nope...prefer the one with larger tiles...on the right....a few reasons: it has a bit more yellow which is more consistent with your cabinet color. The gray or small tile is very competing with the counter..color is not as good, and the "vibe" is not right for what you have going. Not sure I would do the gold tone hardware...there are plenty of nice cool metals...pewter...brushed nickel...polished nickel....stainless...brushed chrome......matte black.....do a darker bronze if you want the warmer tone....keep it more subtle. The right hand choice for backsplsash is a great looking tile...it would work really well. On the island area, keeping the same counter seems a good option...think about a treatment to the corners or a different edge than perimeter just for interest. With the nice stained floors below and around...that detail could really give a wonderful return for not too much more money-but yes...it is an upcharge.....worth it for your space. Don't fret about wall color.....tons of paint to get customized any tone/intensity you want.

I like all your choices and agree about the smaller tile. I especially like your pulls.

herbflavor said: it has a bit more yellow which is more consistent with your cabinet color.

Sorry, but one cannot tell color difference on a computer monitor. One can only tell how color looks in real life so please do not use others opinions of color on the internet to influence your choice. IF in real life the tile on the right does have more yellow, and it matches your cabinets in real life, then make the decision based on your real life experience.

However just looking at the overall feel of the two tiles, I prefer the one on the left. I feel it will give more of an overall texture that will compete less with the countertop.

In person the tones in the both the smaller and larger tile were pretty much identical though I can see why the other poster thinks there's more yellow in them and my cabinet from the photo. The only question we had looking at the two of them was whether the smaller or larger tile would work better in the space. I leaned toward the larger tile looking somewhat at odds/competing with the veining in the countertop.

It is clear to see the one on the left is a GRAY tile...the one on the right contains gray and some other tones....thereby the overall of that right tile is a better prospect. The problem is the lighting and the actual tone of WHITE of your door.....there are many whites and the lighting in spaces varies. That is the issue.......therefore the one on the right will allow for these variances. I would not pick the all gray tile and stand by what I am seeing...Of course the homeowner will do as they see fit..it seems as though opinions are being requested here.

I like the larger tile and the grout lines seem a little more prominent and coordinate well with the color of your cabinets. ( If you do that same creamy grout color)

Of course the homeowner will do as they see fit..it seems as though opinions are being requested here.

Sorry I wasn't trying to negate your opinion in terms of style of what looks better. The truth is either one in terms of style will work. It comes down to personal preference. I expressed mine and you expressed yours. As you noted, both are valid.

However, as an artist who photographs art and still life subjects constantly, I know that even getting my own artwork to photograph with the colors correctly is a major job and even then, some colors just never look right on my "color corrected" monitor. Greys are notorious for trending either too blue or too yellow when photographed. Dark reds and purples too. And when I think I have the colors corrected and go into my DH's room to view them, over half the time the color on his monitor looks off compared to my monitor.

You see some yellow undertones in the tile on the right. On my screen I see no such thing which is why I made the comment about how we can't discern color on monitors.

You're taking a first step. But you need to checkout those sample boards and revisit them in your space under the lighting you're going to see them in the greatest amount of time. If you have limited natural light your bulb choice can have an impact. LED bulbs have different temperatures from warm to cool. A straight incandescent bulb is at the warm end and sunshine is not so 'red' as it also includes more of the blue spectrum. Give us some pics with lights leaning up against the wall. Once you get them in place the shadow effect from the texture of one can change the color as can the relative reflectivity- matte to shiny. You got to look at them in place.

My personal opinion on the brass is a no go even though they seem to be trying to break into kitchen design lately. Especially with greys.

Thank you all. In case this helps, here links to the product pages and I added some closer up photos I took: larger tile and smaller tile

dan1888 - That is a good point about seeing it under the light in my kitchen. It gets very limited natural light which is why we wanted to keep everything light in the new kitchen to begin with. I'll go back to the shop to see about doing that.

In truth..I think looking at other places or other selections might be in order. These tiles both seem a little rustic....they have rough surfaces and there are so many basic glazed tiles which run the gamut of tones and amount of gloss...... Are you opposed to a ceramic glazed tile: I think it would give you the more appropriate coordination with the white shaker. As well, I wipe glazed backsplash tiles quite frequently...splashes from real cooking do occur....the glazed tile cleans easily. I see both your samples as more to do with walnut or espresso oak slab doors if they were to be used at all....but they seem like the type of tile around a fireplace or accent wall or the like.....keep looking and thinking.

I'm not opposed to something a little simpler. I'll try another place tomorrow with some cabinet and counter sample photos and will post some more ideas. :)

I'm the only poster who feels strongly about this, feel free to ignore me, but putting a natural stone bs tile against a stone-look counter makes your beautiful, seriously expensive counter look fake. Consider other options like glazed ceramic tiles.

I also agree it's important to wait until your counters are installed, then look at tile samples in your own space in your own light.

Do you have inspiration images for your design, and do you have a tile budget in $/sf?

I would make NO decision until the countertops are installed and all the lighting and cabinet doors are in place. Only then will you be able to tell when you bring the sample boards to YOUR kitchen to see them. Don't get in a hurry!

So unfortunately our countertops are still not installed, but we did get some photos yesterday of some tiles I picked up against the lighting and cabinets in the kitchen. I learned it is very, very difficult to match whites as I picked up several samples and none were quite right. I'm including the closest I could find. First the gray:

Then the white:

Thanks! So you think that gray is a little too dark? I do think a light gray is probably the way to go. Surprisingly tricky to find one I like in our space though!

So we actually don't love the smaller tile now that our countertops are installed.

Instead here are the two contenders (taken in natural light)

One of those was a little blurry so here's a different shot with the cabinets.

I like the larger tiles. I have a similar quartz countertop with a natural stone tiles (similar to the ones you are considering) and I was concerned about them not working with the quartz. But, the ones I choose work great, in my opinion. Here is a pic when they were working on it. I would make sure that when you are looking at the stuff from the Tile Shop, you look at what they actually have, because it can vary widely from the sample boards. I found that out when I ordered tile from them for a bathroom and had to return it all. Anyway, I think ceramic tiles would work too. Good luck.

Thank you! That's why we ended up discounting the smaller tile - some of the variation was not to my taste. Yours looks great!

We went with the larger tiles and are very pleased with the result!

cannedpumpkin,

I love your backsplash. It goes very well with your counter tops.

Do you mind sharing the name, material and color of your backsplash? Are your counter tops Cambria Torquay?

Thank you,

Mindy

Hi and thank you! Of course. Our countertops are quartz - Vicostone Misterio - and the backsplash is from Tile Shop: https://www.tileshop.com/product/san+dona+honed+amalfi+2+x+4+in.do

Love your tile! What grout did you use? Can you post more pics?

Sure! The grout color was called platinum. I can't remember the brand since our contractor did it.

I've attached a photo with our lights on. Any paint suggestions are welcome. Our current white walls are too warm I think. I was debating a very light gray or different shade of white.

I think a very pale grey will tie in the backsplash grey color variation in nicely.

isn't your hardware a newer statement finish? I'd seriously wait until that is done. The wall color , as is, seems perfectly fine actually. The visuals seem to move between beautiful floor and solid, well done wall tile. I would definitely let the walls just blend with the off white ...no contrast...no statement wall, etc. If no coat hooks are planned for the wall between the two back doors , you could put some framed family photos of your excursions, or a painting that you like. Your kitchen is shaping up so well.

Here's our hardware finally installed. Very pleased! I think we are going to stick with our current paint color, Benjamin Moore simply white, but have the pros redo it because my paint job wasn't the best.

It sometimes looks a little on the yellow undertoney side, which was why I was hesitant to keep the same color, but I think we will go ahead and keep it.

Gorgeous!

Beautiful. Can you tell me what your pulls are and are they comfortable to grab? Love them.

The pulls are by Alno: http://www.myknobs.com/alna951sb.html

They are very comfortable to pull!

In case anyone is interested, here are the final results!

Beautiful!