Is the tile Motawi or Pewabic?
If Motawi, I could swing by and see if they have any available...

Hey nineteenoeight - not a disaster, but a SAVE! Could be far worse... suggest you reschedule the install, order add'l tiles... and hopefully a month from now, all will be done. Good luck!

The tile is beautiful, really different. (I take it the house is 1908 - that's pretty accurate Craftsman.) You will be able to get the missing ones. As oldbat2be says, it will just be a delay - annoying as all get out, but a delay. When your post said disaster, I thought it was something like they installed the whole floor wrong. This is a blip you can deal with. Not that you shouldn't be frustrated, and, frankly, I don't see how it's really your fault.

If it takes too long for the copper ones, could you get the black ones? They wouldn't have to be the exact shade. I realize it isn't your pattern, but it might be OK, and faster.

I don't have any sage advice to offer, just a ((hug)) and a note to say that I LOVE that tile! Good luck on resolution.

One piece of good news is that it does not matter TOO much if the match is exact -- if there is any difference, it will look like it is just a subtle accent above the central element.

Ginny20 is right - If you choose a color other than the background color, the four missing tiles only have to match each other. You could buy black, or even go for copper (metal) tiles that are the right size. Fret not, it'll be beautiful.

a2gemini, it is Motawi. Are you that close that you could actually do that??? Wow. I will email you!
Thanks everybody, I am feeling a bit better, I had my heart set on getting them up next week but yeah, it is really just a blip and hopefully it will not be an 8 week delay.
Ginny20, I mocked up your idea using some black cardboard (from a landsend shoe box, lol). What do you think? I'm not sure...maybe overpowers the center rose?

Oh my gosh, that tile is gorgeous! How frustrating to have to sort it out and then wait for the install. I love the black tile mock-up you did. I think the black tiles around the center rose set it off perfectly - not at all overpowering. Hang in there.

I think it looks good with the black. To me it actually makes the rose section stand out a bit more. It does not overpower it.
Hope whichever tiles you decide on arrive quickly. Your backsplash is going to be beautiful.

Black looks great, in fact when I looked at the first shot where pieces are missing, first thing my mind's eye saw was ... black!

I just want to say that tile is wonderful. I had looked at Motawi ages ago before I was ready for my backsplash and totally forgot about them. I have a 1915 Craftsman home, and it really would be appropriate for mine also.

I'm about ready to do mine now, and found what I'm going to use but wanted something special maybe for over the stove. I'm going to have to take another look at their website now :D

The black tile looks great against the rose. The same field makes the rose look washed out.

Here's a quick mockup with the tan tiles. You can compare to the black ones.

Sandra

Hope they can just be picked up, which would be great, but otherwise I'm glad you can somehow handle a delay in gratification. But what gratification! :)

When I first saw it, I thought that there should be black tiles going in also. I love the black, brings out the rose.

The black looks great with the rose! I agree it makes it stand out beautifully. Serendipity!

Gor.GEE.ous.

If they can't be picked up, I admit my eye said black, too.
But you're right. The gorgeous rose does stand out a bit more with the copper.

True. A blip, but also a disappointment.
Not only in the omission, but in the tile designer. But think about it. Is it as important to find fault (such a rude "f" word) as it is to resolve it? If you set fault aside, she might be of more assistance.

Perhaps, at least a very frank discussion with her.
and you can decide which way you want to go!

Oh wow, that is absolutely gorgeous tile! I am very much looking forward to your entire kitchen reveal now if this is a small example of the details involved.

Regarding color, they both look lovely, so at this point I think it is a matter of personal preference. And it gives you a bit more flexibility regarding which can be delivered first if you are more concerned about the time line.

If it is any consolation for you, I'll share my misorder story. We ordered a plain tile for our backsplash, because frankly after 8 months I was just over it. It was pretty much "stock" but had to be ordered from the manufacturer by our tile shop. Our splash had already been quite delayed due to unforeseen problems, so my husband and I decided to not have the contractor come back just to measure because surely we were capable of such a simple thing, so we each calculated separately and came up with the same number roughly so placed the order. We ended up 2 tiles short ,(couldn't have been just one because then we probably could have talked our way into the sample from the tile store), which meant reordering for a 2 week delay, then waiting to get back on our contractors schedule, for another 2 week delay. Since this has been the remodel that never seems to die, all we could do at that point is laugh. I remember when my husband called to say we were two short my first response was "of course we are". Doesn't really matter where the blame falls at this point, just how to remedy it! This too shall pass, and give you such fond memories later (haha). In the overall scheme of things, a 1-2 month delay isn't life changing!

"Tile disaster" is actually a blessing in disguise! Definitely go with the black tiles against the center rose. I really think it beautifully highlights it, whereas a similar field tile makes the rose look pale and washed out. I have a couple of Motawi tiles I put on one of their tabletop stands just for decoration. They make such beautiful tiles, don't they? Best wishes.

Have you called the Motawi people and asked what they can do for you? When I used them a few kitchens ago they were very nice and accommodating.

But...I kinda like the black in the hole too!

Love the mock up with black! I don't think you can go wrong either way though.

Love the mock up with black! I don't think you can go wrong either way though.

Couldn't resist putting these side by side:

I am liking the black as well. Haven't been on gmail as spending this lovely day in emergency with DH.
He had a major mechanical on his bicycle but I think he will be ok. His helmet is toast do do encourage all to wear properly fitted helmets!

Been reading various posts today and gee, my little blip is so not a disaster compared to what some people have been going through. And a bicycle accident, a2gemini? Ouch, so sorry.
Loved what you did, Bellsmom, that was really helpful.
I think this might be a blessing in disguise, because my husband and I played more with the tile layout and I think this might be better. The black tile is super black compared to the decorative tiles (whose "black" is more like dark gray). So we thought to move the black tile farther away from the decoratives and make the 4x4 tile all asymmetrical:

I really like your new layout. Better than planned!

I actually like that a LOT better. I love black, but it seemed a bit jarring next to the decorative tiles. That feels much... softer or calmer - for lack of better words.

What about eliminating the black tile altogether? Or, maybe it does add something at the ends like that...

Serendipity at work. :)

I like the last one, the staggering gives it a little something extra. What if you took the black tiles and put them 1 full tile below the flower? The larger diamond mimicking the centerpiece might work well.

I like your new design the best, too. I really like the running bond pattern that you get this way, and I like the black at the outskirts of the pattern. It makes your eye move around more.

Good work!

I REALLY like the last one the OP posted, but I was intrigued by what Williamsen suggested (or I think this was it) and tried one last Photoshop layout. Interesting to me that I prefered the one the OP posted, when I thought I would prefer this. When I look at this one, it feels confined and off balance, for some reason. My mind's eye certainly can't always be trusted.

(Incidentally, I had to adjust the black tiles' color to get it closer to the color of the vertical flower tiles. Are they a different black?)

Thanks for giving me the opportunity to play. The tiles are quite lovely and it has been fun to think about them. Be sure to post the finished backsplash when it goes in so we can all share. And have fun playing as you decide on the final pattern.

I am waiting for the carpenter to come and install the corner wall susans. He's almost 2 hours late. So, out of frustration, I'm back to play one last time.

I still like the OP's last suggestion best. Here it is also with two centered black tiles. The ground color is best, I think.

I WANT that tile backsplash. Wish I'd seen the tile and had the imagination to envision the pattern. It is beautiful. Rich and serene.