it looks great-aren't you all done now/ time to enjoy it-it's coordinated nicely and it's a good transitional kitchen-what more could you want?

It looks fine. Will you be adding any more accessories to the counter? I think if you do, your eyes will be drawn around the room, not just to the border.

I think it looks okay, but it would bug me, too. In your earlier post I thought it was a border you wanted to remove, not a liner in the middle of the backsplash. Are you planning to replace it with a lighter color?

It looks great! I think you're totally right that you've been staring at nothing for two years and now your eye is drawn right to the accent tile because you're not used to seeing it. I vote that you give it some time and allow your whole kitchen to patina (couldn't think of a better word to describe that lived in look! lol). It really does look great. I'd love to see more pictures of it. Especially before you do something drastic like take a hammer to that tile.

If it was what you loved, I would applaud your choice. But ... I think a lighter color would look nicer. Is there an open edge where you can get a screwdriver under one liner and start popping them off from that side?

If that is possible, I would use a grout saw to remove the grout first (very, very carefully).

think it looks nice, esp with your dark knobs. Agree with living with it for awhile til you get used to seeing it..

Couldnt figure out how to upload more than one photo at a time...

I think it looks good too! And when you add in all the other kitchen elements w/pops of color, it will look even better!

Enjoy !!!

I should add this kitchen has 2 very large windows on either side so there is alot of natural light.
here is another angle. If anyone has ever removed an insert like this please let me know...thanks again:(

Hi Cindee, I agree that the tile ties in with your handles and pulls. I would keep it for awhile and see if it grows on you.
You mentioned your granite. I have noticed the same thing with my granite. When I chose it I didn't notice all the "imperfections" in it. It feels smooth to the touch but when seeing it at an angle in bright light it is far from having a mirror finish. The veins in it are not shiny so it has a scratched up look to it. I guess that is part of the beauty of natural stone.
Enjoy your new kitchen. It's beautiful!

I like the border and let me tell you why - the counter and cabinets look great together and really seem to blend well. The knobs and pulls along with the ends of the wine bottles, if you didn't have the border, would have my eyes jumping all around flitting from knob to knob to pull to end of wine bottle. The row of border brings that colour together in one spot that flows around the kitchen and acts as a bridge between the knobs/pulls and counters. I would leave it. It makes sense in your space.

You didn't say it was a LINER! That's going to be quite a bit harder than something along the edge of the tile field.

And, what are you going to replace it with?

I think it looks fine, because it goes with the dark elements in your kitchen. I agree, there are subtler choices that could have worked, but there is nothing wrong with the way this looks.

'think it looks nice, esp with your dark knobs. Agree with living with it for awhile til you get used to seeing it.'

I agree with this! It does take your eyes (and brain) a time to adjust to the change. I've gone thru the same thing with flooring. I've lived with just the subfloor down for so long that putting floor down in the kitchen and hall was a jolt to me. A good one - I did keep walking around looking at it saying 'wow'. And it wasn't even some awesome flooring - just vinyl planks by Armstrong. Still it was an adjustment.

the liner does match up with your knobs/handles. Did they bother you because they were brown and the stove top was black? A lot of stoves have some black on them but most people don't put black accents in because of it.

maybe add a tall earthenware type vase / container in dark brown (or design on it that is dk brwn) to the far left of the stove top. At least for a time til you adjust to it all. It's new to you and you are doubting yourself - that makes it loom very large to you. It really isn't, it looks very nice!

I think it looks fine, too and works with the darkness of your hardware and even the wine bottles! Although I know this would be a subtle change, you might try changing your pulls to something more simple and rectangular (in the same finish) to better mimic the pencil liner. You could change a couple out and see if this makes any difference to you.

Thanks again for all your WONDERFUL advice and comments...I wish I would have discovered this site before I started bulding my home it would have saved us alot of grief and money.

I am wondering if anyone has any suggestions on what would be a better knob and handle choice? I like all your ideas and hlove's suggestion to change the knobs is a far easier fix that replacing this insert that may damage my other tile and walls and maybe my cabinets. The idea of the earthenware vase is a great idea also. As I live in a very small town in Northern BC my access to stores is limited but do have a sister in the states so I would APPRECIATE any suggestions for new knobs, accents etc. If you could provide pictures or links I can order them online. I am OPEN TO ALL SUGGESTONS AND IDEAS PLEASE:) Thanks again everyone.

I think the liner looks terrific with your cabinets and counters - it's clean and refreshing. I wouldn't change the knobs and pulls either. You've got a really nice look going; I think you need to just leave it be for a bit and see how you feel about it at the other end of winter. Truly, I think it looks great.

P.S. Just saw a neighbor of yours this morning down here in San Diego. A bright taxi-cab-yellow motorcycle with a Yukon license plate.

I like it because it adds "a little something different" to the white subway - like a piece of jewelry. We see white subways every day.

Enjoy it.

Just doing a quick search I found these (assuming your hardware is ORB and not looking at the lengths, just for style):

http://www.amerock.com/decorative/pull/128mm-pull-bar-pull-for-1-bp40517orb.html

or this:

http://www.amerock.com/decorative/pull/128mm-pull-blackrock-for-1-bp55277orb.html

It certainly won't make a huge difference, and may not make any at all, but maybe it will be enough to look better to your eye or help you realize that it's all just great the way it is. Good luck!

Wow--I think it looks wonderful as is. It's an up to date kitchen that doesn't feel trendy, which I think is so refreshing. I think you made a great decision with the backsplash (and everything else too).