Adh, What granite is this?

Granite is Western Sage Brush.

And also on the previous question about the arabesque, it is the ivory one, but thank anyway beekeeper for the offer of the end pieces!

I like the stone liner that picks up the damask pattern without being too much, overall damask. However, I happen to like the stone backsplashes. Since many do not, what about a ceramic subway tile the color of the stone subways, i.e., beigey-cream, rather than white?

That might be it. I just pulled out a sonoma crackle tile which has more of a yellow cast to it and i think it seems less shiny although its also gloss. Im trying to upload a photo but upload is currently failing. The "white" one in my pictures is Bone and not their whitest white but its only slightly creamy. Off to google cream crackle...

OK, picked up the Winter BHG Beautiful Kitchens & Bath magazine at the store this morning. There is a gorgeous backsplash on page 86 - behind the stove - that made me think of YOUR kitchen as soon as I saw it.

It's square ivory/white crackle tile set on the diagonal - harlequin style and studded with small metal rivet-like squares. It's got a beautiful glistening sheen too it.

Something like this would be awesome in your kitchen. Easy for me to say, since I'm still debating my own backsplash! See if you can get your hands on this magazine. Anybody else have it? Whatcha think?

Oh I wish I had a scanner!!

I think the matte finish of the tumbled marble provides a lovely backdrop and plays off your granite well!

HEre is the sonoma market place ashbury tile in chamomile overlaid on the tuscona bone.

This line has similar deco elements but I think a cleaner edge vs. the handmade look of the first.

hermajesty- that sounds beautiful- I need an inspiration picture! Anyone have this with a scanner????

I also think the tumbled stone works well off the sheen of your granite. The shiny tiles looks like too much shiny. And like someone else said - want your granite to be the centerpiece & let the backsplash be a subtle backsplash behind your accessories or whatever will be on the counter.

Your head must me spinning, I know mine is! At first I liked 2& 6. Then I read peoples comments on why they like anything but 2 &b 6 and I agree with that! If I were in your shoes at this point, I would probably leave the wall painted and live with it for awhile. I think it is a situation where it is a "personal choice and touch" and no "right or wrong". It is whatever YOU feel good looking at.

Have you checked out Jeffrey Court Tile? I think it is his Irish Series that has tile that could work for you. He has some very mellow colors that would work well with your counter.

I thought I had that mag! I went running to my stack only to find it's the BHG Winter Kitchen and Bath Makeovers. So close! That bs does sound beautiful!

Can you do a pic from further away with those chamomile and bone tiles? They look better, but it's hard to tell from that close.

Hermajesty--can you check the "Sources" section in the back to find out any info on those tiles? You could see them online if you could find out the tile maker/design.

I want to second dianalo's comment. When I saw #1, the first word that came to my mind was "dreamy." I really liked how it let your beautiful countertop take center stage. I think you should avoid travertines and the like. I think they are too much, that is to say that they take away from your countertop.

I love your wall color, btw.

Your kitchen is going to be absolutely stunning!

The very first subways, all the way up, with brown grout. No specials unless you have some kind of niche somewhere.

The resouces section of BHG Winter Edition Kitchens & Baths credits Achitecturalceramics.net with the stovetop backsplash. I pulled up their website but couldn't find anything.

I sent them an e-mail asking them to forward that picture to me if they have it so I can share it. Hmmmmm wonder if they are open today? I'll let you know what I hear back.

Thanks for the legwork Hermajgesty! I was going to go looking for this issue at the bookstore but I'm home-bound with a sick little one at present.

I dropped off some tile boards last night and picked up some new tile, which I have of course photographed. I liked the monocromatic of the white crackle but I liked the warmth of the tumbled...so I grabbed a white pearl travertine honed and the crackle in their beige version.

If I did the travertine, I'd probably do a monotone polished mosaic over the range to add a point of shimmer and some beaded liners, if I could fine them, which so far i cannot.

To she who said I should probably leave my backsplash painted for now- ha! Yes, my head is hurting from this! I did not expect such a problem with the backsplash. I never intended it to be a focal point but somehow now I'm worried it could be a mood-killer if not done right. Or maybe I just over-analyze!

I like the dreamy and ethereal vibe people have noted, definitely need to get some of that!

Merry Christmas everyone!

I like the beige crackle a lot. I think it ties your counter to your wall color perfectly....

Try the link below

Here is a link that might be useful: Jeffrey Court tiles

I found this backsplash on the Jeffery Court website.
Maybe something like this using your crackle tiles and maybe bronze metal accents instead of the glass????

I also had this picture saved, but can't remember who it belongs to??

I did get an e-mail back about the picture in BHG but it was just an auto-response saying out of the office until Dec 27th. HEY! We've got kitchens to finish!! LOL!

And another saved pic. I think if you do something special behind cooktop a dark liner would really pull together all of your colors.

I love the color of your walls, and the way it pulls out the browns in the counter. I would be looking for something the same color for the backsplash - this sure has me rethinking how I want my backsplash to look - I've got white cabinets also, but my counters will be dark. Now I'm thinking I may want to go with a much darker backsplash than I was considering.

Adh, I really like that last beige white pearl travertine! Our kitchens are very similar and I think I will get something like that.

Are you keeping the toille wall covering in the dining room? I think the arabesque repeats the pattern from there.

And was it beekeeper that had that lovely arabesque backsplash that she won?

And I agree, you need to wait until you're "sold".

I'm lovin'that lastest crackle (soft beige) you posted and think it would great installed with a whiter grout.

I think you need to take a break. Give yourself a week off. You need to decide on travertine or ceramic. My vote is for the ceramic. When I looked at the tumbled marbles, and travertine I learned there is a danger of them looking pink. All depends on the lot you get. Also, in some lighting my sample turned gray. What I like about the ceramic is that the color will not vary. So, next you need to decide if you want to match your cabinetry (which so many people here have done, you can't go wrong as you can see how nice it looks in all these GW kitchens)or go a bit darker and match a color in the granite. So take a step back and try to pare down your choices. Don't rush. I made this mistake and had my first backsplash torn out and replaced. It was clearly wrong and my DH agreed. It took me months for me to get over the fear of chossing wrong a second time!

That beige one is nice. And I have to say, again, how gorgeous that rock is!!!!!!

Taking a short break might help.

I agree with that you first need to narrow it down to travertine/stone or ceramic.

I have ceramic tiles in my kitchen and they are so easy to clean. DH and I are pretty messy cooks and it is easy to wipe of sauce and splatters off the ceramic.

My parents had a stone backsplash that had a lot of texture. It was impossible to keep looking nice and there was always stuff stuck in all the nooks and crannies. I have tumbled travertine in my master bathroom and while I like the look, I would not want to try to keep that clean in a kitchen.

I personally like that last beige crackle tile you just got. It provides a slight contrast with the cabinets without competing with the beautiful granite.

Just putting in an update. I'm pretty close. In fact I think I had decided. I got briefly distracted by this limestone, but decided herringbone would be too busy for a full kitchen. Plus the sample place has been closed for the holidays.

Then I went to what I think I will go with.

Its a Emser Cape Code subway crackle tile in a cream color. It's impossible to get my cell phone camera to pick up the crackle but its distinctive in person. It's VERY similar to the original off white creamy crackle I started with but I didnt like the clay undertones in the original- the lot was uneven and some had more clay than others. I thought with the shimmery pendants my kitchen would be ok with a shiny background and the individual tiles are gorgeous- wavy fronted, beautiful crackle, etc. However, my beef with the crackle is that the liners are INSANE. Like 50 dollars per 9 inches. And I need like 300 inches for a single row of liner. So liner idea is out the window. Id have to do basic subway with some feature over the range.

I am supposed to order tomorrow. But I am hesitating to take this other sample down. It's a tumbled marble. I like its chalky antique look. It almost looks edible. Something compelling about it.

It doesnt highlight the granite as much but there is something soothing about it.

So I'm pretty close. I think the problem is I like both and they are just different looks.

Can you tell me who makes that pillowed travertine subway tile?

We're probably going to use subway tile around our fireplace and I don't believe I've seen that edge before.

Do you know if they had it in a Crema Marfil marble?

After looking at almost all the finished, & work-in-progress kitchens, on here I have to say yours is my one of my favorites. It is absolutely GORGEOUS and looks like it's straight out of a magazine!

I do like #6, also the last one is my favorite.
I'm not a fan of the shiny tile--probably b/c I had shiny white tile in my old bathroom lol!

I had tumbled marble tiles in my last kitchen which I loved! I had a beigey/goldish tile with a few gold medallions. Everyone raved about it. I didn't find it too hard to keep clean, although mine was a tad darker than the ones you picked. As another posted said, might be hard to keep the lighter tumbled marble clean!
The last one is really sticking out to me.

What wine fridge is that? It sure looks like my Avanti one I just bought, width is only 15" --love it.

Robj- I am not sure who makes the pillowed travertine. I got the sample from this local store (link)- they remove the brand name but you may be able to get it from the product code on their website. They had the pillowed tile in a number of shades and sizes but I dont recall seeing anything as light as creama marfil. They may respond to an email.

Jillsee- thank you! That is so nice to hear! I am really happy with it- up until the point I will probably ruin it with my backsplash! ;-) I wish people carried the stones in stock as I would probably buy a box and stick them on with putty before committing!

The wine fridge is the uline captain 15 inch. It was all the room we could spare but I think it will work out ok!

Here is a link that might be useful: tile store

I am a late looker, but since you have the same granite that I do and we just recently finished, I thought I'd give you my input.

We went with the travertine,just almost like your last photos show. I don't have white cabinets, rather a brown, so I wanted warmth, and nothing too shiny or busy since the granite is busy enough--and I don't want the focus to be on the backsplash but rather on this beautiful granite!

Just my opinion, of course, but I am sooo happy with what we did and have no regrets going with the travertine.

Your kitchen is beautiful and I LOVE your granite. It's understated yet so elegant. And the color....WOW!

I really, really like the last crackle subway tile you picked out but I can't believe how expensive the liner is. It's a shame because I was going to suggest a row of brown stone mosaic as an accent to tie in with the island. We did that in our last kitchen and it looked quite nice. However, it required two rows of liner which could get pretty pricey with your choice :)

Just a thought, but it seems that you're liking the non-shiny/"warmer" tumbled travertine but also like the whiteness of the subways at the same time. Maybe take a look at tumbled white onyx? I've had the link below around since my last kitchen a few years ago :o , but it still shows a nice onyx pic. Onyx's translucency gives a lot of depth but perhaps the tumbled would not fight with your shiny counters like a polished/shiny onyx would.

However, I used 4x4 honey onyx in my backsplash and sealed them with Miracle 511 before installation, so if sealing ain't for you, skip the onyx. :)

Here is a link that might be useful: white tumbled onyx (mosaic)

All you need now is one more opinion, eh?

I shared a bit of your dilemma although our kitchens are so different, not sure if my situation can help. Most helpful folks on this forum said go with ceramic, maybe crackle with my counter top, and not travertine. I admitted to myself there was something about tumbled travertine that was too rustic, and any 4'' travertine I found was just not right. I considered lots of ceramic tiles, but the shiny ones were too shiny, and matte looked awful. The end solution for me was a filled and honed travertine 12'' x 12'' floor tile that was the perfect color and texture. I had my granite fabricator cut them to 4 x 4 tiles (yes, that doubled the cost of the tile - ouch), then eased the edges so they weren't sharp. The tile guy set them with a thin grout line. So, I got stone which is what I wanted, low gloss, and because of the tight grout lines, a more contemporary look. If I wanted subway, he could have easily cut them into 4'' x 12'' pieces (and I'm sure that would have been cheaper too). Sorry if this is the straw that makes your head explode.

One more thing, I'm sure you are aware (but just in case), the rough edges of the tumbled travertine will take on a thick and varied grout line which changes the look quite a bit. I question that look in your wonderful kitchen.

Jon

Jon, I remember your dilemma in choosing a backsplash. Did you ever post a finished pic? I couldn't find it...and would love to see it. Sorry for the hijack!

adh673 - Thanks for the link.

I still have not taken complete pix of my finished kitchen for the finished kitchens blog (I still have a couple of things to finish), so I don't have any featured backsplash pix. You can get the gist of what I did by looking at my "~98% finished kitchen" thread:

http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/load/kitchbath/msg1221134632245.html

The honed and filled tile was a bit more elegant than the available 4'' tiles I found because it was a premium grade travertine (fewer holes) and I had the edges cut. It goes wonderfully with my crazy counter top. adh673 seems to have a similar situation.

Jon

Jon- I remember your kitchen! It's beautiful, really love the granite!

So, actually I hadn't thought about the grout lines. I dont really like thick grout lines, maybe that puts the matter to rest on these aged stones. Unless I used clear grout, that would be sort of interesting.

Its true, my head exploded long ago.

To the other poster, I did look at onyx- I cannot remember who had the white onyx pillow tile- gorgeous stuff, but couldn't locate white onyx and the regular was too yellow for my counters. I am like the princess and the pea on this topic. Too bright, too shiny, too dull, too this too that. :-) I liked a pic of thin honed limestone and tried that too but the sample arrived polished then I read someone nightmare of their limestone backsplash disintegrating and that sort of put me off limestone for the time being.

Jon, that's beautiful--great choice! Thanks for posting. And it gives adh673 another great option to think about :)

I like option #1, it's clean and beautiful.

I'm a late looker, too. I have a similar granite and have had cabinet woes since the get go. I LOVE your cabinets! What are they?

As for 'what' looks good with a kitchen like ours. After months of having tile propped up in my kitchen, over 5 years ago I went with a travertine subway tile and haven't tired of it yet. Without going through my 'drama' of my kitchen, my cabinets have changed colors multiple times. Always intended for them to be a creamy white with a glaze, but it took two years, four paint jobs, a lawsuit, learned skills and patience, along with a lot of Bacardi rum to get what I wanted. With the shiny granite and stainless the eyes have a place to 'rest' when it meets the travertine. I so wanted to use a handmade WZ tile, but it just didn't look right.

Posting photos from a few years back, when the kitchen was being modified from a cabinet fiasco! Nothing is as was designed. (Another story...)

The kitchen I did not order.

Focal point backsplash bought off eBay

After several paint jobs, restripping THREE professional paint job$, I repainted and glazed cabinets myself. Sorry my range is not clean in this photo! We had just put it back in it's pocket. I really do need to do a finished kitchen photo.
Close up of dry grout in tile.
{{!gwi}}

AFTER Modifications of drawers, fronts, grout glaze, painting, etc...

Here is a link that might be useful: Progress photos and how I darkened the grout with glaze. Shiny grout in photos was WET with sealer. It dried to a matte finish.

We just finished our backsplash. Used Ivory Travertine Honed/Filled. 3x6 subway and 4x4's. Antique white grout. Wanted the backsplash to look monocromatic and not clash with the busy granite.
This is the first time posting pics. Not sure if the link worked or not.
HTH

http://www2.snapfish.com/snapfish/slideshow/AlbumID=6718635013/PictureID=316241906013/a=132872435_132872435/otsc=SHR/otsi=SPIClink/COBRAND_NAME=snapfish/

[IMG]http://i1206.photobucket.com/albums/bb450/chrismo221/Dec2010toJan2011091.jpg[/IMG]
Trying again...hopefully it works!

oh, you just scroll down to where it says optional link url & put the address in there

here you go!

Here is a link that might be useful: backsplash

Maybe I missed it, but what is the name of the granite? I really like the crackle tile. I'm doing a similiar kitchen with cream cabinets and dark island. Do you have wood floors.

Sherilyn, I am crazy about your tile. I think its amazing. The glaze is fabulous. I know not everyone is a stone fan, esp a rustic one, but to me its feels like a old restored french farmhouse, which I am am really into these days. Ironically I think its quite a focal point, despite your comment on resting the eyes! I really love it. I am however, probably going with the emser crackle tile. I was about to order it and havent for reasons that Im THIS close (maybe) to getting a much better price... but seriously, yours is the best stone backsplash I have seen. The heavy-ish glaze on your cabinets works with it so well. LOVE IT.

Janet941- the granite is Western Sage Brush from Africa, produced in Italy. I am really happy with it thus far.

Still loving the ceramics better for your granite. I think they look cleaner because the stones all have a busier color with the variations in them.

adh - I hope you are still out there! I have the EXACT same dilemma that you had in December! Your kitchen is identical to mine (except for layout). Same cabinets, hardward, granite, stained island. We obviously have the same great taste! I would be extremely interested in which backsplash you decided on. I spent all day collecting tile samples and my head is spinning. Thanks!