It would help a lot if you could post a few pictures.

Since I posted I saw a glass sheet back-splash, no grout looked clean, is this outdated now? An in thing? add to the value of the house?

Oak cabinets have movement due to the grain. Your countertops sound like they have movement too. You need your backsplash to be very simple. If cabinets countertop and backsplash all have movement, the look is over busy, even if each surface individually is lovely. In my own oak kitchen, I found a simple cream subway tile to be the best look.

My pics -work in progress: · More Info

Hi Ann!

I'm Leslie, a designer at Motawi Tileworks. With a dark granite counter top, especially one that pulls in interesting pops of color like orange, I would almost suggest a darker backsplash. Since you are hoping to install those under-cabinet lights, nothing will be too-dark, and the cohesion between the sink, counter and backsplash would be beautiful. This is an example of that dark-on-dark color scheme, featuring some of our handmade and hand glazed tiles. (I love how this pops orange, too!)

Alternatively, you can use a lighter backsplash to create texture and highlight the contrast from your other kitchen design elements. Maybe a panel above the range could provide a focal point for your kitchen layout. The hyper-textured Sopwith tiles below can make tone-on-tone totally unique.

Best of luck with your backsplash!