Oh Daina don't fall into Fireclay trap if it's out of budget. The plain ones will probably not compare and you'll hate everything in comparison.

Daina have you considered something in ceramic with color variation between tiles? You can get light and darker shades?

My tiles are hand molded (not sure exactly what that means) and my kitchen is transitional/modern. I wanted a light gray/ taupe. In the morning light, the tile looks gray and as the day goes on it looks taupe. It's a year now and I'm still in love. Live with the samples, moving them around and checking with different lighting. I don't think hand made is negative.

Also I chose the grout I thought was the same color as tile, but it dried lighter. At first I was very upset, but taking advice and living with it, I love how it turned out.

keagle, where are those from? beautiful.

smm, I think we could manage fireclay since we only have 29 sq. ft. to cover (plus we need to buy extra, I know). But we definitely couldn't do the sample that was $3000 for just tile.

Re the "color" concept...I really could see a white 4 by 4 ceramic on the diagonal and insert some yellow accent colors. You have the mauve[purple?] on walls with so much gray and white in your space with all white kitchen and nearly white counters.....[I would pick a pretty pale yellow for the whole backsplash.]..but at least intersperse some color tiles....it would lend a bit more life.....the all white kitchen is getting a little too clinical in my opinion...and the room has just the one color-on the walls...go for some color tile....your whole space with wall removed is great...just put more detail with color in your backsplash....millions of ways to do this.

I'm not actually suggesting the Fireclay Tile, I was trying to show you what the handmade look is like so that you wouldn't worry about the 3" x 12" being too rustic. If you love the 3" x 9" then it's not an issue.

I am hoping you can find a tile with a bullnose because I think that looks more polished than the Schluter edge, but the only place you're going to need it is on the side splash, so it's really not that big a deal. If it is a big deal to you, then I would ask, did you ever look at the Jeffery Court or Daltile at Home Depot? Again, one of the benefits of these big companies is that they all make bullnose tiles and trim pieces. As to whether they would have the right grey, I don't know.

herb, yellow? I can't see it in the bs.

Daina L, these were purchased in NY, store is Cancos, They are called "Whisper", color Perla. Here's a pic of box.

Hand molded means that human hands filled molds with clay to get the shape of the tile and the texture. It is a charming tile and it looks beautiful in your kitchen, kea. How much did it cost? How long did it take to order?

It's another situation where you'd have to order a sample and wait, which is fine.

I ordered a bunch of samples from Fireclay. I would definitely have to wait to have them made and they're more expensive, but they have a number of grays and blues, so I figured it can't hurt to have a look.

I'm still leaning toward a light gray subway. I do like glossy, not sure about crackle, and I think I do like the handmade look because if it's like that and glossy it seems to reflect a bit more light.

I would also rather use bullnose, so I'll see what they say about the 3x9 gray. Obviously if I went with fireclay I could get bullnose.

I was trying to find something so I could get it done this Friday while I'm off work, but it might just have to wait. I don't want to rush and make a bad decision. I feel like this is the last piece and it can pull everything together nicely if I do it right.

Absolutely wait till you've seen everything you want to see, and let us know when your samples arrive. Which colors did you order?

Eam, it was in stock and we bought it on sale. The plain tile was about $6 SF and the deco tile was approx. $2 ea. We originally were looking at glass subways, but when we saw this we knew it was the one. We also couldn't beat the color and price - it was the least price of all we liked. This was a year ago.

After looking at your kitchen photos, I'm not so sure about the grey anymore with your grey walls. Maybe you should be looking for a soft white. Something that looks like how the Linen looked when it wasn't on the wall plane, lol.

If the tile isn't right with the paint, re-paint. It's so much easier to paint the walls a different grey than to find the right color tile to match the counter background. Besides, the cabinet doors will change to yet another white.

It's also tough to judge paint colors from images. But your inspiration image above used a much lighter shade of grey. You can always go in that direction.

Good point--repainting is easier.

From Fireclay, I ordered:

nickel, moonshine, foggy morning, rainy day, powder blue, crater lake, caribbean, twilight, sky blue, nautical, tusk, frost, daisy, sugar, calcite
Maybe I went a little overboard! But it's 5 for $5, so I did grays, off-whites, and pale blues/bluish grays, just to see if something works. Tusk, Moonshine, and Nickel are $15/sq. ft. for 3x6, so if any of those work, that would be great.

I ordered a few samples from South Cypress, and I'll call MSI tomorrow to see if they have samples in their store...otherwise, it's $30 for 3 samples which is terrible. Home Depot carries it, but it seems to be not in inventory anywhere nearby.

You can order from HD online and pick it up in your local store at no cost to you if you decide to go forward with that.

One of the big budget busters with Fireclay is delivery cost, so make sure to get a quote for your location. That's a ton of samples. It'll be fun to see them.

Ooh, fun. Eam's photo showing Tusk is the tone/ look I was wondering about. If you're willing to repaint, that certainly frees you up.

"And a picture of my dog, because he's cute, and less irritating than choosing tile."

LOL! You made my morning OP.

We are (sort of) done with a bunch of reno work, and the only way to cope some days was to walk (or just look at!) my adorable Havanese dog. Always so happy, dogs are, huh?!

Ap, my sister has a Havanese. She was going to buy an Italian Greyhound (also cute) until I intervened, so I am the honorary godmother. We need pictures of yours!

Yes, dogs are so happy all the time. All my Aussie wants is a belly rub and some attention and he's just in heaven.

Alright, so I picked up MSI dove gray in a shape I don't like at Home Depot, but it keeps me from having to order a sample of it in subway tile. I also grabbed 2 stone mosaic backsplashes that probably don't work but I figured I'd give it a shot. Pics below.

I think the dove gray might be a touch too dark.

Here it is next to the lighter gray that I think I like best so far if they have bullnose for it.

I think this might be too dark....

And maybe this distracts from the veining in the countertops.

Thoughts?

I'm ordering the daltile cool grey and the MSI morning fog from Home Depot just as samples, since those both look like lighter grays than the dove gray.

I think I'm done ordering samples now. Phew.

MSI morning fog is nice. It reads a bit blue but much nicer than Dove Grey. I have the sample board in my home now. They have a quarter round molding

That is nice--I'm hoping that color will be the one since it's cheaper than the Fireclay (though a couple of the grays I liked in Fireclay are $15/sq. ft. which isn't terrible).

I do like the variation in the color, too. It's sort of tempting to just order it--it's on sale at Home Depot for $7.18/sq. ft. through 1/20. I don't really want to have to return it if I hate it, but that's a better deal than its usual price of $9/sq.ft. And it's definitely cheaper than the one from Architectural Ceramics that I have photos of--she said that would run around $500 for 30 sq. ft.

It would save me about $65 if I order it now versus waiting....if I like it....maybe I'll just do it and have it sent to the store. Then if I don't like it, I don't even have to take it home!

smm, you would say it has a touch of blue to it--no beige or taupe going on?

No beige or taupe. Other reviews say it has green tint. Do u have a Home Depot you can run to and grab a few samples.

You're ordering a tile you've never seen in person online. Just make sure you're right about the return policy. Good luck!

The stacked rough stone looks awkward - it's the wrong texture for smooth marble.

The arabesque shape looks good with the veining - they are both rounded. I don't think the Dove grey is too dark.

"It would save me about $65 if I order it now versus waiting." But how much hassle if you aren't sure ... order in haste, repent at leisure.

Good point--I'll double check the return policy before I do anything. I have a couple days anyway while it's still on sale.

And sadly no one seems to have the morning fog in stock anywhere nearby, and MSI won't give me a sample. Ugh.

Daina where are u located? You can order a sample from Houzz

https://www.houzz.com/products/morning-fog-handcrafted-glazed-sample-prvw-vr~58549431

A few more options from MSI, Daltile, and Fireclay.

left, Daltile Desert Gray

right, MSI morning fog

Fireclay Twilight

Fireclay rainy day

left, MSI morning fog

right, Fireclay rainy day

The MSI is really thick and nice, but I do think it's a touch too greenish. I might order the Dove Gray in 3 x 6 subway so I can see what that looks like in the right shape.

Is the Twilight too blue/weird?

The Daltile color seems to work, but it's very thin, which I don't love given the gap we have to cover. Also, the more I have looked at tile, the more I like variation in the color, like in the morning fog.More Fireclay should be showing up tomorrow....

I think I'm down to these three. I did order one more set of samples from Fireclay that will show up Monday, including the French Linen which might work.

Pics are of each on the side wall, then with and without undercabinet lighting near the sink.

linen crackle from floor and decor, has bullnose

cottage ash from architectural ceramics, still waiting to hear if it has trim pieces available

MSI dove gray handmade crackle, has quarter round available

All three together--the linen, the cottage ash, and the dove gray.

linen

linen (the thing to the right is just a white piece of paper)

cottage ash

dove gray

Thoughts? I still like the gray handmade from floor and decor, but it doesn't have trim pieces so if we used it, we'd have to use Schluter jolly edge with it.

I prefer the MSI morning Fog over all the rest even though you said it's too green. It looks like the best match. Second choice is cottage ash.

I agree! You need something light vs dark and morning fog is really pretty. Second choice cottage ash.

Here they are side by side.

And the cottage ash next to the morning fog.

Can you make a list for me of which tiles have trim pieces or bullnose available?

The cottage ash supposedly has some kind of trim pieces that won't be in stock till end of February. Apparently it's a very new line. But there will be something. $15/square foot

Both the dove gray and the morning fog have matching quarter round. $9/square foot

The crackle linen color tile has matching bullnose. I'm going to try to get my hands on the gray in that line today which also has matching bullnose to see if that gray would work with the counters. Here it is on their website:

https://www.flooranddecor.com/tile-decoratives/villa-heirloom-willow-porcelain-tile-100183326.html#start=11
This works out the cheapest, around $7.50 or $8/square foot.

I don't think I love any of the Fireclay colors at this point.

I've also seen people on other threads mention Sonoma Tilemakers and Waterworks, but I'm assuming they'll be more expensive than what I'm looking at.

My fave, by a lot, is the morning fog. I think it does the best job of matching the veining in the counters.

Linen. I know... but Linen. You will be happy for the lightness it offers, and even in changing light conditions it looks great with your counters. And it has a bullnose. So it's a little crackled. You'll hardly notice :-). If you do choose a crackle tile read the installation specs thoroughly.

Here's the MSI whisper white compared to the linen. Just for comparison...I feel like it's okay with undercabinet lighting, but with that lighting turned off, it makes the counter look dirty or yellowish.

I might end up liking the linen, too.....it doesn't look gray in person but kinda does when paired with the counters.

Daina L, there is a Cancos store in NJ - 7 Elkins Road East
Brunswick, NJ 08816. If you're not too far I would stop by. You seem to be settling on a tile. I thought I had picked the perfect tile and while waiting for a price I kept looking. Then I found the tile I used. There was no doubt in mind that I found it - both price and color. It's very frustrating - I remember making choices throughout the remodel, thinking I just got over the hardest, to then face another "hardest". But it does come together. I'm sure your kitchen will look great and you will love it. Please keep us posted.

keagle, I'm in Northern VA. I did go to Rutgers and I'm from NJ, though, so I'm familiar with East Brunswick.

Maybe I'll call and see if they're willing to ship a sample or two.

Thanks!

I think I found my tile!!!
Iris Ceramics 4x12 maiolica grigio

And $7.80 a square foot!

Now which grout color? Smoke grey on the right and Sterling silver on the left.

:-)

And keagle, thanks for the great advice--I was settling. And after I looked at this one for a couple minutes, I just knew that was it.

Yeah! So happy for you.

Grout dries lighter. I keep saying this because I was disappointed at first with how my grout looked. I think what happened to me was that I was looking at the backsplash before grouting and the spaces looked like darker grout. Then the grout looked lighter than the tile. And I expected the grout to look like the color of the tile. You may want to do a sample board. I was sorry that I didn't.

Looking forward to your reveal.

This is what we went with. I love it!

Great choice. I think it looks perfect!

Thanks for getting back to us. It looks very pretty! Enjoy it!

I like the way the end is finished. I may borrow that look. I love the tiles you settled on too. But several of your options would have worked.

@eam44 - Sorry to resurrect this old thread, but I'm searching for photos of Fireclay's Tusk glaze with different grout colors. Do you happen to know the grout color that was used in the photo you posted showing Tusk? It is exactly the amount of contrast I'm going for (and I'm using Tusk).