You might want to try brushed aluminum panels or glas..

What color scheme? We looked at the glass Mosaic tiles today but still unsure of going dark or light

something shinny if for no other reason than easy cleaning,copper,stainless steel...

Go with the coloring tones of your floors

What other colors are in the room off the kitchen? I would get a glass tile in 1" x 2" . They come in sheets in a color palette that you select. Your granite looks dark too. So go with a lighter selection.
Do you have greens in your home or blues? You can use a sheet with one of those colors. If neutral then do a mix of creams and mocha. You need some pop!

search on houzz for a similar kitchen style where the owners/designers have placed varying kinds and colors of backsplashes together. also, you may consider taking a few more pictures where you actually stand at the sink, and then near the stove/counter. these additional pictures will help you decide what you eyes like. the white window casng/frame is one of the distractions and this in itself should be considered in your choice. enjoy the process and best of luck. take some samples home and stack them up one at a time, stand back a little and take pics.

Use glass tiles and mix the colors using mostly light but bring in the counter top color as well as the stainless steel from the appliances.

I think the choice of color of the backsplash depends on whether you want thesmall appliances and other items on the counter to stand out or disappear.

It needs some color, go with mosaic glass

We had very similar colors to start with. I put up a cool blue(ish) glass tile to contrast the warm color scheme of the rest of my house. I do everything myself, so the cost is minimal for a small backsplash job.

Here's the "real" before and after.

Consider colored glass. Also traditional subway tiles would look nice. I would go light

I would try with a glass tile as well, mosiac perhaps and take the floor color and cabinet color and add a color from your home for a splash of color. You can even mix in a glass tile and a stainless steel tile for an added drama that gives some shine and goes with the appliances

some tiles to consider

more

and some more
And because the counter top continues up the wall a bit I suggest bringing some samples home and see how you like it - I suspect a monotone colour similar to the counter will work best. Grout colour will also have influence on the required effect. I have bought 1 or 2 sheets before for the purpose of a sample with the grout. I have seen many wrong choices and combinations. Good Luck!

Your cherry cabinets will get darker as they age. My suggestion is to pick a mosaic that is predominately lighter with some darker attributes to tie everything together.

I was recently challenged with the same decision-I found prefabricated absolute granite for the counters (less expensive than slab) and the fabrication was very good. The choice was between a full matching black backsplash going around a small window and having 2 window sills with a bullnose edge matching the countertop edge OR using white subway tile. It was a tough choice for many reason - also the new Lutron devices had to be either black or white. I would not have been able to get the full bullose window sills with tile or stone. I ended up putting in a round skylight in the area betwen the counters and the island and xenon lights under all the cabinets, Although I do miss the light white tile backsplash I previously had, this is a very clean look and everything looks great against the black. Without the skylight it would have been very dark but with the windows, skylight and under cabinet lights , I l think I made the right decision. I also did not have a tile installar as available as the fabricators. It is important to have skilled granite fabricators doing the work.Lighting should definitely play a role in making your decision.

.. I have the same range and microwanve set up as you do. The horizontal strip of black looks perfect between the stove and microwave.

rwagenaar: Do you know who the manufacturer is of the mercury glass looking tiles you had recommended?

We have dark wood cabinets and stainless steel appliance - we installed stainless steel backspash (subway looking tiles) that we purchased from overstock.com. great quality, excellent price

costco has this wonderful class mosiac tiles they carry in store (every store carries different ones i believe), the ones in San Francisco had white/clear ones, and white/marble ones, SUPER good quality and SUPER reasonable price, i wish i knew about costco's in store/in stock home items before i did my other renovation.

Definitely do a glass tile back splash for the reflectivity, but it might be nice to bring in stone as well. They have some very lovely glass with stone mixed-in tile out there that would complement your floors as well as bringing in some of the "bling" that your kitchen could use against those dark cabinets.

heloo

go for mix match.. light and color mix tiles

regards

@kroderick; decorating-trends.com are featuring them if you mean these

I like a lot of the tile selections above,but if you are going to do a dramatic backsplash glass or mosaic you should remove the 3" backsplash on the back of the existing top, if you can, and tile down to the countertop. It looks more finished.

Agree with Main Line Kitchen Design; I would remove the 3" back splash as well - it looks less squashed and more custom.

Your cabinets are so red and the wall and floor color is so neutral. You need an accent color to make the room more interesting. I would go with the glass tiles in green or blue mixed with gray if that counter top is gray. I think you may want to rethink the floor color. It would look fantastic in a dark gray.

My husband and I have slightly darker cabinetry and our granite counter tops are darker and marblle like, not speckled like yours appear to be. My husband cut cream stonelike tiles with a slightly rough finish into subway-like tiles (very time consuming, but he enjoyed the project) We liked the dramatic contrast of the cream without distracting attention from the rich look of the deep coloured cupboards and ebony countertops. We did spend more money on them and the backsplash is an accent not a main focus. You have beautiful stools/chairs, open shelves at the end of your cupboards, open cupboard over your fridge and it appears that you actually use your countertop. You may appear too busy if you draw attention to a bold backsplash.

Use mirror. I suggested it in another discussion recently. Easy to clean, cheaper and will bring light into your kitchen.

I would consider a glass tile that has both the beigey warm color and the gray in it. There are many to consider that feature that look. Keep it neutral and add color with a rug perhaps and in your accessories, towels, placemats, valance, covers on barstools. Best of luck!

I'm a glass artist. There's a glass called 'Van Gogh' glass which comes in small tiles. You can also get it in sheets for the purpose you are looking for. It will have a metallic appearance which will pick up that chrome you have around the kitchen. Select a shade you like, you REALLY like. It will strike you the moment you see it. That's the color scheme you should go with on that backsplash.

Personally I would go with a gray backsplash that around the same shade of darkness as your countertops. A mosiac with stainless steel will work, but there are tons of options with gray mixed in. I do think different flooring would really help pull the colors of your kitchen together. I agree with the comment that a floor that is a darker gray would be absolutely lovely. You could also do a dark gray window treatment, perhaps a roman shade? Don't be afraid to go dark, provided you have ample light.

Hello, You have a great start to your kitchen with beautiful cabinetry and a nice neutral tile. Perhaps something like this would be good for your kitchen? it adds just enough character without being overwhelming. Would balance nicely with the warm rich tones in the cabinets but simultaneously have enough clarity to balance the dark finish of the counter tops.
http://www.glasstilestore.com/collection/glass-tiles/tao-glass-1.html

rwagenaar-Can you tell me where the top right tile in your last tile posts is from? Thank you

@aswedishelf - I tried to duplicate the search that found these tiles, but couldn't
Daltile offers a similar product called Tiger Eye Sumatran TE 28 - hope this helps.
Or you can google images for back splashes.
I am rwagenaar - got a second account in error.
Rinske

@aswedishelf- i believe that is Ragno Catwalk in Olive Oxfords. If you google "ragno catwalk olive oxfords" it will show up at various places.

Thank you so much. :)

Thanks cariampbell - that's the ones.

You're welcome. I love that tile!

Living room fire place I don't know how to dress it up. Picture on the wall?