what color are the walls of your kitchen? are the appliances stainless or another color?

appliances are stainless steel and walls are benjamin moore barren plain. I unfortunately don't have pics to post because our cabinets aren't in yet. we were looking to do tone on tone but wanted to stay a say from subway tiles.

some pics

went yesterday and the kitchen is partially in. Here it is.

a few tile options I found...the first too are a diamond cut marble so are quite shiny. the next is a polished marble and looks like the last pic when installed. our counters will be caeserstone quartz Calcutta nuvo. thoughts and suggestions would be greatly appreciated :)

If you want tone on tone, I love the idea of adding an interesting pattern, like the second sample you show. Or a herringbone pattern. Personally I'd add color. Uploading a picture of your countertop would be helpful though, I could be off base completely.

*edited to change which sample I was referring to as the pictures changed. I don't like the last and second-to-last as all I see are 3-d boxes with that effect. Still think a herringbone would work. Your countertop, which you posted below, seems simple enough to pull off a nice backsplash pattern.

countertop caeserstone quartz Calcutta Nuvo

@susanalanandwrigley when you say second to last (last two are the same tile) do you mean the hexagon or the diamond cut to the left of it? does anyone think this tile is too shiny for a back splash? in person it's beautiful but not sure about its shininess.

I edited my comment above so see that, but also wanted to add that I see in your pic they use the quartz as the backsplash, that is another option if tone on tone is your goal. Though I still like the idea of adding interest with patterned tiles.

Yes sorry I kind of hate the hexagon. But not my kitchen. I like the back-and-forth and different tile sizes in your second sample.

What do you think about the shininess of the second mosaic?

The sheen doesn't bother me, I rather like it.

What about something like one of these? The last is my personal favorite.

I love herringbone but I did that in my washroom already.

You have a huge area for the backsplash. Don't use little tiles! It will be too much pattern.

I like the first two tiles that you picked if you want a more traditional design esthetic.

are you going for a more traditional style?

I make that comment due to the arch that I see in your kitchen.

I would not have a square straight edge on the counter. I would look to the arch for inspiration for the counter edge.

I know that is just one more thing to consider, but it will a difference.

hi Kelley. thank you for your comments. I am actually not going traditional at all. our house is a hundred years old and the arch is an external wall as that kitchen nook was an old extension. so not something we added for this reno but something we have to work with. So our house is definitely transitional. Its much more modern now than it was before. when yiu say you wouldn't do square tile what do you mean? aren't most tiles square?

Leelee that is the kitchen inspiration I loved and I searched high and low for that exact tile and found it in the end but it was $50/sqf and beyond my budget unfortunately. I love the texture it provided and the staggered look but surprisingly nobody had knocked it off because I went to spany stores and they had nothing even similar.

Kelley what would be less traditional in your opinion? I know subway tiles are all the rage these days but so common now.

How about a marble herringbone pattern with a larger tile, nothing too small.

Tammy it's a good idea but I just did that in our washroom. wanted to do something difference. I thought most pics do small tiles for backsplash. Are bigger tiles more contemporary?

I think is the tiles are too small it would look too busy.

the square edge was in respect to the edge of the counter. thus, it sounds like a square edge is your preference if you want a more transitional design esthetic.

is your backsplash limited to the area that is in the image or will the backsplash be used on another area? if the space is more expansive as in it occupies other areas besides what is pictured, then I would consider larger tiles.








it was not about the backsplask.

sorry just saw this Kelly. Yes the backsplash will be going into that little arch room you see in the pic. theres about 60 sf in total.

how high is the backsplash going to run up the wall? I guess that the area will be broken up enough so that the small pattern will not become monotonous.

I would use slab to finish out the windows if you have enough of the slab to do it.

on the side wall near the sunk will you treat that as back splash?