I decided to go with a marble backsplash and thought I had the perfect marble selected...but learned the hard way I should have opened all the boxes first to see what I actually got. I still got some lovely marble, it just is devoid of the pattern that was on the display sample (which I learned was 6 years old!). But, for this contemporary kitchen, it this 4x12 honed marble might really be the cleanest and classiest.

I went to another shop anyway and found one with a pattern. Comes in 3x12 but is polished, but it has a pattern. See the poll below and let me know what you think.

Picture attached of the granite island nearby.

See the poll here: http://houzz.com/discussions/3802258