can do For DIY, I might stick to tiles laid straight with a inset liner of some sort. Mine is subways laid in the classic pattern with a 3 liner insert (blue-pewter-blue) to add a touch of color without being too much. I like simple splashes.

Ugh! I cannot remember where I saw that picture! Anyway, the idea is the same as the floor here, only instead of laying them straight, they were slightly tilted, so formed what looked like stair steps at an angle. And they didn't do the accent piece with every tile-there were about 3 sections done and then 1 section with the accent.
http://products.daltile.com/gallery.cfm?rm=1&rmType=1&scene=55

Kashmi-love the woodpeckers. Beautiful print.