Here is a pic to how how tall can cabs are

I would do one of two things…
1) End the tile with the upper cabinet.
2) Extent your granite all the way to the window frame &take tile all the way over to the window frame.

I would do neither of those - I would end the tile with the end of the countertop (and I would make the countertop edge on the window side much less huge - it hangs over too much) - either make the tile square, or if you like the look, angle it from top to bottom (from the bottom edge of the upper cabinet to the edge of the m counter)

At the end of the upper cabinets.

At the end of the counter.

What about putting a little angled or curved open shelf unit in the 10"?

If not, I'd think about tiling to the edge of the counter but taking that line all the way up to the ceiling, and hanging something narrow and pretty in front of the tile.

~emmers

End of counter/base cabs.

But a vintage style quarter moon shelving unit like emmers suggests would be so perfect there. :)

Thank you everyone!

Teachertile-the mock up really helps-going the length of base actually doesn't bother me as much as I had thought-I think maybe if I hang a few square canvas pictures above it, maybe it will balance it...

Fori, that is a great idea! I have started a houzz board for that and will consult with my cab lady. :) :)

I think it's more visually balanced if you go to the end of the counter with the tile. We have the same layout and we have a 8 x 8" painting about 12 inches above the tile. It look nice.

This post was edited by jerzeegirl on Fri, Feb 6, 15 at 12:03

Add a shelf.

I obsessed over this and ended my tile with the uppers with just 1-2 inches inch to the window and door trims. Since I have a mosaic backsplash it was difficult to have perfectly even cuts and I now wish I had just gone to the window/door trim as the GC suggested. I don't think that anyone would have ever noticed and it would have been a cleaner look . He used a schluter edge for the free edges of the tile.

Here are samples

This first pic takes a lot of work - another cabinet, cut off countertop.. etc

another sample - take backsplash up

backsplash up with shelves..

Thank you everyone sooo much! The visuals have helped me so much!!! MrsShayne-my fave visual is the first one you posted-would love to do that, but I am skiddish about knocing out the light shield, and molding at the top and ordering more cabs...I so want to be done. Jerzeegirl- I really like the idea of hanging art above tile to balance it...on the opposite wall I will order some canvas pictures of the kids, so that may just roll along with that theme. :) You all are great-this really did help this non-visual girl, and I keep coming back here to look and debate. :) <3

Heidi, I had this issue, and I "stair-stepped" the tile from the edge of upper cabinet to the end of the counter.