Forgot to say that my husband doesn't want glass!

I like the lightest color one. It seems to brighten up the countertop and cabinets. Other ones seem too dark

Your kitchen feels very earthy and natural so I think the stone is a good choice, but maybe consider a tile that is a bit narrower and longer and lay them in a herringbone pattern using lighter grout. A modern look, but still warm and also different. houzz=]

What about a vertical pattern with the tile? Or is too contemporary? I'm leaning to the lighter one. I really like your choice on cabinets and counters! Pretty!

Yes, we installed under cabinet lighting. And I know what you mean. I think that is my problem. I don't love any of them! But we ruled out a lot of others over these. I don't want a lot of competition with the countertop.

I definitely lean more traditional. Here are a couple more photos. One to show where coffee cabinet is...to left of window. Faucet looks funny b/c it is not installed yet. Happening today!

The lighter one is the best out of what you have so far. I do think that adding a brighter color, or something with more contrast will make the countertops stand out.

YourCeiling, I do like the color of the subway tile. Do you know what it is? Also, what is the material in left picture. It is pretty cool. My husband joked that it looks like a breastplate of a Klingon....I think that means he likes it. LOL!

Maureen, do you know what tile that is in the picture you posted? thanks!

Keep it simple--you'll thank me later : ) This is called long crema marfil laid in a herringbone pattern. Or how do you like this arabesque--it comes in cream, too? Keep your backsplash lighter than the counters.

If you click in the link under the picture, there are comments and they mention grey mosiac that are 2X6 - I think it's their proportion that make them so nice. Good luck.

I think you need something that flows almost seamlessly color-wise with your counter top. Maybe glass so there is some reflection. I feel like introducing another color is throwing things off a bit. I almost don't want to notice the backsplash, just a little shimmer. Good luck :)

leelee, I am trying to keep it simple, but I think that is why I ended up with fairly dull choices? I do like the herringbone pattern, and you are the second person to mention it. Don't think I like the arabesque. Maybe a bit too frilly? It also appears as though I like the tumbled, earthy look over the honed.

You might need a little shine to reflect light--that's why I gave you the picture with the tiny squares. I love the herringbone. It's simple and very subtle and won't overpower the counter. Here are some more examples ( not choosing these to match your counters) just to give you some ideas.

leelee, what were the tiny squares? Glass tiles? And I see the crema marfil on houzz as 1x3s..don't see anything longer.

I like the darker colored backsplash sample that you have there.

or was this similar to the tiny squares?
http://www.artistictile.com/itemdetails.aspx?Pid=1485&Cid=20&Mname=Calacatta%20Gold

I'm guessing they're marble that's been polished. You know, the kind that comes on a 12 x 12 sheet. Don't think they're glass.

One other idea is to cover only your back walls with tile. In other words, don't try to wrap around at the corners. Because then, where do you stop? Notice how they kept it just on the back wall?

I like the light tumble marble you picked. It's very neutral, not something you will get sick of right away.

leelee, agreed! Except something needs to fill the small gap between counter and wall. Was worried a caulking of some sort would look ugly and get dirty. Similar problem with coffee cabinet in corner. Small edge of tile or up higher?

I think the lighter color stone goes best with your colors. It keeps it light and picks up the lighter flecks in your countertop. I would suggest looking at a slightly larger subway stone tile size, like a 4x8 or 3x12. The larger sizes are very popular with my clients and added a bonus of fewer grout lines.

I do like the grey marble options others have mentioned but I would recommend a honed finish, not a polished finish for a kitchen. Marble etches very easily, so to avoid those dull spots in a polished finish I'd do the honed so you'll never notice the etched spots

I think a bluish gray subway tile would look good. Husbands!

Thanks so much, evreryone. I'm headed to the tile store today for more samples. Any last minute thoughts or pictures, please fire away!

I'd look for something even lighter. White would be ideal, IMO.
I also like the look of tin tiles for your kitchen!

Color Zen and all, I went back for more samples. I think I need to have my husband reconsider glass. I picked this up and love it...."just a little shimmer". The photo makes it look a lot darker than it is in person. It is a grey seattle day and not a lot of light coming in at the moment. So I took a close up with second picture to show the color better. Tell me what you think!

You could use a very small pencil tile to fill the gap between counter and wall.

Actually, the wall is already butted up to the counter so there doesn't have to be a problem that needs solving.

Keep the backsplash lighter than the counters and the walls.

Thanks, Leelee. Was looking at trim pieces today. I like how the photo of the sink you posted shows me that my trim doesn't have to match. Very helpful! And I do need something. There are small gaps, and if liquid spilled, it would go down between my wall and cabinets, where I can't get to it. Would be disastrous.

2 year old post

Well seeing the new comment made me realize I never posted the end result. Here is what we went with! All the suggestions were a big help in our decision!