Would you stick with a simple white tile?

I think I'm really looking to get some color in the house :)

why not a shiny glass PLAIN tile with a stacked pattern or something unexpected in the pattern - instead of making it compete with the counter for the movement?

I agree that a plain color tile would work well.

Plain tile is my vote as well...

GF is getting berwyn, and I love the color in the "whale tails" tile. Unfortunately, she's not going with this combo. Note how pretty the taupe is with the counter too.

I like what you picked because the cabinets and beams need a tile to "stand up to them"..I like the deeper gold color as it ties in with the wood...and the other shades are "cool" . I think a plain tile would be "plain". It's great-I'd do the first pick you show...get a grout color that blends in more though..

I also like what you picked. I understand wanting color and I don't think the mix of tiles competes too much with your counter at all.

The vihara glass just isn't working. What I liked about it was that it tied in some cooler tones to balance out all the wood. I'm not opposed to a plain color - it's just that anything that "matches" just seems to wash out the wood. I'm totally open to color suggestions..

Ps... The obvious choice with the Berwyn seems to be green- but I'm just not feeling it.

Just to give you a feel of how much wood we are talking about...

The kitchen is not always this dark. This was taken from a loft on a cloudy day. We are also adding lighting over the island that will further brighten the space.

I think you're right to ditch the idea of that busy mosaic with the swirly counter. It seems to have been a popular look at one time, but for modern kitchens, I think we've learned that either the backsplash or the counter can have a lot of color and pattern, but not both. I also feel that that mosaic seems better suited as a bathroom tile. I'd use a ceramic tile with your rustic cabinets.

We have Berwyn in 2 bathrooms which aren't complete yet but we are not using any tile just a small backsplash. I think the mosaic is much to busy with the Berwyn. I'd go for something light and plain. I'm not at the house at the moment but when I go there today I will see what tiles I may still have around there that are light and snap some photos for you.

That would be great. Thank you!! I would love to see examples of what other people used with the Berwyn or similar counters. I think part of my problem here is that the sample we saw was very neutral and I envisioned a light delphinium or tanzanite blue glass tile. The slab came in totally different. We liked it- so we moved forward, but I can't get that lovely backsplash out of my head..

Check out this post - her countertops have similar colors to yours and she did a blue glass backsplash: [https://www.houzz.com/discussions/besss-story-kitchen-renovation-from-drab-to-fab-dsvw-vd~3776426?n=13[(https://www.houzz.com/discussions/besss-story-kitchen-renovation-from-drab-to-fab-dsvw-vd~3776426?n=13)

What is your tile. Budget in $/SF?

No real budget. Obviously we'd like to keep costs down, but we'd be willing to splurge if we found the perfect tile.

Let's say $45/sf max...

Farming wife... That is beautiful!!

I think the first question one should ask is what is the style and feel of the existing elements. Too often people jump right to color and end up with a hodge podge of styles. How fancy do you want to get with barnwood cabinets?

The counter is very much on trend and you could see it fitting easily into a white or gray kitchen. It could go classic or contemporary and you could pair it with glass tiles to work with either aesthetic. But that counter and rustic wood is a little bit of an unexpected pairing. Glass is blingy and sparkly while barnwood is earthy. Do you match the backsplash to the feel of the counter or the feel of the cabinets? Well, the home is rustic too. I think of pottery paired with barnwood, so I'd look at ceramic tiles. I love a matte finish with its soft satin glaze. For that matter, a matte glass tile in subway would work too. Fireclay has them in several blue colors. I like Bluegrass Matte.

https://www.fireclaytile.com/glass/colors/detail/bluegrass-matte/

still like what you picked and can envision it in your space. I don't know what else you'd like.....maybe just leave it and spend time in the space and see what feel might be missing....you have earthiness with the wood..and scale with the angle and beams....open plan where visually people see different things. I like the smaller shaped tile for interest.....the slight nod to some color [greens-a nice natural color].....a little shine to reflect some light...a little visual detail with the shape.....yet it's not too powerful or too much anything. Maybe the spanish or morrocan type colorful tile with lots of color/design...think Santa Fe... I just don't see a flat single color ceramic tile-I think it'll get lost with your strong elements.

I took quite a few pictures for you but dont know how many I can post. There are no vanity lights but one bathroom has a skylight and the other is just a small ceiling light.

Thanks so much for the pics. I do think white tile may be a possibility, but it would have to be the right finish.

Here is a better picture of the space. Our home is a renovated dairy barn. The kitchen is the only place that is so heavy on the barn wood (just exposed beams throughout the house). I'd like a modern rustic look. I actually like the juxtaposition of the rustic barnwood against a sleek, shiny finish. That being said, I do have an open mind and am so appreciative of all these different points of view.

I love your kitchen. I live in a little farmhouse with white plaster walls and a barnwood back wall, and am also thinking about a backsplash. I have fallen for Winchester Tile. Because you picked a color, here's a green and one of their many neutrals.

Here's one of their blues:

Everything about your beautiful space reads "rustic" to me, so my first thought was Glazed Thin Brick from Fireclay Tile. These are much plainer than your tiles, and I know you're trying to de-emphasize the rustic-ness, so this might not be your choice, but here it is in Glacier and Cotton next to a sample of Berwyn that I got from your image.

Alternatively, consider their glazed tile in one of their beautiful shapes. These are, respectively, Foggy Morning with Black Patine, and Flagstone, that I think would be absolutely stunning, and sports a satin finish, French Gray, a very sophisticated choice, and the beautiful Slate Blue.

One note on depth of hue....you have a dark space, and it is natural to want to lighten it up. But sometimes giving in to the dark makes the space more organic. You can lighten it with actual light fixtures, but it's a dark space even with white walls. Don't shy away from the Slate, or darker colors, till you've seen them in your space. You might surprise yourself by how much you love it. Blues are absolute heaven with wood tones.

As far as shape is concerned, the Ogee Drop and Mini Star and Cross would be so beautiful in your space, as to cause occasional tears. The Picket in Flagstone would be oddly similar to your first choice, but consider the Wave shape as well.

Ogee Drop

Mini Star and Cross

Wave

I really love the blue tiles that barncatz and eam44 suggested. Do you think the blues could really work with the Berwyn?

How would you edge the star and cross pattern?

Just for fun I played with that blue one Barncatz posted. I saw a gray-blue color in the wood on the island, so I wondered if it could work. I know it is not traditional to pair a shiney tile with such a rustic kitchen, but I like a little unexpected bling sometimes. :-)

This is really off as far as the tile scale, just giving you an idea of the color.

Blue, cream/white, and brown are a beautiful combination. The right blue will be lovely in your space.

I love the Mini Star and Cross tiles. You would "edge" them with trim pieces in the same glaze. Here's a screen shot of a page from the Fireclay web site for their Mayan Blue glaze. You can select tile sizes and trim pieces there. Fireclay also offers design services, so they can tell you and probably show you which trim they recommend.

Because of the complexity of the Berwyn, you want to keep things pretty uniform, but you don't actually have to stick with one color glaze. Here are some fun looks with star and cross (not necessarily right for your space, but they might get you thinking...). You might pair French Gray with Foggy Morning, for example.

I like the tiles Jancy posted. Keep in mind there will be a lot of tile. The countertop is beautiful and I think a more subtle tile look will make it the star. Tile isn't easily replaced so pick something you will like for a long time. You can add color and a little bling if you want in accessories.

There's a Tile School post on the Fireclay web site that discusses the use of trim pieces. With the Mini Star and Cross you would probably want a 1" X 6" trim with either a bullnose or simple glazed edges, but you can see many other options as well.

It's a Moroccan look.

The Star and Cross pattern is an Arabic pattern, but that doesn't limit its application to homes of that style. The pattern reminds me of American quilts, perfect for barnwood I think. The Image below is credited to Jinny Beyer studio

Thanks so much for all the input!! Definitly broadened my horizons a bit for the next trip to the tile store.

Just ordered fireclay samples!! Both glass and clay :)

Good luck! Post please when you get your samples? Although I swore fealty, I keep scrolling up to that flagstone eam44 posted for my bs. Think I'll wander off to the Fireclay website, lol.

Wonderful!! I can't wait to know how you like them. Barn, looking isn't cheating...

It is heavy on barn wood. Skip the frou frou. I do not believe that it would look like a country quilt if you did a pattern across the entire backsplash. It would just look busy, detract from the overall starkness and soak up all available light which is an issue. If you wanted to do it in one particular area it might be ok, although I think it more probable it would look cheesy. I dislike tile because you cannot easily install anything, and once installed, you cannot change it without leaving an obvious mark. You do have several things that would go through the tile are you completely happy with them/their locations? Personally, I would consider a band of berwyn or torquay, as they are shiny enough to reflect light, the band should be tall enough to make the light switches on the left look vertically centered and then paint the rest white.

Fireclay samples!

im having a tough time getting a photo where the tile color looks true to life. They are a little darker in the photos. I'd love to hear what anyone thinks ;)

Left to right: salton sea, silver haze, bluegrass (glass), foggy morning, frost.

Good morning. On my monitor, they all look like they could work. With the barnwood, I personaĺly still lean toward the blues and the frost. I like the glass tile. I'd be scrolling glass tile kitchens to see how I reacted, knowing that I could choose ceramic totally safely. Pretty!

They're beautiful! I don't love the glass tile, but they are all great. I think silver haze and salton sea look amazing with the wood - foggy morning and frost are perfect, a little more expected, but perfect. How do you feel about them?

Choosing a backsplash can be overwhelming! Here is
a great article: A
Backsplash Guide

What did you end up going with? I'm looking at using the same countertop with fireclay tiles - was originally thinking wave shape, but now that seems too busy

I just installed Cambria Berwyn countertops and absolutely love them. They just sparkle so nicely. The backsplash I have chosen is Adex Ocean White Caps, which is a fairly plain tile but has a crackle in it which gives it some texture without being too busy. Can't wait to get it installed.

I just got my Berwyn installed with white cabinets. I love what you chose dchistolini, I also need very simple backsplash. Perfect color!