The green is so bad....they repainted everything else in the place a taupe color, but for some odd reason left the kitchen neon green.

I think that the linen looks best.

Personally, not a subway tile fan. They can be very busy. What about using the quartz that is on your counters as your backsplash?

My concern with that is the pattern won't match, since we already did the counters. Does that matter? And they used basically the entire slab on the counters and peninsula. Maybe I'll ask the fabricators to price it out...but I'm assuming it would be a lot more $ than just doing tile.

I like the idea of gray, but not those. they are coming off as too 'taupe-ish'. Linen seems the best match, but still isn't perfect.

This frosted glass has a bit more blue tone which goes better w/the veining?

comes in regular glass as well

http://tilebar.com/loft-ash-gray-frosted-4x12-glass-tiles.html

these 3X12 are more of a hand-made look in the color 'Dove'

You would need another slab to do the backsplash, but you should be able to match it using the same dealer where you bought the slab.

Thanks Suzy and Belle Chaise.

I just emailed the fabricator to get a price. You never know, maybe it won't be much more than doing the backsplash with tile. And then it would just match. I do think my husband prefers that look. Depending on the tile we pick, I think the backsplash will cost between $1000 and $1500 minimum anyway.

Although I'm sure the part of the slab on the counter there was from the top of the slab...so I'm still not sure it would match.

the grey of the vain in the marble

and the linen look very close from here ,

The squiggles don't have to line up with the tops, it just needs to be the same color.

In the picture above, you are bookmarked for the waterfalls but not the splash.

Actually, that is not bookmarked, it's a pattern match. Bookmarking means it's a mirror image on both sides. And even on a computer monitor looking at a small photo, the veining is so unrealistic looking. I'd do a tile backsplash.

Diana Bier, do you think one of the colors I posted works? I think the linen or the cottage ash works best...I have a huge pile of samples from Fireclay, tilebar, and MSI and none really seems to match as well as these two.

I can't see how buying another slab and getting it cut to fit the wall would be cheaper than backsplash. What is the sq footage of the area you need to splash?

Beth, I also doubt it. It's about 29 square feet.

I think I have the Dove color you posted from tilebar. I'll take a photo of it with the counter and post it....

Daina, I'm sorry, but it's exceedingly difficult to determine nuances of color on a computer monitor, since they all show colors differently from each other, and from the reality of the tile in the space. They actually all look nice on my monitor, but if I look at the last 2 photos, the linen tile looks darker in the second photo than in the first! And I'm sure it was the same tile.

What you need to do is to either determine yourself which of the tiles works better with your countertop, or maybe hire a color consultant or designer to help you select the best one. Undertones are very important when selecting the lighter tiles. Personally I like the darker tiles since they give a nice contrast with the cabinets and the white background of the stone.

And I agree with replacing the white appliances with stainless steel--the whites don't work together at all.

Thanks, Diana!

We actually used a color consultant to pick all the paint colors. I wanted gray everywhere and my husband wanted colors, but he didn't want to go to the paint store and pick them. I wasn't sure about some of the colors at first, but now I love it.

You certainly have a point about the computer monitor--I learned all about RGB and inkjet colors from the color consultant... And it's amazing how the lighting affects the colors, too.

I would love to know what you think about handmade tile, crackle, and color variation--how they affect the look of a kitchen. I was kind of going transitional, but our dining room furniture is sort of older and traditional. I like color variation and a handmade or hand molded look to the tile--do those go with the kitchen? Not sure I love crackle.

Here's the eventual dining room light (should arrive in a week or two).

And these are the pendants (which need to be lowered).

And our dining room. May have to rearrange the furniture...it's mahogany, my husband's grandfather's. Stuck with it!

Thanks for any advice you have.

I think the linen one is fine. It will have grout around it also, and the area is fairly small. It keeps it more neutral in case you change colors later on.

Beth H,

Here's the cottage ash left, dove from tilebar middle, linen right.

I love crackle tile and handmade tile. Love colorful and patterned tiles too, like encaustic tiles. They all tend to be more traditional, earthy, homey, rustic, rather than transitional or modern, so you need to decide what look you really want. Also keep in mind that handmade tile has irregular edges and requires large grout lines. If you don't want that, then stick with the machine made, rectified tiles.

all 3 seem to go ok. which one do you like? You know better since you can see the surrounding room.

I'm leaning towards the cottage ash, the gray 3 x 9 with the color variation. Might still look at a few more before making a final decision. The trim pieces supposedly won't be in anyway till the end of February.

I would paint all the kitchen including the back splash, and save the money for new appliances..................: ) A splash can be done ANY time. Smooth the drywall, paint it out and put the 1500.00 in tile and labor and grout toward the apps. Even if it means a riser splash of the Caesar Stone in the meantime.

Here's what we chose--none of the above--and I love it!

It's lovely Daina, good choice. Can you provide details of the tile please?

Sure! I bought it from Architechtural Ceramics. It's by Iris and it's called Maiolica Grigio. Here's the company website: http://www.irisus.com/collezioni.php?col=MAIOLICA

This is the store where I purchased it. https://www.architecturalceramics.com/

We have glass tile backsplash. Love our white Quartz stone too!!! I'm all for maintenance-free!

Thanks Daina!

Looks really nice!

I would like to randomly comment that you people are all very nice and helpful. Thank you for that. Sometimes I post questions asking for advice on Houzz and get people who rip into design decisions that I didn't ask for help with. So, just thanks for being kind and helpful, to both the amateurs and the professionals. :)