First, great work! you got a lot of update bang for the bucks!!

As to your questions -- I think i would go with white tile, but in glass with white grout. It will help lighten the under-cabinet space (as would under-cabinet lights! ahem), and help make your white appliances feel more at home too. The advantage of glass (or a white glass mosaic) is that you might be able to bring a little sparkle into the space.

As for lights, I'd first remove the one closest to the end of the peninsula -- two seems more balanced here than three. Then I'd go for something that also brings just a little more presence and lives up to your sharp counters et al. My own instinct would be a white with textured glass, but the right color might work.

Beautiful transformation! What color is your granite? If you are wanting something a little more unique than white subway tile, maybe a green or blue is for you? I cannot tell what colors are in the stone for sure, but it seems green may work. I am thinking a light seafoam glass tile would be nice.

Thanks for the nice comments. The granite is Siena River. It's gray, cream, charcoal and a little garnet. I tried to attach another photo of the granite, more of a close up, but it's not working for some reason. Also, the sink, which is hard to see, is a Blanco Silgranit, in metallic gray. The large accent wall in the adjoining dining area is a pretty rich blue - darker than sky blue. It's the same color over the fireplace, and can be seen in a couple photos. Not sure if we have to pick up the blue tones in our backsplash.

Also, I think I'd paint the fireplace a gray or greige color until you reface it. Would go better with the updated look.

LOVE the fireplace just the way it is!

Really, Jonathan? That's good to hear. I was feeling it sticks out like a bruised thumb. It's just so "orange," and nothing else is (except the exterior front of the house and the retaining walls leading to the driveway).

Real brick has such a beautiful texture and depth of color that a flat color lacks. Only paint it if you can't stand the color. Give it some time and incorporate some of those beautiful shades into your decor. All of your hard work was well worth the effort!

I agree that your fireplace looks great!! What a difference the white built-ins make!! It now has a timeless look!!

Wow, doesn't white paint make a dramatic change from the oak? I love how it can transform a room. Your kitchen and built-ins look great. Enjoy your lake home!

Oh, and I'd recommend staying away from tile that is too 'busy' for your backsplash. You want it to complement your kitchen, not overpower it. One thing that we did was to test the grout (we set up a few tiles on a board and compared two colors.) In the end we didn't like either and picked a third one which was the charm. Grout can make or break your backsplash, so it was worth the cost to us to have had to buy all 3. And wait for it to completely dry before deciding; grout can look very different when wet/first applied. Good luck!

Great transformation. Love the flooring. I also like the brick fireplace and wouldn't paint it. I am not loving your cupboard handles - I would use a black or oil rubbed bronze and same for the pendant lights. Would do a blue backsplash or iv you dont do a blue backsplash, go with a nice marble mosaic and a blue Roman shade on the kitchen window.

Glass subway tiles would look great here. A white, cream, or gray color would work fine with your cabinets/countertops. I have linked some of our products below that would work well, you can purchase samples below.

Taupe Gray:

https://www.houzz.com/products/taupe-gray-glass-subway-tile-sample-prvw-vr~40061307

Ice White:

https://www.houzz.com/products/3x6-ice-white-glass-subway-tile-set-of-8-prvw-vr~40060258

Cream:

https://www.houzz.com/products/3x6-cream-glass-subway-tile-set-of-8-prvw-vr~40059041

This might be helpful for getting backsplash and lighting ideas.

First off, great job so far!

The brick on the fireplace doesn't bother me either. You chose the right shade of blue to complement the orangey color in the brick. My only concern is if it's clashing with the floor color. It's hard to see from the image. However, if you want to make a more uniform look, then you could always paint it white. I would live with it for a while to feel it out to see if you love it in the end. You can always paint it down the road.

I really like the penny round backsplash idea from miacomet. It feel like it would add a bit of character to the room. I also like Mrskain's glass mosaic ideas as well... Keep it a nice neutral color and definitely go with a mosaic.

Hard to tell, but it looks like the pendants aren't centered above the peninsula. I would try to even it out. Don't go too large with your pendants. You'll probably want delicate and a nice medium sized pendant. You can take a look at some of our blown and fused glass pendants we make. We can custom make them as individual pendants, or make a single canopy that can center over your existing holes and still be centered over the peninsula (if it's an issue). I also feel 2 may look better than 3. We can also do a chandelier for the dining area that coordinates (not matches) back to the kitchen pendants.

www.shakuff.com