So you plan to still add a back splash? And I assume you are considering putting the back splash tile on the section of retaining wall? You can do that, but if it is any color other than white, it is going to 'stick out'. If you want the wall to blend in, keep it white. If you want the wall to be a focal point, then do tile it. I would be more apt to add a back splash under your windows and tile at the same height on that retaining wall. So 3/4 of it remains white wall and the bottom the matching tile. Here are some examples ( could on 'paint it on) that might help you visualize:

More:

And ( looks like you have a light blue on your table?)

I think a clear glass tile would look nice here. Just a little contrast, just a little bling.

@Diana Thanks!, yes we are going to add tile, the grey one more like,

You think we should make the tile on the sticking out wall like the rest?

We want it to stick out in cool way.

@Arvilla thanks too - yes we thought on glass tile along the kitchen wall , clear you mean white?

You are right. i see it too now.

Thanks ! :)

Perhaps something like in our design below?

You could add a bright accent color only to the wall and/or maybe add functionality to it, such as a vertical wine rack, or some other attractive/creative utensil-holding function; a cool spice rack for frequently used spices, if no significant light exposure; an herb wall; cutting board display; remove large knife block from counter and put knives on magnetic strip on the wall.

[houzz=[https://www.houzz.com/photos/custom-home-transitional-wine-cellar-chicago-phvw-vp~5465584[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/custom-home-transitional-wine-cellar-chicago-phvw-vp~5465584)]
[houzz=[https://www.houzz.com/photos/roxton-contemporary-kitchen-vancouver-phvw-vp~3194857[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/roxton-contemporary-kitchen-vancouver-phvw-vp~3194857)]

You could recess it a bit or enhance it to add dimension:

[houzz=[https://www.houzz.com/photos/lompier-interior-group-modern-kitchen-sacramento-phvw-vp~318599[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/lompier-interior-group-modern-kitchen-sacramento-phvw-vp~318599)]

[houzz=[https://www.houzz.com/photos/the-silhouette-contemporary-kitchen-new-york-phvw-vp~724920[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/the-silhouette-contemporary-kitchen-new-york-phvw-vp~724920)]

Or you could simply do nothing to draw attention to it, like the photo below, and instead add accent color to other places in kitchen.

[houzz=[https://www.houzz.com/photos/silver-contemporary-kitchen-san-francisco-phvw-vp~103375[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/silver-contemporary-kitchen-san-francisco-phvw-vp~103375)]

HI -- I would ignore it and not accent it .

How about the thoughts of using canvas, self-adhesive wall murals? Choose from millions of photos or textures to get the look you are wanting. Check our houzz page at http://www.houzz.com/pro/limitlesswalls/limitless-walls 

Thank you all,

I think we will take some advices - we will put tiles in clear color on the bottom and decorate the wall with one of the ideas @zx14 have given

Thanks A-lot :)

This is from one of our designs, it might help inspire you.

Just my 2 cents worth ... With the cooktop so close to the bump out wall, you will need an easy-to-clean surface all around the cooktop. Additionally, the two sets of windows do not look to be the same height. I would trim/frame or whatever was possible to get them to look as similar as possible. And if one has a ledge, add something similar to the other. I don't know that there is much you can do with the air unit on the one side. If the lines work with the tall cabinets to the left, maybe a long, narrow(er) shelf (just under the air unit) along the entire length of the wall with the cooktop and sink ( skipping the wall that juts out) to further tie the 2 wall parts together. If there is enough space, you can place some interesting, colorful items to tie the whole kitchen together.

Thanks @lawecreate

@Kenler - wood is not that much since our home is more modern type (laca and white/grey colors. ) thanks :)

Hi, backsplash in white glass tile everything to the bottom of the Windows but don't add any of this to the wall itself.

Then use the same tile in a different colour to give you some pop and do the whole wall. (For example bright red glass).

Also do you not have a hood fan over than stove top?

@Steven

No - because we have a big window there we pass on it.

nice idea about the tile, we are worried that it could look like bathroom tiles so we dont know if we need to continue all the way to the top. (with different color)

in my opinion the kitchen could use a little hint of warmth.
i would create a backsplash with non glossy black 10x10 tiles up to the windowsill
and for a bit of warmth cover the retainingwall in untreated oak paneling.

After reconsideration, aply the earlier mentioned black tiles all over the wall.
then consider if to leave the retainingwall white or to cover it in oak.

To me it looks like the wall would look best painted a nice color, there are water resistant paints but a strip of glass(slab) backsplash could also be used at the bottom.

If you want 'cool' then you want it noticeable. These client photos are not the best quality - the real McCoys look sharper than the pictures.

Hi, maybe a tin sealing and a grey/silver backsplash.

You are obviously going modern in this space. What about a simple, thin subway tile - something like in the image?

I would tile the whole area from counter to ceiling in a watery blue glass tile. You could minimize the retaining wall by hanging a droopy plant in front of it, clad it in a whitewashed wood, or even put some kind of sconce there. Whatever tile you choose, I would find an accessory that echoes that color to place in the nook at the far left of the photo, perhaps even a stacking server with coordinating plates or Creuset ware.

I like the glass tile idea, but on the narrow edge facing the kitchen, why not do something quirky like hanging several trivets? Depending on your style, you could hang different shapes of iron-type trivets or a collection of ceramic/glass trivets that pop out the co-ordinating colors in your kitchen. Visual and functional-- right next to the cook-top and handy for setting those hot pots on your beautiful counter-tops.

Consider linear laid rectangular tile in a running bond pattern (the way bricks walls are typically built), or similar, above the entire countertop to the window sill. This will coordinate nicely with the long drawers you have below the cabinet without overdoing the horizontal lines and contrast nicely with the vertical retaining wall. As you have gone with all white up to this point, I'm guessing you are a fan of the all-white kitchen; therefore, I suggest a mix of pale neutrals for the tile--beige, cream, gray, tan. Choose a texture that is easy to clean, and keep the joints tight. As for the column, I see a perfect opportunity to tie it with the adjacent walls. Typically this would be great for accent color, but keeping with the white palette, I suggest doing them in an off white or cream, and probably a satin texture; the overall effect would create a perception of more texture. Altogether, you would still have a still very white-styled kitchen, yet warm and a perfect backdrop for any pop of color you choose with dishes or accessories, which you can change at your whim. Good luck. I can't wait to see what you do in the end and want to see a picture. Whatever you do, have fun and love it!

Why is the wall of cabinets on the left jammed up against the countertop of the sink? Like wise the range top is jammed right up against the retaining wall making the wall standout even more! All this Windows and nothing is centered under them. Meanwhile the entire wall on the right is empty?
Kitchen has great potential but you need a professional designer to organize the space properly.
Sorry for being so blunt but it looks like some very nice countertops and cabinets are being misused.

After looking at your ideabooks, I think what we did in your kitchen would work for yours. We did white subway tile, the smaller 2x4 inch tiles all the way up the wall to the ceiling. Granted, our kitchen is not as modern as yours. However, having the subway tile go all the way to the ceiling gives it a bit of an industrial/modern look. It's unexpected, and does not look like a bathroom at all.

I would add a magnetic knife strip on the bump-out so you can get your knife block off the countertop. I don't know that I'd add a wine rack to it, because the heat from the stove would ruin the wine.

I've included a couple pictures of our kitchen tile. These just are pics from my phone, so it's not the best quality.

I would avoid a colored tile, unless you did gray. Doing the tile in an color other than gray or white will limit your color choices in the future. The white subway tile give it a very clean look, which would work extremely well in your kitchen. I like it because it's classic and won't look dated in 10 years.

I would suggest staying away from the 4x6 standard size, and go with a 3x6 or the smaller 2x4. Using these more modern sizes would give a more modern look to the tile. I really like the idea of 3x6 tiles in a stacked layout for your kitchen, like the kitchen below.

I'd do that whole wall one colour. Perhaps something like this:

Can you flip the sink and cooktop to opposite sides of the retaining wall? And build a faux retaining wall in the corner left of the new position of the cooktop. Remove the Windows on the left and place a range hood with or without cabinets between the retaining walls.
If light is an important issue, use a contemporary stainless and glass hood replace the window with two picture windows straddling the exhaust vent of the range hood.

Ps it looks like there is already a sink cabinet centered under the bank of Windows to the right of the retaining wall. Move the sink to that cabinet and it will de-emphasize the retaining wall and give you prep areas left and right of the new sink position.

After reading all the posts and viewing the attached pictures, I vote for doing the whole wall in one color; as suggested by Jennifer K. It doesn't chop the wall into pieces and gives the whole wall a cohesive look. It really adds some life to all the white cabinets! And, I've noticed this on other posts, please don't suggest a person move a sink or a stove when they have just remodeled! I've noticed others are also annoyed when people go off topic and don't really offer viable suggestions for the person seeking design assistance! Best idea, Jennifer K, easy, inexpensive, and biggest impact for that wall!!!!!

I agree the whole wall in a POP color would be nice but I do see that you need back splash tile too. So, tile all over the place is great if you can manage it. It doesn't look like a bathroom! I can see that going up over the heat unit to ceiling might be too much for you, in which case I advocate for tiles (small vertically long rectangles, possibly glass colored so they are "light") that go up to top of windows, including the bump out.

I like that first image with the pink below the windows. Pink and grey (counter top) looks great together!

I had a structural piece like that in my condo. I just kept the whole wall white, but I did put in a back splash of bead-board: ran it vertical high enough to attach shelves to on one wall (with plywood behind it for added strength/wall depth), then a short piece horizontal behind my stove which had a raised area behind as part of the island. I liked that the bead-board added some texture without distracting from the design.

You can always play with adding some decorative pieces up the structure piece and see if you like that look. Can play with some decals that don't have permanent sticky stuff on it so they can be easily removed. That could be kinda fun...! Just some sort of squiggles or geometric patterns...

Tile and Paint your wall to look like a Mondrian painting. Right now it's just a hodgepodge of different elements and will be almost impossible to tie those elements into a cohesive whole. Embrace the imbalance and make it a work of art.

I would definitely do a faded rustic brick veneer to the entire wall, bump out included. But then, I really like a modern/loft type look.

Wow great ideas!

Thank you all!

The space needs color, unified lines, texture, and sparkle. I like your touches of red for color. To unify lines, could the valance (if that is what it is) over the sink window be lowered enough to allow a matching one to fit over the right-side windows, under the AC unit? Slim red trim lines could then lead the eye around the room, across both valances and the soffit over the oven-wall cabinets. I would clad the support column in brushed stainless steel, add the thin horizontal tiles suggested by Get It Together in a similar gray to the steel but a different sheen (for texture), and paint the rest of the wall gray. Additional lighting would help immensely, especially point sources that would add sparkle. Then furnishings and accessories that support the gray/white/red scheme would bring the room to life. Something like this, perhaps?

Nice idea - thanks.

i like the colored wall with the brick under it.

we already started to enter some red color to the kitchen to break it a-bit - i will upload updated pic.

Look into an "old washed out brick" look for the wall that sticks out and then back splash the rest (the whole wall or just below the windows). The brick will bring warmth to a modern look and give another dimension to the space. Best of luck with your design:)

To make a cohesive dramatic (cool) wall I suggest the thin subway tile as suggested a few days ago OR a mixture of white and 2 shades of grey glass tiles on the whole wall. It would help minimize the pillar jutout and my motto is "Keep it simple!" Frame both windows so the same size and buy a grey/white roller blind that fits inside each window frame. Simple ideas add to the modern concept you are wanting to achieve. Good luck!

MIRROR TILES