Yes, I think the cream and gold going through the black softens it to a brown. I really like that darkest Emperadora granite though. But hard to say what might come in an order. I like Versailles better than Wave because of the diamond.

Can I see Chic and Chocolate together? Chic looks matte so I like that for the field against your shiny granite. I think the field and oval should match, with a Chocolate crackle diamond and liner. Might change my mind but for now...

Can you show the Versailles sample held in place under the hood?

The colors are gorgeous. I feel like a kid in a candy shop looking at all these samples. I think the dark browns look perfect. Richer than black & work for the reasons Mayflowers gave. I really like the Chic too but not quite ready to give up Smoke. In the Wave samples at 18:03, I like the lighter colored areas of the Smoke. There will be areas in each tile that will be lighter & other areas that will be a little more saturated with color. I had about 30 silver tiles sitting on my countertop for 6 weeks (waiting for additional tiles). I fretted that they weren't light & silvery enough. Someone pointed out that once they were verticle & grouted, they would appear much lighter. That's exactly what happened, light & silvery.
I do like the idea of a matte with the shiny granite & a striking mosaic. I know we are going to a third thread. Let's how you can eliminate - one or two every 150 posts.
Edit: typo

This post was edited by romy718 on Tue, Sep 30, 14 at 0:17

I kind of like the dark ovals with the light diamonds and light field tiles, at least how I am envisioning the combination. Maybe it depends upon how much of the area of the focal part of the backsplash you want to be light and how much dark.

Reminding myself here of your dimensions:
The opening under the hood is 36 wide by 33.5 high, The uppercabs in that area are 36 wide by 37.5? high. The beverage area is 60 wide by 18 high and the open shelf is 24 wide by 12 high.

You want the entire focal area visible from head-on vantage points, without either looking squashed or being cut off.
In this photo from 9/26, the top of the focal area looks a bit high, although that may be because of the angle of the photograph, and not how it looks to someone standing in the room.

Don't know of this pic helps much. I agree and wonder about the variance in natural stone but the sample looks good. The chic is definitely a finalist but I'll try to get more samples so you can see the streaking in it. I think chic implies shabby chic-it looks worn, sort of. I can work with these colors since they all go together and match the rest of the kitchen. I could do the liner as jewel in a complimentary color (like linen or silk) see pic posted 9/28 Chaucer liner against cream field in one of the colors from the mosaic....I will bring more samples home today-hang in there! I'm grateful for all the responses and will happily create a new thread when needed. Is this number of posts unusual Romy?

This post was edited by michelew90 on Tue, Sep 30, 14 at 8:28

I can think of only two other posts that went to three threads and one was back splash, with Encore the final choice.

It's going to look so good! I think the Chaucer liner will compete with Versailles but the Crane liner I posted above might work, maybe over the first row of tile. I think matte is the way to go for field, especially since Chic has some interest. Kitchendetective might be right to make the ovals the brown crackle. The diamonds might not be enough crackle, unless you did a thick crackle liner too.

There are two examples in this thread of the field and the tile within the frame in a light color. Both have bolder, contrasting frames. What do you guys think for frame?

I'm a little worried about high contrast ovals being too heavy, and a distraction/competition (rather than a complement) to your granite. I'm also a bit concerned about there being a relatively small framed area, because the island movement is so utterly fabulous and large scale.

I'm thoroughly enjoying the eye candy, so I don't care how many threads, or how long they are...as long as you promise pictures within days after install (in progress pics would be good, too).

I want to see this pattern in chic dimensional or smoke dimensional as the oval and chocolate or diamante as the diamond. This may not be as heavy as the sample because the diamonds are smaller. See pic I think Mayflowers posted days ago. The liners can be a combo

Can we see some other creamy colors in both crackle & matte, maybe another matte cream that doesn't have the worn shabby chic feel. Not doubting Chic but since that's going to be the largest area....let's exhaust those options.
Lots of posts, yes, but obviously we're all enjoying helping you pick out your backsplash.
When you get to finalists, I bet we can get oldbat2be to work her magic.

This post was edited by romy718 on Tue, Sep 30, 14 at 10:51

Smoke crackle actually does look light enough to be a field tile. I see a little pink in some of the photos though. I like the glaze in the last photo of it where it looks a little golden brown.

I think crackle will be too busy for a field tile. It's got its own movement, and I don't think you want any movement for the field. I don't think I'd like it even without a framed area. Looking at Chic up close, it's probably too rustic for the granite and the sparkly crystals of the lights. I bet it looks great with the cabinets since they're glazed.

Do I have it right that what may_flowers and I have been calling Emperador marble is what Encore calls Diamante?

kksmama makes a good point. Have to think in terms of the actual area of the framed part. And what about the coffee bar area? Just field tile or another focal point?

KD picked this instead of Versailles. Thinks Versailles is too bold. Here comes the photo parade.

Photo2

Photo3
Left to right; sample to show a dimensional oval, 2 squares chic, pattern with truffle, Brie in center, two Brie squares with chocolate and Brie liners, 2 cameo squares, 2 smoke, Versailles in smoke and diamante.

FYI-truffle is too pink, and the outer leaf is marble, would use smoke, and chic instead. The Brie is nice though.

Pic I took in the store today to show a big area of chic

Chaucer liner would be used in beverage area

Oh!!!!. I love that!! It has a great dimension to it. Do you mind if I ask about how much does that cost???

I don't know exactly-which one are you talking about?

This post was edited by michelew90 on Tue, Sep 30, 14 at 14:58

If I were going to do something that dramatic, and "bold", I'd probably use the square tiles with the applied design for the same look for a lot less money.

The Versailles is very expensive also according to KD-100+per foot..don't know what this curvy style cost..I'll ask. I don't know if I like it as much as Versailles.

This post was edited by michelew90 on Tue, Sep 30, 14 at 16:22

Seven pieces per pattern piece vs. two for Versailles.

I think it's great with the cabinets, but not with the granite.

Too elaborate a treatment would overwhelm the range too. It's not a 48" inch range with a hard-to-pronounce European name.

That's true ...don't know what I was thinking when it came to the stove...my only regret so far! I'm glad I got a speed oven though :) just spoke to KD-she said prices for both are over $100 sf.

Here's a price list I found online....http://encoreceramics.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/2013-Price-List1.pdf

Still really like this one. Less expensive?

I'm sure you got what you need for cooking, not for an elaborate backsplash.
Don't regret your range choice. You're going to love that speed oven.
Also, don't feel any pressure by us to get something out of your budget Lots of beautiful options out there that are not as expensive.

I think I want to see the Versailles in chic and chocolate. Spoke to KD (actually it's TD-tile designer) and she suggested also getting a sample in Brie and smoke. I don't think the leafy pattern is going to work. All the Encore mosaics are expensive and I realized that but I would only be using a small amount of the very pricy tile for over the range so...I think my kitchen needs beautiful tile to go with the other beautiful elements (excluding that darn stove ;).

Just found this: a comprehensive list with pictures of all of Encore's current products.
There's also a 2014-2015 one available but I liked the pics in this one. No prices but much easier to navigate than the Encore website.
There are a few new colors, Cirrus, Rosemary, Thyme.
Mayflowers-lots of descriptions of undertones.

Here is a link that might be useful: Encore Ceramics Sales Guide 2014

Now, now, I wasn't saying anything about the stove! Just pointing out that the leafy pattern is very elaborate. Sometimes I imagine where I'd see a particular tile and that one would go in some upper class French lady's boudoir.

Romy, I'll have to check that out on the larger computer screen. I can barely see it on my little laptop.

I agree, the leafy pattern is very graceful and feminine but maybe not the right fit. I thought the price list was interesting compared to the prices I was quoted-are they doing triple mark up? I can get the diamonds to compare next time. Are you all moving away from Versailles? Right now, I've narrowed down my colors to smoke(medium tone), chocolate (dark tone) or Diamante (dark tone), Brie or some other complimentary cream for fields.
Note: I want to see Versailles colors reversed-ovals in creamy, diamonds in dark

This post was edited by michelew90 on Wed, Oct 1, 14 at 8:54

Romy, just saw a picture of your kitchen on another post...beautiful! Now I'm wondering... should I forget the accent and go streamlined and clean like yours? Maybe only do a row of Chaucer above second row or something like that?

Duplicate

This post was edited by michelew90 on Wed, Oct 1, 14 at 9:42

I haven't really moved away from Versailles or from the idea of a feature above the induction cook top. I like variety in my visual field. However, what matters is what you feel you want to see while cooking. Individual sensibilities vary greatly.

Funny, cuz I've been thinking I should have done something above my range.
I still love the Versailles, but why not look at the diamonds too? You could do more colors so it would be "less bold." I don't have enough confidence (I need to see things) to say the dark brown wouldn't be too bold in the Versailles but I don't know about your tile designer's taste. She keeps suggesting things that, to me, are too ornate for your granite & the size of your frame.
The price list must be wholesale. How much is she quoting you for field tile?
We have enough people on GW with Encore to know the usual retail price for field tile.

I haven't moved away from it either. The size, the shape, the movement feels pretty good to me. I would be sure I loved it, and that won't come until you see all the pieces together.

You can see in romy's kitchen how much movement the crackle field brings. Maybe in a cream there would be less variation. Everyone seemed to have a positive response to the pop of chocolate though, and it does reference the granite, which has nagged at me when the ideas haven't had any dark tones. I might even entertain the thought of the chocolate as the field tile with the ovals in a lighter color. Chocolate would be enough to jazz up the beverage area too. Or a light field tile with Browning, your favorite, in crackle chocolate for the framed area? Those creamy swirls going through the chocolate... oo la la!

Chocolate would be a bold tile choice but I agree that it could be absolutely gorgeous. If you did that, I wouldn't do anything above the range.

Maybe the Chaucer liner in chocolate could be worked in somehow.

Looking back thru the pics, I really like the Versailles in diamanté (large part)with the smoke (small part). I know the diamanté has a pattern but it looks so good with the granite (the really dark browns with the chocolate browns). The truffle softens the Diamanté. Cream as the small part might make the Diamanté too stark? But then how to make that work with a cream field tile? Having a mix of dark brown, smoke, & cream in the liner?
I think the Versailles is a great pattern for your granite. It has the bowl feel, modern but yet classic. Not fussy, at all.

This post was edited by romy718 on Wed, Oct 1, 14 at 12:01

Kitchendetective and I don't know what Diamane is. Is it the Emperador marble? I really liked that but Michele seemed to pass by without commenting. I don't think it's too much pattern for the ovals.

Yes, it is the same, Emperador marble. I like the diamante and smoke combo but I'd like to see it "reversed" to get a feel for the pattern with less dark--like chic and chocolate posted a while ago. I asked TD about prices and forwarded the link. She said that is a mistake and was uploaded by an "unknown" party...ummm...found it through Google...it was on Encore's website. Moving on, Bravo smoke-quoted at 27.00 sf

By "mistake" does that mean one cannot get it in that combination?

Edited to add that somewhere up above I asked if anyone knew what the background back splash material was on a website. I like it for another project, but the colors in this versions struck me as relevant to Michele's project, if not the pattern. So, I thought I would post what I discovered. It is Walker Zanger Sonja, and I think it contains Nero Marquina marble combined with stained glass.

This post was edited by kitchendetective on Wed, Oct 1, 14 at 17:29

She said "spoke to Encore and these prices are incorrect". I love Walker Zanger tile but haven't seen much on display at this store. The diamonds may look good but I would need to order a sample. The samples are very limited in colors and shapes and they don't let you take the display boards home.

Here is an easy site to look at Encore colors. I wonder if the Versailles pattern would be better with saffron and chic for less contrast. I think the chocolate and chic begins to look a little dotty from afar. It would be very dramatic with chocolate crackled oversized subway field tile. This site also shows Pratt and Larson, which also has nice deep brown tiles. The saffron is in the jewels group.
edited to correct spelling

This post was edited by voila on Wed, Oct 1, 14 at 19:33

Sorry, when I edited for spelling, I lost the link.

Here is a link that might be useful: tile site

I cannot find Saffron among the Encore Jewel squares. Wondering if iPad download is incomplete.

It's the fourth one down on the right. Hope this helps. There is also a lighter honey gold.

Squares chic, choc, chic, choc, choc deco

Same with smoke instead of chic

Same with smoke instead of chic

{{!gwi}}

HAD TO START A NEW THREAD...

Close up of encore chocolate

Here is a link that might be useful: Michelew90 backsplash quest 2

This post was edited by michelew90 on Wed, Oct 1, 14 at 22:24